My husband has some competition because i am in love with these shoes!!!! :-) - Vasque Trailbender II Trail Running Shoes - Women's

I was lucky enough to buy these at a SUPER close-out price (over 80% off!!!!), so I honestly wasn't expecting them to be TOO great, or else they wouldn't be on clearance (see how my brain works??) Haha! I was FLOORED when they arrived and I tried them on for the first time. I guess I consider myself to have 'normal' feet - a normal arch, maybe more on the wide side than the narrow side, but overall pretty standard size 11 women's feet! (I wear size 11 in Teva, Merrell, and Keen, and these fit just as well as the others). Anyway, there is a LOT of cushioning in these shoes! I'm already over 5'10", but these push me to 6" (I like being tall, so that's a good thing). I'm also 200 pounds, and the cushioning and support is TRULY amazing! When I FIRST put them on, I was a little scared. The padding in the insole is SO thick that the heel of the shoe (the top part, where it cushions the back of your ankle) fits in a lower place than my other shoes. Before I cinched the laces tight, I didn't think they would stay on, but lo and behold, once I got them tied correctly, it was AMAZING!! The laces are placed in such a way that once you cinch them up tight, the opening of the shoe kind-of wraps AROUND your foot, and cradles each foot SOOOO comfortably and securely! Once they are on, they have a natural 'spring' to them that makes me start bouncing around in anticipation of starting my bike ride or my run. My feet have never been so comfortable in my life! They are nice and lightweight, and I've had no issues with ankle support or anything. The ONLY thing I didn't initally care for is the way the outsole extends beyond the heel in the back, by at least half an inch. I initially bought these for commuting on my bicycle, and for trail hiking. The first day I wore them, I found myself kicking the side panniers on my bike every time I pedaled. However, my husband moved my panniers about 1" further back and that completely solved the issue. :-) I DO have to be sure to pull the back of the shoe up tight after getting my foot in (there's a tendency for the top of the back of the shoe to want to fold over when you put your foot in. The use of a shoe horn fixes that issue as well. I HIGHLY recommend these shoes! I'd never purchased Vasque before, but now I know I'll buy more of this brand in the future! I've only been wearing them for a couple of weeks, but they required NO break-in time, and from the first second I put them on until now, I haven't had ANY spots that rub or are uncomfortable in the slightest! I even dislike removing them once I get home, because they're SO comfy!! :-) Buy a pair before they're all sold out!!!!