The shoe problem

[FrugalPatat]

For the past several years, I have been going to work in reasonably durable dress shoes. However, I don't really feel like wearing these shoes (and fancy clothes that go with them) anymore so I am looking to phase them out in the next years and start wearing more casual clothes at work.

I already had a pair of sneakers that I just wore in the weekend. Now I am also wearing them at work half of the time (the other half is still dress shoes). I like sneakers and would like to wear them more often. What bothers me is that sneakers don't seem to be resolable. With the walking I do (20 minutes a day + some walking around at work) that would mean on average 1 pair of sneakers per year (or 2 years max). However right now I just have to do max 1 resole a year; while the price of a decent pair of sneakers is almost the same as what I pay for dress shoes (and those last several years).
So it seems that even though my dress shoes look expensive, they are actually less expensive than sneakers.

I have seen talk in other topics about shoes like 'dr martens for life', but for me, I am looking for shoes that have a 'light' feel. I feel awkward with boots or other heavy shoes. Does anybody have an idea about a light casual shoe that is resolable (or at least somewhat durable)? (or just plain cheap, but I dislike spending time at shopping so I prefer durable ones)

[OTCW]

Lightweight hiking shoes are pretty durable, but not resolable as far as I know. Not cheap, but you can find them on sale. I have a pair of Merrills I like, but the breathable side vents are real close to the sole, so any kind of puddle invites water.

[FrugalPatat]

Good idea never thought about that. Have to admit those kinds of shoes look ugly though.

Your post got me thinking about skate shoes. I would think these would be more durable than regular sneakers given that they are made for skateboarding.

[BRUTE]

there exist less dressy leather shoes. moving from the dark and shiny towards the brown and hiky, maybe? boots also tend to be made to last longer and appear less dressy.

[Almost Cat]

Chucks lookalikes, maybe? They're my favorite office footwear because they're basically just soled socks, and I'm buying them for less than €10 per pair.

[RFS]

Have you ever tried the Clarks Desert Boot? These things are the Toyota Corollas of shoes. I've worn them 3-5x/week since 17, and I'm 23 now. These things persevered through college, multiple trips, and a ton of walking in general. I'm just now due for a resole. Shoe leather and polish keep my dark brown pair looking like new.

I would never wear these with a blazer or tie, but they're great for casual days.

[BlueNote]

If you're looking for nice dress shoes with high durability then look into shell cordovan instead of leather. The material is basically a part of a horses arse and it's amazingly durable. Shoes made of this material tend to have a very high upfront price but if you look around, or wait long enough you can often find seconds on sale from places like Allen edmonds. I've been looking for a buy it for life shoe myself lately and it looks like shell cordovan is one of the best materials for this. Alternatively full grain leather is also quite durable with the right maintenance. I am not aware of a good synthetic shoe material for extreme durability though.

[almostthere]

The Eastland Camp Moc. The sole is extremely durable. The sole also seems to be very well attached to the leather. The one draw back is lack of arch support. I wore my pair daily to work for at least five years. I then wore them for two or three years after irregularly. Think carefully about shoe polish. Choose high quality and the right color to keep them looking reasonably good.

[TopHatFox]

I like Vivobarefoot dressshoes and hiking shoes (no, not the one's with the damn toes). For the hiking shoes, it's best if they're fully ventilated on top, and waterproof halfway down. If it's really wet, just attach gaiters.~

[Farm_or]

Here's a different way to look at it: yes, you are wearing out shoes due to activities. But not wearing out shoes in today's society is insanely expensive.

1st unexpected expense= couch cushion reupholstery
2nd=remote control replacement.
3rd= random health clinic
4th= laboratory tests
5th= another random "health" provider billing
6th= big pharma solution (s) in various automatic refilling prescription pills form
7th= escalated insurance

[Seppia]

Shoes last much longer if worn in rotation, never on two consecutive days.
When worn in this way, sneakers usually last me 1.5-2 years.
A good quality pair from a known brand can easily be found for under $50, it doesn’t seem that huge of a deal honestly.
Now I “need” many paid of shoes (I probably have 10-12) because of job constraints, but if I were to pull the plug I could probably be down to 4-5 (one exclusively for hot weather, one exclusively for cold, two in between, plus maybe a “technical” shoe for hiking)