good shoes and sandals

[lagatta]

Absolutely. But the problem is that many dependable brands of yesterday have become very shoddy. I used to be able to wear Clarks for 10 years. And even Rohde has produced some shoes that fall apart.

I'd love a pair or two of bespoke shoes (not for fashion reasons, but to have something that truly fits) but don't have the budget.

[onlyMark]

A still have the shoes I was Christened in.

Neither they nor the dress fit me now though.

[bixaorellana]

Shame. You'd be fetching in that get-up.

This thread is most interesting to me as I don't have access to name-brand shoes in my daily life, but like researching them for when I visit civilization.

The Dansko clogs Casimira mentioned look to have everything I want in a shoe, but of course would need to be tried on.

I don't know how well Clarks hold up as I've never had a pair due to never having tried on a pair that fit correctly -- something about where the arch hits the arch of my foot.

Salamander certainly makes some handsome shoes, but they look as though they're meant for narrow feet.

A friend of mine wore Naots for years and swore by them, but they finally had one price hike too many for her.

While I was looking those brands up, I came across this: allaboutshoes-toeslayer.blogspot.com/2009/10/anatomy-of-shoe-according-to-mcphoil.html

[mich64]

Naots fit me well, these are the second pair of I have purchased.

[onlyMark]

I wear these 11 months out of the year -

[cheerypeabrain]

No socks ? My beloved wears them on his hols but insists that they need socks for comfort. He gets a few sneers but we don't care....comfort before street cred...

[lagatta]

If sandals really fit well, you shouldn't need socks. But Birkenstocks for example don't fit me at all.

I have some Josef Seibel Mary Janes with a slight chunky heel that I've worn for ages, but they are starting to get a bit worn (a bit loose and less supportive) and their newer models either don't fit me or look strange. I've always found them comfier for long (urban) walks than more sportive type shoes. Obviously not for hiking.

[onlyMark]

No socks, no. Ever. The point of wearing sandals is to keep my feet cool. Wearing socks would defeat that issue and they are to me comfortable enough without them. My feet have quite a lot of hard skin by now anyway.

[cheerypeabrain]

I have Birkenstocks that I've had for years. Forgot about them...tend to stick to the Skechers because they are so light....I do have a pair of bright red Doc Marten motorbike boots that I adore but they are so heavy I tend not to wear them much..I bought them to wear to my Dad's funeral tho so I can't part with them. Anything else that's in reasonable condition that hasn't been worn for a while goes to the charity shop.

[bixaorellana]

Your Naots are really pretty, Mich.

I keep trying Tevas, but have never found a pair that fit right. I'll keep trying, though, as any sandal with a good tread and a supportive arch is something I want.

Gotta agree about the point of sandals being to keep the feeties cool, but to each his own. I guess people who wear covered shoes with socks all the time might be a little too tenderfooted for sandals.

I kept trying and rejecting Sketchers, then finally found a pair last year that worked. I'm really hard on shoes and expected these to fall apart instantly, but after miles of walking they're still fine ~


Cheery, I would so love to see you in those boots!

[lagatta]

I love those! Closed shoes with appropriate socks are definitely recommended for hard walking (not only hiking, but marching as in the armed forces) but my feet swell in those in hot temperatures (I'm not of recruitment age any more). They are actually very similar to the propét travel walkers I have, but the two straps converge on one side.

[bixaorellana]

LaGatta, I got those at a discount shoe place & suspect they might be a discontinued model, as most of the Skechers I see online in that style have the straps to the side, as you describe. I'll bet having them to the side is more comfortable.

I avoid socks if at all possible, really only using them if it's cold out. I find that a good dusting powder is much nicer and highly recommend this stuff: www.walgreens.com/store/c/gold-bond-ultimate-comfort-body-powder-fresh-clean/ID=prod1319113-product

If you're wearing no socks with shoes that tend to rub, just dab a little vaseline or chapstick on your foot at the place that gets rubbed.

