Quality shoe

I want a pair of very high quality shoes to wear to work that look good and will last a long time. Where I work is very casual. I am currently wearing these.

Which I like but are already falling apart. I wouldn't mind something a little dressier but I want a thin sole (cause I hate driving in thick soled shoes) and don't like loafers. They need to go with jeans. Suggestions?

I like skate shoes for comfort. I have a pair of supras that quite frankly aren't holding up great (the inner heel area has ripped, padding coming out) but they are still the most compfortable sneakers I have worn in years. Wearing them right now. I also have a pair of globe shoes that aren't quite as comfortable but are holding up really really well. Aside from normal wear on the soles they look new.

The challenge these days are finding ones in a non-ridiculous color that I can wear to work. I usually keep an eye on clearance stuff on the ccs website and if something pops up I like, I buy

I guess that's less dressy than what you have

I had the same pair of Puma Speedcats for 5 years. They're now worn out.

Puma speedcats are ridiculously long-lived.

Also: I'm currently wearing a pair of Puma Squash 2000s. Think Puma's version of the Adidas Samba.

These things REFUSE to wear, and they're extremely comfy once broken in. (Takes 4-5 days.)

I think i paid $30 for them from an Outlet store.

merrells, last for years and look good in most styles not to mention they are the best wearing shoe i have ever worn.

On the dressier side of things

Look up Allen Edmonds, see if they have anything on the more casual side with a thin sole. My grandpa just gave me a pair that are 17 years old, and I have another that are over 25 years old as well. Built to last. You pay a ton, but you are paying a living wage in Wisconsin rather than a dollar to an Indian kid.

Otherwise I have abused a couple of pairs of ECCO's and they are holding up pretty well. Doubt that I will get them refinished and resoled like I do with my AE, but they're good shoes.

i've got a pair of classic Sambas in white/blue stripe that i picked up for $50 somewhere. awesome padding/arch support, fully leather, grippy natural rubber sole. they also make great driving shoes. i'll always have a pair around.

Doc Martin's

I've had mine for nearly 10 years, and they're still going strong. Dressy enough, and built for the long haul.

Joe Gearin wrote: Doc Martin's I've had mine for nearly 10 years, and they're still going strong. Dressy enough, and built for the long haul.

Make sure you get the Made In England version. They sold out to China just like everyone else and kept the originals as a premium brand.

http://www.dmusastore.com/p-2339-vintage-1461.aspx

In reply to mtn:

I am looking at a dressier shoe. I didn't really see anything at Allen Edmonds that really appealed to me. I was thinking a casual boot with a thin sole.

Joe Gearin wrote: Doc Martin's I've had mine for nearly 10 years, and they're still going strong. Dressy enough, and built for the long haul.

Doc Martin's have too thick a sole for me.

The wrote: merrells, last for years and look good in most styles not to mention they are the best wearing shoe i have ever worn.

^ This!

Find a Merrell you like, you won't want to wear any other shoe.

These are my everyday shoe, I'm on my 4th or 5th pair of the exact shoe, I think I may have deviated on the shade of brown a few years ago, but I typically buy a pair on sale and keep them in my closet until the ones I'm currently wearing are worn/stained enough to become "work" shoes. Chameleon Stretch 2 (but don't go buying them all they've been replaced with a newer version that I don't like as much)

My "dressier" shoes are Merrell Chameleon Trek 4, and I love them too. I had an older version that I actually liked better, they had a different tread pattern, didn't have the rubber come up on the toe like the Trek 4, but were very similar otherwise. I can't remember what they were called exactly, but Chameleon something-or-another. Here's a pic of the Trek 4:

I'm very much a Merrell fanboy.

Merrell shoes
Asolo hiking boots
Ariat work boots
Chaco Sandals

• Lee

93EXCivic wrote: In reply to mtn: I am looking at a dressier shoe. I didn't really see anything at Allen Edmonds that really appealed to me. I was thinking a casual boot with a thin sole.

Thin sole+Boot might be really hard to find.

Ecco:
http://www.zappos.com/ecco-turn-gtx-boot-cocoa-brown

Don't haze me bro, but I'm going to suggest Crocs:
http://www.crocs.com/ocean-minded-mens-ruffout-chukka-boot/OM381,default,pd.html?cid=2E0&cgid=men-footwear-boots

Birks:
http://www.zappos.com/birkenstock-dundee-denim-suede

Another Merrell fanboy here. You specifically mentioned thin soled, which I have no experience with. Merrell does make a large number of the "back to barefoot" thin-soled running shoes, as well as dressier stuff with slightly thicker soles. Every Merrell I've ever had has worn like iron. Well, very comfortable iron anyway. I've had various versions of Jungle Mocs for years, I've got a low hiker similar to the chameleon above as my weekend /casual business shoe, and a pair of these for real hiking:

mtn wrote:

93EXCivic wrote: In reply to mtn: I am looking at a dressier shoe. I didn't really see anything at Allen Edmonds that really appealed to me. I was thinking a casual boot with a thin sole.

Thin sole+Boot might be really hard to find.

Yeah I have realized. I have an old pair of Redwings that I like but they are covered in paint and beat up pretty good.

I like these but I don't know anything about the company and I like to try on shoes before I buy. http://oakstreetbootmakers.com/footwear/brown-camp-boot

When someone says "Quality Shoe", Redwing is the first thing that comes to mind.

TRoglodyte wrote: When someone says "Quality Shoe", Redwing is the first thing that comes to mind.

+1. Breaking them in is hell on the feet for about 3-4 days. Then it's the most durable, comfy shoe yuou'll ever own. I had a pair for many years.

I've got a brown and a black pair of these. Boots - check. Goes with jeans - check. Thin sole - check.

In reply to T.J.:

Image no worky?

In reply to 93EXCivic:

fixed link.

They are called Rockport Toloni.

I rock Nike Shox every day and get about a year out of them before they get relegated to the yard/car work pile. Thin sole, super comfy, and good looking in the black or silver variants.

I bought my first pair when I was in Vegas and all the walking in DCs was wrecking my feet. I never looked back to skater shoes.

My vans Rowleys are holding up well. Chukkas, not so much. Inner soles are shot in 90 days.

I wear Clark's desert boots daily. My current pair is going on three years and still comfortable.

TRoglodyte wrote: When someone says "Quality Shoe", Redwing is the first thing that comes to mind.

Ughhh. I went to the redwing store, stood on the fancy pants digitizer which then told me what boots I needed. I shelled out $200 for said boots and they feel like crap. They just don't fit my arch, which is odd because that is what the digitizer thing was supposed to do.

Granted 3 years later they are still going strong. I want to replace them but I can't reconcile buying new work boots when the others are fine

93gsxturbo wrote: I rock Nike Shox every day and get about a year out of them before they get relegated to the yard/car work pile. Thin sole, super comfy, and good looking in the black or silver variants. I bought my first pair when I was in Vegas and all the walking in DCs was wrecking my feet. I never looked back to skater shoes.

I picture all of the mud and cow E36 M3 I would have tracked in with those as a kid, probably as an adult too.

• Lee