Product Review: Snibbs Shoes – Your Night Shift Foot Savior

No international shipping is available currently

Water resistant, not waterproof (except for the Spacecloud ones)

Limited color choices

No steel-toe shoe option available

Most types of Snibbs can’t go in the washing machine nd must be washed by hand

My Snibbs Shoe Experience

In search of footwear that could conquer both style and the rigors of nursing, I partnered with Snibbs after they reached out to me some time ago. Their promises of comfort and durability were tempting, so I embarked on a two-pair experiment: one a soft pink, one crisp white.

To cut to the chase, I love them.

I have been alternating between the white and light pink Snibbs for a couple of months now and I am happy to say it’s been a good experience so far. The shoe is really light to wear and incredibly comfortable. I really notice the extra space around the toes, which I talk about later, particularly when going for a long walk or when stuck doing overtime when I know my feet tend to swell.

I haven’t been wearing the white to work as it shows up the dirt too much but I have been wearing them socially and when doing exercise around home. I get a lot of compliments on them. If I were going to get another pair for work, which I plan on doing, I would get an all-black pair as that’s what I feel most comfortable with whilst at the hospital. Nobody wants blood splatters on their shoes.

I also like that I don’t need to pull on the laces excessively to feel secure. I just slip in my feet and lightly pull on the laces. I don’t experience any foot or heel slide in these sneakers. You can also slip the shoes on without uniting the laces thanks to the small piece of elastic next to the tongue of the shoe. I do untie them as it’s a habit and in my head it protects the heel section of the shoe for longevity – though don’t quote me on that.

In the past when I bought tennis shoes or “runners” as we call them in Australia, the ball of my foot used to sting for a while as the shoe molded to my foot. Surprisingly, this didn’t occur with the Sibbs. I didn’t experience any numbness or pain in the foot during the “I’m just getting used to my shoes” period, which was a nice change.

** Since publication of this original post I did receive a black pair to try from Snibbs and I love them even more than my white and pink pairs.

Orbit Black Speckle: The New King of Comfort ( dethroned my Asics!)

Forget the breaking-in periods! The Orbit Black Speckle shoe from Snibbs is pure comfort from the first step. No blisters or sore points even on big walks or long shifts during the first few wears.

The deep heel and heel ties keep your foot secure without feeling restrictive, while the innovative, all-in-one tongue design creates a seamless, one-piece fit. Unlike my usual workhorse Asics, these shoes never leave me feeling like I might slip out. Plus, the black light-weight, speckle design adds a touch of understated cool that I like.

From a sizing perspective, I normally wear a 41 for womens with is noramlly a 9.5. However, as you can see on the box pictured below, the sizing is slightly different and seem half a size larger than I normally wear.

I loved the pink and white Orbits, but the black takes it to a whole new level. If you’re looking for sneakers that combine comfort, style, and security, these are the ones. Trust me, you won’t regret clicking the link below and checking them out for yourself.

Check out the Orbit Black Speckle Shoe on the Snibs website here!

Removing the Insoles

I had a play with removing the insoles as Dan (my husband and co-founder of this website) wears orthotics and yes these can be removed easily and replaced with your own. On that note, if you have a high arch you can replace the insole with your own as they are designed for people with a medium arch.

Cleaning my Snibbs

I did find the lighter color scuffed easily. A little too easy for my liking but I guess what can I expect with a white shoe right? The good thing is they clean easily with a shoe brush (or even your dish brushes if stuck for options) using shoe cleaning soap. The bottom outsole and midsole can be cleaned using a soft brush, while the upper can be cleaned using a soft sponge.

After, leave them out to air dry. They don’t recommend using a brush on the upper section.

Snibb suggests not putting the shoes in the washing machine.

This is because exposing them to excessive heat could cause the slip-resistant rubber outsole to shrink or warp, making them unusable for workwear or daily wear. This kind of sucks but I guess the rubber outsole is an improtant part of the slip resistance. I wonder if putting it on a delicate, cold wash is still a no-go? I haven’t tried this or asked but it might be worth a shot if you don’t want to use the brush though I don’t know how effective the cold wash would be?

I did try cleaning my pink Snibbs with some hand sanitizer, cold water and a clean dishcloth. They came up a treat! This was a much cleaner way than soap, water and a bucket! I don’t know if this will tarnish the color but I’ve done it a few times and I can’t see any patches.

The only types of Snibbs that can go in the washing machine are the Orbits. Just don’t put them in the dryer, you’ll ruin them.

For more information about cleaning your Snibbs here is a link to their website.

Are Snibbs a Narrow or Wide Fit?

On their FAQ section on the website, Snibbs state, “At this time, Snibbs are only available in standard width. Customers with a wide foot should order half a size up“.

From my personal experience, I would say this is pretty accurate. I wear a size 41 or a 9.5 US size normally and this is the Snibb size I am wearing. I would say I have a regular fit foot and this size fits me nicely.

What I did notice though was the deep heel cup. I felt this helped to stabilize my foot, keeping it well aligned with my knee, hips, and ankles. I think this design feature really helped with the aches and pains. The pull tag at the back is large and strong making it actually usable, as it so often isn’t with other shoes.

Snibbs Cost

According to their website at the time of publishing this review, the shoes range from around $109 USD to $165 USD in the womens range. In the past, I generally spend around $130 USD or $200 AUD for a good pair of shoes so it’s within my range. They are not aimed at the lower price point if that’s what you were hoping for, though honestly I think it’s worth it as there is less chance they will fall apart.

How Snibbs Came About

As you’ve likely figured out, the creation on Snibbs are a little more special and unique then most other shoe brands. This is because they were created by people who work on their feet day in and day out.

Quick story here, in 2015 Daniel Shemtob noticed after getting home from work, his shoes kept falling apart and were causing him a lot of grief. He searched everywhere for a better pair of shoes and was left disappointed. So he got to work in creating something himself in conjunction with his partners Dr. Snibbe and Haik Zadoyan.

With years of design revisions, Daniel and Haik traveled overseas many times, where they visited their factories and material suppliers to ensure quality from the get-go. They also worked closely with Ortholite to develop the Snibbs insole concurrently. After three years, 35+ revisions of the shoe and 15+ of the insole, the perfect work shoe had arrived.

Are Snibb Shoes Waterproof?

The Spacecloud and Spacecloud Premium are apparently waterproof. I can’t comment on the ligitmicy of this claim as I haven’t tried them. The two pairs I have are water-resistant but not waterproof. I know this as I got stuck in a wild storm walking home and ended up with damp-ish socks.

My shoes are pretty breathable which is why I feel more liquids could enter. This is the same as the Orbit shoes on their website. The more waterproof the shoes I figure it would be heavier and less breathable. I wonder if your feet would get hotter?

Here is an example of a black pair on their website as I think you can see the material a little better than on mine.

Design and Features of Snibb Shoes

A few of these points were taken from their website directly. You can see them here.

• Breathable water-resistant upper material which is breathable and pushes the water away to keep your feet dry. It’s also easy to clean.
• Certified Slip-resistant rubber outsole (even on oil and grease) using the industry standard Brungraber Mark II Test.
• Custom-formulated ortholite insole to help prevent fatigue and pain
• Ergonomically designed and durable midsole is less likely to break down overtime
• A set of polyurethane “cages” affixed to both sides of the shoe can be loosed and tightened with a set of traditional laces, allowing a more bespoke fit for the user
• Wider toe box, allowing your toes to wiggle which creates bloodflow, and gives room for natural swelling which happens over long periods of standing
• Easy slip-on design as the tongue of the show is smaller and slicker as it doesn’t fold or move when you put the shoe on.