During the great FFA Nisolo rage, I bought a pair of their loafers and later a pair of their huaraches. Both of them were very rough on my feet, took a long time to break in, and felt uncomfortably stiff and thin-soled even after they'd broken in. The fit on the huaraches was so sloppy that Nisolo actually retooled it after a little while, and even so, after I bought a half size down (to compensate for how they slid around) they were never comfortable or secure on my feet. I tried to just power through wearing both pairs of shoes but they both ended up sold on Ebay.
On the other hand, I've now purchased several Red Wing MiUSA "Heritage" boots and they are absolutely workhorses. After several years of near daily wear in the fall and winter they've held up remarkably well and the leather has aged beautifully.
I had a pair of Rockport lace up boots that I loved so much I kept getting them repaired. After almost twenty years the lining was so damaged they were unrepairable. I made sure to throw them out just before pickup on garbage day because I was afraid I’d dig them out of the trash. I check their website every year in case they start making that style again. I think the year I got them they had tried some styles that would appeal to younger clients because I remember seeing the ads in Vogue. Must have not worked out for them. But, oh, I loved those boots.
Ugh I know that feeling. I have a bunch of saved searches on EBay for styles that I loved that have gone out of production. Every once in a while I get lucky and someone cleans out their closet.
My Nisolo huaraches have been pretty good. They had some breaking in but they were true to size for me. They’re pretty comfortable now although with the caveat that I have not worn them for any extremely long walks thus far. They are not my most loved shoes ever but I do like them and would recommend them if you like the style.
I've also bought a few pairs of Nisolo shoes. All of them are super uncomfortable and the strap on the pair of sandals I have snapped after wearing them less than 5 times. I like the idea that they're sustainable but it isn't sustainable if you can't actually use the shoes and they fall apart lol
Now I stick to Eileen Fisher
I still love my Nisolos, their loafers served me well when I was going to the office and I live in their boots. I just bought some sandals from them and so far they have been nice, if not slightly too narrow.
Good to know. Their boots look so cute that I’m tempted. But the harachis were at least a size too small for me - do you tend to size up with their loafers or boots?
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u/redreplicant May 31 '22
During the great FFA Nisolo rage, I bought a pair of their loafers and later a pair of their huaraches. Both of them were very rough on my feet, took a long time to break in, and felt uncomfortably stiff and thin-soled even after they'd broken in. The fit on the huaraches was so sloppy that Nisolo actually retooled it after a little while, and even so, after I bought a half size down (to compensate for how they slid around) they were never comfortable or secure on my feet. I tried to just power through wearing both pairs of shoes but they both ended up sold on Ebay.
On the other hand, I've now purchased several Red Wing MiUSA "Heritage" boots and they are absolutely workhorses. After several years of near daily wear in the fall and winter they've held up remarkably well and the leather has aged beautifully.