Surprisingly nice on picky feet
I've only had these shoes a day but it's clear to me that these shoes are a cut above other shoes I've tried. As I've gotten older, my feet have become pickier. If the fit isn't right, they make my day hell. I had resorted to only playing in a pair of Under Armour cross trainers, which are amazing for golf btw, just to be able to walk without my feet screaming at me in a high, loud, whiney voice.I've tried several pairs of Foot-Joys and they were anything but a "joy" to wear. Sketchers, same, same.I used to be a golf professional and I tried to remember the most comfortable pair of shoes I ever wore. Nikes but Ecco has a reputation for being really comfortable. So off the cliff, I went.Admittedly, I took the lid off the budget perception I had and bought these after doing a lot of research. This shoe is at the top of most of the lists I reviewed. So here we are.I'm preparing for 5 days at Bandon Dunes and there are no carts on property and that's fine, I love to walk when I play but I needed good shoes that are waterproof.I got these yesterday and immediately put them on. On the advice of a good friend, I went a 1/2 size larger. The sizing here is 12-12.5, which may seem a little dicey not being a solid 12 or 12.5 but they were perfect. Depending on the shoe, I wear an 11 to a 12 so I took a chance these would be right and they are. I wanted to know if I was going to return them so I immediately put them on and walked around the house. They were initially a little tight, width-wise, but loosened up in short order to be really comfortable. The footbed is perfectly formed for my feet, oddly, and they feel like they walk you rather than the other way around. I kept them on for 4 or 5 hours and the more I wore them, the better they felt.Items of note: They have leather uppers and a sock-like insert that wraps your feet right up. I could feel the leather soften as I was wearing them and although they aren't mocassins, they sure felt like it. The insole is removable for extra width. I took it out just to see what that was like and it does provide a little extra width. Because I got them a little larger to take into account swelling when walking for an extended period, I won't need this, I think but we'll see. A nice feature to have anyway. The soles aren't too soft. The footbed, while conforming to my feet very nicely, isn't soft but is a bit firm. I'm a little concerned about this but they fit my feet so well that it may not be an issue. This shoe is very stable. I transfer my weight quickly back and aggressively through so for me, that's a good thing. Stability is key.I've taken up too much of your time already so to summarize, I got these, they fit great, are quality shoes and I'm keeping them. May even get a second pair. I'm going to walk in them for an extended time, hit some balls with them on, and see how it goes. If anything changes, I'll update my review. Fairways and greens!UPDATE: I took my new shoes to Bandon Dunes in Oregon for a week of golf. If you don't know, Bandon doesn't allow carts only walking. Over 5 days, I played 4 rounds on uneven terrain. My feet didn't hurt once. Not one time did I complain about my feet. This hasn't happened in a LONG time. I'm sold on these. The rest of my buddies can't say the same. For me, these shoes are worth every penny. Again, I've got seriously picky feet. My feet love these shoes.