For the past year, I’ve been wearing sandals. For various reasons. One, my toenails tend to get ingrown when I wear closed shoes…any closed shoes, apparently. Two, I have very high arches, and so sometimes it’s difficult to find a shoe that, well, I can get my foot into. Three, and I have no idea why this is the case, but tennis shoes hurt me. I wore a pair last week for one day because it’s getting a little colder here and my toes hurt, my soles hurt, my ankles hurt, my calves hurt, my shins hurt, shoot, it made my knees hurt. ALl day, like torture.
My sandals would be fine, however, I’m going to Italy in less than a month. I’m probably going to clock approximately 10,000 miles while I’m there, and I know better than to try to do that in my regular shoes.
The problem is, I have no idea what to buy. I generally pick up a pair of $15 tennis shoes at Pay Less, but obviously, that plan isn’t work anymore. I’m willing to invest some “serious” (that is, more than $15) money into a pair of shoes that won’t make me pray for death five minutes after putting them on.
So any suggestions would be extremely appreciated. Thanks in advance.
First, you get what you pay for. Personally, I’d spend the money on a good pair of Merrell’s . In my opinion Merrell makes the best product. My wife and I have been voracious merrell fans for over a decade. They are great for people with any type of arches, and are reasonably priced. Basically, they feel like Birkenstocks do, but in a walking/running, trail walking type shoe.
Check out the other shoes on the website, I’m sure you can find a retailer near you.
I too suffer from weird feet (nothing horribly wrong, I just wear a double-wide.) Lucky for me, there’s Lucky Shoes! (Only funny if you are local, which you are not!) There is a local chain of shoe stores here that specializes in high-quality, comfortable shoes and has knowledgeable staff that can actually find shoes that will fit. Hopefully, there is something like this near you. Linky, as while they are local to me, they do sell from their web site as well:
Brands that I like and own: Born, Josef Seibel, Docs, Clarks, and New Balance.
You may want to check if any of your local shoe stores make othotics or do custom fitting and stretching (these are the kind of folks you can usually trust to know what they are talking about.) You will definitely want to walk around for a bit before you buy anything, so give yourself plenty of shopping time.
Good shoes are not cheap, unfortunately!
I’ve been wearing Ecco shoes for years now. When one pair wears down too much, I just get another the same.
They’ve taken me over all sorts of terrain, from mountains and glaciers, etc. to serious city walking and sight-seeing.
Phlosphr beat me to it - Merrells are the best walking shoes I’ve ever found!
I have very skinny, very sensitive feet, and I get blisters all of the time. Before we went to Vegas last spring, I was desperate for a pair of walking sandals. By some fluke, I came across Merrels - I’d never heard of them before, all I knew was that as soon as I put them on, my feet felt “at home!”
I have high arches ( and torn arch muscles…YAY!) But the only shoe that Shirley Ujest Endorses are Birkenstocks.
I haven’t tried their high arched ones yet, but I am so happy with the clogs
( Boston) that I own that I wear them all day, every day, 365 days.
I’ve never owned the tie on kind of birks, as they are a bit pricey. I have clogs for 9 months of the year and sandals for the summer. Having taken every trip evar! with Birks ( except the first trip back in 91 to Germany where I bought my first pair.) they are perfect for average every day putzing through a city. For running after a bus or something, you will be find for about 30 feet. Then you are SOL.
Birks are meant for average schlepping to a middle range pace. Anything faster and you will want something more stable.
They aren’t cheap, but you have got to go try on a pair of Dansko’s .
I bought a pair last year after just trying them on. It was like heaven on my feet.
Whenever I expect to be walking or standing longer than usual, I make sure to wear my Dansko’s. They are just so incredibly comfortable, words can’t describe. You have to feel them for yourself. They’e got some cute styles, too.
Yeah, I find running shoes totally inadequate for all day walking because they’re too cushy. You really need a firmer shoe with more arch support. When I was in Boston this October, I wore my Tredairs while everyone else wore sneakers and I was the only one who wasn’t completely worn out. I got the Tredairs when I was coming off a broken foot and needed really good arch support after the cast (and a shoe I liked the look of) but now I wear 'em everytime I’m on a walking trip…
Wow, all of these suggestions are really great. There are about five vendors within miles of me for the Merrell’s, so I will check those out as soon as I can. Right now, due to the Christmas rush, it’s nearly impossible to go shopping for anything. But the week after Christmas? I’m going to be a shoe shopping fool.
My wife swears by Dansko’s, as well as two female friends of mine (one of whom is an ER doctor and thus on her feet for 18 hours at a time). They seem to inspire fanatical loyalty in their wearers.
Mephisto also makes a great walking shoe with a great variety of styles. They’re also expensive, but my mother loves hers. I’ve got a pair of Birkenstock-like Mephisto sandals, and they’re comfy.
Oooooh, I stand corrected. Dansko’s are also excellent all day walking around kind of shoes. They have a (insert technical word) kind of heel that allows the heel to slip up and down whilst you walk.
My vote’s for New Balance; the pair I have now fit very well. It’s hard to describe, but they kind of keep their shape and don’t slip around or bend a lot…nice support. And if you go to a store that specializes in orthopedic shoes, the salespeople may even find or alter insoles for you.
(Maybe you should look into getting orthotics or something if you have shoe problems. It’s pretty expensive though.)
For those of us with wide feet and high arches, New Balance are great. Birkenstocks I found great for wide feet, not so great for high arches.
May I also note that I do well in Nike - for some reason, suits wide feet with high arches.
I’ve always wondered what comfortable shoes feel like. The only ones I have are my workout shoes, and I only wear them for two hours a week. I will probably pay for my high heel addiction when I’m older, but for now I don’t care.
I do think Doc Martens are quite comfortable, and they’re actually stylish as well. You might give them a try.
I own two pairs of Propet SunWalkers and a pair of Walking Cradles; I bought them all from www.zappos.com. They are all incredibly comfortable and you can walk in them all day.
The only ones I have are my workout shoes, and I only wear them for two hours a week. I will probably pay for my high heel addiction when I’m older, but for now I don’t care.