On 25 Feb, 09:30, Phil Cook wrote:

I worded it rather poorly. What I should have said was that boots or
shoes that are uncomfortable because of poor fit will never become
comfortable.

There is much in that, although the human being will adapt to almost
anything. My father told of being issued the boots he wore at D-day:

MD: "Sarge, these boots don't bend anywhere!"
Sergeant: "No, lad, but your feet do. Put em on now"

I do think that comfortable fit, at the front and round the heel are
really important ways to choose a boot. I've also had to reject some
that simply don't come high enough up the ankle. There also needs to
be a clear space under the instep - trying to match the whole sole to
the arch of the foot is fraught with risks of blisters. Don't forget
that your forefoot spreads sideways (and a tiny bit forward) after
walking a while, especially if you normally wear fashion shoes in
'real life'.

I tried some anti-shoes in Germany last week - they had a wierd shaped
sole which had a convex curve from front to back. Standing still only
the bit under your instep touched the ground, the toe and heel (there
wasn't a heel) had a good 10mm of clearance. Designed by all sorts
of sports experts I thought they were just horrid. I might be wrong,
but that's how they seemed to me.

(http://www.mbtshoe.co.uk/ these seem to be similar idea, but less
extreme)