Once I took them for his or her first check stroll, all I may take into consideration was how every stride felt like stepping on an enormous marshmallow. Whereas the only real is ultra-soft, my ft by no means sank into the cushioning—it’s nonetheless barely springy. I used to be so impressed that I insisted my mother strive them on proper after I did, and she or he additionally fell in love with them immediately (a lot in order that it took some critical convincing to get her to present them again).
Whereas strolling
Over the following three months, I spotted that the Devotion X Max additionally has loads of different walking-friendly options, like a lightweight, breathable higher. The material and mesh present nice airflow—I may simply really feel a summer time breeze via the shoe, which prevented my ft from getting too scorching or sweaty, even on 80-degree days.
Additionally useful? A stain-resistant coating that the model claims will shed grime, mud, espresso, blood, and extra while you run the shoe beneath chilly water. (Whereas I haven’t spilled something on my pair, I can affirm that they nonetheless appear like new after weeks of wear and tear.)
Authentic picture by SELF senior commerce editor Sarah Felbin
At first, I used to be involved {that a} shoe with a lot cushioning (and a reasonably chunky heel) would weigh me down. However at simply 8.6 ounces, this pair is lighter than many different SELF favourite footwear—together with Hoka’s Bondi 8 and Brooks’ Glycerin 21, two 2024 Sneaker Award winners that each weigh 9 ounces. I additionally by no means tripped or stumbled in them, regardless of how padded they’re.
After miles of check walks, this shoe solely feels extra comfy, cradling my arches and serving to me trek farther earlier than I get that telltale ache in my heels that comes with a day properly spent strolling round New York Metropolis.
Backside line
I can normally discover one thing to gripe about with nearly each pair of footwear I’ve tried on. However with Ryka’s Devotion X Max, I (shockingly) don’t have any notes. Except for the massive emblem emblazoned on the facet, they’re cute, simple to put on, and are available a number of stylish coloration combos. Even the worth is correct: At $90, these are less expensive than many different fashionable athletic footwear (which may run wherever from $120 to $285).
In the event you’re nonetheless slipping the identical, worn-down strolling sneakers on daily, I’d extremely encourage you to present this pair a shot. There’s actually no different shoe like them (or, no less than, I haven’t discovered one but that comes shut). They’re tremendous comfy, not too costly, and backed by podiatrists—what do it’s important to lose?
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