[lagatta]

The insoles also come out, meaning that they can be replaced by ones more supportive for the user's feet, and also makes it easier to wash them. I wash them and let them dry in the sun very frequently.

[amboseli]

Anyone wear Geox?
I used to find them a bit old-fashioned but they may have a new designer in the house.
I like some of their flat sandals. Not only very comfy, but also more or less elegant.
Same for their sneakers (they call them 'trainers') of fine leather with nice details.
The footbed is excellent for all of their shoes and the insoles can be removed.
I'm a fan!

[lagatta]

I've tried them in the past, but they didn't fit me well. Perhaps there is a new last as well as a new designer.

Trainers and sneakers are the same thing.

And there's been no sun to dry my insoles. It never stops raining!

[bjd]

There are some nice Geox shoes here but they don't have half-sizes and don't fit me. My husband who walks a lot bought some a few years ago and they fell apart in no time. I presume the sole is thin so that it "breathes" (according to their ads).

Here is the link to the page for flat sandals for women.
www.geox.com/fr/femme/chaussures/sandales-plates/?page=1

I just looked more closely and see they do have half-sizes when you order from their website. They didn't in the store I went to.

[lagatta]

I bought some Docs Mary Janes in a fairly water-resistant fabric (wore them in heavy rain today, and while there were water spots on top, no soggy feet). www.drmartens.com/ca/p/womens-shoes-woven-textile-fine-canvas-winona I bought the black as it was black or very pale pink at the shop where I bought them on sale. I'd love the cherry red!

So far they are very comfy, but my right foot is shorter than my left front, so there is a bit of slipping on the heel. Docs don't have half sizes. That said, I wore them all day with no discomfort on foot and bicycle; I have arthritis so that is an important point. They were a bit stiff at first, and I feared they would make me walk funny, but much better now.

[questa]

I swear by the Dunlop KT26 sneaker/jogger/trainer. The materials are not as good as they were because manufacture has gone off-shore, but they are still a great shoe. The KT is kinetic technology and this is achieved with the design of the sole, with the angles and placing of the lugs absorbing the foot impact then giving a boost to the foot as it lifts. I had some KT26 Bush boots...lasted 20 years, blue joggers in lace-ups and double velcro and recently black velcro ones.

I have just read up the story of this "Australian icon" on Wiki...more of a story than I knew.

[lagatta]

I'll look into them for sport, they sound wonderful, but I need ever-so-slightly more dressy shoes for travel, whether facitating for young adults or taking part in conferences.

Just hoping, as my feet age, that some of the technics in your sport shoe will be incorporated in more work-worthy models. In my case it is not formal business dress, but dressing up just a bit more than "the kids" is expected. Congratulations on the Oz input into more ergonomic shoes!

[lagatta]

I'm very happy with the Docs Mary Janes, after just a couple of wearings, I walked at least 4km in them with no ankle or knee pain. I'll see with the shoemaker if they (a couple) can put in some little pad at the ankle of my shorter foot; I'm sure they could do that. I want a cherry-red pair too, if I can find it somewhere.

[rikita]

got some keen sandals while ago (they were my brothers but he didn't like wearing them and at the time had about the same size as me) and been wearing them all summer, quite happy with them as my foot feels better with more support than with open sandals ... now it is getting too cold so i gotta look what shoes to wear now. in winter i will wear my hiking boots again (lowa boots, couldn't tell you which ones exactly).

[lagatta]

Keen does make closed shoes as well. Unfortunately they don't fit me very well. Not all "comfort" shoes are comfy for every foot! For example, I can't wear Birkenstocks.

[lagatta]

Your grandmother was right. I was at a Doc Martens shop here putting in an in-store order for a pair of red textile Mary Janes - I have the same in black and they are extremely comfy even for good walks in the city - not this time of year of course - and have been wearing them indoors instead of slippers. www.drmartens.com/ca/p/womens-shoes-woven-textile-fine-canvas-winona They were marked down to $35 Cdn, which is a great bargain.

