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.
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.
I can’t speak for other brands I’m afraid, only ever tried Vivo after taking the plunge. They are expensive so a cheaper one may be worth a shot if they’re more available now.
Xero shoes are popular and more reasonably priced though I have no experience with them myself.
Xero are great but be warned that they are truly minimal. No heel drop, very thin sole. The soles last forever though.