If the shoe fits wear it?

PerfectCreature

I have an odd question.
I have been shopping around for solutions to an issue I have.
I am in need of some new shoes, but all the shoes I get and wear are either terribly uncomfortable or just wear out within a few months of use.
I need these shoes to be comfortable (Good support for flat feet) and be able to stand up to 8 hours a day of walking on a hard concrete floor.
The issue I run into are that the comfortable shoes fail to meet dress code, or the shoes that do meet code are terrible uncomfortable.
I am asking of those who have work shoes (either solid black or brown) which of those were the most comfortable and durable. I am looking for brand name etc etc as a base to go off.
I have looked into inserts but they are extremely costly, and I was hoping to avoid that method....
I do a bit of mix in my job whereas I put out freight in my store and I also run cash register sometimes, during all of that I am usually walking the floor as a customer service lead.
Being on my feet all day either tears up my shoes or my feet.
I have limited knowledge on what quality work shoes are since most of my shoes are either a pair of red wings or some casual sneakers.
My price range is from $50-$100 for the pair of shoes.
Thanks for all the help.

F1nut

Not sure what your dress code is.......have you looked into something from New Balance?

falconcry72

Don't write off inserts so quickly. You can get relatively cheap ones, and you can put them in any shoe you wear.

Even the "custom" Dr. Scholl's are good (and cheap). If they aren't good enough for you, then save up and get some prescribed ones. They'll change your life more than speakers will... it's hard to put a price on that.:cheesygrin:

Dennis Gardner

Look into Clarks, Born, Ecco, Rockport etc. for brown/black leather work shoes. For tennis shoes with great support, New Balance makes a great shoe as long as you look in the 800/900 series. The 900 series is the only USA made shoe in their lineup to my knowledge. For hiking style shoes I like those by Merrell.

I would also suggest a nice shoe with an orthotic insert. Support makes all the difference in the world for flat feet. You will be looking at around $200 for such a combo. $125 for shoe/$75 insert. On top of that, I wouldn't ever suggest wearing the same shoe every day of the week. You should be rotating 2-3 pairs throughout a week to allow them to rebound from a long day.

If Audioquest made shoes, you wouldn't hesitate to part with a couple bucks, huh??

Take care of your feet!!!!!

Gadabout

I switched to Sketchers Work shoes about a year ago. I usually get non slip soles. I'm not on my feet for a solid 8 hours. I would say more on than off during the 8 hours. I found that I got better wear out of them than I did New Balance. I still wear New Balance, just not to work.

Here's the link to Sketchers Work Shoes: http://www.skechers.com/men/styles/work-shoes. I'm currently wearing the Galley Series.

One thing I might add is when I'm buying shoes like Sketchers, I buy 2 pair at a time and swap them every few days. Two pairs of the Sketcher's will last about a year. If I need to wear steel toes or need to be in shined shoes (non steel toes) I'm always in Red Wings. I get about 2 years out of a pair of Red Wings. (Sounds like you already wear Red Wing's and aren't too happy with them.)

I don't have flat feet, but all of my friends, that are on their feet a lot, all wear inserts. Might want to make a trip to the podiatrist and see what he recommends. Possibility of he writes a scrip for something you can get your insurance to cover it.

Also, as you look for shoes you might consider the shoes that cooks and nurses wear.

Feet not hurting don't make me happy, but hurting feet make me miserable. Good luck with the search.

Scott

breal74

Not sure of your budget, but Redwing makes great shoes with outstanding customer care. Plus they make sure that the shoe fits properly before you leave the store. My newest pair are the 8700 and come in black or brown. I am on my feet for 10 to 12 hours a day in the kitchen and these are the best pair of Redwings I have had to date.

jbooker82

My wife is a nurse and she wears Reebok Zig Dynamic's.

I work for the rail road and prefer Wolverine 6" Hikers or 8" Buck Eye Logger's

nooshinjohn

The Perfectcreature wears these:cheesygrin::razz:...

Sherardp

I wear sneakers on a regular, though not for work. If you want a great looking shoe that goes with anything and feels great, go into Finishline and check out the Nike Airmax. Very comfy shoes. I also agree with the other suggestions on Rockport (known for being comfortable walking shoes), and New Balance ( wore NB for yrs, a classic comfy shoe). If your looking for a boot, you'll want something with Vibram soles.

janmike

I purchased my first pair of Clarks over 10 years ago and wear nothing but. You get what you pay for.
It's like buying a mattress for your bed. You spend 1/3 (or whatever) of your life in bed so why not be comfortable. If you spend 8 hours a day on your feet...

dorokusai

At this point you should think about Orthotics. It's the only thing that will be custom fit to your foot and you can roll them from shoe to shoe for the most part. I like F1Nut's New Balance suggestion. I have almost flat feet and their sizing has always worked very well for me.

obieone

If you have feet issues, unfortunately, there is no cheap solution. I cringed at the thought of paying $175 for a pair of work boots, but, after some Dr. Scholl insoles, damn things are comfortable as hell. And I get to spend my days on roofs, with ballast(rocks).
Leg and back fatigue was noticably better.

inspiredsports

I don't know if Lucky Shoes is a national chain or not, but short of seeing a specialist who can prescribe custom orthotics, go to Lucky Shoes. You may be close to $200 the first time, but the inserts they fit you with will then transfer from shoe to shoe.

