Memory Foam Shoes are Terrible
Memory Foam Shoes are Terrible
Pretty much every pair of Sketchers shoes now has memory foam soles and everyone seems to think they are great but I hate them.
They are really hot, the foam is like a layer of insulation.
The top of the memory foam soles is somewhat elastic so it's really smooth and slippery so your socks slide around inside
They are no more comfortable than regular shoes and in fact I think they provide less arch support since they are squishy compared to shoes with harder foam.
And most of all the memory foam gets smashed and wears out in no time with some shoes having the foam glued in so replacing the insole is impossible.
I just can't fathom how they are so popular.
Memory foam shoes are terrible for the environment too. Natural cork soles do just as well of a job for 99% of people and are actually biodegradable. Memory foam is more comfortable out the box but gets worn out within months and is usually non-replaceable.
A nurse friend of mine told me that Sketcher are one of the most popular shoes in that profession. He recommended them if you had to be on your feet a lot.
Memory foam anything is terrible.
I don't have am answer why, but my feet hurt like hell after a day of standing around or walking without the memory foam. I'm trying to find a good pair of professional looking shoes that fit like Sketcher memory foam actually.
Sketchers make loafers and other "professional" type shoes. I wore a brown leather pair everyday for 8 years when I was still in an office.
I tried a pair of boat shoes, I think? They slip on. They're not as comfortable, so my feet still hurt. I think it has to do with arch support? Maybe?
I haven't used theirs, but I've got On Cloud shoes (one of those with double layers of dampening) and Adidas 4D / 4DFWD 3D printed mesh shoes, and both are really soft and stable simultaneously and work very well. Although they're also both on the expensive side too.
I couldn't agree more. I wore a few sketchers in the past and thought the memory foam would give comfort. A month ago I went to a shoe store again and wore another pair of shoes to run, this tme decided to try out other ones. And damn don't they feel much better than my sketcher pairs I've ever wore.
We don't need foam or arch support or any of that shit in our shoes, it's all marketing nonsense. We've got muscles in our feet for a reason. Save your feet, knees etc. and buy something like a pair of vivobarefoot shoes.
Foam I agree that is a bad idea.
Arch support? Yeah you might want to do a little more research.
Every foot is different, and for some, like those who experience a lot of supination or high arches, arch support is likely the best way to go.
But there does seem to be a growing body of evidence that modern shoe design seems to promote weak arch muscles, and thus lead to pronation and flat arches, where as shoes with zero drop and no arch support, if transitioned to slowly, will eventually build up those muscles and no longer require support. I think there's also a strong case to be made in favor of shoes with a large toebox that doesn't squeeze the toes together.
I suffered with foot and back pain for years until I found arch supports. They make all the difference in the world. I can wear any kind of shoe as long as I put my arch support in it and stand on my feet for 18 hours with no issue.
You got anything lower-end that are similar but not as expensive to try out?
I wouldn't recommend barefoot running shoes unless you are running on soft surfaces. I am a provider who specializes in orthopedics and rehabilitation, specifically orthotics and prosthetics at a university hospital.
Our clinic is mainly patient care oriented, but we do get to do some research. The barefoot running fad was kicked off by from what I believe to be a purposely clumsy interpretation of some really interesting studies.
Mostly an investigative study about the bio mechanics of tribes in Africa who traditionally ran long distances without foot wear. The study is actually really great, but a lot of the proclaimed benefits aren't really applicable to other environments or cultures.
These tribes had their runners training without shoes at a very young age, and always on soft surfaces. If you take away any of the preconditions and the benefits also disappear.
Whitin barefoot shoes on amazon are a great entry into the barefoot style, they're very affordable and depending on the exact style you choose, actually seem to hold up surprisingly well for the price. Make sure you go for the ones that explicitly say they are Wide though, those have the most natural toebox shape.
There's also Splay! Shoes, which offer some affordable barefoot shoes that look like Vans.
