Rockport Men's Eureka Walking Shoe

At a certain point in life, a man reaches a deeper understanding. A viewpoint that permanently alters his worldview, and makes him question all that came before. This can happen slowly, as experience and knowledge grows, and ultimately crystalizes around a kernel of this new perspective. Or it can happen suddenly, in an epiphany of recognition that forces a foundational frame of reference adjustment. Yesterday I experienced the latter, and I wanted to share it in case any of you have yet to reach a similar point. As enter the fall of life, I feel compelled to offer this new personal world order in the hope that you may benefit longer than I will likely enjoy. While this change thunder-struck me suddenly yesterday, some background will help put the revelation in proper context. It all started with the bankruptcy of Sears. Sears engaged in a foolhardy acquisition strategy during the 1980's of retail and non-retail businesses that would be completely undercut by the digital revolution of the 1990's. The debt accumulated from these various acquisitions would drag on company financial statements for decades as revenues slowly eroded to online shopping alternatives. Finally, in the face of an unmanageable October 2018 debt payment of $134 million, Sears declared Chapter 11. Eddie Lampert made several attempts to secure funding for a reorganization strategy, but they would all ultimately fail. None of this impacted me until the end of 2019 when the last Sears in Jacksonville closed. At that point I had a shoe problem. For decades I had purchased brown four-hole lace-up suede loafers from Sears. They were a store brand that sold for $30 or $40. I had probably purchased a dozen or more pair of these. I would often buy two or three pair at a time so I wouldn't need to return to the store so often as they wore out. But now Sears and my default shoe choice were gone! Panic ensued. I started searching the internet for the manufacturer of this shoe which I had enjoyed for so many years. The hope was that another distribution channel would emerge, or that a transition to online sales could be found. No luck. So at the dawn of COVID-19, I was facing an existential shoe crisis. It was about March 2020 when my last trusty Sears loafers were at end-of-life. Most real world retail was shuttered, and supply chain disruption was in full force. There were no shoes to buy. Finally, a local Rack Room reopened and I scoured the shelves for a suitable replacement. I eventually settled for a deck style shoe that was only mildly stylistically objectionable, but seemed acceptably comfortable as one of the very few models offered in wide width. For nearly two and a half years this daily worn (weekday) pair of shoes sustained me. Last week I was forced back to the retail experience for a hopefully improved selection of casual shoe options. Did I find an improved post-COVID selection? Hell no, I did not! It was WAY worse. There were no wide offerings at all! Three shoe store visits left me cursing the pathetic state of IRL retail, and the stupid business people who were essentially forcing me to shop online. So home to Amazon I went, with the name of an untried shoe brand and model seen in a store. It was a pleasing looking set of footwear that I was going to gamble might be suitable. And the size variety available on Amazon was breathtaking. All the sizes I was familiar with, that were completely missing from any store, were available with a click. I don't know when stores decided that they couldn't offer size selection. They certainly did in the 1970's! How did they lose that ability? Anyway, shoes selected and ordered online with delivery anticipated in a couple days. Fine. Ladies and gentleman, this is it. These Rockport Oxford Eureka Walking Shoes are THE most comfortable shoes I have ever owned...bar none. I am gobsmacked by how comfortable these shoes are. Eureka is right! I think back to pre-Rockport me and shake my head in sorrow. Poor fella. Stuck in a rut of frugally driven brick-and-mortar retail based consumption resulting in the bare minimum of utility. Not even guessing about the possibility that such a paradigm shift could be out there. Who knows what might have been if that version of me had found these shoes earlier? Years of an improved outlook on life is the most obvious missed opportunity. Perhaps he would have turned to philanthropy? Trying to engineer life improvements for those around him in an effort to induce similar outlook-altering reactions in society's less fortunate? I literally skipped around the house yesterday sharing the good news with my family. I haven't skipped since a 1973 visit to Cedar Point with my Aunt Fran. Eureka my friends. Eureka indeed. If you're in need, I beg you to give these shoes a try. If I can convince just one of you, then this lunchtime prose will have been worth it. Edit: Two year update on durability - These spectacular shoes have been part of my workday fit for two years now. No major durability issues to report. The highest wear was on the insole. The soles still have quite a bit of life, and are still well attached to the uppers. One black pair I bought has fully thrown their insoles, and the brown pair have significantly worn insoles. I still feel that this wear pattern is above average compared to my past shoe purchases. So much so, I just ordered another pair of both black and brown Rockport Oxford Eureka Walking Shoes. Love 'em, and looking forward to the fresh kicks!

I wanted a classic, rugged-looking shoe and, from the looks of it, these Dockers Overtones looked to be perfect. However, these shoes were a little too heavy for my liking so I had to send them back. I'm all about the comfort of my shoes, so these just didn't do the trick. This led me to the Rockport Eureka Walking Shoes. Let me tell you that they were exactly what I was looking for in a pair of shoes. The Rockports are not only comfortable, but they look great, too! The shoe has more than 28,000 reviews, all with many outstanding ratings. I found a great way to test them out to determine their comfort, and that's on the treadmill. UPDATE: Unfortunately, I am returning the shoes. My initial thoughts on the shoes was a bit premature. As others have mentioned, the tongue on the left shoe is too short, resulting in the corner of the tongue digging into my ankle. I've given enough time (walking on a treadmill for miles) to break them in to see if that would correct the problem. Also, I was in a fast food restaurant while they were mopping the floor, and I walked outside the wet area where there was simply a lightly damp area, and I slide as thought I was on a skating rink. I love the style and fit of the shoe until I start walking. It appears there may be a quality control problem. I've read numerous reviews about the issue and yet it continues to be a problem. I changing my rating from a 5 to a 3. I hope the company will correct the issue, because the shoe is a great shoe! The shoes were made in India. I do believe that my problem is not everyone's problem, and every shoe manufactured does not have this problem, therefore, I am still recommending the shoe with a 3 rating.

