Because I’m a rock star (Surely?), about five months ago, maybe six, I decided that I needed a pair of rocking shoes to go with my Nudie Slim Jim Dry Broken Twill jeans. I already had a pair of Converse All Stars which are awesome but I just find them too narrow at the toes. I don’t have wide feet by any measure but I always take a half size on my shoes (Half size always refers to the width)

My Converse All Stars are a 9.5, but after two or three hours in them, my small toe is aching in pain! And that’s not because I inject heroin between my toes, Doherty. So while looking for new shoes I was on the verge of a breakdown as I couldn’t find anything that just fitted in with my lifestyle. I was basically looking for a pair of styling shoes that would allow my feet to be as close to barefoot as possible. I even looked at Vibram FiveFingers because I was so desperate for that barefoot feel. I’m part of the crew who believe that too much padding in modern shoes, and modern running shoes especially, are to blame for the number of injuries and pain that people experience.

I’ve given up on any shoes that have padding, instead going for a minimalist feel in all my shoes. And my feet have never felt better, no pain and no needing to take my shoes off in the middle of the day because they are sore.

When I walked into a store on that Saturday afternoon a few months ago, I knew these Feiyues were going to be my new addiction. I worried when buying them, that because of their minimalist design, they’d break easily. I was especially concerned about the soles because they are extremely thin, so they are not going to survive walking on pieces of glass. Tin Roof would thrash them! But then again, what was I doing in Tin Roof?

The sheer comfort offered by my Feiyues is unparallelled though. They are simply the best and most comfortable sneakers I’ve ever worn in my life. And you can call these sneakers, because you can sneak around in them without them making a noise. Although when I first started wearing them, they squeaked for weeks! Which was irritating, but once that wore off, my love affair with these shoes deepened. At about R900, they’re not too cheap, but they’re not exactly expensive either. I’m happy to pay decent cash for shoes that I wear all day. Because I don’t work in a suit like you do, I’m in jeans and sneakers all day.

Compared to my other shoes though, the Feiyues are expensive. I have a pair of Tsonga which cost me R600 and a pair of Docksides which cost me R1200 and those are both better quality shoes I suppose.

But then again, all these shoes are for a different purpose. There are no other shoes that I can find that match my Feiyues in what I use them for.

And because I don’t get paid to write these reviews, my word is based on my usage of these shoes.

You can ask anyone I know, and look at all the photos of me recently…I have basically not taken these shoes off since I bought them. I know you’re supposed to alternate shoes, but I can’t wear anything that compares to my Feiyues.

I bought the size 9.5 and the width on them is amazing, with my toes able to move freely. It is the closest to barefoot I have ever come with a pair of shoes, and for this, I’m willing to pay. While the width is comfortable, they are not too wide looking, like I’m wearing a boat. The leather is super soft which is awesome as well, so your feet can move around as they like.

There is one problem, because they are high tops and I sometimes put them on in a rush, I need to open the top up to get my feet in. From just pulling them on in a hurry (Like rockstars do) and not loosening the laces properly, they have started to tear…quite badly…like Paris Hilton on the weekend. (See the top photo)

This is something Feiyue need to look at and fix. But even with this problem, I asked myself honestly, would I buy these shoes again. And the answer?

F*&% yeah!

Look, they have their downsides, but for comfort and style, these are the only shoes I can wear.

You may not think so for R900, and neither do I at times, but overall, I wouldn’t want to wear any other shoes.

Get them at a store.