Customer Reviews Nike Air Monarch IV

Shoe was perfect for being on my feet 8-10 hours a day on hardwood. I'm a very big guy so for me to find a shoe that didn't make my feet hurt after a shift is amazing. However, 3 months in the shoe started to squeak. It was off and on so I just ignored it. Now though, people say I sound like Sponge Bob with squeaky boots. Very comfortable and my feet felt great even after a long shift, but the noise is unbearable. Switching to another shoe sadly, only because of the noise factor.

I had put in a review for this sneaker, bought back in March 2013, and I wanted to update it but there doesn't seem to be a way to do that, so this is a second review with some tips for those suffering the common squeaking issue. There are some videos on youtube that disassemble these sneakers to show you where the problem areas are. Basically, there's a couple of factors. One is that the glue on the bottom of the air pillow (which goes from the heel up to around the ball of the foot) deteriorates and causes it to rub against the rubber bottom it's attached to. I think this one may be a little less common, though. The issue I had, and I suspect this one is more common, is there is glue or something on TOP of the air pillow that deteriorates due to sweat and wear, and once that's gone it causes the air pillow to rub against the canvas insole underneath the foam comfort insole. Fortunately, I was able to remedy mine. Here's how: First, I carefully removed the foam comfort insole. The glue holding it in place was weakened through wear, so it removed easily without tearing any foam pieces off. After that, I found that the canvas that was underneath had begun to wear away in spots (heel, ball of foot). I was able to use these weakened areas to get my finger in and either tear or cut a line down the length of the canvas. Basically, I separated the canvas from the air pillow, then put the canvas back in place. Then I put the foam comfort insole back in and walked around to see if that helped. If it didn't, I took it apart again to fiddle with it some more. I imagine if you wanted to, you could add more glue (shoe goo?) or some other material as a buffer between the air pillow and the canvas and see if that helps. I didn't need to, and I wanted to keep this exploratory shoe surgery to a minimum. The ONLY reasons I went to this trouble was because I really like how they look (I have the red/white/black) and they are very comfortable. If these two factors weren't satisfactory, then I would have returned them long ago. These shoes do get a lot of complaints about this flaw, though, and a quality product really shouldn't suffer this issue so broadly. But for those of you who have them or don't mind having to compensate their low cost with a little homemade fixing, they're worth considering. If you want something that is going to have absolutely no issues from the time you first open the box to the time they fall apart off your feet, and you can get that for $60-90, you may as well pass on the Monarch IV. Maybe we'll get lucky and if Nike makes a Monarch V they will eliminate this noisy materials flaw.

This is 4th pair of Monarchs for me. Although it is a comfortable shoe, these are not as good as the early ones. They had a better grip on the bottom, and just a more durable feel. This being a lower scale Nike shoe, the price from Nike could be a bit lower. With heavy use you will get about 9 months out of a pair. The black ones ripped quicker than the white ones did for me. So it just comes down to how long you want the shoe to last, vs price, for what you will use it for work or play. I would try a sharper pair of Asics if it were for play or going out. For the folks suffering with squeaks, take out the foot pad and put in some baby powder...then back in...for some reason it works wonders.

Wow, these are loud shoes. And never quite as comfortable as I'd hoped, a little narrow in the toe box. Heavily padded; maybe they'll get a bit more comfortable when some of the heavy padding compresses a bit. In the meantime: Squeak, squeak, squeak.

These are too tight on the pinky toe side of my feet. They squish my pinky toe. I bought them for office work because they almost look like dress shoes. I bought my normal size and they were too tight. I kept them (good price and quality) to give to my son (he has smaller feet) and bought a size bigger, but the size bigger still compress the small pinky. Ugh.

The other reviews about this shoe developing a squeak is true. I bought these shoes because a new job requires all black shoes, which I find all to be ugly. I thought this shoe was the best looking for the money and I've always felt Nike shoes fit good. I've worn the shoe for 6 days of work on an airport ramp and the right shoe has developed a squeaking sound. I believe this is happening due to the "Air" pocket in the shoe. This shoe has an air cushion that runs the full length of the sole and I think that under the toe area, the two surfaces between the pocket of air rub and touch creating a squeaking sound. Like other reviews, I don't think this sound and problem will fix itself and the shoes will now always have this sound. This is bad engineering. Nike should have just limited the Air support to just the heel. This would have prevented a failure and the rubbing of two inner surfaces. Not only am I disappointed in having to wear such a ugly/boring all black shoe, but now I walk around on what always sounds like a wet floor. It would definitely be more annoying in a quieter workplace. Buyer beware: These shoes will become noisy on a short period of time! Other than the noise, they are pretty comfortable and have a sole that will wear a long time. Too bad they are poorly designed. My first purchase of a poor Nike product.