I like these shoes. I bought the Nubuck Chocolate color. They are quite comfortable to wear and walk in. I saw in some other reviews that people were having issues with the tongue length on one of the shoes, and that the tongue was either too long or short, but I have found the tongue to be fine, and doesn't create any uncomfortable pressure on my feet. I will say though, that I was hoping for a shoe that looked really classy and well-made, and this is the only issue I have. It seems to me that the shoes don't look as well made as they probably are. In other words, they don't give a super-quality appearance. But, I think at this price point it's probably what you should expect. Good shoe, comfortable, looks nice, but doesn't look super expensive. Runs true to size. I would recommend to buy.

Ok, so my second pair. After 6 months of daily wear, they start to flake up and look a little ratty. But for the slick style, absolute comfort, and X-Wide size options available, I will gladly buy a pair of these every 6 months until I die. Best Shoe Ever.

I do an immense amount of walking for my job. The shoes are comfortable and durable.

I bought these walking shoes for my husband six years ago as an everyday work shoe, and I honestly can’t believe how well they’ve held up. They looked great right out of the box and felt even better, and he ended up loving them so much that they quickly became his go‑to shoes for everything—work, casual outings, even church. At this point, he wears them all day, every day, everywhere. What amazes me most is the durability. After six years of constant use, there are still **no holes**, the **soles are completely intact**, and while they’re showing a little wear, it’s nothing you’d ever notice unless you were looking closely. For the amount of mileage he’s put on them, that’s incredible. Comfort-wise, they’ve been fantastic for him. He does wear an orthotic insert, and the shoes accommodate it beautifully—definitely a plus for anyone who needs extra support. If you *don’t* wear an orthotic, they might feel a bit different comfort-wise, but for us, they’ve been perfect. The only reason I’m buying him a new pair now is simply because he deserves a fresh set after all these years of faithful service from the first pair. These shoes have been an outstanding value, and I can’t recommend them highly enough.

First of all, I'm a walker. I live near my office and frequently walk to / from work, grocery, etc. I enjoy it. Walking provides me with a sense of freedom, of being unconfined and the health benefits I derive from walking remain beyond mind-boggling. I'm 6' and about 205 lbs. In any given month, I walk about 130 miles. Anyone who walks any appreciable amount knows that not just any shoe will hold up for long under that kind of regular use. This shoe is NOT made of top or full grain leather as shown in the photo on Amazon's product page. It's construction is of bonded leather fabric; this is leather like particle board is wood. It has the look and feel of plastic because technically it is. When I first got them, I tried to use a shea leather conditioner to improve flexibility and weatherproofing, but it didn't absorb at all (due to the fact that bonded leather is 50% or more plastic polymer). Upon initial use, the shoe felt boxy, a bit over-sized, and inflexible. I'd also recommend you get a replacement cushioned insole as the one provided is inadequate for any use. I've had the shoes for about three weeks now. I have walked about 75 miles in them and there are many redeeming qualities worthy of mention. Their appearance / shape / form seem to be holding up nicely. The shoes look well enough I guess. They fit a classic, conservative profile with styling suitable for jeans, khakis, or business casual...the look that Ports are traditionally known for. Initially, the shoes chafed my feet mainly in the toe box area, but after a short while, they broke in rather nicely and have achieved a degree of comfort that makes the shoe more enjoyable to wear especially during a long walk. The soles are lower profile and relatively firm which makes walking them in them feel more sure-footed especially when walking uphill, downhill, or on slanted or uneven sidewalks. The lower profile soles also produce less stress on the ankle joints. Sole wear is a huge deal for anybody who walks a lot. Any sole will wear out over time, but even wear is critical to using a pair of shoes to their natural end. These seem to be holding up fairly well - with mild but noticeable wear in the heels - after about 75 miles, although it will be interesting to see what kind of shape they are in some months down the line. I will stop in and give an update after I've had them a bit longer. Like I said earlier, I walk a lot and I bought these because they are presented as walking shoes. Keep in mind that I rate the shoe a 3 based on the purposes for which I use them. I also realize that most people don't walk 75 miles in a year, never mind three weeks. So, for your own purposes with more ordinary or average use, these would probably be a very reliable and long-lasting shoe.

These are awesome shoes. They last for a very long time. They run a bit tight, and pretty stiff. I use old-school techniques, that I learned in the Army, for new Rockports. I put them on, and wear them for an hour. I'm not going to lie, they chew on my feet pretty hard for that hour. Then I wear them for a couple of hours, on some errands that require walking. They start out biting pretty hard, but after a couple of hours, they feel like a good pair of gloves, and they're like walking on clouds. The third time, I wear them to work. I pack a spare pair of shoes, in case my feet get too sore, but they usually don't. After that third day, they might be a little hard to put on, but once on, they're super comfortable. I have a pair that are 5 years old, still look great for office work, and are one of two pairs of shoes that I go to when I know I'm going to be on my feet a lot. It's a process to break them in, but good leather requires break in. These shoes are worth it!