When we assessed our canvas shoes, it made sense to take a good hard look at the construction and quality of the canvas in each of the shoes. Canvas has two faces. It can an extremely comfortable, protective, natural material for uppers or it can be rough and scratchy and uncomfortable if not well constructed. Here are some of the things we looked for:

Thickness
Canvas should be thick enough to protect your feet, resist wear, and provide support to your upper foot and ankle (in the case of a high top). Good canvas may initially feel stiff but will soften with wear. Canvas shoes do not have to be as thick as canvas tents. The material should be pliable and comfortable to wear rather than making your feet feel trapped in a canvas box.

Closely woven
Canvas material should be closely woven to provide protection, weather resistance, and durability. You will be able to tell this because there won’t be much space between the threads. However, Canvas needs to be woven loosely enough to be breathable and not overheat your feet.

Double stitched seams
Canvas is a sturdy material that requires double stitching where pieces are sewn together to make strong seams. Avoid any canvas shoe that has flimsy, or thin single stitching.

All shoes, including canvas shoes, should suit the purpose for which they are made. If a company markets something as a basketball shoe, for example, you should be able to play basketball in it without feeling fatigued or pain in your feet. Canvas shoes serve many purposes so, in our criteria, we took a good look at whether the shoes were suitable for their purposes.

Sidewalk Surfers
These shoes from Sanuk are meant for walking around town in reasonably warm weather. Therefore, they need breathability, cushioning, resistance to wearing on the pavement, and shock absorption. The sidewalk surfers on our list all meet that purpose.

Fashion Shoes
Fashion shoes are all designed for their appearance, and there is much less focus on functionality like comfort, durability and weather resistance. Each of the fashion shoes on our list do what they claim to do – look good, and all also have rubber soles, which provide shock absorption, durability, and resistance. Most are also easy to clean and maintain.

Flats
Flat shoes are meant to give you a low to no heel look, and they should still provide cushioning and comfort. You cannot expect a flat to provide a lot in the way of support in the sole, but you can expect some support in the upper. Each of the flats in our list has good traction and some cushion for comfort. They are also more supportive than many other materials in the upper because they are canvas. Some have additional support with hidden elastic panels and full lace closure.

Basketball Shoes
The hi-top basketball shoes in our list are more than fashion shoes. You can play basketball with them, and certainly, early basketball players did so without all the technology that is available today. Be aware though that these two shoes do not have the modern technology that today’s basketball shoes have in terms of spring, shock absorption, zoned foam, and zoned traction. Go for it but don’t expect any fatigue at all after a long game.

Loafers
Loafers are made for comfort and relaxing. All of the loafers on our list have comfort elements that will satisfy those criteria. Sit back, relax, and enjoy in a comfy pair of shoes.

Finding a perfectly-fitting pair of shoes can be like finding the holy grail; there are so many brands, styles, models and makes of shoes that it seems like it’s next to impossible, especially when you are shopping online! Fear not, as we’ve ranked each product on our list for their fit and trueness-to-size to help guide you in finding the perfect match for you.

To come up with a score for the fit of a shoe, we considered several factors, like the ones mentioned above, in addition to real customer reviews, to help boil down everything into one simple score. For example, Nike tends to make shoes that are true-to-size, meaning that you can buy a pair of 11s one year, and another pair of 11s next year in a different model and they will usually still fit (unless your feet have grown or shrunk). A brand like Nike will most likely have a high score when it comes to fit, but the other variables in play, such as make, model, and purpose, will also affect the overall score.

Consider that a running shoe, with its thicker midsole and a synthetic sole, might fit differently than a flat shoe, with its thinner midsole and hypothetical leather sole. Each of these shoes, even if they are both from Nike, may have similar scores for trueness-to-size, but a size 11 in one might not be the same as an 11 in the other. What’s a reader to do in this case? You must also consider the purpose and type of shoe it is. Knowing what kind of shoe you are buying, and for what purpose, will help you make a better decision. A running shoe might run smaller than a flat because it has thicker materials, so read customer reviews as well to arrive at the best decision for fit, in addition to just our overall score.

All of the canvas shoes on our list are versatile in some ways and limited in others. The things you should be aware of in terms of versatility of the canvas shoes on our list (and any others you may consider) are:

Casual
Canvas shoes are casual shoes generally. You cannot expect most canvas shoes to be dress shoes or formal footwear. However, trends are changing and more and more people are wearing canvas shoes to weddings and proms and other formal functions. They can be a great way to express your individuality and a little youthful, fun.

Work or play
Some canvas shoes, especially if they are comfortable can be used for work and for play. Which they will be, or whether they will be both, will depend on the rules at your work, your comfort and your preferences.

Single season or more
You won’t get a lot of wear time out of a single seasons shoe and that’s no knock on a fabulous summer sandal. However, if you want the most wearability from your shoes you should look for shoes that can be worn for at least two seasons and preferably three. Most of the shoes on our list can be used outside in spring, summer or autumn. None are going to give you sufficient warmth in winter climates.

Indoor only
If a shoe cannot resist walking on the ground, it has no business being outside. All of the shoes on our list are sufficiently durable for walking on pavement, concrete and hard surfaces as well as very abrasive surfaces like sand.

To assess each of the products on our list for durability, we not only read through thousands of customer reviews on our recommended products, but we also looked for some of the hallmarks of quality construction. From brand name reputation to their initial smell out of the box, there are a few ways of identifying a well-built, made-to-last product.

The Details
A zipper that doesn’t zip or snaps? Poor threading technique? A smelly, chemical residue on the shoe when you open the box? All these details were looked for an evaluated when assigning a score for durability.

Materials
Certain materials last longer than others, even if that comes at the expense of a higher score in the “comfort” criterion. Materials that are synthetic, thicker and firmer tend to score higher on durability.

Product Purpose
A shoe made for running and high-impact sports will not likely last as long as a good pair of general activity shoes, and that’s okay. Being aware of the shoe’s purpose is critical for you as a reader and for us as a reviewer. Although shoes that will last longer score higher on this criterion, you might also see high scores to shoes with a more limited durability, if that product was specifically designed for certain purposes that involve high-impact and high-stress motions. We take into account the type of shoes you are trying to purchase when assigning scores to shoes in this criterion.

Brand Name
A product is a promise made, but a brand is a promise kept. A brand name is often a signal of quality and consistency in construction and durability from product to product. Although there are always exceptions to this rule, quite often brands that perform continue to perform. Brand names on our list tend to score higher in the durability score.

The final word on durability is that a higher score on this metric means the product will last longer than its competitors, given similar shoe purpose, type, age, and usage. Again, it never hurts to read some customer reviews before hitting the “buy” button.