Great to walk in, but not very Hdurable
Helen from Sydney β 4 out of 5 stars
Looks-wise, the black shoes look very professional and on-trend on my feet, not like "comfortable old lady shoes", if you know what I mean. Fit-wise, the other review is right. They're large. Not length-wise, but width-wise. I read somewhere that these are supposed to be a comfort C width. I think they're wider than that, so you may need a slightly thick sock when wearing them. When worn with thick socks, they fit me like a glove, as snugly as well-worn-in old boots. The trendy no-socks look may not be possible in these shoes unless you have very wide feet (I'm tempted to try a similar pair in their thinner Easy Steps line to see if they'd work when worn with a thin hose-style mini-sock.) Grip-wise, the sole appears to be rubber. My feet have not slipped once, when walking on hard surfaces, carpet, or grass. I do worry about the sole material, as I think it could wear down quickly because the soles are thin. Alas, one can't have super flexy soles + great grip from a rubber sole AND a super-durable sole. To make them more durable, it'd be necessary to sacrifice flex or grip. I'm happy with how the designers have made that tradeoff, although I wish it wasn't necessary. Flexibility-wise, they're nearly as flexible as traditional folding ballet flats some women keep in their purse for after the races. ;-) Those who prefer or need to walk on a thick, inflexible platform for ortho reasons, they're fully unsuitable, these are not the shoes for you. But for those of us whose physios have recommended shoes that allow our feet to bend as we walk and shoes with soles very low to the ground to help our feet feel the ground and stay balanced, they're some of the best shoes that exist, and I'll be ordering more as they go on sale. Honestly, my feet cramp up in shoes with thick, inflexible soles like many trainers, hard-leather-soled dress shoes and sandals, or wedge-heeled shoes. And they're fine in these. Comfort-wise, if you have very wide feet or are willing to wear a sock thick enough that these shoes fit like a glove, they're very comfortable and hold securely to my feet. They are NOT as comfortable for long walks as thickly-soled sandals or trainers because they're less cushy, but that's a side effect of the thin sole that is a design feature. Durability-wise, after 3 wearings, the thin leather on the vamp has already started to crease where my foot bends, so I worry that these won't last long. Also, the thin rubber sole, while being great for balance stability while walking, is thin and I expect it to wear too quickly for shoes costing more than $50 or $60.