The Podcast - Episode 8 - Cushion vs Support

Here we break down the idea of comfort in terms of cushion vs support.
The idea of comfort is subjective and it often boils down to the idea of cushion vs support. In America, we are trained to believe that what has the most cushion must be the most comfortable. I have learned firsthand, that this is nothing more than marketing gimmickry. Good cushioning can provide comfort, but at the end of the day without proper support, no amount of cushion will provide the comfort we need to sustain a hard day on our feet.
Read more: theshoesnobblog.com/cushion-v...

[@KFCJones]

Man, I wish I saw this video 25 years ago! I've worked on railroads that long, walking on ballast and climbing up and down ladders with tiny metal rungs, tearing through cheap workboots every couple of months and wearing Converse sneakers on my days off. And in the years before that, I was a cook, standing all day in the same cheap boots. Needless to say, I developed plantar fasciitis. The strange thing was that my orthopedist set me up with custom made inserts to put inside the same crappy workboots without giving the info contained in this video. To the point where on the rare occasions I wore dress shoes I either jammed the inserts into my existing shoes or bought a way-too-big pair to allow the inserts to fit. Neither method worked. A couple of years ago when I started getting into menswear, I bought my first pair- Meermin "Linea maestro" handwelteds- and assumed that without the inserts, they'd hurt but look good. Surprise surprise they didn't hurt or make my feet tired, and as I bought and wore more and more leather soled shoes I never had that fallen arch pain come back. I eased into it by wearing the work boots (no longer cheap- Red Wings and Doc Martens both combined with prescription orthotics- on weekdays and leather shoes on weekends. To now I'm rotating through 3 pairs of your boots, 2 Columbia Redux and an Alder at work, and leather soled "big boy" 😅 shoes on the weekends. NO INSERTS-- NO PROBLEMS. The information you gave in this video had dawned on me intuitively (minus the marketing machinations of Big Shoe) and it's great to hear confirmation! Thanks!

[@theshoesnob_official]

I love to hear this and thank you so much for sharing. Some people think I am crazy for what I say because they are so badly brainwashed by people who have agendas to sell a product yet all I want is to help people as I was once there myself and feet paid suck big time! So glad that my shoes offer you the support you need. Thank you for saying so!

[@asherarnold5884]

Support is king. You speak the truth.

[@theshoesnob_official]

Thank you 🙏

[@gregoireaby-eva1189]

This is a great topic. I feel compelled to contribute to this. From the experience of someone that has feet paint from wearing the wrong shoes for years and has found leather shoes or rubber shoes to be able to provide comfort in different ways, I'd like to share a concept that I think is way under looked. If one looks at the anatomy of the foot you quickly realize that where your bones rest on the ground is for the most part where all the weight is concentrated. The rest of the foot is more or less there for partial stability. I tried just about any form of arch support only to realize that arch support is a myth and is actually a bad way to look at foot support. For me it was really painful. I have very soft arch tissue despite having a decent arch. Any form of pressure applied to that arch would create a very painful situation even if just on a localized area (which often happened to me as my feet have a different geometry left and right). What I found is that nesting your foot for me is the best way to achieve comfort. Especially around the supportive part of the foot (third back & third front of the foot). Thus if I have a shoe where the material comes around the heel it does so much to support my foot than arch support would ever do and isn't meant to carry load. Same along the outside of the foot and around the proximal phalanx. So if I wear a leather shoe that hold this areas well around and stabilize my foot it is that much more comfortable. The worse the foot industry has done in my opinion is to sell the idea that arch support is a good thing when in my opinion your arch should be free of unnecessary pressure. Holding the foot around the main load point is however better support. I get the feeling that people who like arch support don't realize they actually get support from the nesting geometry. It's also probably important to add that activity plays a big part in all this. Standing, versus walking long distances, vs running/hiking. Has a big say to shoe support types. When you stand I feel I need my feet well supported around my heel and toes. When I walk long distance I need my feet somewhat padded but not excessively, and if I do a more strenuous activity I need my foot with good chock absorption (hence the rubber sole). So a leather shoe well fitted will create that side and heel support. It will stabilize the foot and I think can be really comfortable from that stand point. It stabilize your foot a lot more.! Leather shoes tend to also have flatter geometry and when it takes the form around your toe it all helps tremendously. Foam can add unnecessary pressure. I started to wear Allbirds sneakers and most of my pains went away. They have very modest non pressing arch support. They hold the heel quite well. And provide minimal cushion just enough to avoid pain from impact. They can be bad for long standing though, because the foot isn't as stable sometime being a foam insert on rubber sole. Wrong shoes, especially sneakers, has more risk to get the rest of the body out of alignment. Leather shoes will have less of that I think. Counter argument, leather shoes are a bit tougher from an impact stand point. Long walks, active life style, etc...might be harder. Long story short I think 1. Focusing on Arche support is a mistake. 2. Foot stability around supportive bones is essential 3. nesting around the heel and toes does provide increased stability (fewer micro adjustments=more spread support pressure=less pain). Long story short. I do believe in leather shoe comfort! And I also believe in padded comfort. What matters most I think is the nesting geometry around the areas most under load.. My two cents.

