I got bilateral foot surgery and all 10 toes operated on, all at the same time. Finding shoes that fit my new feet has been a big challenge. Thus far, the only brand I can wear is Finn Comfort. Squishier giant-soled running shoe brands, that are the current trend with orthopedists, simply didn’t work for me. They weren’t supportive enough: too tippy, too squishy, my feet felt all over the place, and I was starting to get a hint of tailor’s bunion from tipping out to the sides. The Finn Comfort El Pasos, in contrast, offer a much more firm insole that hold you in place. The insoles are a tad hard for my healing feet, so I can only wear them for limited periods of time, for the moment. But when I do wear them, they feel great. The nubuck upper is soft and supportive and feels wonderful. I can only wear shoes with bare feet for the moment, and even barefoot the nubuk is soft and gentle on my feet. Plus they’re wide enough to allow natural toe splay, which is everything with brand new toes. The last thing I want to do is squish my still-healing toes into unnaturally narrow shoes again! Finn Comfort is as expensive as it gets, so it can definitely give one pause. But I have found that the quality matches the price. I’ve owned Finn Comforts for years and they always hold up over time. Finally, yes, the El Pasos are orthopedic shoes…but they sure don’t look like them! The El Pasos design is youthful, stylish and chic, and they go with everything. I l particularly like the colour Gravel, which is just the right shade of neutral, and I appreciate the detailing - right down to the coordinated laces. Perfect. I usually wear a size 9 (10 sometimes, in a running shoe when I want to wear a big sock) and the size 40 or 6.5 UK is the right fit for me. As for the retailer, I was very happy they had this Nubuk Gravel in stock, it was easy to order from them, and I received my shoes relatively quickly. I would definitely order from them again!
