Customer Reviews

Florsheim "RIVA" Excellence
These are my 5th and 6th Florsheim Comfortech Rivas (Burgundy and Black). I began wearing them in 1978, when they were sold under the French Shriner label and have not been without at least two pair ever since. The design and production rights (thankfully) passed or were sold to Florsheim when the French Shriner marque disappeared.

The shoes are the ULTIMATE IN COMFORT! The uppers are of glove-soft kidskin and the soles of a firmly cushioned synthetic material. They are suitable for everyday office wear as well as for use on formal occasions.

The factory finish is as durable as a patent leather, without the extremely high gloss plastic look.

They are extremely durable, as some of them lasted me for more than twelve years of frequent wear. I've never been able to wear out the one piece Comfortech sole and heel. Ultimately, the uppers will wear through on the flex creases or at the base, where the upper is joined to the sole. You can easily extend the wear period to ten years or more by occasional use of a good polish, especially after the shoes have been exposed to a wet environment.

They are an excellent buy at the suggested retail price of $100 to $110 that you see most often, but are an unbelievable bargain at the $90/pair charged by Amazon.

If I had a suggestion for minor improvement for Florsheim, it would be to make the sole slightly thicker and the heel slightly wider for greater stability.

I personally, would rate these shoes at six stars on a scale that had five stars for the next best shoe. I would never go back to wearing dress shoes of conventional stiff leather and hard soles and heels.

These shoes are not perfect, but Florsheim has come VERY close with the Riva.

Give them a try -- I think you will come to love them as I do!

Neil Coddington
Albuquerque

Comfortable, durable, metal-free
I've been wearing these shoes for years. They're as comfortable as shoes get, and they are available in EEE widths and half sizes, so they fit me well. Their soles are synthetic, not leather; this may make them less elegant, but it also at least quintuples how long they last. The soles and heels never wear out for me; eventually the leather uppers get too scuffed to keep wearing them except around the house and yard.

Except for the tiny little "buckle" on the strap, they have no metal in them, which means they go through all airport metal detectors without setting them off. The soles are thin, so I was never made to take them off at airport security either. Well, not until the latest pointless revision of TSA rules. Someday sense may return to airports, and then the lack of metal will be helpful again.

very comfortable
I wished every pair of shoes made were this comfortable. I bought a new pair to replace my old pair. I agree with the previous reviewer that the design is slightly informal. Even so, I wonder why other companies don't make similar products to Comfortech.