EssexRd
When I received these I almost sent them back, but decided to break them in and see what happened instead. The best rating I can give after a month of wearing them is "OK." I have three issues: arch support, the lacing and the sole. There is no arch support in the shoe design. The footbed is a simple, completely flat piece, coated with a sticky adhesive on the bottom. Footbeds usually give some arch support, but these are totally flat. The footbeds were loose in the pair I received -- it looks like they were just dropped into the shoe in the factory (Viet Nam) when they were made. After you wear them a few times the heat from your foot sticks the footbed down. Also, the shoes were very tightly laced when they left the factory. I have a medium width, 10.5 foot and have never worn anything other than a standard width shoe. When I first put these on I could barely get my feet into the shoe, and I had ordered a half size up, size 11. It might sound silly, but it took a day or so for me to realize I had to loosen the laces -- I usually find shoes are ready to go when I take them out of the box. Finally, the sole of the shoe is very stiff. Take a look at the picture -- the sole is not very flexible at all. The treads and grooves on the bottom of the shoe come from a fused-on layer that is just 3/16" thick. All in all, these feel to me like a cheaply made shoe. They are not particularly comfortable, and I wouldnt buy them again.
