Recommend me shoes for work

Rising to the Occasion
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Poppinfresh's picture
Location: Pittsburgh, PA

Anybody have any work shoes that they recommend? I generally dress "office casual" (slacks and a golf shirt with loafers.) I have a black pair of shoes that are OK, but I would like to get a brown pair of shoes as well. Work just moved closer to me (about a mile and a half,) and I expect that I'll be walking to work about once a week (I usually ride my bike.) The black shoes are fine for the office, but I don't think they'd hold up very well to extended walking.

So does anyone know of shoes that would work for me?

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Try these (ironically, may be NSFW)

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wordsmythe's picture
Location: I've come to love this American giant, viewing it as the most misunderstood, most underrated city in the world.

I bought a new pair of brown dress shoes for work last week from Overstock. Predictably, they ended up running about 2 sizes larger than advertised.

A lot of folks I know use Zappos.com, but I hear they're overpriced.

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merzy's picture

I'm a big fan of Eccos. They're comfortable and suitable for work. I've done dirt-path walking in the desert in them after I've worn them to a meeting with the CEO. A bit spendy in somecases, but definitely worth it.

Executive
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Aaron D.'s picture
Location: Inside the Beltway

I walk a lot during my work day and I swear by these shoes...So much so that I've purchased a duplicate when the first pair wore out after a couple years of use. The sole looks a little big in the picture but they're completely cool for the office (I work in a law firm).

Comfortable, durable and great for active lifestyles (at work).

http://www.timberland.com/product/index.jsp?productId=1806368&cp=1779791...

They're made by Timberland, so expect them to be able to handle a workout.

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SeriesParallel's picture
Location: In ur Portal eatin ur cake.

I envy you people. I've got to wear these beasts:

Comfortable, don't get me wrong, but try walking around for 13 hours a day with 6 pounds of footwear along with some of the other gear I get stuck wearing... fun fun.

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subaltern's picture
Location: California

LobsterMobster wrote:
Try these (ironically, may be NSFW)

Way beyond disturbing.

Ursa Minor
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Oso's picture
Location: GV1469

I swear by Rossi boots. Not so easy to find outside of Australia, but their dress boot is the most comfortable office footwear I've ever come across. The feel good, slip on, are walkable, shine up nicely w/ some polish, and look equally at home w/ jeans or a suit. They aren't cheap, but damn are they worth it.

You can also get models w/ a more rugged sole if that is your thing.

The real crazy thing is that the US importer for Rossi is based in a tiny hick little town in SW Washington right next to the tiny hick town in SW Washington where I grew up.

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Marks The Spot
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Elliottx's picture
Location: Vancouver, WA, USA, Earth, Milky Way, Universe B

I wear Rockport shoes for work. http://rockport.com/usa/mens/index.html

They have plenty of leather shoes that look dressy but are very comfortable. Plus the shoes are naturally a little wider. I have an outlet store semi-near me so I dunno how to get them online, but they're usually reasonably priced. Worn the same pair for 6 months now, still look great and show no wear/tear.

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SeriesParallel's picture
Location: In ur Portal eatin ur cake.

Elliottx wrote:
I wear Rockport shoes for work. http://rockport.com/usa/mens/index.html

They have plenty of leather shoes that look dressy but are very comfortable. Plus the shoes are naturally a little wider. I have an outlet store semi-near me so I dunno how to get them online, but they're usually reasonably priced. Worn the same pair for 6 months now, still look great and show no wear/tear.

Here maybe? http://shop.rockport.com/torsion/index.jsp

King of Ping
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Lester_King's picture

Great thread, I've been looking for a nice pair of Chelsea Boots. Anyone got any suggestions, the Aussies above look nice.

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kitzilla's picture
Location: San Francisco

I wear a pair of Keens to work most days. The styling is hit or miss but they are very comfortable.

