****** - Verified Buyer
4.5
These are my third pair of Orthofeet over the years. They are now my go-to brand of shoes!First, I have wide feet. Few shoe stores have anything wide enough. (I am glad NOT to continue the years I've spent slowly stretching out shoes that were a bit too narrow to start with. Orthofeet is one of the few brands to reliably make shoes suitable for E and EE widths!)Second, Orthofeet is a company that has worked hard to create shoes that are both 1) healthy for feet of all shapes and sizes, 2) reasonably good-looking; and 3) not jaw-droppingly expensive.Third, over the years, Orthofeet has come up with even MORE ways to allow customers to adjust the shoes to fit different sizes and shapes of feet: a) One way: these shoes come with three different inserts that can be inserted into the shoes before putting your foot in. Each insert has a slightly different thickness and shape, and they can be used individually or in any combination. That means that you can achieve seven different amounts and kinds of padding—going a long way toward guaranteeing that these shoes will be comfortable on your feet, no matter how high or low your arch is, etc. b) In addition, these shoes are quite light, so they add no unnecessary exertion while walking. Fortunately, the lightness doesn't seem to reduce the support I need from them. In other words, the shoes are both light and supportive! c) A third way: these came with a "try before you buy" option (on Amazon, I believe)—which meant that I could wear these for a full week before deciding whether they truly fit.To assure myself that these shoes would give my feet the needed support when walking my dog on cement pavement for 2 miles or so a day, therefore, I was able to test them out for seven days of actual wear.By the way: to avoid making the shoes unreturnable after walking so far on pavement, I first bought some $15 "shoe protectors"—which are "oversocks" with elastic in the top part that goes around the ankle. (They are actually designed to allow you to wear "outdoor shoes" indoors, to avoid dirtying carpets). I was able to use these oversocks "in reverse," so that I could try out the shoes IN the protectors over several days of long walks on pavement—without dirtying the shoes or picking up gravel in their soles.)The result: I was able to test that these shoes: A) fit me, and B) are comfortable on brisk, extended walks on hard pavement—all without risk of my being stuck with shoes that don't suit my feet and the particular uses to which I put them.In short, there are three factors that make Orthofeet my new "go-to" shoe brand:1) The excellent design of the shoes themselves;2) The numerous ways to adjust the shoe fit, using up to three kinds of free orthotics in any combination;3) The chance to try them in real-world circumstances for a full week before deciding to keep them.For my budget, these shoes are on the high end (yet nowhere near the highest end). But three factors make me willing to pay more than "shoe store" shoes usually cost:1. The lack of risk of being stuck with shoes that don't fit;2. The ability to try them out for a full week, in my own environment, before committing to buy them; and3. The overall combination of lightness, comfort, and support.In other words, these are thoughtfully designed, carefully manufactured, and sold with "try before you buy."I am highly satisfied. I am highly unlikely to buy any other brand of shoes.And that's why I'm happy to write such a long and positive review.I don't see any drawbacks to trying out this remarkable brand of footwear—especially for those of us whose feet aren't comfortable in the typical shapes and sizes of shoe-store shoes—and whose budgets don't support purchases that may be useless but not returnable.Thank you, Orthofeet! You're the shoe company I wish I had had my whole life!
