# Alternatives to Skechers? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [September 8, 2025, 9:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alternatives-to-skechers/1022843 "2025-09-08T09:36:12Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![kferr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/71e660/32.png) [@kferr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kferr)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2025, 9:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alternatives-to-skechers/1022843/1 "2025-09-08T09:36:12Z")
I like Skechers shoes for their comfort and lightness but the durability sucks. I bought a pair of the trail model at the end of June. I wear them every day and average about 2 miles walking a day. So after around 70 days and 140 miles the tread on the heal is gone and nearly gone at the ball of the foot. Any suggestions for brands with similar comfort but greater durability? Thanks. ---
**Author:** ![scudsucker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scudsucker/32/14101_2.png) [@scudsucker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scudsucker)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2025, 10:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alternatives-to-skechers/1022843/2 "2025-09-08T10:16:47Z")
I wear Salomon XA Pro 3D. Comfortable trail running shoes. But I don’t really have much style! I got into wearing running shoes long before I got I to actual running, as I worked in a high capacity, high turnover restaurant, so I was walking a huge amount every shift. ---
**Author:** ![jnglmassiv](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f07891/32.png) [@jnglmassiv](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jnglmassiv)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2025, 2:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alternatives-to-skechers/1022843/3 "2025-09-08T14:31:06Z")
> [@kferr](#): > > So after around 70 days and 140 miles the tread on the heal is gone and nearly gone at the ball of the foot This sounds like the setup for a sleepwalking punchline. No, your description is of extraordinarily accelerated wear that no normal shoe (intended for outdoor use) could withstand. Unless you’re mudlarking in boiling volcanic sands or doing something outside the walks like competative skitching or motorcycle track racing, two miles a day should last for years. Edit: My comments above are limited to wear to the lowers. Uppers can bust out a lot faster. ---
**Author:** ![hajario](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hajario/32/171_2.png) [@hajario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hajario)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2025, 2:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alternatives-to-skechers/1022843/4 "2025-09-08T14:33:11Z")
Hokas are outstanding shoes ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2025, 2:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alternatives-to-skechers/1022843/5 "2025-09-08T14:35:08Z")
Try skateboarding shoes. I find them superior to ordinary sneakers, longer lasting, & the thicker soles are easy on the feet. Also, better support for the bones in your feet. ---
**Author:** ![teelabrown](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/teelabrown/32/8412_2.png) [@teelabrown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/teelabrown)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2025, 2:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alternatives-to-skechers/1022843/6 "2025-09-08T14:54:01Z")
> [@hajario](#): > > Hokas are outstanding shoes QFT. I have wide feet and need good arch support, and Hokas are awesome for this. I wear them working out and walking/jogging. ---
**Author:** ![scudsucker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scudsucker/32/14101_2.png) [@scudsucker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scudsucker)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2025, 6:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alternatives-to-skechers/1022843/7 "2025-09-08T18:38:04Z")
> [@jnglmassiv](#): > > Uppers can bust out a lot faster. In my hiking kit, there are somethings that rarely leave the backpack. Dry bags, duct tape, erc. More than once I have saved failing shoes with cable ties. I carry small ones for tears, big ones for “adhesion” I mean, how else do you fashion a splint on a broken carbon fibre tent pole using a straightish stick? Or a boot sole separation 3 days hike away from civilisation? My friends, we use cable ties and duct tape. (Oh, and, I took a 5 day kloofing trip - that is walking first up a significant mountain - this was about 850m ascent on day 1 on a 30 to 70%. slope, and then descending via river (swimming/wading/rock hopping) But I sprained my toe three days before. I was not going to miss out, so I simply duct taped my toe to both the closest toes.) I used the aforementioned Salomon brand as my choice of shoe. … And in my enthusiasm, drifted fairly far off topic. My apologies to the OP. ---
**Author:** ![Roderick\_Femm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/roderick_femm/32/14875_2.png) [@Roderick\_Femm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Roderick_Femm)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2025, 2:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alternatives-to-skechers/1022843/8 "2025-09-09T02:40:17Z")
> [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](#): > > Try skateboarding shoes How are they specifically on arch support? I looked up some photos and they look kind of flat (although all the pictures showed them from the wrong side, so hard to be sure). ---
**Author:** ![Railer13](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/railer13/32/9742_2.png) [@Railer13](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Railer13)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2025, 2:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alternatives-to-skechers/1022843/9 "2025-09-09T02:51:48Z")
I use Hokas as my walking/exercise shoes, and Skechers as my everyday shoes. My last pair of Skechers (slip-ins) lasted close to two years, I think. Current pair is well over a year. ---
**Author:** ![kferr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/71e660/32.png) [@kferr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kferr)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2025, 9:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alternatives-to-skechers/1022843/10 "2025-09-09T09:25:47Z")
Thanks for the advice so far. I’m pretty hard on shoes as I weigh 240 lbs. The pavements (sidewalks) I use are fairly uneven so I scuff a bit on the high points. Maybe the soft soles of the Skechers is part of what makes them so comfortable. But even the Karrimor lightweight hiking boots that only get used 3-4 months of the year show significant wear after a couple years. I don’t like the looks of running shoes and the Hokas are around 3 times the price of what I usually spend on shoes. I like the idea of skate shoes. Amazon has a pair of Vans on sale for just under £40 so I’ll give those a go. ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2025, 12:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alternatives-to-skechers/1022843/11 "2025-09-09T12:34:25Z")
It varies, from pair to pair. ---
**Author:** ![jnglmassiv](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f07891/32.png) [@jnglmassiv](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jnglmassiv)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2025, 2:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alternatives-to-skechers/1022843/12 "2025-09-09T14:28:42Z")
> [@kferr](#): > > I’m pretty hard on shoes as I weigh 240 lbs. Naw, there’s something else going on if you’re actually wearing out soles in a few hundred miles. You need to figure out what’s happening to your shoes before you can get any meaningful recommendations. ---
**Author:** ![madmonk28](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/madmonk28/32/20811_2.png) [@madmonk28](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madmonk28)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2025, 2:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alternatives-to-skechers/1022843/13 "2025-09-09T14:39:49Z")
Salomon shoes are the best. ---
**Author:** ![DavidNRockies](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/davidnrockies/32/6279_2.png) [@DavidNRockies](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DavidNRockies)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2025, 2:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alternatives-to-skechers/1022843/14 "2025-09-09T14:43:45Z")
> [@scudsucker](#): > > kloofing TIL (Today I Learned) … > **[I’ve heard about kloofing. What is it and where can I do it?](https://www.outsideonline.com/adventure-travel/advice/ive-heard-about-kloofing-what-it-and-where-can-i-do-it/?scope=anon)** > > Kloofing is the South African version of canyoneering. The term comes from the Afrikaans (Middle Dutch) term “kloof,” meaning “a steep-sided, wooded ravine or valley.” Thought to have developed in the 1920s, kloofing is the art of following... ---
**Author:** ![Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mean_mr.mustard/32/3865_2.png) [@Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mean_Mr.Mustard)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2025, 8:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alternatives-to-skechers/1022843/15 "2025-09-09T20:56:43Z")
> [@DavidNRockies](#): > > TIL (Today I Learned) … Thanks for sharing. I was hesitant to Google “kloofing”, unsure of what sort of website I would find myself in. mmm