Men's Whirlwind

I have a 30+ year old foot injury that has led to arthritis in my big toe joint. My doctor told me I needed rocker bottom shoes, and recommended Hoka OneOne, but I couldn't afford the $200 pricetag. I found these and decided to take a chance. Even while I was experimenting with insoles, the relief in my toe was instant. I'm able to stay active and do the things I like to do without slowing down (much). Now that I know rocker botoms work, I bought a pair of MBT's that are my "nice" shoes, but these Exersteps are my daily beaters.Now for the details:The fit is true to size. I usually wear a 10.5 but sometimes an 11. 11s were too big but 10.5 fits perfectly, with one caveat: the heel cup is short, so they slip a bit in the back. It's designed to not hit your achiles tendon when the shoe rocks forward. I laced mine with a runner's loop and that solved it.Materials and quality are fine. No worse than other shoes in the same price range. So far they're holding up well with heavy use, including daily work wear, 3-mile dog walks, and cross-country urban hikes.They're not comfortable - at least not out of the box.The soles are thick and heavy. They're solid rubber, which makes them rigid so they rock properly, but there's no cushioning, and they pound the heck out of your feet. The insoles are paper thin with no padding at all. They're not glued in, so toss them out and get some good ones.Be careful though, you don't need much arch support, because the contour of the sole shoves the midsole up against the middle of your foot. I tried 4 different insoles before I found some that feel right. YMMVThe shoelaces are about 2 feet longer than they need to be. Get some that fit while you're buying the insoles.If you have arthritis and can't afford, or just don't want to pay for, the more expensive brands then these will work the same way. Spend a few extra dollars on insoles and they're comfortable for all day wear. If you want them for fitness, the rocker bottom combined with the additional weight will definitely add resistance to your workout.When all is said and done, I like them and will definitely buy them again.

I bought these shoes because I was going through some bursitis in the ball of my foot, and one reviewer said they were good for "toe" issues. Well, these worked great. I can actually walk around without my toe hardly flexing at all, resulting in marked improvement in my condition. My bursitis is finally shrinking!When I first put on these shoes, I thought "what the heck??". They rock a bit forward to back, and they didn't fit my gait at all. They felt "weird". But after about an hour of wear, my body adjusted to them, and the magic started happening. My gate started to "align" so that I was moving forward more efficiently, and I was walking easily in them. They naturally rock as you walk in them, helping out your gate. It's hard to explain, but they are pretty cool to wear.As one person said, I don't think I'd want to stand around in them a lot. I'm not sure if they would be good for hiking on rocky surfaces (haven't tried yet, but might try it). For flat or flat/hard surfaces they are great.The quality of these shoes is surprisingly high. The leather tops are very good, the leather is a little light and on the supple side. The soles are super chunky with medium cushion. I will always wear chunky soles from now on! The inner footbed is removable. It's a footbed with an extra amount of rubber glued to the bottom of them. The heel has some kind of bubble on it (air pocket) for more heel cushioning. Whoever made these shoes wanted the person wearing them to have maximum shock cushioning.All in all, if you can get past the first hour or so, the magic will start to happen. You'll see the efficiency of the "cam like" rocking as you walk around. The cushioning is magnificent. Your gate will become more efficient and "forward" oriented. I'm sure there is far more benefit to these shoes which will only be experienced over time.The only question i have is, "should I buy a second pair now?"

Since half-sizes were not available, I ordered a half-size larger. I expected them to be slightly big. The heel area fits nicely. The toe area is roomy, but comfortable. The midsole is much firmer than the RYN shoes I also have and the MBT shoes which have long since been worn out and discarded. However, since the model of RYN shoes I have is no longer available in my size, I purchased these. For the price, I think I have a product that will meet my needs. I have had plantar fasciitis problems with a bone spur. These are comfortable to wear, even without the custom orthotics. I can't speak yet to durability as I just received them. However, they do look to be well constructed so they should hold up well.Edit: I ordered a second pair. This time, I ordered 10-1/2 and they fit well. the same comment applies about the firmness compared to others of the same type.Correction: half sizes are available when I looked today. I will order another pair in the half size. I like these enough to keep them, but will want another pair to switch off with as I don't like wearing the same shoes every day.

Have plantar fasciitis on one heel and these (2 weeks in) are really helping with my daily walks. My first pair of ‘rockers’ and different at first to walk in but quickly got used to. Would purchase again.

I wear these for workAfter 3 weeks wearing them I feel I got more energy and help my ankle and my knees which I suffer from old injuriesDef buy more of these

Sole is the same as shoes previously sold in Australia under the Mitre brand. Had 2 pairs of Mitre shoes: 1 lasted 3 years of long hill walks, the other is still going and used for indoor exercise. Have already put some distance on the Exersteps and they have the same feel, have bought a second pair as a result so I am not without a spare again. Tried other (more expensive) brands in the interim and none of them came close to matching Mitre/Exersteps.

It has very uncomfortable

Bought as trial for my problem feet.Very awkward to get used to and first outing left my feet more sore than before trying them.Second outing they were not comfortable but still require getting used to them.