My wife (teacher, on her feet at least 6hrs a day on hard floors) has/had plantar fasciitis, spent $200 to get set up at Lucky, and 4 weeks later the pain is gone.

potee

Look up superfeet on line. I had a foot problem and my Doctor said to get them and I'm happy that I did. If you like what you read try to go to a store that sells them as they come in sizes for all arches.

PerfectCreature

Glad to see such great responses. On a side note: My redwings, I like them alot. They are durable and I can take them in mud,snow,water etc and my feet never notice a thing on the inside.
Unfortunately, a heavy boot such as a redwing is just downright unacceptable for my job. That being said, the reason is the size and weight of them.

The inserts seem to be at this point the only viable option. I will look up my local foot doctors and have them take a look, I know my local walmart had the Dr.S machine that sells the "custom" ones for $50, but I will have to check it out. Maybe try that one first before the actual doctor visit.
Also, I never thought of rotation shoes. I often wear the same shoe for weeks on end before I switch to another pair I own.
I will try switching them out as well and see if that could help.
I know most stores around here have a buy one get one half off, so maybe grabbing two pairs of a shoe could make a difference.
I will take a look at those brand and see how they look, unfortunately none of the stores around where I live carry those brands.
Thanks for the information.

slowhat

Ecco, Clarks. look at sites like 6pm .com for these. good deals sometimes.

Joe08867

Ecco, Clark, Sketchers Work, Streetcars are all comfortable and fashionable.

Been a huge fan of Clarks for the last 15 years. There Deerskin and Sheepskin shoes feel like slippers.

jflail2

I like Clarks as well. I can usually find a pair I really like in brown or black leather for $120 or less. Great buy for a comfortable shoe in my book; that's all I've bought for leather shoes in the last 5 years or so, but I might look at something a bit "fancier" next time.

gdb

Don't **** around.....get some Aetrex and thank someone later! Might have to bump yer budget a tad but hey, are yer tootsies not worth it?

http://www.aetrex.com/

PerfectCreature

Ended up getting Merrell Chameleon 3.
http://www.gore-tex.com/remote/Satellite/men/footwear/performance-comfort/shoes/1250027987513
Ended up getting them on a close out sale for around $60. So far they are really comfortable. The only grief I have is the rubbing of my ankles, but other then that 9 hours of work today and my feet feel fine.
Thanks for the help, I have some good ideas for when I need some more professional means of shoes.

PerfectCreature

Well, I was lucky to not get BOTH instances. But the flat feet does pose issues when your standing on them for a long period of time. So far they seem okay, they have a nice arch built into the shoe that is even molded into the outsole of the shoe.
They have decent grip on the floor, I don't slide in the bathroom like I used too, and it has a toe guard so I can't get run over by carts and lose my toe.
I am pretty impressed with them so far.

Sherardp

Picked up a pair of Nike Airmax in Grey/White yesterday. OP was 99.99 plus tax, flashed the old Gov ID and they took off 15%. So paid just over 70 some off bucks for the pair.

I'm a classics kind of guy

http://www.footlocker.com/product/model:92107/sku:17551119/nike-air-max-wright-mens/white/silver/?cm=GLOBAL%20SEARCH%3A%20KEYWORD%20SEARCH#sku=17551119&size=06.0

cnh

Merrells are a pretty good shoe. I had a pair of their winter hikers I bought in Beijing that served me well in the Chinese North. New Balance is also a great choice for those of us who are not necessarily 'flat-footed' but a little wider with age!

Also, dude, you're in Maine...so there are a half-dozen or more New Balance Factory Outlet stores up here. As well as the Annual August New Balance outlet Sale? Keep that in mind for future purchases...can save you a lot of money!

cnh

mhardy6647

FWIW, I like Merrell Mocs. Wear them nearly incessantly.

Dennis Gardner

I've got the Chameleon 3 myself and really like them. Love the stretch sock tongue and slip-on ease of use. I did upgrade insoles to a pair of Lynco Orthotics by Aetrex and they blow away the stock insole. Just as in most things we do, upgrades to stock gear can really change their performance.

PerfectCreature

Appreciate the advise for the Aetrex Orthos. I will look into those.

PerfectCreature

I took a look, how did you know which Ortho. to get out of all of them to choose from?

Dennis Gardner

PerfectCreature wrote: »

I took a look, how did you know which Ortho. to get out of all of them to choose from?

I would try a Lamey Wellehan store in your area. A search of Aetrex stores in your state turned up quite a few locations for this shoe store. They have a computer driven fitting station that will scan your foot and prescribe an insole for your shoe. I got the L600 casual, I don't recall the exact number, but I know that it really has made a difference in my sore feet. Good Luck!

PerfectCreature

I'll try to find one of those for my area. Thanks for the heads-up.

cnh

http://www.lwshoes.com/lameywell/text_3.asp

There you go. Looks like mostly southern, central, western, and Down East Maine.

cnh