Sneaker-level comfort in dress shoes?

I figure there are enough of you (male) working stiffs that you might have some suggestions. I am finally sick and tired of wearing crappy dress(ish) shoes and am trying to find some decent replacements. I'm looking for something that is incredibly comfortable - think sneaker/running shoe level of comfort - but dressy enough to get by in with a suit. I've been buying crappy oxfords and putting in cushioned insoles, but it doesn't work all that well and durability is awful.

Requirements:
-Some sort of oxford, lace-up (obviously)
-I walk in these for easily 5 miles at a time in inclement weather, so waterproof, durable, good traction and extremely comfortable
-Lowish maintenance - I polish my shoes infrequently
-Good for standing for long periods
-Not too heavy
-If possible, available in narrow sizes, but not required

Price, within reason, is no object. They don't need to be genuine dress shoes - if I can just pass muster on a quick glance when wearing a suit, I don't care if they're really 'dress' shoes or just some approximation thereof.

Thoughts? I have a whole list I've found online that claim to be comfortable, but when I've actually tried most of them on I have been unimpressed. The rest of the time I wear motion control running shoes, so it's hard to compete.

I use these. One pair for work and another for home (wet muddy ranch). They have great traction and don't track mud into the house and my feet have not gotten wet. These don't meet some of your criteria but look at the Skechers site and you will find many that do. Look for the relaxed fit technology. No, I do not own stock in Skechers (that I know of).

https://www.skechers.com/en-us/search?t=64440

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Originally Posted by Being

I use these. One pair for work and another for home (wet muddy ranch). They have great traction and don't track mud into the house and my feet have not gotten wet. These don't meet some of your criteria but look at the Skechers site and you will find many that do. Look for the relaxed fit technology. No, I do not own stock in Skechers (that I know of).

https://www.skechers.com/en-us/search?t=64440

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How's the weight? I've had some super clunky Skechers in the past... Also, some of the upper construction has been a bit flimsy over time.

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Originally Posted by wiggin

How's the weight? I've had some super clunky Skechers in the past... Also, some of the upper construction has been a bit flimsy over time.

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These are very light compared to the Merrell mocs I used to wear. Not nearly as sturdy as the Merrell. But I don't expect any shoe to last much more than a year when it is used every day.

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Originally Posted by wiggin

Price, within reason, is no object.

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DER EWIGE JUDE

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Originally Posted by Nessus

DER EWIGE JUDE

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Heh. I just figure that most good shoes top out at $200 or so; markup beyond that is almost certain to be tied to luxury branding rather than any material improvement in the shoe. Strangely enough, my life as a professional in America allows such extravagant purchases such as a $200 pair of shoes.

I won't tell you how much I pay for childcare or rent, though. :o

Coming from someone would who never dream of paying $200 for a pair of shoes...

I've come to like the safeTstep brand. Most of my job is standing and on lunch I've been walking a solid 2 miles a day. The shoes are comfy, I don't have any soreness or fatigue on my ankles, and my current pair is going a month without looking worn.

I usually buy them at PayLess on BOGO, maybe twice a year at most.

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Originally Posted by Ominous Gamer

Coming from someone would who never dream of paying $200 for a pair of shoes...

I've come to like the safeTstep brand. Most of my job is standing and on lunch I've been walking a solid 2 miles a day. The shoes are comfy, I don't have any soreness or fatigue on my ankles, and my current pair is going a month without looking worn.

I usually buy them at PayLess on BOGO, maybe twice a year at most.

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Those look to be similar to the oxfords I've worn in the past - comfortable enough for a few months, but durability and extended comfort during long walks is minimal. Also not waterproof. Thanks for the suggestion, though!

(For the record, I'm no shoe fetishist. I own 4 pairs of shoes: black dress shoes, brown shoes, boots, and running shoes. I just like them to be comfortable. For someone who spends too much on too many shoes you'd need to talk to my wife. ;) )

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Originally Posted by wiggin

Heh. I just figure that most good shoes top out at $200 or so; markup beyond that is almost certain to be tied to luxury branding rather than any material improvement in the shoe. Strangely enough, my life as a professional in America allows such extravagant purchases such as a $200 pair of shoes.

I won't tell you how much I pay for childcare or rent, though. :o

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Last pair of shoes I bought were roughly 150, ones before that the same. Lasted me a good four years, those did.

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Originally Posted by Nessus

DER EWIGE JUDE

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Thank you for saying what I thought when I read that sentence :up:

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Originally Posted by wiggin

-I walk in these for easily 5 miles at a time in inclement weather, so waterproof, durable, good traction and extremely comfortable

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5 miles? What?

I think the waterproof element is one area where there may be no consensus pick. I have a pair of Rockport waterproof dress shoes I wear when it's very rainy of snowy. They work well, but they are a bit thicker/heavier and the waterproofing ensures they don't breathe so your feet can get clammy.

I've generally settled on Cole Haan with ample break-in to make them really comfortable, though they were spun-off from Nike so you have to evaluate them thoroughly as each shoe is very different.

