I had been having terrible foot pain and my bunion was aggravated by wearing flexible sneakers. Podiatrist suggested a stiff sole for better support. The outsole is definitely FIRM and this style has a rocker bottom-- both of which may take some getting used to-- but after about a week of wearing these, my feet are dramatically less sore after a 10 hour shift standing on my feet. They were a little stiff at first and took a few wears to break in the leather but I absolutely love them now!