Customer Reviews Ryka Influence 2.5

I wanted to love this shoe because it's so good looking. It is comfortable and cushy. The support is just fine. However it took one step I knew it was not for me. They cause my feet to wobble when I step. Feels like I'm walking on a sea of air balls on water. No good for weak ankles. If you are looking for a real stable shoe, try the Ryka Dominion. BTW, I have a C wide foot and both of these shoes have perfect width.

Looking for shoes for Zumba which slide like Blochs but have more padding. Ordered Ryka Grafik, Influence and Influence 2.5 based on customer comments. Ordered 1/2 size larger than my standard size. They fit fine but all are being returned because they grip the floor, which kills my knees. Need to be able to slide. So overall, it's a good product. Just not for the function desired.

I attend many, and sometimes teach, Zumba classes. My previous cross trainer shoe was the Ryka Vida RZX, which I liked. But I decided to try the Influence 2.5 because it showed up on several "best shoes for Zumba" lists. I liked the shoe, especially the design of the bottom sole. The shoes felt pretty snug but still roomy and comfortable enough at first. But at Zumba class, my feet went numb after about 30 minutes. That's never happened before. So the Influence 2.5 may run small, or perhaps is narrower than the average shoe. I've decided to stick with the Vida RZX, which is very light, comfortable and functional for Zumba.

I am in my 20s and I bought these for Zumba. They are truly very sticky even on studio type floor. It was hard to slide in them. I was afraid that I would trip and injure myself because of the stickiness. I ended up returning them which is a shame since everything else about the shoe is awesome.

These shoes are very well put together and I'm disappointed at how off the sizing is. I have a wide foot with a high arch and typically wear a 9.5C/D. These were a so much smaller than the standard sizing chart and that I would have thought they were a size 8.5 C/D. My toes touched the end of the toe box. If you want to buy these, I would go for a full size up if you have a truly wide foot. Note: I typically buy men's sneakers/hiking shoes because women's sizes do not fit. These shoes fit perfectly in the heel (which is nice, because I have to buy insoles for the men's shoes, the heels are typically too large).

The tongue is not padded, just a pleather flap. It may function fine, but I don't like the feel of it. Returning these.

I ordered these shoes after reading many positive reviews. Unfortunately, they didn't work for me. I ordered my usual size, as most reviews indicated they ran true to size, but as soon as I put them on I could tell they were a bit small. My toes bumped up against the end of the shoe and I knew they wouldn't work for Jazzercise. I'm hesitant to order a larger size, as these already looked huge on my feet.

I bought these for cardio dance and I have to disagree that it is not a good shoe for cardio dance. Although very comfortable and light, it was hard to turn and slide with these on.

the material on the tongue is rough and hurts when it rubs against my leg. It’s great to get a wide width but it feels almost a little too wide and I notice my feet slipping around while working out so I have to tie them extra tight. keeping them but not my favorite.

This shoe has lots of give, with a person with wide feet it’s a big plus, however there was little support and felt cheap. Very little arch support as well. Sending back.

I just ordered both this shoe and the influence model. I expected the 2.5 to be better since I assume it’s a newer version. I like the look slightly better, but I found it less comfortable. The tongue is stiff and cuts into my ankle, and the heel cup has a sharp edge that digs in. I also feel the arch is in the wrong place...too far back. I returning the influence 2.5 and am keeping the influence.

Runs small by about a half size, not cushy enough for me

The shoes became uncomfortable I shouldn’t have bought them... the tongue of the shoe is horribly uncomfortable. I thought I would eventually break it in and it wouldn’t bother me but I was wrong. I threw them out.

I really wanted to like this shoe because of the reviews I've read about these for Zumba. However the insoles are so hard and there is no support, I could not feel comfortable wearing them for an hour class. I also do not like the little white shoelace hole details. Let this shoe be all black and I may have had a bit more excitement.

This was my first experience with Rykas. I'm disappointed that I had to return the 8-1/2 shoe for a 9, only to return the 9s too! I NEVER have to increase shoe size, so these RUN SMALL. The inner sole was not comfortable at all and it was shorter than it should have been because my toes went over the front edge, so I could feel it when I walked. Therefore, I decided this shoe would not be suitable for walking or Zumba class because I'm sure i would have developed blisters. It seemed well made, but the short inner sole was a deal breaker.

Flimsy; more important, the pivot spot purely decorative. Can't actually pivot or glide smoothly in the sneakers -- useless as dance sneakers. Long, long ago the RYka Influence model was fantastic. Haven't been good for a long time, but every so often I have repeated the exercise of ordering replacements hoping that the problem has been rectified. But the problem has not been corrected. So i keep on using my very old 2 pairs, which are about ready to be trashed. This newly ordered shoe is flimsy -- which it didn't use to be -- which I could live with if the shoes could be used for dance -- then it would just be a matter of replacing them when they died. If your looking for a shoe for hip hop, zumba, jazz or modern dance, these aren't they!

Bought these shoe because I needed a lightweight shoe for my Zumba classes. I was a little disappointed because they didn’t feel supportive enough. I will keep them as a backup pair but will go back to New Balance.