I've been buying these shoes for years, very comfortable. However, a year or so ago they started getting squeaky. Very annoying for the rubber bottoms to squeak with every step. No more, I'm moving on to something else.

These shoes are a bit stiff. The side look like they're just one piece of leather, with nothing to allow it to bend. I didn't think they bent at all when you walked. Perhaps they will break with time. I also thought they just looked 'big'!

I love the wide size and updated look. I have worn these for years be sues of a foot problem. This new model is unfortunately not nearly as comfortable as previous models. The white also squeaks when you walk.

Great fit and comfort...but...the noisiest sneaker I've ever worn. After a few weeks the sneakers squeak something terrible while walking.

These have been by go-to sneakers for years. VERY comfortable and the wide sizes fit me perfectly. That being said they have a MAJOR flaw (and have for as long as I can remember). After a few days the shoes begin to 'squeak' with every step. essentially the plastic material inside begins to make a noise as the loose padding rubs against it. It has with every pair I've owned (other reviews confirm this as well). Deducting 2 stars for this. Come on Nike! You've got a great sneaker here. It shouldn't be this hard to fix a recurring issue!

Ditto with the noise. I read this review and thought "how bad could it be" then ordered a pair. Worst than I could've imagined. A clear design defect. Gimme the old Executive plain black which could be worn with jeans or a suit. None of this girly-man color and design-- just black and simple.

I've had these for four months now so they're broken in. They aren't really comfortable and for having an inch of material between my foot and the ground there isn't a lot of cushioning. On the positive side they are wide without looking like water skis. The worst part about them is the noise. You can hear me coming from half a block away. It sounds like I'm walking on plastic shopping bags. Definitely no good for ninjas.

The comfort of the shoe is great; however, the downside is about a week or so after wearing, the show starts to squeak really bad...always on the left shoe. I even returned a pair to get a new pair, but to no avail it started squeaking. It is very obnoxious. Maybe I just got a bad batch?

The Monarchs are "acceptable." I have very wide feet, and I typically buy New Balance running shoes. I needed a pair of cross trainers for the gym, and the Nike Air Monarchs were inexpensive and available in my wide shoe size. For my purpose - cross training - they're fine. I do notice they rub my toes somewhat, which tells me they're not a great fit for my own feet. If I had to wear these all day, or walk a long distance in them, I suspect I wouldn't be a happy camper. Style is fine. Good 'nuff for the gym.

My son says they are very comfortable, but heavy. We bought them for school and wore the first pair out by Christmas break, this is my second pair. I hope they make the rest of the year.

Good shoe. Some last longer than others. I've been buying this style shoe for years. As I said, sometimes Nike's quality is better than others.

This would be the perfect shoe if not for the squeaking and crunching noises it makes. There is no sneaking up on anybody when you wear this shoe.

I originally bought these for my son since it comes in solid black which conforms to his school dress code. These are good, well built shoes. My husband liked them and I bought him a pair too. The problem came when they went to an amusement park and they got wet on a water ride. Since that day both pairs squeak something awful. The two of them walking down a street is like something from a Laurel and Hardy film. I can't take the squeaking anymore and will be looking for other solid black sneakers, but I think I have to avoid Nike all together.

Very comfortable shoes but they seemed to wear out quick. They lost their cushion more quickly than other shoes I have purchased.

I have worm the Monarch series for 12+ years.Good fit and value but the last three pairs (I wear out 2 pairs a year doing serious walking) have all developed loud squeaks. The shoe is super comfortable and durable and would be OK for casual wear. The squeak seems to develop under heavy use and is so loud it is annoying to people around me. If the new pair starts to squeak I will be looking for another shoe.

Got the Nike's very quickly and they are really comfy and supportive. However, after about 3 weeks of wear, they are starting to squeak. I had another pair of the air monarchs with the same problem but I thought Nike had resolved the problem. Not so - these squeak so I try to wear in places where the squeak won't be noticeable. These would be perfect if they were quiet.

These shoes are the best fitting and comfortable shoes I have owned. The only downside is they squeak after awhile and it is really annoying sometimes.

The most comfortable shoe...I am a valet and run a parking lot and stairs all day. I have bought 4 pairs and blow though them in 6 months. Big negative -- and why I buy every 6 months, They start to squeak and squeak a lot to the point it's embarrassing to walk around guests when it's quiet. But I buy again and again for the comfort. 2 other co-workers have bought these and experienced the squeaks as well.

This is my husband's second pair, and while they are very comfortable after a week they squeak so bad that you can hardly stand it. His first pair squeaked too, we thought it was just a fluke. Guess not.