I love Merrell’s as well. I know people who swear by Danskos as a comfortable, sensible librarian shoe…I bought a pair and wore them exactly twice before giving them away to someone who can wear them. I was in incredible pain after a day of wearing them.
I don’t know if you’re a man or a woman, but I bought a pair of the Sketchers GOWalk series a couple of weeks ago and they are crazy comfortable for me. Very light, very flexible. I think I’ve worn them to work every day. But I don’t see them lasting a long time - I can see them wearing down fairly readily with the amount that I’m wearing them.
When I bought my first pair of Danskos, the clerk told me to only wear them for an hour or two the first day, building up the time you where them over a couple weeks. It worked for me.
I have a brown leather version, and they are very comfortable. Unfortunately, they’re also really, really hot. I can only wear them outdoors in the winter.
I have a pair of Merrell hiking shoes. They’re waterproof and ventilated, and I wear them all the time. I have very irregular feet, and these are the most comfortable shoes I’ve ever worn.
About fifteen years ago, I bought a pair of Teva’s. Loved those sandals to pieces. I replaced then after seven years with another Teva. It was unwearable because it was dangerously slippery on wet tile and wet stone. After a few near-falls in my own home, I put the shoes away and have’t worn them since.
I’ve been wearing Keen shoes for many years. They work well for me, but they don’t have the longevity of some brands. I usually have to replace them every year. But I’ve always been hard on shoes.
I recently bought a pair of Teva Dozer III sandals to be used over the summer and initially they felt and looked great. At the end of the summer, there were serious factory defects that should not have happened after simply walking a lot.
The bottom of the soles wore out much faster than pairs I bought 20 years ago. I bought a pair when I was 18 that lasted for years and had incredible traction.
IMO the company has simply gone to the dogs. My all time favourite sandals were a pair of '92 Nike ACGs that have never been improved. I actually miss them to this day.
You can use running shoes for walking if they don’t need to be dressy. I wear Saucony and they are very good. For running shoes it’s a good idea to go to a store that will check you out while you walk to see what type of shoes you need.