The breathability of a shoe is directly affected by the material and composition of the shoe. Some materials naturally breathe more than others. Of course, too, some shoe designs are sandals and therefore have great breathability. There are multiple reasons breathability is huge when considering new shoes, and it’s not just for comfort.

The breathability of a shoe is the ability of air to flow around and inside the shoe, therefore taking the hot air back out with when it circulates. Keeping your feet cool not only affects the comfort you physically feel, it affects the shoes. If your feet are not sweating, they are not soaking the inside of the shoe. When the interior gets soaked with sweat and not dried properly in between wearings, you are damaging your shoes and risking their integrity. Wet shoes begin to smell because they become a breeding ground for fungi and bacteria. This is where things like athlete’s feet, blisters and more come from.

Keeping the feet cool so they don’t sweat is imperative. However, if you are plagued with sweaty feet regardless of breathability, it will be vital to get your shoes dry before you wear them again. Also, proper hygiene and shoe care will help your shoes to last a very long time.

Putting on a shoe and making a snap 3-second decision about the comfort is never a good idea. For starters, wearing the shoe for a minimum of 20-30 minutes will just begin to give you an idea of the comfortableness of it. That time frame is only the tip of the iceberg. It is important to remember that the comfort of a shoe is negatively or positively affected by many things.

Footbed
The footbed is the portion of the shoe that rests against the sole of your foot. Further, it is the top layer of the sole of your shoe. A footbed will need to provide adequate cushioning as well as phenomenal arch support. The arch support is often overlooked but is vital to your overall foot health and safety. Without proper arch support, you risk many ailments; much worse, however, your arch could collapse after years of neglect.

Whether or not the footbed is attached to the shoe but is removable or if it is built into the shoe, it needs to be soft and pliable enough to conform to your foot. It should also be very responsive; meaning when you put pressure in one spot and then shift to another, the original spot returns to its normal position.

Adjustability
Some shoes don’t have anyway in which you can adjust them. For some, this is not a problem. However, most people need shoes that can accommodate their foot specifically. The average foot swells to a median of 105% its normal size throughout the day. So what your foot starts out in size in the morning, is not typically the same size it is at night time before bed.

For this matter, it is important to find shoes with either a lace-up portion or velcro/buckle straps. There is no one in a particular design that is better than the other. It comes to a choice of personal preference as well as the design of a shoe.

A higher score on this criterion means the materials and design of the product contribute to a greater sense of cushion and comfort than a competing product. We also take into account the thousands of reviews from buyers across the world, and what they say about each of the products.

To assess each of the products on our list for durability, we not only read through thousands of customer reviews on our recommended products, but we also looked for some of the hallmarks of quality construction. From brand name reputation to their initial smell out of the box, there are a few ways of identifying a well-built, made-to-last product.

The Details
A zipper that doesn’t zip or snaps? Poor threading technique? A smelly, chemical residue on the shoe when you open the box? All these details were looked for an evaluated when assigning a score for durability.

Materials
Certain materials last longer than others, even if that comes at the expense of a higher score in the “comfort” criterion. Materials that are synthetic, thicker and firmer tend to score higher on durability.

Product Purpose
A shoe made for running and high-impact sports will not likely last as long as a good pair of general activity shoes and that’s okay. Being aware of the shoe’s purpose is critical for you as a reader and for us as a reviewer. Although shoes that will last longer score higher on this criterion, you might also see high scores to shoes with a more limited durability, if that product was specifically designed for certain purposes that involve high-impact and high-stress motions. We take into account the type of shoes you are trying to purchase when assigning scores to shoes in this criterion.

Brand Name
A product is a promise made, but a brand is a promise kept. A brand name is often a signal of quality and consistency in construction and durability from product to product. Although there are always exceptions to this rule, quite often brands that perform continue to perform. Brand names on our list tend to score higher in the durability score.

The final word on durability is that a higher score on this metric means the product will last longer than its competitors, given similar shoe purpose, type, age and usage. Again, it never hurts to read some customer reviews before hitting the “buy” button.

When the company first started many years ago, they solely manufactured walking shoes. It took people a while to catch on to the great advantages of these shoes. Once they did though, they craved a different style of shoes. The company went back to the drawing board to design shoes that would still have the same benefits but without the stale market of walking shoe design.

Sandals
Sandals are a beloved past time for so many people. It does not matter if you live in a year-round hot climate or only have a few nice days a year. When the weather is appropriate, people grab their warm weather shoes. Sandals are great because they are very breathable, dry quickly when wet as there is hardly any fabric, and are usually easily adjustable.

Oxford
This is the style created for those that craved a dressier shoe to wear to work, church, dates, etc. It gives your typical shoe a lift so you don’t have to be without your MBT shoes for any particular day, reason, or event.

Walking Shoe
The walking shoe was what started it all. There is nothing wrong with the classics and this most assuredly falls into the classic category. The walking shoe is very versatile and can be worn every day. Some jobs allow sneakers. Also, walking shoes provide wearability all year whereas the sandal *might* not for certain people that live in cold climates.

The other factor regarding style is the material of a shoe. Typically speaking, the MBT shoes are made from leather/suede, mesh, and synthetics. Each one has its pros and cons.

Leather is very durable, however, it can be warmer than the other materials. Leather/suede will stand up to almost all weather conditions. Mesh is a great choice when used in almost any shoe. Mesh promotes strong airflow and is fast drying and very flexible. Finally, synthetics are a blend of materials used to make a shoe. They can be great because they are durable, however, they might not be very breathable because that is determined by the materials used to make them.

What good is a shoe that provides no grip or traction when you walk? You will probably have one close fall or worse, an actual fall with injury and you will immediately blame the shoes for not protecting you. Have a sole that facilitates excellent traction is imperative for security. No one wants to end up in the hospital with a broken leg because their shoes did not help them grip them floor on a wet or slick surface.

A good tread pattern is what will be the determining factor for best grip and traction. The thicker the tread the better the grip. It is almost like a tire on a car. However, no one wants a sole that is so tractioned it looks hideous. Also, not just the thickness but the design of the sole helps with traction. Interwoven random patterns help the sole of the shoe to grip to the ground, thereby providing good traction when walking.

A higher score on this metric tends to mean the thread pattern on the sole of the shoe, and the materials the manufacturer chose to make that sole, contribute to a greater traction than lower scoring products on this metric.