Abstract: A bearing is herein described having an annular housing defining a bore. A plurality of arcuate bearing shoes are spaced within the housing bore in such an array to define a cylindrical opening for axially receiving a rotatable shaft. The shoe members are disposed in a generally free floating posture.Mechanical stops are provided for maintaining the shoes in a generally operational disposition while the shoes are still in a free floating condition. A spherical male and female combination of inserts are provided with their operational axis generally along a radius of the bore of the housing and located at the approximate center of the arc defined by each shoe. The male and female spherical members are then operable to provide universal movement about a point approximately at the center of the arc of each shoe so that each shoe is infinitely flexible to adapt to shaft variations.