Weird question Looking for a good type of Shoe

[fred d]

I work retail and do between 8-10 miles a day walking on concrete

I have been wearing rockports for about 15-18 years.
The last new pair i bought litteraly started to fall apart after 6 months.

I then had 2 older pair of my Rockports resoled and they have held up well for the last 4 years.
But as i get older and pound concrete more I think that there has to be a better shoe designed for me. I have paid $125-$150 for good shoes because i know they are important

Please give me suggestions on a solutuion.These need to be some what dress type shoes. No tennis shoes or sneakers

I figured with the amout of knowledgeable people here, I would find a good amount that have experience in this area

Thank you in advance

 

[rsanter]

Don't know what they are called but there are those ugly *** shoes that I see most the nurses wearing. They swear they are as comfortable as can be

Bob

 

[FJ 432]

Brands I would try include:

Ecco
Dunham (new balance walking shoe)
Memphisto (expensive)

I'm 50 and my arches have fallen. Check into that as well to see if you might need an insert.

 

[Matrazzo]

I've seen that Timberland makes a boat shoe that has boot like soles and tread they're reasonably priced and really comfy you can find em here http://shop.timberland.com/product/index.jsp?c=1111049&productId=4208417&prodFindSrc=paramNav

 

[emerson73114]

The nurse shoes are called Dansko, Merrell's are pretty comfortable too. I've never worn the Dansko's, but my wife has a couple pair and loves them.

 

[rlitman]

I'd ask the postman what they wear.

I have a pair of RedWing shoes marked as made to USPS spec and they are some serious pavement walking quality, and pretty nice looking Oxford's at that.

 

[Boomer343]

I found the Red Wing Shoes to be the best for me. I needed a shoe that would take the concrete pounding and still look good with a pair of dress slacks. The ones I bought have a sole that is resistant to various chemicals and even though you don't need that the chemical resistant sole gives the best support and comfort.

I think in 20 years I had 8 or 10 pairs. My feet were happiest when I rotated two pair through the work week.

 

[retDAC]

I wear SAS and eventually I got custom orthotics from a podiatrist.

I did find New Balance running shoes to be better for brisk exercise type walking though. Again with the orthotics.

 

[Steevo]

I have Keenes for shop work and Ecco's for "clean" walking.
Both are excellent on concrete.

 

[Wood'nMetal]

Try Ariat Terrain boots, hands down the most comfortable boot/shoe I have ever worn and I've owned three pair now. They are leather and are comfortable like a tennis shoe but classy enough to wear with nice pants. Don't look like a logger boot, either. I think they come in black as well as brown.

 

[Ron Fletcher]

If you are walking 10 miles a day on concrete, I don't think that 6 months is too soon to wear out a pair of shoes. That's over 1800 miles- a little under 3/4 the width of the US.

 

[Oldbear]

Ariat slip-ons

 

[Nick Danger]

I wear SAS and eventually I got custom orthotics from a podiatrist.

I did find New Balance running shoes to be better for brisk exercise type walking though. Again with the orthotics.

Custom orthotics only cost me a few hundred dollars from the orthopedic shoe store and will last for many years. I need to get the foam replaced every year or so. I have one set of orthotics and drop them into whatever shoes I'm wearing.

I have bad feet, so I wear New Balance walking shoes, Mt Emey oxfords, and PW Minor (made in USA) Sampson workboots.

 

[mercman86]

My dad wears Red Wing oxfords to work. Made in USA and very comfortable he said. He is on his feet 10-12 hours a day.

 

[fred d]

I already have the orthotic inserts(really 2/3 insert. From the heal through the arch) been wearing them for 10-12 years

 

[j p smith]

At my current job they want us to wear black tennis shoes and I only get about 8 to 10 months out of them. Years ago at previous jobs I tried different brands but kept returning to Red Wing 595'S. The Red Wings always did a good job for me. I have a couple of friends that wear the tennis shoes with springs in the heels, might be Turbo from Nike? Some of the guys I work with buy a new pair once a year. Jeff

 

[bibman]

X2 on the Keens and Ecco

My dad wears Red Wing oxfords to work. Made in USA and very comfortable he said. He is on his feet 10-12 hours a day.

Check the tag before you buy....most RedWings are now imports....only a few models are made in USA

 

[Thruxton]

As someone who once repped high end backpacking boots, one piece of advice: fit first, everything else second. Find the shoes with the last that fits YOU, everything else is secondary.

 

[bad_idea]

I wear Red Wings working in ship repair. Concrete floors in the shop, steel decks on the boat. Non-skid is hell on boot soles. I get a year to a year and a half out of a pair. On my feet 10-14 hours a day. Who cares how long they last if you are comfortable? My company reimburses $80 a year for boots. I get a new pair every year for $150 or so. Worth every penny.

 

[crewchief888]

my "everyday" boots are a duty type/combat boot.

bates were my favorite, but no B&M store around here has them anymore.

last pair (off brand) i got from sears.

