After I took them for his or her first check stroll, all I might take into consideration was how every stride felt like stepping on a large marshmallow. Whereas the only 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 he or she additionally fell in love with them immediately (a lot in order that it took some critical convincing to get her to offer them again).
Whereas strolling
Over the subsequent three months, I noticed that the Devotion X Max additionally has loads of different walking-friendly options, like a light-weight, breathable higher. The material and mesh present nice airflow—I might simply really feel a summer time breeze by means of the shoe, which prevented my ft from getting too sizzling or sweaty, even on 80-degree days.
Additionally useful? A stain-resistant coating that the model claims will shed filth, 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 seem like new after weeks of wear and tear.)
Unique 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 often discover one thing to gripe about with virtually 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 big emblem emblazoned on the facet, they’re cute, straightforward to put on, and are available in a lot of stylish shade combos. Even the value is correct: At $90, these are less expensive than many different standard athletic footwear (which might run anyplace from $120 to $285).
In the event you’re nonetheless slipping the identical, worn-down strolling sneakers on on daily basis, I’d extremely encourage you to offer 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 you must lose?
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