Most comfortable tennis shoes(sneaker) for standing and teaching all day?

In My Humble Opinion
1

I am willing to spend just over $100 if I have to. I have always worn shoes under $50, but I am at the top of my pay scale at work and my wife is, too. I’m going to go ahead and put good money into a pair of shoes each school year so I can be more comfortable. A few requirements:

  1. I’m male, so men’s shoes.
  2. Must be sneaker(tennis shoes).
  3. Must come in all black. I gave up wearing dress shoes years ago and since I wear all black shoes, no one has noticed…or even cared.
  4. Size is 10.5, but I hardly think that is anything outside the norm.

I’ve heard there are some Adidas ones that are supposed to be good? Brooks, possibly?

I was reliant on the Fila Work Shoes for a long time, but despite their reasonable price, they were only ever OK.

Thoughts? Recommendations?

2

I wore New Balance for decades, but a couple years ago, getting fatter and never running at all any more, I went to my local shoe store and asked for some shoes with good cushioning for a fat man walking around.

I tried on several and found that I liked Hokas best, better than the NBs I had previously worn. I’ve since worn out that first (blue) pair and am now on the second, which are black.

Added bonus: my 31-year-old stepson saw I was wearing them and said, unironically, “You wear Hokas? Cool!”

But I’d suggest you do what I did: go to a store and try out a bunch of different brands. If they don’t have the model you like in the color you want, you might find it online. I was fine with light blue for the first pair, but I had to order the black ones from Amazon.

3

Seconding Hokas (or Hoka One One, to give the company its full name. It’s “oh-nay oh-nay”, incidentally, not “wun wun”; supposed to be a Maori word). Hokas are known for their thick stacks, and have two separate markets: road and trail runners, and doctors/nurses/teachers/retail workers. I recycle my Hokas as work shoes, after they’ve outlived their running lives, and I can attest to their comfort, even after spending 9 hours on a concrete floor.

Can also recommend Asics Gel Nimbus, as well - that’s what’s on my feet as I type this.

4

My doctor recommended Hoka shoes for me some years ago and I’ve been wearing them almost exclusively since then. I haven’t had a need to stand all day, but they’re great walking shoes.

5

Hoka is probably a good choice. I bought a pair of Sperry Topsiders before the school year started and they may be the most comfortable shoes I’ve worn.

6

I love this pair of Danner sneakers for at work…don’t remember the model number, nor if they come in black…but very subdued appearance and, of course, with the right insoles of your choice, they’ve served me very well.

Danner’s a company more associated with leather boots for, logging, and firefighting, or extreme bushwacking…but they surprised me with their sneakers. Mine have a composite safety-toe, but these have surprised me for their longevity, as well as their classic, non-gaudy appearance.

I have a new pair of Merrills in a trail-hiking “style” (I wouldn’t trust Merrill for an actual hiking shoe since a long time) that are tolerable. Also with replacement insoles.

But, if you’re not married to the sneaker/tennis shoe idea, my favorite shoes are slip-on loafers from LL Bean (some kind of suede model) and from Merrill (I want to say “Jungle Moccasin”?)…those I am sure come in black and are both extremely comfortable.

And, as you may have guessed, I use separate insoles for any of my shoes. YMMV, but insoles and good socks can make or break one’s workday, I find.

EDIT I just remembered that Timberland Pro makes a good low-cut sneaker in black leather, which are sharp looking and with the requisite removable insole.

FTR, my preferred insoles are from Spenco and lately I tried a set of Protalus T100 insoles that are obnoxiously expensive, but good…it was a promo offer from my job. The Spencos are my jam, though…everything from dress shoes (well…I consider Chelsea boots dress shoes!) to work shoes to dominating the promenade…YMMV.

7

I have a pair of Asics that are the most comfortable shoes I’ve ever owned. But my feet are a little weird in shape (wide in the front, thin in the back, high instep on top, need support below…) and i sometimes try on half a dozen shoes to find one I’m comfortable with. I’m very much on team “go to a store and try some on”.

8

Allbirds Tree Runners are the most comfortable shoes I’ve worn.

9

I’m a teacher with RA. I told my daughter I just wanted sneakers this year, I was done trying everything else. She suggested, and I got a pair of On Clouds. Pricey than you want to go, but I really like them.

10

I’m going to hard agree with @Eyebrows_0f_Doom. I’ve got very wide feet and have traditionally worn New Balance. I bought my first pair of Allbirds about 5 years ago and they are all I wear now.

11

I ordered these. I hope they are good enough, but I can always return and try different things.

12

My sister has had Hokas for a little over a year (on her doctor’s recommendation), and she loves them. She says her feet almost never get tired/sore any more.

13

I’ve got a slightly more expensive version of those and they are very well cushioned.

14

Cool. Again, I’ll try a few days at work and if I get no benefit, I’ll swap 'em out.

15

My Hokas, now very well broken in, are still a little too tight, and make my feet sore if I’ve been in them all day. But I have a very wide foot. If I get another pair I’ll see if I can go wider or bigger.

16

I just asked my sister about this, and her feet are big and wide. She bought men’s Hokas because they didn’t have wide widths in the women’s shoes then. Now, they do, so she said she’ll try the women’s wide width next time she buys a pair.

17

I’ve been wearing Rockport Pro Walkers for decades. I used to have to do a lot of standing at work as a press operator, and they kept me in prime comfort. The last time I bought a pair, they cost $150, but well worth it. You can order from their website and customize as you see fit.

18

I live in Ohio, and for the last decade or so I have been wearing Merrell Men’s Moab Vent Hiking Shoes year around. They’re slightly heavier than a standard tennis shoe, but (IMO) they’re very comfortable, very well made, and suitable for just about anything. Winter, summer - great in both. Also, my feet are prone to sweating, and these shoes do not make my feet sweat.

19

Mail carrier here, I’m on my feet all day, though more walking than standing. Hokas are my go-to.

20

I think that is what I will do if the shoes I buy aren’t adequate. What model do you use of them? Are you male or female?