I'm noticing people in the workplace wearing a lot of "fancy" sneakers. Are those an option for you? I bought a pair recently to try and they are actually extremely light and comfortable, albeit not for every type of work day-

http://www.florsheim.com/shop/images/w375/15125-400.jpg

http://www.florsheim.com/shop/images/w375/15125-200.jpg

http://www.florsheim.com/shop/style/15125-200.html

Everyone's built differently so comfort is a tricky metric. I have a neutral foot-strike while walking and running, and I prefer fairly thin soles with low (or no) heels and minimal cushioning. In this category there's a wide range of more or less waterproof and comfortable shoes but you might find them extremely uncomfortable. If your gait and foot strike are such that you long for motion-control shoes even while walking then there are some dressy models that attempt to address that issue but I haven't found any that are also waterproof so you may have to decide which of those two features is more important to you.

Rockport is a good brand for the prototypical commuting "working stiff" because their shoes strike a good balance between price, quality, features, design and comfort. I gather the quality of leather is a bit so-so but even the bare minimum of care should go a long way towards keeping them in shape. They have both a waterproof series and a series ("Total Motion") featuring some sort of purported gait-correcting sole if that's useful to you. A disadvantage is that they're not always easy to repair so you'll eventually have to buy a new pair.

If you've already tried and rejected all of Rockport's offerings then check out Allen Edmonds who have a ton of shoes on sale right now:

http://www.allenedmonds.com/clearanc...earance/shoes/

Good quality and design, great value and can be repaired/restored by the company.

If you really expect to be surprised frequently, by the kind of formal or semi-formal occasion that will require you to wear formal attire without you knowing about it before leaving the house, then I'd recommend buying a low black or brown leather boot with a padded collar and a not-too-glossy finish. Some people are physically nauseated by chukkas in which case this may still be to your liking:

http://www.allenedmonds.com/clearanc...136_color=6136

These kinds of shoes can sometimes take a while to properly break in.


If you work for long periods of time at a standing desk you may give standing desk mats a look:

http://thewirecutter.com/reviews/bes...ding-desk-mat/

I'm not a big fan myself but many who do work at standing desks swear by them.



If you decide you'd rather have a toolbox than a multitool then consider just getting really nice leather sneakers and a pair of comfortable dress shoes. It doesn't have to break the bank and in reality it won't be particularly inconvenient to have two pairs of shoes well-suited to their resp. purposes.

I have a pair of thin-soled leather Bronx sneakers that've seen regular and intense (mostly urban) use 4-5 months a year for over ten years, still looking great and exceptionally comfortable right from the start both out- and indoors. Unfortunately no longer available for sale but they or others should have similarly versatile leather sneakers for sale.

I also have a pair of very comfortable and comparatively affordable Oxford-style dress shoes from Aston Grey that I've worn on 10+ km city walks on many occasions. I bought them in a rush because they were on sale and have a leather pattern I haven't seen elsewhere, but they turned out to be much better than expected. Unfortunately their current lineup is not as elegant and the shoes aren't easy to repair so if they ever get fucked up I'll be very sad.

I sometimes wonder about some of the ideas people have about shoes and price. It's obvious that quality of materials and design for repairability will be reflected by the final cost but my favourite shoes were outright cheap and they've lasted over ten years in this miserable hellhole of a town without looking bad.

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Originally Posted by Dreadnaught

5 miles? What?

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Yeah, long story.

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I think the waterproof element is one area where there may be no consensus pick. I have a pair of Rockport waterproof dress shoes I wear when it's very rainy of snowy. They work well, but they are a bit thicker/heavier and the waterproofing ensures they don't breathe so your feet can get clammy.

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Yeah, I looked at Rockport - my dad swears by them and they were very well reviewed. My only issues were that recent reviews of many of their waterproof shoes have been less stellar, and when I tried on their flagship waterproof oxford I was deeply unimpressed with both comfort and weight. Maybe I'll give them another shot with an insert.

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I've generally settled on Cole Haan with ample break-in to make them really comfortable, though they were spun-off from Nike so you have to evaluate them thoroughly as each shoe is very different.

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Cole Haan is on my list; haven't had a chance to try any on but I'll give them a shot. Thanks!

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I'm noticing people in the workplace wearing a lot of "fancy" sneakers. Are those an option for you? I bought a pair recently to try and they are actually extremely light and comfortable, albeit not for every type of work day-

http://www.florsheim.com/shop/images/w375/15125-400.jpg

http://www.florsheim.com/shop/images/w375/15125-200.jpg

http://www.florsheim.com/shop/style/15125-200.html

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Really depends on how fancy we're talking. Anything that's identifiably a sneaker isn't going to work, but if it's a sneaker construction camouflaged as a dressy/work shoe, I can probably pull it off. I wasn't blown away by Florsheim on my first pass but I'll give them another look. They have a couple waterproof shoes that fit most of my criteria but are questionable on the comfort angle.

Anyone try out the Timberland waterproof Oxfords? I've got a friend who swears by them, but he's a bit biased. I've also looked at Ecco, Dansko, Hush Puppies, and a few other brands. I'm feeling like this is a bit of a trilemma - I can get two of dressy, comfortable for long walks, and weatherproof/durable, but not all three.

That is the case. You will most likely have to compromise on one feature. Cole Haan is of variable quality and most importantly they overcharge like hell so only buy them on sale.