Are Nike Air Huaraches Comfortable

Brief History of the Nike Air Huarache

The year is 1991 and a new revolutionary wave of running shoes hit the world by storm. They were the Nike Air Huarache.

I remember back in the early 1990's when kids were rocking these shoes. The original white, blue and green design that still looks amazing today. I couldn't afford a pair of Huaraches back then as I didn't have a job and I was still in school. My only way of getting a pair was through my mum. Since I was playing basketball for my school team at the time it was a choice between the Nike Air Huaraches ond the Air Jordan 6 and of course the Air Jordans triumphed over the Huarache.

Fast forward a couple of decades and the Huaraches are back with a vengeance. This time around I'm not missing out again. My lovely fiancé has bought me a pair and oh my god what a pair of trainers they are!

So How Comfortable Are The Huaraches?

The most comfortable pair of shoes I have ever worn in my lifetime! As simple as that!

One piece of advice though is that the shoes were designed to really hug your feet and the leather / rubber strap that provides support behind your heel doesn't have much flex. Therefore, don't expect your usual shoe size to fit when wearing the Nike Air Huaraches. I recommend going size 1 to 1.5 up from your usual. This will provide a better fit with the Huaraches.

I'm usually a size 8.5 to 9. The Air Huaraches I have are size 10 and fits very comfortably.

The air bubble and air system by Nike have been around for pretty much forever, and they do feel very comfortable however, the Air Huaraches are in a league of their own! It really does feel like you're walking on air and you actually get to enjoy walking / running.


Here's my four factors of comfort -

• Ease of slip on - at first it may feel a little odd trying to put the shoes on. This is mainly because of the one piece sock type design and the rear sandal type heel support strap. Provided that you got the right size for your feet (as mentioned above) you should have no problems slipping on these shoes once you get used to it and you figure out where to put your fingers.
• General feel around the foot - amazing!! I've had shoes, pumps, trainers in the past where I've had to "wear into" them. There's no need to do so with the Huaraches. Straight out of the box, slip them on and off you go. Again i'll mention the one piece sock style design because it is simply comfort on your feet at it's best. It just feels like your wearing socks with an incredibly soft sandals. There are no parts of the shoe whatsoever that irritate, dig into or feel loose on the foot.
• Heel comfort - honestly speaking, the first time I tried on the Huaraches, i felt softness between the ground and my heels like i never felt before. As you can see, the soles are very thick and look very soft, cushioned and comfortable. Believe me they really do feel the way they look. I believe heel cushioning is a major factor when determining comfort because when we take steps, we land with our heel first and then the rest of the foot follows. I could walk for hours with these!
• Weight - although not as light as my Converse Chuck It canvas shoes, the Huaraches are still very light for their type of shoe. I know you can't really compare apples to oranges but lightness still plays a big part in a shoe's comfort factor. Initial glance at the Huaraches may indicate a certain amount of weight because of the large thick sole and the sandal style straps. However, pick one up and you're assumptions immediately are flushed down the poo hole. Very light trainers indeed!

Air Huarache Verdict

Quite simply put, the best shoes I've ever owned. Delivers both amazing style and comfort. I can't believe I missed out on these shoes in the nineties!

The only cons with the Air Huaraches are -

1. Too many chavs wear them. Common as muck these days.

2. The build seems abit low quality. I expected better standards from Nike. See below picture where adhesive residue can be seen just above the soles.

These cons are however, just a few small pebbles on a mountain full of tough rocks!