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Gorilla.800.lbs's picture
Location: New York, NY

I've been wearing various Rockports to the office for a numer of years already. Their design philosophy is similar to Ecco, except cheaper. I found that their size labeling is spot-on, they fit narrow feet (like mine) well, and crafstmanship and materials are great. They're comfortable to walk 1 mile to the train station every morning, and even to run, shall the need be. Support/flexibility balance is comfortable enough to let me do a 540* jumping spinning back kick.

I buy them from Zappos.com. This year I ended up buying the 3 pairs of the entire color gamut of this style, so that I can wear them with any of my pants.

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DevilStick's picture
Location: Middle Tyriazeroth

Aaron D. wrote:
I walk a lot during my work day and I swear by these shoes...So much so that I've purchased a duplicate when the first pair wore out after a couple years of use. The sole looks a little big in the picture but they're completely cool for the office (I work in a law firm).

Comfortable, durable and great for active lifestyles (at work).

http://www.timberland.com/product/index.jsp?productId=1806368&cp=1779791...

They're made by Timberland, so expect them to be able to handle a workout.

I wear these too.

Your Quote Here!

Marks The Spot
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Elliottx's picture
Location: Vancouver, WA, USA, Earth, Milky Way, Universe B

Yeah that works quite well, Series. Except the prices are quite high. Get the shoes at an outlet store! The same shoes for $50.

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Ursa Minor
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Oso's picture
Location: GV1469

Lester_King wrote:
Great thread, I've been looking for a nice pair of Chelsea Boots. Anyone got any suggestions, the Aussies above look nice.

Check out Blundstone's as well. The rugged cross between a Chelsea Boot and a work/hiking boot are usually referred to Blunnies, as Blundstone is the traditional manufacturer. A quick search shows they are more common and less spendy than the Rossi's that I favor.

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jowner's picture
Location: Capital of the Igloo People.

Maybe not classy enough for work considering they are sneakers but Air Force ones might be the most comfortable shoe I have ever worn. I personally hate wearing dress shoes as I find the soles and leather too rigid for my feet. They can also come in pretty simple colors and designs maybe you could pull it off.

http://www.exclusive-lux.com/wp-content/uploads/2007/01/airpea.jpg

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pol's picture
Location: Charlottesville, VA

DevilStick wrote:
Aaron D. wrote:
I walk a lot during my work day and I swear by these shoes...So much so that I've purchased a duplicate when the first pair wore out after a couple years of use. The sole looks a little big in the picture but they're completely cool for the office (I work in a law firm).

Comfortable, durable and great for active lifestyles (at work).

http://www.timberland.com/product/index.jsp?productId=1806368&cp=1779791...

They're made by Timberland, so expect them to be able to handle a workout.

I wear these too.

me three...have for almost 10 years. When I first started I was waiting tables in a high volume restaurant. Believe me they go the distance.

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Pharacon's picture
Location: Deep in the heart of Texas... Houston that is...

I wear bostonians I picked up at Clarks at the mall, they are cheap (sub $100) and pretty darn comfortable. I have only had them for about 3 months and they seem to be able to deal with my commute to work (15-20 min walk). I forgot what they are called but i believe the model number is 26005. They are rubber soled (but still classy looking) with a rounded toe with a leather cap on it.

This Zappos site is pretty interesting I will have to check it out


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Ursa Minor
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Oso's picture
Location: GV1469

jowner wrote:
Maybe not classy enough for work considering they are sneakers but Air Force ones might be the most comfortable shoe I have ever worn. I personally hate wearing dress shoes as I find the soles and leather too rigid for my feet. They can also come in pretty simple colors and designs maybe you could pull it off.

http://www.exclusive-lux.com/wp-content/uploads/2007/01/airpea.jpg

Oh yeah, sneakers w/ a solid office apprpriate color scheme are worth their weight in gold. It is surprising how hard they are to find. If you can get your hands on a pair of Adidas Kareem Lo in brown they are nearly perfect. (i.e., nearly impossible to tell they are sneakers.)

