Hot Feet

April 20, 2009 1:32 PM

Whats a good model of men's sneaker that breaths exceptionally well?
posted by parallax7d to clothing, beauty, & fashion (17 comments total)

Asics trainers. Almost all of their models breathe very well.
posted by Zambrano at 1:42 PM on April 20

Are you looking for sneakers for a particular activity?
posted by box at 1:47 PM on April 20

I've got a pair of Asics, and having them on doesn't even feel like wearing shoes. The flipside of that breatheability is that water gets in very easily.
posted by phrontist at 1:49 PM on April 20

I came here to recommend Asics - I'm wearing some right now and they're the first thing I thought of when I saw the question.
posted by Gortuk at 1:51 PM on April 20

Nike Free is pretty good
posted by pyro979 at 2:05 PM on April 20

Do you want athletic shoes or street sneakers? Geox shoes sound like a big marketing joke but they actually work.
posted by barnone at 2:15 PM on April 20

Most "real" running shoes breathe pretty well. I have some Mizuno runners and if you hold them up to the light you can nearly see through them. The upper lets sand through they're so porous - I can't even wear them on a dry trail to run without getting them full of sand.
posted by GuyZero at 2:47 PM on April 20

pyro979, I'm wearing those right now (actually my feet are resting on top of them right now) and they are still too hot. They are the most breathable sneakers I've owned though..
posted by parallax7d at 2:48 PM on April 20

I've got a pair of Merrels that were designed for water activities. These, to be exact. I need all day runaround sneakers for work, and I have a very sweaty job. If I don't wear super breathable sneakers, I get crazy eczema on my feet. These are totally fantastic.

Last season, I wore a similar pair of North Face sneakers, and they were great, too. I think the key is to look for sneakers in an outdoor store, and steer towards the water sports market. My Merrels are supposed to be great for canyoneering, whatever that is.
posted by mollymayhem at 3:00 PM on April 20

Vibram Five Fingers cannot be beat w/r/t beathing.
posted by tlholaday at 4:26 PM on April 20

They don't sell them in the black/army green I have anymore, but I love my Saucony Jazz ACs. The upper is mainly mesh and they're extremely light.
posted by ashabanapal at 4:46 PM on April 20

I have a pair of Adidas Darogas that I love - the uppers are made of mesh, and they're very light and breathable. They're women's shoes, but I'm sure there's a men's version as well.
posted by xiaoyi at 5:04 PM on April 20

I went from Nike Free to Salomon trail running shoes, and they're worlds better in terms of weight and breathing.
posted by Stylus Happenstance at 7:12 PM on April 20

I always thought Asics were shit shoes. Then I went to boot camp at the Marine Corps Depot in San Diego where they were standard issue for all recruits.

After boot camp, I swore by them. Still do.
posted by hal_c_on at 10:06 PM on April 20

the adidas Clima Cool series works extremely well, complete with vents in the soles. I've worn decent athletic shoes in 115+-degree heat and felt like my feet were roasting. A world of difference with the CC's--and they're fundamentally good shoes; or at least my feet are happy in them independent of the breathing.
posted by ambient2 at 1:44 AM on April 21

I can recommend GEOX (warning: Flash) shoes from experience. Their corporate slogan is "the shoe that breathes". All of their shoes have small holes in the soles. The holes allow air to circulate into and out of the shoe, but don't allow water in.

They have all kinds of styles, from sneakers to more formal shoes, plus they're Italian, so they have some pretty nice / funky styles.

It seems they don't have any GEOX brand stores in Portland, but they do list other retailers who carry their shoes, and you can also order them online at the URL I posted above.
posted by syzygy at 3:46 AM on April 21

Salomon makes these -- technically they are "water shoes" as in something you'd wear boating or kayaking, but they're also good for hiking. Most of what you see in the pics is this strong, but very very breathable mesh. I have a pair and wear them with black socks and (depending on the color of the shoe), they pass off as a normal pair of hiking type shoes. They're comfortable, well designed, and I've actually gotten compliments on them a couple of times.
posted by jerryg99 at 7:06 AM on April 21