# cork footbeds = comfort?



## ncdobson (Aug 25, 2011)

It seems like all of the English welted shoe makers & AE tout cork in their footbeds as a comfort feature, but I don't find them all that comfortable. Don't get me wrong, cork's better than glass filings. Is this a holdover from a previous era in which cork really was an advance over other traditional materials? Just curious,

Nick D.


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## statboy (Sep 1, 2010)

I find it much more comfortable than the metal shank that Alden uses. Is cork older than metal? Not sure:rolleyes2:


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## joenobody0 (Jun 30, 2009)

AE uses a Poron insert in some of their shoes. My one and only pair has it. They are far "squishier" than my shoes with cork footbeds. So far my most comfortable shoe is an Alden with a 360 degree welt and a double sole. I can wear those all day without discomfort.


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## Bandit44 (Oct 1, 2010)

statboy said:


> I find it much more comfortable than the metal shank that Alden uses. Is cork older than metal? Not sure:rolleyes2:


Cork footbeds/midsoles and steel shanks are not interchangeable components. Alden also uses cork midsoles. The steel shank is used for a different purpose, which is, to support the structure of the shoe.


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## Starch (Jun 28, 2010)

Bandit44 said:


> Cork footbeds/midsoles and steel shanks are not interchangeable components.


What he said.

_Some_ kind of fill between the welts is an inherent characteristic of welted construction, insofar as I understand shoe construction, which isn't all that far. Cork paste (sometimes called "Flexofil," which I think is a brand name) seems to be pretty standard. I suppose it's possible to use other synthetic substances, and maybe some manufacturers do. Anybody who resoles shoes (and I know there are some of those on this board) could fill us in (so to speak) on that subject. I suppose, all other things being equal, there may be a preference for the relatively more "natural" cork-based compound, even though you don't really even see it (at least not until your shoes are in dire need of repair).

A shank, steel or otherwise, is not inconsistent with welted construction on the front of the foot, as most dress shoes have both a shank and a welt in front. A shank _is_ inconsistent - or not necessary, at any rate - with a shoe that's welted all the way around the heel, as in Allen Edmonds' "360-degree welted" construction.


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## ncdobson (Aug 25, 2011)

Thanks for all the input. I don't expect my welted shoes to be Air Jordans à la Cole Haan, but I also don't expect the cork fill to be oversold as a comfort feature.

Nick D.


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## Thomas Martin (Aug 12, 2011)

What cork does is adapt the insole of the shoe to the shape of your feet. Since it is rather thin, the comfort provided is limited. The key to comfort is fit. In any case, the comfort a welted shoe provides will always be inferior to the comfort of a shoe with thick dampening rubber soles.


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## eagle2250 (Mar 24, 2006)

Thomas Martin said:


> ...... In any case, the comfort a welted shoe provides will always be inferior to the comfort of a shoe with thick dampening rubber soles.


While I am a devoted fan of leather soled shoes, I've got to disagree with the conclusion in the referrenced quote. Several of the most comfortable pairs of shoes in my collection are equipped with Alden's plantation crepe soles. Paraphrasing the old Nancy Sinatra tune, "these shoes are made for walking; and that's just what they do," and with a level of comfort on the feet, matched by no other designs!


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## The Rambler (Feb 18, 2010)

Thomas Martin said:


> The key to comfort is fit.


that's it. personally I don't find the squishiness of some rubber comfortable. The cork is there to conform to your foot shape, not provide dampening. It takes much longer for welted, leather soled shoes to develop that molded to the foot feel, but for me it becomes supremely comfortable: but then, "comfort" is a totally subjective word.


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## mrkleen (Sep 21, 2007)

The Rambler said:


> that's it. personally I don't find the squishiness of some rubber comfortable. The cork is there to conform to your foot shape, not provide dampening. It takes much longer for welted, leather soled shoes to develop that molded to the foot feel, but for me it becomes supremely comfortable: but then, "comfort" is a totally subjective word.


 Completely agree. Not sure what the fascination is with "comfort" to an extreme level. You are dressed up, you are at work making deals and building relationships etc. You are not supposed to be as comfortable as you are on a Saturday afternoon at the local HS football game. My AE shoes have all broken in perfectly and are far more comfortable than any cheap rubber soled shoe from my past&#8230;but in the end they serve a purpose and are not meant to feel like slippers or sneakers.


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## Thomas Martin (Aug 12, 2011)

All my welted leather footwear (dress shoes, biker and western boots) is so comfortable I could sleep in it. Ideal for a walk in town or a day in the office. For a run in the woods or wandering in the alps however I would choose a different kind of shoe though. Every shoe has its purpose and comfort should always be regarded in relation to the setting for which the shoe is used.


