Once 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 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 attempt 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 severe convincing to get her to offer them again).
Whereas strolling
Over the subsequent 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 might simply really feel a summer season 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 whenever 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 snug, cradling my arches and serving to me trek farther earlier than I get that telltale ache in my heels that comes with a day effectively 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) haven’t any notes. Apart from the big emblem emblazoned on the aspect, they’re cute, simple to put on, and are available a number of stylish coloration combos. Even the worth is true: At $90, these are less expensive than many different in style athletic footwear (which may run anyplace from $120 to $285).
If you happen to’re nonetheless slipping the identical, worn-down strolling sneakers on daily, I’d extremely encourage you to offer this pair a shot. There’s actually no different shoe like them (or, at the least, I haven’t discovered one but that comes shut). They’re tremendous snug, not too costly, and backed by podiatrists—what do it’s important to lose?
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