Shoes under $160 compared

Two kinds of shoe for two different problems

The FitVille pairs are ordinary lace-up shoes cut wider. Width is the point of them: FitVille makes its running shoes in 2E and 4E widths ¹, and its guide explains that each extra E adds an eighth of an inch across the ball of the foot ².

The Creality pairs are a different object. Its Nexbie shoes are printed as seamless, single-piece shoes with an 80% hollow lattice ³, in an elastomer Creality calls ELASTO 1000 rather than the usual EVA or PVC foam ⁴; the Aeroraise, Aeriscape and Guardian Orbit all list it as their material ^{5 6 7}. The Braidge is a hybrid: a wool-blend knit upper on a printed PU lattice sole ⁸.

So the first question is not which pair is best. If shoes squeeze across your forefoot, you have a width problem, and the FitVille pairs are the ones on this page made to solve it. If you are curious about printed cushioning, you have a different question, and the rest of this page is about what that buys you and what it risks.

1. Running shoes for men FitVille — FitVille's running shoes come in 2E and 4E widths
2. Wide fit shoe width guide: 2E, 4E and 6E explained FitVille — D 3.6-3.9 in, 2E 3.9-4.1 in, 4E 4.1-4.3 in across the ball of the foot; each E adds 1/8 inch; measure in the afternoon or evening; no industry-wide standard
3. 3D Printing in Shoes: Method, Benefits and Future Trends Creality — Nexbie prints seamless, single-piece shoes by high-speed photopolymer resin printing, with an 80% hollow lattice
4. Can You 3D Print Shoes? Everything You Need to Know Creality — the Aeroraise is printed on a DLP-based system in ELASTO 1000, an elastomer used instead of standard EVA or PVC foam
5. Aeroraise 3D Printed Sneakers Nexbie (Creality) — ELASTO 1000, HALS (DLP-based) printing; 4 cm heel; FAQ: water drains fast and they don't stay soaked; rinse with cool water under 30°C, no soaking, scrubbing or dryers
6. Aeriscape 3D Printed Sneakers Nexbie (Creality) — ELASTO 1000, slip-on; true to size, size up if between sizes; Nexbie's review summary: some noted sizing runs large
7. Guardian Orbit 3D Printed Kids Shoes Nexbie (Creality) — slip-on; ELASTO 1000; wide outsole and anti-slip tread; machine washable
8. Braidge 3D Printed Sneakers Nexbie (Creality) — wool-blend 3D knit upper on a 3D-printed PU lattice; machine washable, cold water, gentle cycle, laundry bag

Width is a number you can measure

Width letters are not standard from brand to brand — FitVille’s own guide says so ¹ — so the useful number is your foot. That guide puts a standard D width at 3.6 to 3.9 inches across the ball of the foot, 2E at 3.9 to 4.1 inches and 4E at 4.1 to 4.3 ¹. Measure late in the day, when feet are at their largest; the American Orthopaedic Foot & Ankle Society says the same, adds that you should fit the larger foot, and warns against counting on shoes to stretch ². It suggests about a finger’s width between your longest toe and the end of the shoe ².

Neither FitVille listing here names its model, so we cannot point you to the matching page on FitVille’s own site. Treat the width on the listing as a starting point, not a guarantee.

1. Wide fit shoe width guide: 2E, 4E and 6E explained FitVille — D 3.6-3.9 in, 2E 3.9-4.1 in, 4E 4.1-4.3 in across the ball of the foot; each E adds 1/8 inch; measure in the afternoon or evening; no industry-wide standard
2. 10 Points of Proper Shoe Fit FootCareMD, American Orthopaedic Foot & Ankle Society — measure at the end of the day; fit the larger foot; check the width; don't plan on shoes stretching; 3/8 to 1/2 inch past the longest toe

What a printed shoe changes, and what no one independent has tested

An open lattice in place of foam is the whole idea ¹, and it changes what the usual words mean. Nexbie’s FAQ for the Aeroraise answers “Are 3D printed sneakers waterproof?” with “Yes”, then explains that water drains fast and the shoes don’t stay soaked ². That describes a shoe that lets water out, not one that keeps it out.

Care is different for each model, so read the one you buy. Nexbie says to rinse the Aeroraise in water under 30°C and to avoid soaking, scrubbing and dryers ²; the Braidge goes in a washing machine on a cold, gentle cycle, in a laundry bag ³.

