Simple Men's Sno Tire Sneaker,Dark Earth,8.5 M

Customer Reviews

Great shoes

The shoes are very comfortable, once you break them in. That took some time, a week or so. Also, buy half a size bigger then you normally would.

Nice shoes but run small

The shoes are nice, I have had them about 6 month and wear them pretty reguraly and they are holding up fine. The thing to know is they run a half size to a full size small.

Happy camper

I've been wearing a pair of these (tan hemp version) I purchased on Amazon for a few months now. As far as arch and cushion issues (mentioned in another review) are concerned, these are built like Converse Chuck Taylors -- lacking on both counts. That said, they're a good quality shoe and in my mind worth a ~$40-$50 price tag knowing they're made by a company with an environmental as well as a social conscience so somebody somewhere is making these in decent conditions, getting a decent wage.

Shipping-wise I chose super saver and got mine within a week.

Good on looks, not so durable

I picked up a pair of the Sno Tire hemps and have found them to be comfortable and stylish. Some may complain about the lack of cushioning, but I find them suitable for around the office or home where I don't need shoes with much athletic capability. I bought them for their eco-friendliness, but they've let me down a bit in the durability department. The Simple logos on the heels have started peeling after only a few months and I wore a small hole through the shoe at a seam where the sole meets the edge of the shoe. I've patched it with some Shoe-Goo, but now my purchase has become less eco-friendly as a result. Based on the performance so far I'm wondering if it saves much environmentally to buy a couple pairs of Simple shoes to equal the usable lifetime of one pair of Merrells which I've always worn in the past... The search continues for an eco-friendly AND durable shoe.

Inexpensive, and feels like it

If I am two things, one is cheap and the other is mildly environmentally conscious. So, after my Skechers bit the dust (never buying another pair), I was in the market for a casual shoe which didn't top $50. So, lo and behold, I came across these shoes on Amazon. Both aspects of my personality were piqued.

So it's made out of a snow tire, right? That must be soft...

Well, one thing to know is that these shoes run small. I ordered a 10, and it is more like a 9. So it's too tight at the outset. Which wouldn't be an issue if the materials are soft and yielding... which they most certainly are not. All sorts of seams and nubbins inside the shoe seemed to be tearing into my feet (this is with socks, I'm not one of those sockless shoe-hippies), which did not diminish after several wearings (I should point out, I'm not some sort of uber-sensitive shoe person, either. I buy regular old shoes like Skechers, New Balance, and Rockport. So my perceptions of discomfort are not coming from someone who needs special orthopedic shoes or has some sort of pain disorder).

The deal breaker, however, is the sole and insole. Far from being soft and cushioning, the rubber sole feels like it isn't there - in a bad way. The insole offers little to no arch support, and does not help to absorb any shock. After walking for 30 minutes in these shoes, my feet ached like nobody's business.

So, on the pro side: they're cheap, the concept is nice, recycling bottles and tires and so on. They look decent enough.

On the con: They run small, they are uncomfortable both on the sole and on the foot in general.

I just can't recommend these shoes to anyone who is seeking cheap, good shoes, or eco-friendly shoes. It's just not ethical to suffer for the planet like this. The "carbon cost" in podiatry appointments and equipment more than offsets any gain from recycling.