After buying a $70 pair of Vans at famous footwear and having them literally fall apart after using them as daily walking shoes, I’ve realized the quality of shoes overall has gone down over the last decade or so.
I don’t mind if they cost $100 or more, are there medium-light weight walking shoes that can withstand the horrors of walking on pavement? I remember checking out some Ecco shoes at the mall years ago, didn’t pull the trigger as they were almost $300 but the way the construction was described to me it sounds like those could last 5+ years.
What shoes do you have that you wear almost daily (not during the winter), and have had for almost a year but aren’t falling apart?
I wore the crap out of my pair of New Balance skate shoes, forgot the model. But they’re still going strong. Ive biked with cages, walked, work construction, whatever, they’re just dirty but they’re still holding up.
What model of Vans?
I mean they were the basic all black pair. $70 was way too much for them considering how fragile they were. There’s a skate shop that sells beefier ones but I don’t want a heavy shoe, I want something fairly light and a bit breathable.
I’ve had my indestructibles since 2019 and they’re only weak in the soles.
Bought mine around 2020 and they lasted maybe 9 months before holes were forming in the toe area.
Bought Keens next and haven’t had any issues. Last pair I put 4000 miles on them and the rubber covering the steel toe had worn a nickel sized hole, but otherwise they were still in great shape and fully functional.
I’m gonna have to look at those. The indestructibles are nice but the soles wear out way faster than the rest of the shoe. Got holes the size of my heels in both shoes and a toe hole in one. Thank you for mentioning Keens.
No problem. I walk ~14 miles a day at work and they hold up nicely. I put some Superfeet insoles in them when I buy them. Here’s a pic of the old ones with ~18 months/4000 miles on them next to the same pair brand new. The old ones are still in working condition and have no real issues other than the cosmetic wear. Just wanted to get a new pair lol
I tend to wear Ecco’s (not crazy expensive ones, more in the 120-150€ range). I quite like them in terms of being strong and looking good enough. But I think they last me about 2-3 years.
Yea Love Ecco, too. They are pricy. But totally worth it. For 2-3 times the price you get shoes that last at least 2-3 times as long and are a hell of a lot more comfortable.
Not sure how available they are internationally, but Lowa shoes generally last quite a few years for me. They’re focused on hiking and sports, but they have a few everyday models as well.
For skate style shoes I’m a fan of Nike SB and Lakai. Anything over about $70 will generally last. My Nike Shane Premiums have walked all over Europe and are still in great condition.
I also recommend Vessi. They’re waterproof, breathable, comfortable, and my wife and I wore them in all sorts of rough use cases and they are still going strong years later.
Your shoes last a full year? I wear through the soles so fast I need to replace them about every 3 months (I find no difference in expensive or cheap shoes for this problem so I just buy the cheapest ones I can get).
IMO anything with that horrible foam (most shoes at this point) is going to last a year TOPS. In fact, running shoes with foam, are supposed to be limited to around 300 miles.
If you are talking about something like a half cab, that has the standard vans soles, yeah, I agree quality has gone down some (same with those new chuck 70s). They feel cheaper, and are made from far cheaper materials.
Personally, I have tons of shoes that are decades old, and still going, but I do not own any shoes with foam (mostly chuck taylors). And I’m apparently not very hard on shoes, somehow.
I think the unfortunate reality is you’ll have to buy some expensive, high quality shoes, or expect to throw shoes out yearly.
There are companies like this one who claim to resole running shoes, but I don’t know how far they can/do go, and have never used them before.
My decade old Red Wings shoes are still going with some minor maintenance. Their boots last even longer I’ve heard. For skateshoes I try to limit how many days a year I wear them and buy them on sale. Skate sole gum is make for grip not durability and isn’t going to last long.
New Balance are pretty durable in my experience.
Try Oboz. They’re light hiking shoes. Got my last pair before the pandemic for $140. They’re not waterproof anymore but still holding up well.
Find some “work” shoes. They’re more comfortable, and they hold up much longer than a brand’s regular wares. They’re often sold as non-slip shoes.
https://reebokwork.com/
https://www.adidas.com/us/healthcare_collection
https://www.puma-safety.com/us/en
https://www.newbalance.com/men/shoes/work-shoes/
https://www.skechers.com/technologies/collections/work-safety/
https://www.shoesforcrews.com/
https://www.timberland.com/en-us/c/timberland-pro/mens-footwear/work-shoes-10173
https://www.dsw.com/en/us/category/mens/shoes/work-safetyI’ve personally had some daily wear Skechers “work” shoes that after 5 years of comfortable wear, I finally had to replace the insoles, but they’re otherwise still holding up as well as the day I bought them. Every pair of shoes I’ve ever owned long term have been “work” shoes. Shoes for Crews are pretty expensive, but I had a pair of them last long enough that I finally ditched them because they just looked old fashioned, they were otherwise still wonderfully intact.
Since my vans fell apart, I’ve been wearing my sketchers work shoes I bought for a job like 4 years ago. I didn’t wear them a ton but I’m wearing them to work daily now, they are still functionally new besides being dirty.
By walking shoes, do you mean sneakers? I never had this problem, but my New Balances and Onitsuka Tigers fared better than my Chuck Taylors… I’d recommend looking for chunky rubber soles as opposed to thin ones like
If you’re open to boots and loafers and things, it’s a whole other ball game. Look at brands like Meermin, which are well-made and resoleable, but you’re worried about comfort, right? So let’s focus on sneakers.
I cycle between 4 pairs of shoes in summer, two pairs of boots in winter, and one pair of all year shoes. I have had them all for over ten years. Tips:
- Buy Goodyear welted shoes
- Use shoe trees
- Don’t wear the same pair two days in a row
I also prefer to buy shoes made in UK, Italy, or US but that is just preference for perceived quality and definitely higher paid workers than most countries that mass produce shoes.
If you want a specific recommendation go with Allen Edmond Strandmoks. That’s my all year pair. Great shoes.
Use shoe trees Don’t wear the same pair two days in a row
People really underestimate how much better your footware lasts if you take care of it by cycling between a few pairs and providing good interior support when isn’t in use.
Meanwhile I just wear the same pair of shoes for ten years or so until it starts to get holes in the toes, then get extreme anxiety at the thought of trying to find a new, suitable replacement.
