Ryka Women's Influence Cross Trainer

I bought these trainers as they were highly recommended for zumba. I decided to judge for myself after reading reviews criticising the sizing and went for my normal size 4. On arrival they were clearly too large so I returned and bought a size smaller. I have given this a five star review because they are fabulous trainers but please take note of sizing issues.

I ordered my usual size and these fit beautifully. A little adjustment with the shoe strings and the support I needed was achieved. My old shoes had the pivot point, the RYKA pivot is a more "grabby" something I think I can get use to. I'm 62 years old and been a Zumba addict for three years. This is a quality shoe, fun colors, great support, great cushion through out the sole. I would recommend this shoe for any aerobic dance student.

I really like these shoes. I waited to write this review to see how they are after one month of Zumba classes. They are very comfortable. Spins are easy with these shoes. I bought the same size I buy in regular sneakers. Other shoes I got first and did not like: Zumba Impact - Too big. The size I wear in street shes would have been the right size to get. Just not comfortable at all. Ryka Rhythmic+ - Very flat. Did not have the support needed for dance. Bloch Lightning II - Rough spin spot. I imagine it would have gotten less rough as I used them. They were very tight, and I just did not like the way they felt. So this shoe, The Ryka Influence, is the one I love. It is supposed to be for cross training. It works great as dance shoes because of the spin spot, supportive sole, and comfort. I am very happy I got these!

Hated shoes, they were painful to do Zumba- after 5 min, I put my other rykas on. Another girl in the class had these same shoes with the same problem hurting her feet in the same place mine were hurting. She has been toughing it out. I'm not fat and have normal feet. Cheaply made and they don't flex to move.

I purchased these for Zumba class (and others that I participate in at the studio, 4 classes per week) and wore them around my house before even taking them to class. I was not impressed (really wanted to be as the reviews were pretty high for these shoes). They didn't have much cushion for the inserts and little arch support (I have a high arch). The part of the shoe that creases when you walk, rubs on the top of toes...not something I feel would go away with wear/breaking in. Overall I also felt that they were cheaply made. I could see glue where the fabric ends meet. They just weren't what I expected at all. Ultimately ended up going with a running shoe (not my first choice) even though I wanted a cross trainer style.

I purchased a gray shoe with peach trim and it is a nice shoe and I love the color. Well made, true to size, and seems sturdy. It does have a slight arch, which almost seems too small or maybe just in the wrong place for my foot. I'm wearing it around for a few days to see how it works. This was recommended online for dance and step aerobics, and it has a different feel compared to my Brooks. Still unsure if it is supposed to have a different fit.