neon4891
neon4891 SuperDork
2/9/11 3:06 p.m.

For sandals, Berkinstocks. Those are the most comfortable things my feet have ever worn. And there are a few styles that dont screem hippy.

mndsm
mndsm SuperDork
2/9/11 3:12 p.m.

Asics- or if you're bent on non pacific rim made shoes- New Balance. You can get nearly anything they make with the confidence that it was "Made in the USA"

EDIT- Also, Saucony. Between those, and the Asics, probably the best runners you can buy right now. Look for the Saucony Grid Triumph, or the Asics Gel Kayano. Neither are cheap, but worth every penny. The New Balance 992? 914? I dinno what the model is, but it's the gray ones. It's been their top seller since pretty much forever, with good reason, and they make it in any size imaginable.

Maroon92
Maroon92 SuperDork
2/9/11 3:22 p.m.

Brooklyn Without Limits. It's Hand made in USA.

dculberson
dculberson Reader
2/10/11 10:32 a.m.

Graduate from Doc Martens to Fluevog.

http://www.fluevog.com/

I recommend the Earl of Warwicks - Wessex black boot:

http://www.fluevog.com/code/?w=attribute%3AUnisex&pp=2&view=detail&p=27&colourID=2430

pilotbraden
pilotbraden HalfDork
2/10/11 10:47 a.m.

http://www.whitesboots.com/index.php?dispatch=categories.view&category_id=166

http://www.allenedmonds.com/aeonline/cati_Shoes_1_40000000001_-1?searchOccassion=196&searchSize=&searchWidth=&searchStyle=&searchColor=&searchShoe+Leather=&searchShoe+Sole=&searchShoe+Last=&currentpage=1&pageView=image&sort=

These are the shoes and boots that I wear when I am not wearing Chuck Taylor high tops

DrBoost
DrBoost SuperDork
2/10/11 10:53 a.m.

Kleenex boxes?

mtn
mtn SuperDork
2/10/11 2:29 p.m.

EDIT: I just realized you don't want made in USA? Well, that is the opposite of me, so you might want to ignore my list

  • Allen Edmonds for dress shoes. Most made in Wisconsin.
  • New Balance or Brooks for gym shoes. Some NB made in the USA.
  • Birkenstock for sandals. Probably made in Germany?
  • Red Wing, Double H, Justin, or Tony Lama for boots. Most should be made in USA.
  • Crocs for when you just want comfort and know that you won't be seen. Yeah, I'm for cereal. I know mine were made in the USA, but I doubt that they still are.

I have some pretty bad flat feet, and I caddy in the summer. I take my footwear seriously, and this is what I've come up with as a pretty good guide. For instance, my last pair of Brooks (The Beast) I walked over 1000 miles in, and that isn't counting my day-day activities. That was just from the golf course. I'm on my third pair, but I still have the other two and use them for lawn/dirty stuff. I also have a Birkenstock insert for them, which helps with the flat-feet problem.

jrw1621
jrw1621 SuperDork
2/10/11 3:12 p.m.

For me, New Balance shoes are a winner. Most all sizes come in 4E wide width. I know I am a size 10.5 with them and I typically order them online knowing that their sizing is consistant.
They make most up to size 15.

"Some" New Balance shoes are made in US.
http://www.newbalance.com/usa/#/tour-a-factory

For the last couple of years I wore these as casual everyday shoes.
Model 749:

Just recently I picked up these as their replacement:
Model 967:

93EXCivic
93EXCivic SuperDork
2/10/11 3:20 p.m.

I love Asics. It is all I will buy as far as running shoes. I generally rock Converses or skate shoes though.

Not sandals but the single most awesome flip flops ever.

Sanuk Beer Cozy

mtn
mtn SuperDork
2/10/11 3:25 p.m.

Oh, I didn't post this in my first post, but Brooks has at least up to EEEE.

paanta
paanta Reader
2/10/11 3:30 p.m.

I wear Finn Comforts and Footprints (both made with Birkenstock footbeds) and they're incredibly comfortable for my feet. German made, and look it. I've got terrible arches, knee issues and some foot pain leftover from a stress fracture a few years ago, but they keep it in check.

Not cheap ($200-$300), but they're not disposable. By my calculations my current pair of Finns has gone around 4000 miles in 4 years over 3 resoles, lots of that through snow and slush, and the uppers are still in great shape. Best damn walking shoe I've ever worn.

My slightly dressier Allen Edmonds are beautifully made but can't hold a candle to the uglier German shoes in terms of comfort, so they tend to just come out for special occasions.

For running shoes I wear the Brooks Beast (like mtn) and get a lot of miles out of them. My last pair went two or three years at 10-15 miles a week. Birkenstocks are on my feet all summer when I'm not at work. Crocs at home any time I'm sure one one will see me, 'cause nothing is more comfortable to stand in.

Mephisto's stuff is worth a look, too. Don't work for my feet, but some of their shoes are very nicely made.

paanta
paanta Reader
2/10/11 3:42 p.m.

And if you're down in Ann Arbor some time you can try any of these on locally. Fourth Ave Birkenstock & Van Boven Shoes carry the german stuff and the mephistos respectively.

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