Skechers Men’s After Burn-Memory Fit Shoes

These are probably the best shoes I ever bought. They are more soft and comfortable all around my foot, and when I used an extra gel insole on top of the memory foam insole that comes with the shoe, it is the best comfort I’ve ever felt, and my feet have never hurt once since wearing them. Even the shoelaces are awesome, seeming strong and unlikely to break, as well as being made of a material that doesn’t slowly come untied on its own throughout the day wearing them. If you know about that problem, to stop and retie your shoes, you will really appreciate that. But yes, the shoes are really great.

Edit: I wanted to mention one more thing that I know about the shoes now, that I didn’t know when I first wrote the review. When you walk out in rain wet weather, some of the stores, the schools, the malls actually make those squeaky noises, which is loud and some people look at you. Remember that if it is a problem for you, because I sure really don’t like that.

I like the fit and style of these Sketchers. The reason I bought this particular pair in August 2017 was because I had the exact same pair that lasted years under rigorous daily use. Unfortunately although these sneakers look and fits the same, the quality leaves a lot to be desired even though I have treated this pair more gently and wear them less frequently than the previous pair.

Not sure if this is a one-off problem or indicative of diminished quality control in general but after about six months both soles started coming apart from the top part of the sneaker with the right sneaker being the worst (see attached photo). I wanted to inform the manufacturer directly and give them an opportunity to replace this defective pair but there doesn’t appear to be any way to share feedback with them except through this public forum.

Rather than pop up reviews straight away, I think it’s more useful to actually _use_ a product for a time. In this case, I owned and used these shoes for about 1 year by the time to sole was showing signs of wearing through. Attached to this review are pictures comparing the new (left/top) to the old so you can see how usage affected them.

For context, I am a fairly big guy – 187cm (about 6’2″), and 95kg (about 210lb). I tend to burn through my primary footwear in a short time, with most shoes struggling to make it to one year. I walk my dog every day along with a good bit of walking at work, as well as cycling and other personal adventures; I’m quite active and would say I average 3 to 5km a day of walking.

What impressed me most about these shoes has been the durability. As early as 5 months after getting new shoes, I sometimes have to use glue to reattach bits of the sole or parts of the body of the shoe that start to come apart – this has been true of Reeboks, Nikes, Timberlands, Merrells and many others. These Sketchers are the first in years to make it through without needing any repair. That includes the inside. Often I find the insides begin to disintegrate as well, with liners coming out and sometimes parts of the shoe rubbing or becoming uncomfortable – these held up fine.

The sole did not wear through at any point, or through the process of wearing, expose some hollowed out area beneath (which some shoes have, and which only accelerates wear at that point). They do seem to have a red wear-indicator which you can see at the toe-end of the old shoe’s sole. At that stage, it feels like there’s maybe a millimetre or so of sole left.

And perhaps a small thing, but I’m also impressed with how well the laces held up too. The plastic tips on the end of the laces tend to start coming apart, and sometimes the laces themselves break, but as you can see in the first picture, the laces of the old shoe look almost as good as the new ones.

As for comfort, fit and function, the shoe impressed me there from the start. They’re very lightweight, and they fit and conform well to your foot. They’re comfortable on long walks and/or runs, as well as comfortable for bicycle riding. Wearing them all day in the office is also quite comfortable – they are breathable enough that you don’t feel like you’re overheating in them.

They also clean up very well. I try to take care of my shoes and keep them clean, and despite ending up dusty/sandy or with mud on them many times, you can see from the pictures that in the end, they still cleaned up well and looked good.

I would absolutely recommend these – first time in well over a decade I actually bought the same shoe twice because I was pleased with how it held up. Yes, it would be nice if the soles were a bit more durable in shoes, but I think that’s a problem across all brands. For the price, this shoe is a fantastic value and well worth the purchase.

Nice design, tender plate, very hard sole. Nothing to do with the shape ups they made before. Shoes that are very hard and not comfortable. I do not recommend them. This brand makes increasingly uncomfortable shoes.

It’s hard to shop for shoes by reading other people’s ratings, as the fit & comfort is so subjective. What’s important to me is quality; I hate it when shoes start having the soles separate, laces fray or snap, eyelets break or rip out after 3 to 6 months. My last pair of shoes, Rockports that I got on Amazon as well, lasted a good 3 years so quality was excellent, but they pinched my big toes at the inside tips and over time were causing me bad pain. The pain went away when I wore other shoes or boots. As soon as I put on these Skechers, a brand I’d never tried before, I found there was enough room for my big toes to “breathe”, so-to-speak, and not rub at the front of the shoes. No pain whatsoever, and the size 9 fit me perfectly, as it ought to–I’m typically a very ordinary, average size 9 so I could say the fit was exactly as expected. The memory foam insoles are very comfy, never had that before either…it feels like you’re walking on little clouds or pillows. That probably sounds like a tad of hyperbole, but they really DO feel that comfortable!

I’ve only been wearing them a few days but these Skechers have exceeded my expectations…and I can only hope the quality and durability holds up.

EDIT Sep 16, 2020: I’ve had these shoes just past a year now and they’re holding up great. Soles are still solidly attached, no flip-flopping, laces still good and unfrayed, stitching all still looks tight. Glad I made the right choice on these shoes.