Cherokee’s are popular for their comfortability – it doesn’t matter which of their designs you obtain, whether it’s an office shoe, a nursing one, or just a pair of casual pieces, you can count on one thing: they’ll be comfortable. Some people believe comfort is limited to the materials of the inner shoe when in, reality, there’s much more to it.
What makes a shoe comfortable is more than just the materials in direct contact with our feet. In fact, the most important elements of comfort are not even in contact with your feet, or your skin. Elements of the shoe, such as the midsole, provide comfort by absorbing shock and reducing the impact it has on the heels. In essence, these elements improve comfort by preventing discomfort, rather than by being soft to the touch.

If you’ve read a couple of our guides, you should know one thing about shoes by now: no matter what the shoes are for, comfort is a paramount criterion for their selection. A shoe lacking comfort always ends up being a terrible purchase in the long-term. You may force the wear on them, but you’ll eventually end up not wearing them, anymore. In fact, you may even begin to loathe them, altogether.

Comfort has both physical and psychological impacts. Physically, a comfortable shoe reduces a huge load of stress from your feet, in comparison to uncomfortable ones. In some cases, depending on the hours of wear and the circumstances, we may even be talking about heel damage. If on top of that, you add the consistent and repetitive use of the same uncomfortable footwear, you’ll pay the physical price for it.
The psychological factor has a huge impact on any activity you’ll perform. If you’re in constant discomfort, due to your footwear not being appropriate, your mood and efficiency will be affected. A pair of shoes that hurt your feet throughout the day will prevent you from concentrating; or at least, it will make it harder.

Lastly, your performance decreases, too; due to the fact, your feet hurt. You can’t perform tasks efficiently while in pain or discomfort; especially, if you know it’ll continue.
After analyzing the anatomy of a regular shoe, we determine certain factors which we use to measure the comfortability of a shoe. We, previously, said that the materials in contact with our feet aren’t everything, but they do matter. Materials such as leathers and cushioning elements make a big difference, in this regard.

However, there’s more to the materials than just their softness. Another important aspect of materials is the breathability factor. A shoe can be directly judged by the presence (or lack, thereof) of breathability in its materials.
Shock-absorbing technology is a must, too. Fortunately, the vast majority contain a shock-absorbent design, in some form. Whether it’s a specific midsole material, heel air pocket, or special outsole design that deflects pressure, there is usually shock-absorbing technology present, generally speaking.

You’ve probably seen the biggest sports shoe manufacturers compete against each other in a race to see who delivers the most winningest minimalist shoe. At first sight, the weight differences may even look silly; a constant race of technologic advancement and biomechanical functions to remove one or two ounces from an already lightweight shoe.

However, the purpose is fairly simple. If you strap a 15oz weight to your feet and walk for 2 hours, you’ll feel considerably less fatigued, than if you did the exact same thing with a 20oz strap. 15 ounces sure isn’t that much; so, what really makes the difference is the number of steps you’re taking with said weight.

If you’re going around the corner, you may not even notice there’s a weight difference. Wear them for an active purpose, like an active full-time job, for example, and trust us, you’ll feel the difference. Although the weight difference is small, it’s reducing the effort you make in every single step. Like we said, this goes unnoticed when taking a couple of steps. After a full day of use, though, there’s a lot of muscular fatigue you will have saved. If you’re someone active (or with an active job), the weight of the shoe is something that you should really keep in mind while looking for footwear. Cherokee shoes, in general, feature a light build and they do count with minimalistic approaches. The weightless experience of some of their models, such as the Sloggers, delivers a much smoother performance and contains high-comfort, in terms of weight.

However, it’s not all about the weight, either. The materials should, of course, meet certain standards, aside from their weight. By applying thinner or lighter materials, footwear will certainly lose weight. But are these materials as functional as heavier ones? It’s important that these materials prove to be nearly as efficient, at least, as thicker ones. A lightweight build is more than just lightweight materials. It must, also, keep a stable frame and platform; as well as, the features of a regular shoe. You can make a shoe with extremely light materials that add up to 1- gram, but the question is: are they efficient?

Efficiency, also, involves durability. These lightweight materials are often much thinner than conventional ones. This not only reduces the amount of protection but it, also, means they’re easier to damage.
However, certain modern technologies allow shoes to meet both lightweight and functional standards at the same time. Innovation and technology, such as new methods of applying the materials, heel air pockets, and synthesized materials have allowed this to be possible.

Keep in mind that it all comes down to the purpose of the shoes. Certain types tend to have very different purposes and features. For instance, there are lightweight hiking boots that are considerably lighter than conventional hiking boots; yet, they’re considerably heavier than a lightweight running shoe.

It isn’t just looking for the lightest materials; but rather, it’s looking for light materials that perform ideally during the tasks you, normally, do.

Flexibility is a natural feature of our body. Most parts of our body are meant to be flexible, like our feet. In fact, certain parts need to be flexible; thus, it would only be logical to assume that footwear should resemble these features.

A shoe’s flexibility involves much more than just aiming at the most-optimal performance. Flexibility is a must-have factor in any shoe. It’s fairly simple; the anatomic design of our feet and the biomechanical motion of walking do require our feet to bend and flex. From there, a shoe can either become a really useful tool or it can become an obstacle.

Flexible footwear optimizes the motions of your feet, by improving the flex range; thereby, reducing stress on the arch while doing it. In the cases of runners, materials that are flexible improve the range of motion; as well as, the running strength. This flexibility, also, allows you to move in a much more, natural manner. Flexible shoes bend with your foot; resembling every movement, as naturally as possible.

