April, I am obviously in the minority here. Most people seem to love them. Each style of Sofft I have tried has had its own problems:
-Pilar flats: INCREDIBLY stiff! These had absolutely no give whatsoever and cut and rubbed in every conceivable spot. I ended up selling them on ebay.
-Raya sandals: These were a slide style that would not stay on my foot in either a medium or a wide despite both widths feeling too narrow. Leather was very stiff and dug into my foot. The O ring pressed down painfully.
I also tried two pumps but I don't remember the names. One of them had a shell-like pattern on the vamp and the other was very 1920's with a wide mary jane strap. I LOVED the latter but once again, the leather was so stiff. The heels on both were too high for me but I thought maybe in a comfort brand it could work. I have since realized that no amount of gimmicky technology will make 3" or higher heels work for me.
Also, every single pair runs narrow in my experience. The "wide" is a joke. It is not wide at all.
I am always amazed at the fact that a company named SOFFT has such hard friggin' shoes. I don't know if I just have bad luck and there are other styles that are more supple, but I haven't found them.
It's also my lifestyle. I'm going to make a very bold statement here and I hope I don't offend anyone, but I don't think anyone living in the suburbs can really appreciate or understand what it is like to commute on foot in a large city. I walk quite fast and aggressively and I refuse to let my shoes slow me down--if there is one thing I hate, it is getting stuck on the sidewalk or in the subway behind women who walk at a snail's pace in their 3"+ heels. It is a very different experience to run around on uneven pavement for blocks and blocks, running up and down the stairs on the subway, and running to catch a train before the doors close, all day long...than it is to take a walk through a mall for a few hours.
That said, if you DON'T commute on foot, maybe Soffts will work for you. If you're only wearing them to work, they might be just fine. One of my supervisors changes into Soffts for the office and all day at work, but she does not wear them for her commute.
