Product Reviews

Great boot Had the width and hieght I need in the toe cavity Boot is advertised as an 8” Seems a little shorter

I ordered and received a pair of shoes and was so happy with them that I ordered a second pair, different style. For the first time in my adult life I have shoes that fit, that do not hurt when I walk. They look good, considering the crazy feet they contain, and the price was affordable. I should add that Josie, the person at ICS who guided me through the process, was kind, competent and very helpful. She made the transaction a real pleasure.

I have been having great difficulty finding shoes/ boots that fit me properly. By property I mean without them hurting my feet. Finding footwear in my size was a huge problem. I couldn’t find anything in my size locally. I even went through the trouble of buying a Brannock device. It is used to measure your feet. Back when I was a kid in 70s (I am giving my age away), when a customer would enter a shoe store, the sales associate would sit you down, and measure your feet. So they would know exactly what your size is. I don’t know about your neck of woods, but where I live, the sales associates no longer measure your feet when you enter their store. You are left to figure it out for yourself. When I brought a Brannock, I discovered there is one for men, one for women, and one for kids. Anyway, I learned how to measure my own feet. So I discovered I was a 2E width, size 11. Ok, so this is what I would order. Then when I would put them on, they felt really tight, I was able to get my feet in, but they would hurt my feet after walking around in them for a few hours. So now I am still confused why I am still having trouble finding a good fit. Then I am back to guessing, and trying wider sizes. So then I find the 6507 in 9E, 11. You’re probably thinking I must have feet like BigFoot, no not exactly. After loosing money on shoe purchases from other sites that didn’t fit. I discovered a 2E in American measurements, is not the same with current measurements shown for foot wear. The sizes you will encounter are European, as in UK. The shoes we are buying are using the measurements for the UK. So my 2E in a American measurement is a 9E in a UK size, or a XXX-wide, which is how footwear sizes are shown. I also love the boots look and design. I also noticed, the wider ones foot is, the fewer choices you have in style. If you’re picky like me, there’s not much to choose from, as far as style, as I mentioned above. I bought 3 pairs of these boots, I love them. I will be buying more of them, because of the difficulty in finding a boot in my size, and in a style I like.

Background: My feet were never the same after my homeless adventure found me on death's doorstep. During my lengthy recovery, my feet were swelled and numb for over two months. Unknown to myself, or the medical professionals, as the swelling subsided the tendons in my toes contracted, the cartilage in the joints dissipated causing the bones to fuse. I now have 'hammer toes' in the six middle digits on each foot and require prescription orthotics under my damaged feet to be able to stand and walk functionally. Aside from the constant pain, I can no longer run, jump, weightlift squat, or any other explosive movements with my feet.



Situation: Having such deformed feet, I found it difficult to purchase footwear 'off the shelf' and explored having high quality custom made boots to accommodate my unique feet. It was a total debacle and I probably ended up doing more damage to my feet as a result of my intense desire to wear high quality boots.



Solution: I commenced my search for accommodating footwear with the idea that I would probably require 'diabetic' footwear for my feet. The last time I looked into 'diabetic' footwear the choice was between a brown or black leather velcro-closure 'sneaker' type shoe that was more for comfort around the house than ruggedness for outdoor exploration. Then I came across ICS Shoes and my expectations were completely annihilated. They offered rugged hiking/work footwear in a variety of styles in extra-extra wide sizes and greater depth to accommodate orthotics. Needless to say, this is EXACTLY what I was searching for.



With the above in mind I wholeheartedly endorse the product:



Apis Mt. Emey Fitec 6507 Men's Soft Toe 8" Work Boot - Comfort & Orthopedic Boot - Extra Depth for Orthotics - Extra Wide



These boots are leather (with some man-made materials), stylish, rugged, comfortable and adequately accommodates my prescription orthotics. I needed a 9E width to accommodate my foot needs with extra cushion hiking/cold weather Darn Tough socks. Also, these boots appear, with their welt construction, to be able to be resoled when the time comes as well. Finally, instead of hooks at the top of the lacing system they have "speed lace" type eyelets. I prefer leather lacing to the nylon laces provided and the hooks would seem to work better for leather lacing or maybe I just need to adjust to the different lacing system. Time will tell.



I cannot ENTHUSIASTICALLY recommend ICS Shoes enough to those of us with unique footwear requirements.