[@theshoesnob_official]

Thank you fot sharing that interesting perspective. I appreciate it.

[@haraldhoffmann6752]

Friday I was trying to ' enlighten ' a Patient of mine about the pain in his feet and the nonsuportive comfort-shoes he was wearing. I felt a bit like You ! Best Regards to the westside of the great pond. Harald

[@theshoesnob_official]

Thanks for sharing Harald!

[@It_swill]

The realm between cushion and support is something I struggle to find with shoes. I have flat feet, but I've never had any foot problems, never used orthotics either. I have friends who can't wear flat Converse or Vans bc there's no support, but I wear them fine all day. When it comes to welted footwear, other than very slim waisted shoes, which don't fit my low volume feet, I can also wear Alden loafers all day everyday. My main problem is every RTW shoe I've ever owned gapes/bows open due to my flat feet. Which from an article you wrote before, it will be something I have deal with or go bespoke in the future. It is what it is I guess.

[@theshoesnob_official]

Thanks for sharing. There are some brands that might work for you that use full length leather arch stiffeners like Saint Crispins and Aubercy but these are the far and few between makers.

[@gritsteel4559]

Great insights, I'm going to replace all my big-sized shoes, they do make my feet tired. Never had this issue when I didn't buy online. Luckily I don't have any feet problems. Well, I used to wear dress shoes mostly at the office, 10 to 12 hrs on some days (although mostly seated, and I can remove my shoes under my desk), even overnight. Dress shoes were just natural to me, didn't even think about them. Then I started a business where I didn't have to wear dress clothes, and in came several casual loafers. After several years, in my idle time, I discovered and started watching Kirby Allison, The Shoe Snob, etc. and damn, now I missed my dress shoes. So I started wearing them again, a good feeling, and looks really good. I have non-slip rubber protectors on my leather soles though, quieter too.

[@theshoesnob_official]

Thanks for sharing!

[@rg3412]

Great advice. Did you know it is the same exact problem with saddles in cycling? People who ride for a living use hard narrow saddles with pelvic relief gap while newbies pick the widest softest saddles with gel padding…

[@theshoesnob_official]

thank you. I did not know that but it makes perfect sense.

[@russ9921]

I have an injury (previously broken leg) from my army days which means my feet don’t plant the same when walking. Unaddressed, my hip and then my back start to suffer. Despite what you say, Justin, if one has a foot injury or walking deformity, you have to find a good podiatrist and get the right orthotics made. I love Gaziano & Girling dress shoes and regularly wear orthotics in them. Yes, the orthotics push the feet up a bit, but not much and if I stick to lace ups the support is enough to compensate. Better still, the leather in Tony and Dean’s shoes is so good, it adapts to compensate over time. No factory standard shoe arch will match a good orthotic put together by a podiatrist which addresses the vagaries of each individual foot. By the way, one of the worst things, as you allude to, is a shoe seller who gives you a size up to accommodate your foot, instead of addressing the width of your foot and giving you the correct shoe size and last width. Most people are wearing ill-fitting shoes which have been made in one standard width only, and so don’t provide the necessary support even to a healthy foot.

[@theshoesnob_official]

Thanks for sharing Russ. Amd maybe in my exaggerative state of trying to make a point about support I failed to explain well my thoughts. What I hate, like you say, is everyone thinking they need orthotics because they were brainwashed to believe so by a salesmen or someone trying to make money. But of course I know there are extreme cases where people have real issues and actually need orthotics for their health/support where bespoke is not an option and ready made shoes do not suffice.

[@rg3412]

I’m French and I’ve worn leather shoes my whole life. Most of them had thick rubber soles (looking at you Paraboots…). Nowadays though I prefer leather insole, leather midsole and single, or better double, leather sole. I don’t even put topys anymore. I realize I must be the minority here but I like the absorption provided by the leather outsole when walking on small stones and pebbles. With rubber, nothing get absorbed, the rubber bounces back. It is as if your car only had springs but no shock absorbers. Leather is hard to break in but molds to your foot. It’s a bit like getting a custom last but without paying the price… One day, I’ll reward myself with shoes from Pierre Corthay :)

[@theshoesnob_official]

I agree 100%. A double leather sole is among my favorite for comfort. Thank you for sharing. I hope that Corthay will soon be in your future ;-)

[@tonydeltablues]

Thanks. Glad you had time to share this. My journey to leather Goodyear welted shoes started around 7 years ago. I've benefitted from switch from merrils to wearing welted shoes and feel very comfortable wearing leather dress shoes all day! You are right: it's all about that last! Getting a good fit will support your plates of meat 🙂 Regards Tony

[@theshoesnob_official]

Thanks for sharing Tony and glad that you enjoyed it!

