Let me save you the money I wasted on shoes that said ‘comfort’ and were just soft.
I’ve been on my feet my whole working life, and I have spent years and a fair bit of money chasing shoes that promised support. A pair of Merrells I wear in the yard. New Balance 608s in wide. Rockports. Brooks, because a fellow at the running store swore by them. A pair of Hokas that ran me $170. Two more I won’t bother naming. Dr Scholl’s inserts stuffed in all of them. And $400 on custom orthotics on top.
Every one of them felt great in the store. That’s the trick. Soft isn’t the same as supported. A couple of months in, the foam had packed down flat and my arch was standing on nothing again. By four o’clock my feet were done, and by seven my back had joined in.
Then I found a pair with something actually shaped underneath, built to hold my arch up under my weight instead of squashing flat under it. First day I wore them, I got to the evening and realized I hadn’t thought about my feet once.
Here is everything that changed. Note: if you have ever bought a comfort shoe that stopped working after a couple of months, this is exactly why.