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Spondee Camper
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wordsmythe's picture
Location: I've come to love this American giant, viewing it as the most misunderstood, most underrated city in the world.

So these dress boot things are worth looking into, then? I'm having an awful hard time getting my outfits to go with black shoes every day. The first few days were easy enough, but things are starting to get dicey.

I think my backup pair should be back from the repair place soon, at least.

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Thin_J's picture
Location: Riding my invisible bike.

I have a pair of Hush Puppies loafers that have probably been the pest pair of shoes I've ever had. Super comfortable, slip on and off, and they actually look really nice. They're oldish now and I can't find a pair that look exactly like them but these are the closest I could find.

All my shoes these days are slip ons. I can't be bothered with laces. People ask all the time how I keep my foot from slipping out of them while I move around at work and I don't get the question. I used to wear a pair of clogs when I was doing warehouse/storeroom work climbing latters and racks all the time.

I've got a couple of pairs of clogs, one from a company called Sanita that's from Denmark and another from Dansko. Both are great for just walking around. They last a pretty long time really. I had one pair that I wore for almost four years before I finally split the sole when I hunched down once at work.

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Redhwk's picture
Location: Portland, OR

pol wrote:
DevilStick wrote:
Aaron D. wrote:
I walk a lot during my work day and I swear by these shoes...So much so that I've purchased a duplicate when the first pair wore out after a couple years of use. The sole looks a little big in the picture but they're completely cool for the office (I work in a law firm).

Comfortable, durable and great for active lifestyles (at work).

http://www.timberland.com/product/index.jsp?productId=1806368&cp=1779791...

They're made by Timberland, so expect them to be able to handle a workout.

I wear these too.

me three...have for almost 10 years. When I first started I was waiting tables in a high volume restaurant. Believe me they go the distance.

Well me 4 almost. I've a pair of very similar Timberlands that I can't find on their website, nearly the same uppers but a different sole on them. Very comfortable and got a good price on them at the Nordstrom Rack.

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dhelor's picture
Location: Oregon

I need decent work shoes as well. I'm on my feet all the time (literally), so I need comfortable shoes that'll make it easier to be standing on concrete floors for 6-8 hours a day (needs to be some kind of sneaker - stupid Walmart dress code).

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KaterinLHC's picture
Location: On the moon. Whaling.

Hard to go wrong with a classic closed-toe pump:

Oh... wait.

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Ursa Minor
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Oso's picture
Location: GV1469

KaterinLHC wrote:
Hard to go wrong with a classic closed-toe pump:

Oh... wait.

Those are nice, but with my ankles, I need a Cuban heel.

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Druidpeak's picture
Location: Being crushed by Alberta

Once you find something you like, see if Sierra Trading Post carries them. Should save you a few bucks, usually works for me.

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complexmath's picture
Location: Bay Area, CA

Merrell may be worth looking into as well. They make hiking boots so their shoes tend to be durable and good for walking, and they have a decent assortment of styles that should be acceptable for an "office casual" dress code:

http://www.merrell.com/Gallery/NZ/Mens-Casual-Footwear/Laceups.aspx

Oh, and while they are perhaps a bit too casual, I have to say that these Merrell sneakers are the best summer shoes I've ever owned:

http://www.merrell.com/Product/NZGP/Mens-Active-Footwear/Multi-Sport/Men...

The fabric is a loose open mesh than gives them airflow a lot closer to sandals than sneakers, despite their appearance.

Rising to the Occasion
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Poppinfresh's picture
Location: Pittsburgh, PA

Thanks for all the advice, guys. I'll look around some this weekend. Those Timberland shoes look pretty good-- I'll have to try on a pair. I'm sure that there will be some snow/slush slogs this winter, and those look like they could handle that OK.

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Vibram Five Fingers

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Quintin_Stone wrote:

Vibram Five Fingers

At least the epnymous discount make the price right!

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