[@ericwalles]

pure wisdom, recently i have noticed that many teenangers that only use sneakers or cheap shoes, with deformed legs or with hipps problemas because they don´t know how to walk correctly with those unsupportive shoes

[@theshoesnob_official]

100% and they all wear them too big too

[@puszkin69]

Thanks Justin, great info as always. From personal experience, every time when going away for a weekend, I default to my boots (Loake or Barker) as my feet won't hurt at the end of a long day. Support/fit equal comfort! Cheers

[@theshoesnob_official]

100%! Thank you for sharing!

[@rudyhurtado8765]

Great subject to tackle and well explained Justin, You can really feel when your shoes support and hug your arch properly and that's when you reach for those shoes more. BTW, Long live double leather soles! 😊

[@theshoesnob_official]

Thanks Rudy! And yes, I love those double-leather soles!

[@BangNguyen-ux4ie]

I plantar fasciitis and the best insole that "supports" my feet is Birkenstock and certainly it is not "cushioned" because it can hurt your feet the first few days wearing it. But then once it breaks in, it is so supportive. Unfortunately, despite its wonderful insole, Birkenstock just doesn't know how to design attractive looking sandals and shoes.

[@theshoesnob_official]

Yes I have heard the same. Never worn them myself but that arch support is something else!

[@russ9921]

I agree and it amazes me why no one at Birkenstock has addressed appearance to match the support. Their attitude seems to be that the people who will buy Birkenstock shoes don’t care about style.

[@muzamalgujjar0013]

Good job

[@theshoesnob_official]

Thank you

[@4747da]

Important subject for me. as I suffer from a high arch that causes knee and back pain. I wear orthotics, and it really helps. However, even the guy that sold me the orthotic insoles said is should buy shoes with arch support. But what I'm wondering is should i wear orthotics in a dress shoe? I wear them with my loaks (oxfords) and it's been comfortable after the break in, but not with my crocket and jones loafer. the C&G really feel supportive under the arch, but moving forward, I wonder if that's enough? obviously, in terms of look, there's an advantage of fitting the shoe to your foot, without the added half size-size needed for the orthotics

[@theshoesnob_official]

Thanks for sharing. Sadly for extreme cases it can be hard to find what you need from ready made shoes and would ideally need a built arch in a bespoke shoe. Orthotics were really designed for guys like you who really nees them. Thr best arch support I ever felt was in a pair of Aubercy that had the leather arch stiffener, like a bespoke shoe

[@arthurcatalanotto1151]

For me, I prefer a firm mattress because I believe a firm mattress provides much more support than the soft pillow top mattresses. I have worn welted leather soled shoes for 18 hours without any issues. Seriously, 18 hours! I have a very narrow foot. When I have my shoes laced very snug, I get the support you spoke of. Have you ever given an online video tour of your store? It appears as though you have more styles available in your store than on your website. Am I wrong? Oh and nice suit.

[@theshoesnob_official]

Thanks for sharing Arthur! And no I have not as it goes. But most things are on the site. More so than the store. But the store might have recent samples in the background as this is where they come to ;-) and thank you 🙏

[@l33smith]

Great video, I'm always torn as I work in an office and like dress shoes from a style and craft point of view and wear at work but also like barefoot shoes and find them really comfortable. Don't like cushion shoes at all.

[@theshoesnob_official]

Thank you for sharing and glad that you enjoyed the video

[@jthespiceoflife]

So support is hard for me as I have flat feet, I could tread water. So if I do not have a arch how can I make it work for support since I have a wide foot?

[@theshoesnob_official]

I have semi flat feet. Not super flat so I cannot claim to share as much difficulty but what you need is really built up arch support that is hard to find outside of handmade shoes with a full leather arch support. That is usually found on handlasted/handwelted shoes or bespoke. So, yes, I imagine it can be hard for you. More rigid shoes will help to be honest. Too soft and flexible won't support a collapsing arch

[@jthespiceoflife]

@@theshoesnob_official Thank you for the reply, yes bespoke is out of the price range. I have tried orthopedics but don't work for dress shoes which is what I need. But thank you for the info in your video. Keep up the great work.

[@theshoesnob_official]

@@jthespiceoflife my pleasure and thank you 🙏