What is missing is independent wear testing. We found no independent review of these Creality shoes; the only wearer reviews we found are on Creality’s and Nexbie’s own stores. Reviews of other printed shoes are the nearest thing, and they point both ways on fit: a reviewer of a printed TPU shoe found the first pair slightly too large ⁴, while a reviewer of a printed adidas recommends going half a size up ⁵. Nexbie calls the Aeriscape true to size and says to size up between sizes, while its own review summary notes that some buyers found it ran large ⁶.

1. 3D Printing in Shoes: Method, Benefits and Future Trends Creality — Nexbie prints seamless, single-piece shoes by high-speed photopolymer resin printing, with an 80% hollow lattice
2. Aeroraise 3D Printed Sneakers Nexbie (Creality) — ELASTO 1000, HALS (DLP-based) printing; 4 cm heel; FAQ: water drains fast and they don't stay soaked; rinse with cool water under 30°C, no soaking, scrubbing or dryers
3. Braidge 3D Printed Sneakers Nexbie (Creality) — wool-blend 3D knit upper on a 3D-printed PU lattice; machine washable, cold water, gentle cycle, laundry bag
4. Zellerfeld Review: kicking it up in a 3D printed shoe VoxelMatters — a printed TPU shoe, a different process from Nexbie's; the first pair turned out slightly too large
5. adidas Climacool Review: The 3D-printed Shoe You Can Actually Buy Man of Many — recommends going a half-size up; a tight fit
6. Aeriscape 3D Printed Sneakers Nexbie (Creality) — ELASTO 1000, slip-on; true to size, size up if between sizes; Nexbie's review summary: some noted sizing runs large

Returns are part of the price

Fit is the risk with any shoe bought online, and the return terms set what that risk costs. Creality’s store gives 14 days from delivery for unused items; for anything that is not a defect the buyer pays the return shipping, and the refund takes 15 working days to process once the parcel arrives ¹. Nexbie’s own store gives 30 days but deducts a $15 label fee on returns that aren’t defects ²; our links go to Creality’s store, so the 14 days are what apply.

FitVille’s own store gives 30 days for unworn, unwashed shoes ³, but that policy does not mention marketplace orders. Before ordering either FitVille pair, read the return terms on the AliExpress listing itself.

1. Refund policy Creality — 14 natural days after receipt; item not used; the customer pays return shipping on returns that are not quality problems; 15 working days to process the refund
2. Refund policy Nexbie (Creality) — 30 days, unused with tags; a $15 return-label fee is deducted on returns that are not defects
3. Return policy FitVille — 30 days from receipt; original condition, unwashed and unworn; marketplace orders not mentioned

A toddler shoe at $99

The Guardian Orbit is a slip-on with what Nexbie calls an anti-slip tread ¹, in children’s sizes 9.5C to 2.5Y ². The American Orthopaedic Foot & Ankle Society’s advice on children’s shoes is the useful yardstick: children may need new shoes every three to four months, there should be about half an inch between the toes and the front of the insole, and a flexible shoe is better than a rigid one ³. It also favours tie shoes for small feet, because they stay on ³ — a slip-on trades that for being easy to put on.

1. Guardian Orbit 3D Printed Kids Shoes Nexbie (Creality) — slip-on; ELASTO 1000; wide outsole and anti-slip tread; machine washable
2. Guardian Orbit 3D Printed Toddler Shoe Creality — $99.00; sizes 9.5C to 2.5Y
3. How to Select Toddler & Children's Shoes - And What to Avoid! FootCareMD, American Orthopaedic Foot & Ankle Society — new shoes may be needed every 3-4 months; about half an inch past the toes; flexible rather than rigid; tie shoes stay on better

What these prices mean

Each price here is the one we last read, and each product page shows the date and our full record. Creality’s own store has charged the same price for each of its four pairs in every check we have made: $159 for the Aeroraise, $139 for the Aeriscape and $99 for the Guardian Orbit since September 23, and $99.99 for the Braidge since September 30. We have not seen any of them sold at the higher list price shown beside it, so the percentage off is the store’s figure, not ours.

Both FitVille listings dropped on September 28 — from $52.32 to $39.64 and from $54.28 to $41.13 — and have stayed within a few cents of that since; AliExpress reprices in dollars every day, so moves that small are usually the exchange rate. The struck-through prices on both, above $120, are the seller’s, and we have not seen either charged anywhere near them. AliExpress also quotes new accounts a lower “Welcome deal” price, and store coupons can lower it further, so what you are shown may be less than what is listed here.