Single pair of shoes

All the different ways of solving the shelter problem. To be static or mobile? Roots, legs, or wheels?
OutOfTheBlue
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Re: Single pair of shoes

Post by OutOfTheBlue »

Flip flops are a suboptimal (read terrible) footwear choice IMHO as they don't promote natural gait/stride and foot mechanics, causing problems down the line with prolonged use.

Better get minimalist sandals with a heel/ankle strap for outside (and be barefoot inside).

Your feet will thank you.

jacob
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Re: Single pair of shoes

Post by jacob »

ZAFCorrection wrote:
Sat Feb 04, 2023 3:14 am
I've gotten away with black tennis shoes for long periods of time because of living in a mostly urban or suburban environment. The extremely decreased expectations for formal wear in recent times has really aided this approach.
Also, I think one can get away with sneakers in a non-garish design in most circumstances. In Chicago, lots of people in business suits community in grey/black sneakers and it wouldn't be frowned upon to walk around in such (banking business) except formal settings. I used to keep my "fancy shoes" in a drawer at my desk when quanting but otherwise wear something like https://www.amazon.com/Saucony-Mens-Run ... r=1-7&th=1 ... Look long enough and it's $40 or so. They only tend to cost $5 more than the hizviz orange, chartreuse, omgwtfbbq combinations. I think that's money well spent.

Sneakers in snowy winter conditions is no joy, but for 3-season environments, I don't see why that couldn't work for 98% of all conditions.

ZAFCorrection
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Re: Single pair of shoes

Post by ZAFCorrection »

I also don't find snow to be a major impediment to tennis shoes in a city. Either it rarely snows and you live with the one-off event, or it snows enough that the city government and people generally keep sidewalks shoveled and salted, in which case you are fine if you are careful about footing. One can even make do walking through actual snow as long as it is for short distances, you don't hit meltwater under the snow, and you shake the snow off your shoes/legs before your body heat begins to melt it.

Hristo Botev
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Re: Single pair of shoes

Post by Hristo Botev »

Hristo Botev wrote:
Sun Jan 15, 2023 5:41 pm
These will be the next pair of shoes I buy, and hopefully pretty much the last: https://shop.whitesboots.com/legacy-boo ... 0-cruiser/
Well, I ended up being too cheap to go with the White's, and I ended up going with the Wolverine 1000 milers instead (https://www.wolverine.com/US/en/1000-mi ... le&start=1). I may end up regretting that decision, ultimately (I mean, it's not like the Wolverine's are cheap!). BUT, I've never worn a pair of lace-up leather ankle boots as my primary pair of shoes, and so I figured I may as well make sure that's something that actually makes sense for me before spending somewhere in the ballpark of $700+ on a pair of shoes (I almost pulled the trigger on the "C350"s (https://shop.whitesboots.com/lifestyle- ... 0-cruiser/), which are cheaper but still a good bit more expensive than the Wolverine's, but I'd rather wait a couple years to see if the quality of the C350s hold up, as I understand this is a new product of theirs).

Thus far I REALLY like the Wolverine's; the brown is a bit darker than I'd like (if I ever go with White's I'd get their British Tan color). But otherwise they are very comfortable, I love the Vibram sole as I don't worry as much about frequent trips to the cobbler, and they "go" with a pair of jeans as well as anything. I don't do yard work in them, and I don't exercise in them, but a few weeks in I've found that they are the shoes I wear anytime I leave the house (church, socializing, to help my dad, errands, going to see the kids' sportsball games, etc.); they are even the shoes I put on to walk out to the backyard to my "office."

So, ultimately, a "single pair of shoes" is not in the cards for me. My list likely is something more like: leather boots; tennis shoes for exercise; black cap-toe leather oxfords; and some version of deck shoes (I've worn these for years now: https://www.rancourtandcompany.com/coll ... chromexcel#)

white belt
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Re: Single pair of shoes

Post by white belt »

OutOfTheBlue wrote:
Sat Feb 04, 2023 10:39 am
Better get minimalist sandals with a heel/ankle strap for outside (and be barefoot inside).
I finally decided to get some minimalist sandals for the warm weather season. I went with the Xero Shoes Z Trails. They are pricey and I considered trying to get something cheaper or DIY it, but I ended up just giving them a shot. So far I love them and wear them for pretty much anything if it's hot out.

As someone who has probably walked more miles than most, I think it's important to match footwear to the season and activity. I don't think there is a single pair of shoes that covers everything, but I think with black running shoes, some kind of boot offering weather/physical protection, and sandals for summer I can cover 95% of activities with 3 pairs of shoes. Technically you can get by without the sandals if you aren't in a hot place or don't do stuff around water.

OutOfTheBlue
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Re: Single pair of shoes

Post by OutOfTheBlue »

white belt wrote:
Wed Mar 08, 2023 4:49 pm
I finally decided to get some minimalist sandals for the warm weather season. I went with the Xero Shoes Z Trails. They are pricey and I considered trying to get something cheaper or DIY it, but I ended up just giving them a shot. So far I love them and wear them for pretty much anything if it's hot out.
Glad to know! I'm hearing a lot of good things about the Z Trails. In warm enough weather, such sandals are just so versatile (from beach to city to mountains, for walking, running and hiking), this is basically what I wear most of the time here in SEA.

They are certainly pricier than flip flops, but its just not in the same league, and I think it is well worth the investment whether they will get frequent use or good use over time.

zbigi
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Re: Single pair of shoes

Post by zbigi »

As someone who's been dealing with aching Achilles tendon for the past year, I wanna say the best shoes are ones that fit well and don't do damage to your body over time. It's not that big of an issue for regular people (who maybe walk 2-3 km per day in their shoes), but people on this forum walk more than most, which makes the right fit crucial.

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conwy
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Re: Single pair of shoes

Post by conwy »

C40 wrote:
Wed Jun 22, 2022 8:32 am
I've spent HUGE amounts of time wearing this model of boots over the last 10-15 years. I actually have two pairs. I wore the soles out on both pairs and replaced them on one.
https://www.redwingshoes.com/work/mens/ ... safety-toe
Interesting you mention steel capped boots.

My current pair, Cobra Safety Boots, bought for $30 AUD from Bunnings (an unlikely source) has so far been an excellent performer, and surprisingly so at such a low price!

The shoe as a whole is extremely robust. After 6 months of very heavy usage (many hours of walking per week) the sole has no visible wear. The shoe has a simple slip-on design, so it's easy to clean. It's very waterproof, as I've been in absolutely torrential rain multiple times and ended up with my feet being the driest part of my body.

I don't run for long periods, but this shoe is reasonably comfortable for brief sprints or up-hill running (HIIT-style exercise).

Walwen
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Re: Single pair of shoes

Post by Walwen »

I wear all-black nike sneakers and I think they are ideal all-around. In the deepest of winter when I had to walk a mile with no sidewalk to get to the bus stop to go to work, I would wear my combat boots from my brief ROTC stint, then change back to my black sneakers at work. I have a cheap pair of dress shoes that I'm sure would fall apart with use- good thing I only need to wear them about two occasions a year.

bridgebetween
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Re: Single pair of shoes

Post by bridgebetween »

Flip flops are no use if you get started on.
Are you going to be able to kick back, or run away?

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