The shoes you generally wear— do they have hard soles or soft soles? How do they feel under your feet? One way to identify these shoes is: they’re comparatively bulky/heavy and the soles don’t really bend much. To match the quality of the soles, the upper is often is made with special material as well. The shoes are great for protection that you often need for special occasions. So how beneficial are they? Can you wear them for a long time without feeling any discomfort? Are they better than soft soled shoes? We are happy to answer all of your questions. So just sit back, relax, and continue reading.
Hard soled shoes have hard soles at the bottom. They do not bend that easily. They are also not really the most ideal shoes to wear all day long. On the bright side, they provide great protection and support that you need for special environments and occasions. When it comes to durability, hard soles last longer than soft soles. Shoes with hard soles are considered the strongest footwear on this planet.
What are hard soled shoes?
Hard soled shoes are those kinds of footwear where the soles are comparatively harder than soft soled shoes. Although soft soled shoes have gained popularity over the decades, hard soled shoes have their own target consumers. Recent scientific advancements and podiatric research have found that hard soled soles serve their own purposes, and one of the most important ones is top-level protection.
According to the safety requirements of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), workers who work, train, or volunteer in special environments/conditions must wear hard soled shoes to ensure maximum safety and avoid any injuries and health hazards. Work boots, hiking shoes, hunting boots, timberland/cat boots, leather dress shoes, etc. are some of the examples of hard soled shoes. Typically, these shoes are thicker and designed to add superior protection. Indeed, they are not designed for vigorous movements or long-time walking. But don’t worry, you will be still able to move at a slower pace. Hard soled shoes will keep you safe no matter how danger-prone the environment is.
Are hard soles better than soft soles?
Now that’s a debatable question. Have you ever worn a pair of hard soled shoes? How was your experience? If it was bad, then you’ll surely gonna say, soft soled shoes are undoubtedly better. So what if your experience was as per your expectation? Then you’ll definitely claim that each sole has its own individual purposes. Therefore, there shouldn’t even be any comparison in the first place. But if you still need some answers before buying your next pair of walking, running, or working shoes, keep on reading.
We often get our feet on rough surfaces and terrains. This is when we desire the protection to keep our feet safe from the repetitive harsh impact of running or walking. Hard soled shoes have been considered an indispensable safety gear for protection purposes. While a pair of hard soled shoes are leading the market when it comes to protection against difficult surfaces, their inflexibility makes it impossible to wear them on a daily basis. As our feet develop while growing up, the tendons and muscles need the full range of motions, and because of that our feet can strengthen, stretch, and grow. Hard soled shoes often prohibit that. Oppositely, soft soles let our feet move naturally with a moderate level of protection.
As you may know already, what flat feet and arched feet are. Those who have flat feet need shoes that have arched soles. Arched soles are commonly seen in hard soled shoes. These hard soled shoes provide arch support and adequate padding to elevate the arch of the feet and prevent unnatural postures and stances. These shoes also absorb shocks better and equally distribute all over your body so that your knees remain safe from pain. Soft soled shoes, on the other hand, cannot elevate fallen feet. As a result, when you put on a pair of soft shoes your feet absorb shocks in a wrong way causing you more damage than good. These shoes change the posture of your feet and lead to future knee and ankle pain.
Another major difference between soft soled and hard soled shoes are that- one is roomy whereas the other one compresses your feet. Yes, you guessed it right! Soft soled shoes are the roomy ones. But hey, don’t get too excited. Roomy doesn’t mean better. It’s true, you should always wear shoes that allow you to wiggle your toes and don’t hug your feet too tight so that your feet don’t feel suffocated. If your shoes are way too roomy, they cause an unimaginable amount of harm. Your feet will wiggle inside the footwear and while taking steps, your feet will not fall in the same place every time you take steps, and they will completely throw off your balance. These abnormal movements injure your feet to a great extent. Contrarily, a pair of well-fitted hard soled shoes don’t squeeze your feet. They also do not restrict the natural splaying your toes require inside footwear to maintain proper balance and posture.
When can toddlers wear hard-soled shoes?
We all have seen how soft and fluffy baby shoes are. They are made of cotton and so are the soles, meaning, they are soft soled shoes. So when do babies switch to hard soled footwear? Well, the answer somewhat depends on the development of the baby itself. Some baby learns to walk when they are only 7-8 months old whereas other learn to walk when they are nearly years old. So, to answer to question, see when your baby has fully learned to walk. This is when you can purchase a pair of hard soled shoes.
If your baby is not walking yet, there’s no need to rush for a pair of hard soled shoes. After all, what babies need is comfort. Making them wear hard shoes will cause them nothing but discomfort. You don’t wanna see your baby suffer. Let their tiny feet breathe, develop, stretch, and grow. When the time is right, as in, your baby is walking around the home and sometimes running around, that will be a perfect time for a pair of hard soled shoes.
Conclusion
Are you here before you buy yourself a pair of hard soled shoes? Well, now you know enough to differentiate between two sole types and decide what will suit you best. If protection is your number one priority, do not hesitate, go for hard soled shoes. They will probably not feel the best, but they will get the jobs done they are intended to do. So why wait? Whether it’s a dress shoe or a work boot, hard soled shoes are packed with durability. Since they are a little hard, make sure you wear some comfy socks underneath. And, as always, happy shopping and good luck!