 

[green.bubbly]

I too was a long time wearer of Rockports. Their quality certainly fell of the last couple of years. I was ready to make the switch until I tried these. They feel funny at first but they are holding up and comfortable.


http://www.rockport.com/dressports-truwalk-wingtip/drspwingtip.html

 

[bczygan]

My wife bought me a couple of pair of SAS. Even with my injured feed, they allow me to stand all day at work and home. Ugly as sin though (In my opinion). Lightweight and the tongue attaches on one side. Tie up with laces. I also have fla feet, so these are great.

 

[NY_treeguy]

I've always had luck with Dr. Martens. Stopped buying them when they moved production to Asia. Now they have a line made in the UK again.

For boots, Alico of Italy and Wesco are my top choices. Wesco will custom make any shoe or boot to your foot. I know an additional $100 on top of a $400+ price hurts the wallet, but your feet won't hurt again.

 

[Wes-in-nc]

I've had good luck with Dunhams in the past. I also work retail and looking to buy a new pair pf shoes so I will be watching this thread and looking at the shoes suggested!

 

[Thruxton]

In the "44 Bikes" thead, the Sievi brand came up - has anyone found a distributoir in NA for these shoes?

 

[Angelfire]

Five fingers and Keens are my faves.

 

[Dennis93]

Anything with a vibram sole has been comfortable for me. X2 on the Merells.

 

[fred d]

Ok it has been a couple months

I bought the Redwings. I also bought the "orthotic" inserts.

It was about a a week getting used to them.

My body feels way better with the new shoes

 

[pitterpat]

I already have the orthotic inserts(really 2/3 insert. From the heal through the arch) been wearing them for 10-12 years

Don't know if it's been said but you should have at least 2 pairs of shoes to wear that you can switch off every day. Should not wear the same pair 2 days in a row; when you wear a different pair every day it allows the other pair to dry out and return to it's shape. This prolongs the shoe, so instead of just getting a year out of both pairs you get 2-3 years out of them and if you take care of them by cleaning them with saddle soap and polishing them weekly and brushing them daily they will last at least the 2-3 years before you have to have repairs made.

 

[pitterpat]

I wear Red Wings working in ship repair. Concrete floors in the shop, steel decks on the boat. Non-skid is hell on boot soles. I get a year to a year and a half out of a pair. On my feet 10-14 hours a day. Who cares how long they last if you are comfortable? My company reimburses $80 a year for boots. I get a new pair every year for $150 or so. Worth every penny.

If you rotated them every day (have 2 pr.) you would get 2-3 years out of them. See previous post.

 

[CharlestonJoe]

X3 on two pair of shoes. I just noticed it in the past month. Wearing a different pair each day made a big difference.
Brand new shoes or boots maybe different. The last pair of boots I bought took about a month to break in, now they are the most comfortable shoes/boots I have.

 

[Riverside]

Another point on having more than one pair in rotation: If a pair starts to wear down in a way that affects your ground contact, you will notice it sooner if you are alternating shoes. Then, you can replace the insoles or add a little shoe goo, if you want to keep them going longer, while still having good support.

 

[HotRodMan]

I have been in retail on the hard concrete floors for over 40 years. Here is what has worked for me.

1. New Balance shoes stock number MW928BK about $140.00. This company is one of the few that have wide and extra wide sizes in stock. If you have been using the medium, try the wider sizes to see if that makes a difference. This shoe is especially made for walking.

2. Orthotics from the walking company stock number 1200M, about $70.00 They have a machine you place both feet in that reads the bottom of your feet that selects the right fit for you. Makes all the difference, I would not go without them. I have tried several brands and this one was the best.

3.Padded socks also from the walking company about $13.00 a pair. Makes all the difference in comfort at the end of the day.

4. Change the way you walk during the day. Walk on the balls of your feet part of the time and from heal to toe part of the time. Some people will stare at you but you will reduce the same place pressure on the knee joint and you will feel the difference at the end of the day.

5. Eat a diet high in calcium, magnesium, and vitamin D for good bone and joint health.

6. Do upper and lower leg, weight bearing exercises every other day, to strengthen the muscles around the knee. Increase weight and reps gradually each week.

7. Elevate your feet 90 degrees straight up 20 minutes every day. This will increase the circulation in your legs, requires little effort, and can be done while you are watching TV. Massage the leg muscles while your legs are elevated.

8. Apply a cold pack to your knees at the end of the day if they are in pain.

I had terrible pain in my knees and when I did all of the above, the pain is 99% gone. It took about 30 days to take effect. Hope this helps.

 

[hchinaski]

I have been wearing Eccos for the last 10 years or so, on a doctor's recommendation, and they have quite literally saved my feet from some bone spalling problems I had. They are very consistent in their sizing, too, and I have found that I can order any Ecco shoe model in my size and it will fit perfectly, which means I can order them on-line anytime I find a good deal.