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## Starch (Jun 28, 2010)

ncdobson said:


> but I also don't expect the cork fill to be oversold as a comfort feature.


If people didn't oversell common aspects of products, what would advertising and marketing executives do all day?

A few other minor thoughts, apropos of other posts:

I don't have any shoes that are uncomfortable (with the exception of ski boots, which aren't shoes). I don't find dress shoes to be less comfortable than tennis shoes ... at least so long as one doesn't try to play tennis in them. For that matter, hiking boots beat tennis shoes when walking on scree.

There are people who wear dress-up shoes that aren't comfortable. They're called women.


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## eagle2250 (Mar 24, 2006)

^^
While I agree with everything you said, I think it important to note a very real difference in the performance of leather vs rubber soles. Indeed, proper fit will always be king, regardless of the soling material. However, what you plan on doing while wearing your shoes should affect your choice of sole materials. Wear shoes with single leather soles if you spend your days in an office with intermittent, brief periods of walking. If your days include 12 to 14 hours of standing on hard surfaces and you want to keep foot fatigue to a minimun, go with a solidly constructed pair of quality shoes equipped with double oak leather soles. And finally, if that extended day in your shoes includes six to ten miles of walking, consider wearing quality, properly fitted shoes equipped with a 'more forgiving' rubber sole! Match your footgear with the ambulation challenges you anticipate.


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## hardline_42 (Jan 20, 2010)

^^ Agree 100%. If I had to chose between standing for 8 hours on a flat rubber pad or on a slab of concrete that was perfectly molded to the shape of my feet, I'd pick the concrete. The elasticity of rubber, which is often touted as the feature that makes it superior to leather, means your feet and legs have to make countless micro-corrections to your posture to maintain balance, which causes fatigue (that's my non-professional opinion, of course). For that same reason, rubber seems to do pretty well in cushioning repeated footfalls when walking or running, though the latest trend toward barefoot running seems to discount that idea as well.


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## Epaminondas (Oct 19, 2009)

ncdobson said:


> .... but I also don't expect the cork fill to be oversold as a comfort feature.
> 
> Nick D.


Where has Allen Edmonds "oversold" this feature? It's hard to even find mention of it on the website - and there's no doubt, it does add to the comfort of the shoe and as the insole molds and conforms to the foot and, in some very moderate way, does add to cushioning.


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## Starch (Jun 28, 2010)

Search "allen edmonds cork" and you'll find lots of breathless praise ("Allen Edmonds' famous 'foot-conforming' cork footbed for superior comfort") for what's really a common bit of construction. True, much of its isn't from Allen Edmonds itself, but the post above didn't say it was.


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## ncdobson (Aug 25, 2011)

eagle2250 said:


> While I am a devoted fan of leather soled shoes, I've got to disagree with the conclusion in the referrenced quote. Several of the most comfortable pairs of shoes in my collection are equipped with Alden's plantation crepe soles. Paraphrasing the old Nancy Sinatra tune, "these shoes are made for walking; and that's just what they do," and with a level of comfort on the feet, matched by no other designs!


My father has also told me about AEs he finds to be really comfortable for urban walking. Maybe they weren't single-soled dress shoes. I'll have to ask him.


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## ncdobson (Aug 25, 2011)

Starch said:


> If people didn't oversell common aspects of products, what would advertising and marketing executives do all day?


Fair enough. Caveat emptor.


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## JoshESQ (Sep 20, 2010)

The cork footbed is intended to mold to your foot over time because of heat and pressure. If you don't wear them often or long enough, it will just feel like you are walking on the leather sole.


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## ncdobson (Aug 25, 2011)

JoshESQ said:


> The cork footbed is intended to mold to your foot over time because of heat and pressure. If you don't wear them often or long enough, it will just feel like you are walking on the leather sole.


Maybe that's part of my issue. I have 3 pairs of cork footbed shoes in a rotation of 7 pairs, so maybe the corks just haven't gotten enough wear.


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## Checkerboard 13 (Oct 6, 2009)

ncdobson said:


> Maybe that's part of my issue. I have 3 pairs of cork footbed shoes in a rotation of 7 pairs, so maybe the corks just haven't gotten enough wear.


Give them some time (and wear.) It will take time for them to conform to your feet, but once they do, they will be as comfortable as... well, as an old pair of shoes. 
Clearly that expression came from a time when more people wore quality shoes. Today's cult of instant gratification would have you believe that a pair of shoes that requires a break-in period is worthless. You can ponder the merits of that sort of "standard" 20 years hence after you've sent dozens of pairs of offshore-produced, soft-soled "comfort" shoes to the landfill, yet your quality, goodyear-welted shoes continue (if properly maintained), like an old friend, to provide comfort and service.


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