This is my most recent experience.
I have worn a lot of dress shoes from so many brands and shoemakers, and I have experienced all kinds of comfort, such as strong arch support, soft sole and Bolognese construction. But I don’t have a very strong preference about which brand is most comfortable.
Till now, I think comfort comes from two aspects.
Last
It directly corresponds to the foot shape, to put it simply, wide feet wear narrow shoes, you feel clamped. Narrow feet wear wide shoes, in most cases there is no big problem, but if the instep of the foot is not pressed hard enough, the foot can rush forward, the continuously collide with both sides of shoe forefoot, the pain may not be better than being clamped.
This is the most obvious example, the other more trivial ones include pressing instep, or people with flat feet meet strong foot arch support. Or, like me, where many shoes are widest is not where my feet are widest.
Midsole
The quality of the midsole greatly affects comfort. The midsole I’m talking about is the veg tanned leather that our feet step directly on. The material of the midsole is not restricted to cowhide, on the contrary, whether leather shoes or sneakers, composite materials are the mainstream, only cowhide is the best.
Its quality is reflected in two points, hardness and breathability.
These shoes by Antonio Meccariello were worn 5 times at home for about 2 hours each time. I only wore them at home for break in.
As can be seen from the wear of the sole, it is very little worn.
With so little wear, it can be seen that the midsole made of vegetable tanned leather has begun to mode my foot with the clearer evidence of discoloration.
The shape comes from cork underneath redistributing and the deformation of vegetable tanned leather. Discoloration is caused by foot sweat being absorbed.
Another pair of Cie’s loafers, I wore no less than 30 times.
From the beginning of unfit and heel slippery to now not falling off, Upper leather has undergone a certain shaping. But the shoes are not comfortable to wear, because the midsole leather is too hard and does not absorb moisture.
This midsole is much whiter in color, and it has not become darker after wearing it so many times. My feet are not sweaty, but the leather does not absorb moisture, and the feeling of stuffy feet in it is still easy to expierence.
Cie’s outsole is also very hard, and I was thinking, this should be a good thing, right? This level of wear is the lightest I have ever seen, even lighter than the JR sole.
This is a pair of Mattina shoes, worn about 15-20 times, the midsole discoloration and shaping are very noticeable, and this leather absorbs moisture very good.
Summary
The midsole material is difficult to detect even for enthusiasts, but after putting your feet in, you know that it has a great impact on comfort.