Stiff footwear, on the other hand, doesn’t adapt to the movement of your feet. Not only that, but they may even obstruct your motions. An outsole that doesn’t flex along with the arch, limits your motions considerably. Not only will you not be able to perform some motions but you’ll, also, decrease the quality of the motions you can perform, too. For example, a stiff outsole will prevent your feet from flexing naturally, as you walk or run. In this case, it’s not a matter of optimal performance or the quality of the movement. At this point, it’s a matter of the movement being obstructed. If you’ve ever tried to walk without bending your feet, you’ll know that it is neither practical nor comfortable.

Additionally, non-flexible shoes may, also, bring a list of consequences to your feet. In cases where the user suffers from certain anatomic conditions, such as high arches or flat feet, the lack of flexibility may place a considerable amount of stress on the arch. For anyone who suffers from similar conditions, we recommend fairly flexible shoes along with a custom insole that fits the user. Although sometimes they may count with smooth flexibility, they may simply not suit your anatomy. If you have a high arch, a regular shoe won’t suit you; regardless, of its flexibility, as the design aims at a neutral arch anatomy. The implementation of a customized insole is a hugely advised action when certain conditions make regular footwear unsuitable for you.

It’s, also, equally important not to get too much flexibility. Normally, you would think flexibility is something you want to get as much of as possible. But, depending on the activities you perform with your pair of shoes, you might not want that much. Too much flexibility leads to decreased balance. For instance, if the materials are too flexible in running shoes, your feet will swing to the sides while running. Instead, the flexible materials should be placed strategically in zones of high flexion. Separately, other non-flexible materials should act as a firm frame and platform.

Like previously mentioned, the outsole plays a vital role in the grip of a shoe. But the outsole, also, influences a variety of other factors and is one of the elemental pieces. Footwear with a bad outsole is a bad shoe, performance-wise. The quality is directly related to the quality of its outsole. Nowadays, most shoes include slippage-resistant outsoles; as well as, other similar features that not only improve grip but, also, protection and safety. Depending on what they are for, they’ll have different outsole patterns, shapes, and materials.

Outsoles, in general, look pretty simple; they’re the side of the shoe that goes flat on the ground. Because of this, the smaller elements of an outsole (e.g. shapes, design, and patterns) often go under-noticed. What most people don’t know, though, is that they serve functional purposes and are, specifically, designed to improve its performance.

Depending on the outsole pattern and textures, footwear may or may not be suitable for driving, for example. There’s a large variety of pattern combinations that have certain effects on a shoe’s performance. A wrinkled texture provides a smoother wear on mats, for example. By designing certain textures (including the shape of the outsole), manufacturers are able to make footwear suitable for very different purposes.
Further outsole design, such as the one present in certain Cherokee models, prevent outsole marks on the floor; as well as, skids. This is one example of the impact an outsole pattern design can make. These patterns are made in specific layouts, shapes, and textures to make the outsole react in certain ways.

At the same time, there are multiple qualities that are expected from an outsole. For starters, an outsole must be flexible. Most of the points in the flexibility section above apply to outsoles, too. The outsole should imitate the plant of the foot, as that’s what it should resemble in the anatomy of the shoe.

A good outsole should be able to endure extensive wear, as it’s one of the elemental pieces. Outsoles should be replaced when they start to show significant degrading, as it will affect every other element in the shoe. The most common sign of deterioration is the lack of grip. Once footwear starts slipping, sliding, or making a funny motion when walking, it’s likely to be replacement time for the outsole or entire shoe.
For casual shoes, the outsole tends to be rubber or a compound derivate from rubber. Cherokee covers a variety of styles and designs and, thus, it doesn’t stick to one single outsole design. Like mentioned above, the outsole design should fit the purpose of the shoe and this is what Cherokee does.

By taking a look at the elements of our top 10 list, it’s easy to realize the difference between the various outsoles. You may, also, notice that similar footwear designs have similar outsole designs.

The upper part of your footwear, as previously stated, is one of the components responsible for flexibility/rigidity, breathability, durability, and longevity. More than this, however, the upper material makeup will determine other factors, such as easy-to-clean characteristics, weather exposure handling, and whether or not this pair of awesome footwear will look good with that special outfit tucked away in the closet, as it were.

Patent leather is much easier to clean than rough, untreated leather. Synthetic uppers, more than likely, will be easier to clean than a canvas upper. Depending on the environment you will be wearing your new and gorgeous shoes in; the cleanliness characteristic may very well be a must-have attribute. Think about an office, a hospital, or even a restaurant. If something spills (eventually, it will) on that wonderful footwear, then easy to clean is a must-have; because you don’t want to deal with extensive cleaning each night after work. A construction worker, on the other hand, doesn’t necessarily need easy to clean footwear, per se. The environment truly matters, in this regard.

What about weather exposure handling? If you will be wearing your shoes each day outside for many hours, then water-resistant properties become a must-have. Also, will the weather be hot or cold? In hot weather, you don’t want a pair that is heavily insulated. Likewise, if it is going to be cold as the norm, then a highly breathable pair is a bad idea, as well. The lining of your footwear, in addition to the overall material makeup of the upper, will dictate if your shoes are made properly for the conditions at hand. Keep this in mind, and you will have a better idea of what to look for while shopping around.

Lastly, visual aesthetics can be important when matching your favorite outfits to your shoes. Although this is a last-only attribute, as this applies to footwear’s importance factors; it is, nonetheless, an attribute which needs considering, especially when mulling over a purchase to a specific outfit, so to speak.