I bought the Sole Platinum, Moszkito Archy, Orthaheel Ryder, and Spenco Polysorbs for a side-by-side comparison.
Moszkito Archy = 5 stars
PROS the highest most pronounced arch, had adequate cushioning overall, was wide enough to provide full coverage for my wide feet, and looked rugged
CONS leather means I couldn''t take it to the beach or the pool
Sole Platinum = 3
PROS made of rubber with an assortment of colors, which means you can wear it anywhere; adequate cushining; looked very durable
CONS you could barely feel the arch and the straps were rough and scratchy (although not unbearable)
Orthaheel Ryder = 1
PROS none
CONS arch was spread across a very wide area of the foot, so I felt like my foot was tilted to the side...not comfortable at all! In addition, the sandal was too narrow
Spenco Polysorbs = 4
PROS made of soft rubber that completely envelopes and molds to your foot. At $35, it also costs significantly less than any of the above brands.
CONS Arch height was comparable to Sole''s, but the material gave it an edge.
I kept both the Moszkito and Spenco the former for daily wear, the latter for the beach and pool.
I bought the SOLE MEN''S PLATINUM FLIP-FLOPS because I read rave reviews on another website about how great they were. That site was sold out as was SOLE''S website and so trusty Amazon to the rescue. They had them in stock and in my size and so I got ''em.
First off, the flip-flops are super light. They hardly weigh anything but they seem quite durable and they look pretty good too, except the front of the flip-flop seems to have this extra room jutting out from my toes. Maybe this is for added protection for the toes, I''m not sure, but my foot is as far as it will go in the strap and yet there''s plenty of flip-flop to go, which is in front of my toes.
The insole foot-bed has a really good arch-support and cradles the foot, which is good for me because I have flat feet. It also feels like stepping on a nice cushion with each step.
I did have to wear them for a little while for the first couple of days that I had them because the microfiber(?) strap felt uncomfortable against my skin. So break them in first before you wear them for extended periods of time or else you might get blisters or irritation from the strap.
Now that they''re broken in they feel much better. Anyway, these SOLE FLIP-FLOPS offer really good arch support for a flip-flop (the other beingis Chaco Flip Sandal for Men but those are heavier), so I would recommend them if you''re looking for a sandal that has a good insole for problem feet.
UPDATE: 08/26/09
I just got back from a 6-day vacation in Hawaii and the SOLE FLIP-FLOPS performed great! I used them on the beach and after snorkeling, walking in the water to get up close to sea turtles to walking around Waikiki at night and my feet never got sore or tired. And they still look good as new!
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Very comfortable shoe. Kind of pricey, but better than Cole Haan which costs about the same. Good arch support.
Read Best Reviews of Sole Men''s Platinum Sandal Here
This is a nice flip flop, however I have nerve damage in my feet and bought this because so much was talked about how this was approved by the medical gurus of the world.This may be nice for people with good feet, it has nice arch support, but very little in the way of cushioning of any sort.So if your feet are sore and hurt, this is not the flip flop for you.
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I suffer from Planter Faciitis and these sandals provide the best support for my condition. I use them at home all the time as recommended by my podiatrist. They look cool and are superlight. Kind of pricy, but could not find anything better out there. If you are just looking for sandals and do not have any foot issues this may be an overkill. You will find several others for less than half the price. But otherwise highly recommended!!
These sandals are nothing short of fabulous, my son even loves them (he is 13 months) and goes to get them himself for me to put them on his feet:-)We have had these for about a month now, and my son (who is not walking by himself yet) will walk around the table or anything else when he has them on, the interior leather is very soft (although the sole is a tad hard).Since he wears them while crawling all over the house I was a little worried that the leather on the tip of the toes would wear off fast, but there is not even a scratch (yet!).These are italian-made leather shoes, the leather inside of the sandal (touching the feet) is the softest kid-leather...smooth as butter, the outside leather is thicker and harder, but will therefore stand up to the elements a lot better!One thing to know: Although the shoes is true to a size 5,5 US size; they are a bit narrow (like most italian shoes).So if your child has anything wider than narrow/medium feet: this is NOT the shoes for you.For all others: This sandal is the best:-)
