Damn, I have narrow feet. Guess I should check some of the other cited brands first.
I have some Merrell mocs that I really love. They have a history of being a hiking boot company, but are now branching into the popular shoe industry. I got some Merrell slides (clogs) last year to wear to my Tae Kwon Do classes for easy take-on/off, and fell in love with them, and went back to get the full shoes (mocs) shortly thereafter. I second REI as a good source for them (REI.com, if you trust buying shoes over the web. I have been quite happy with REI service, by the way.)
If looks are not important, (that is, you can get by with wearing a walking shoe that looks like a running shoe), it is often easiest to find a good healthy shoe for your foot in a running shoe. I would recommend going to a good, full service running shoe store, and telling them what you’re after. By a “good” one, I mean one where they have a staff member who looks at your foot in your stocking feet, measures it, takes a look at your natural stride, etc. Expect them to ask questions about whether you overpronate, or supinate or whatever. (As opposed to whether you want the blue and grey or the white ones, and what size.)
Nike and Reebok et al make “Walking” shoes which are OK, but, in general, I have not found them to be superior in performance to running shoes for most people. (BTW, I teach fitness walking classes.) The most important thing is to get the one that works best for your particular foot shape and walking mechanics. (E.G., I am a high-arched supinator, which means I do best in a shoe with a semi-curved or curved last. If you are a low-arched pronator, you’ll be better off in a straightlasted shoe.) Rockports, while well made, typically don’t work for my feet — I find they don’t have enough room in the toe box for me.
Breaking them in before you go is a very, very smart idea, by the way. You can find out a lot in the first couple of miles.
Rockports, definitely. Most comfortable walking shoes I know of. But don’t wear them to the airport, or, if you do, take them off and send them through the conveyor at the security checkpoint. They have steel shanks that will set off the detector and cause you to be diverted to the strip-search area.
Born, definitely.