Bixa, a rather unrelated footwear question - the women in your Oaxaca towns photos all seem to be wearing the same sandals - are they made there, or do they just happen to be a popular style in the region?

[cheerypeabrain]

I bought some soft white leather boot/trainers last year. They're made by ecco, incredibly light and look nice with blue jeans....but probably not as comfortable as birkenstocks, skechers or UGGs.

[questa]

Feb 24, 2019 21:13:40 GMT cheerypeabrain said:

but probably not as comfortable as birkenstocks, skechers or UGGs.

I am presuming the UGGS are what we call Ugg boots i.e. knee or ankle high boots made from sheep
skin with the fleece on the inside. They were a standard winter item but no-one thought to patent the name until a US mob started making them as well. Several years of legal squabbling followed so that is why you have UGGS and we love our "uggies" Mine are purple and grey.

[bixaorellana]

LaGatta, there are shoe stands in every market in Mexico, even one in my little neighborhood market. One of the reasons shoes are so available is because the city of Leon, Mexico is known as the shoe capital of the world. I didn't notice the sandals in my thread until you pointed them out, but I imagine your guess about their simply being popular is correct. This is a pedestrian-heavy culture & it looks as though those ladies have found shoes which are kind to their feet.

[bjd]

I went downtown last week and as I went past the store where I have been buying my shoes lately I saw a big sign saying "all shoes 48€". The sales are over but these were the last of the winter models. Of course, I don't need more shoes but I went in and actually found a pair I liked in my size. Dark red suede slip-ons, really comfortable, Pataugas brand. Half price.

[cheerypeabrain]

Questa. Yes...I have Australian Ugg boots and a pair by the Cornish 'Celtic & Co'....the advantage of the latter being that their 'Aqualambs' are waterproof. I now have some 'weather proof' Ugg boots too but they're more like builders' boots than the lovely soft Uggs....

The history of Celtic & Co is quite interesting...the following is from their website.

..."In 1990 an advert in the local paper caught their eye, offering a small boot-making business for sale. They bought it with just seven pairs in stock and taught themselves to sew them. They didn’t know at the time, but this was to be the biggest adventure of their lives – alongside bringing up their two children Mike and Clare.

Once they’d built up a local following of their Ugg style boots they registered the ‘Ugg’ trademark. This proved a good move as they later sold UK rights to the name enabling them to re-invest in the company. They then became the Celtic Sheepskin company and it was around this time that the now iconic bootee slipper was born, more recently re-branding as Celtic & Co., to better reflect the range of high quality clothing alongside the boots and slippers we were originally known for.

Celtic & Co. now employs over 40 people and our sustainably produced and eco-friendly products are sold across the globe. We are thrilled to announce that in April this year we were recognised by the Queen for this effort, receiving the Queen's Award for Enterprise in the International Trade, the highest official UK award for British businesses..."

[lagatta]

I'm sure those aren't cheap, but I will check them out, as it is so good to know where and under what conditions footwear and other garments are made. Probably a boost to the local economy as well.

Unfortunately my textile Docs aren't British-made any more. Some of their footwear still is, but not most of it.

Not all Josef Seibels are German any more, but they are still made in (lower-wage but not low-wage) Central European countries.

[cheerypeabrain]

Josef Seibel sandals are so pretty...unfortunately I have wide feet and have never found any that were comfortable enough.

The Celtic & Co boots are expensive. I bought a pair of knee high aqua-lambs in 2013 and they're still going strong. I wear them to walk the dog in the winter as they're my warmest boots, I don't need socks in them as they're fleece lined... altho they are a bit mud encrusted atm and I wouldn't wear them in the pouring rain. When the weather warms up I give them a thorough service and pack them away...I'd never wear my Uggs in wet weather, I have posh ones but slop about in my most battered pair most of the time because they're so comfy...the sheepskin of the Uggs isn't as tough and thick as the Celtic ones and they don't last as long....but I LOVE them....