I’ve had both Brooks (Revel) and ASICS (Excite) in recent years. I found the brooks to be comfortable, however it doesn’t take long for them to wear holes by my pinky toe, even after sizing up a half size. I think this is because of the narrow toe box. I’ve found the ASICS Gel Excite have a wider toe box and look and feel good ever a year later with regular use. I got a light color so I just throw them in the wash every once in a while and they come out looking great.

Visit an REI store if there's one nearby. Tell them what you need. Off the top of my head, look at: Oboz, Danner, Hoka One One.

Edit: if you really want buy it for life, look at resoleble-able shoes or boots. The only ones I can think of immediately are the Danner boots.

Most modern shoes have a life in distance not really time. Running shoes are typically 300-500 miles and heavier hiking shoes will be more like 1000 miles. There are synthetics in the sole that break down over time and lose their ability to support you. So even if the sole/upper is in good condition the shoe could have failed because the sole is done. It is hard to tell this when you wear them normally but try them back to back with a new pair and you will see this. So for something used as heavily as you are say you are using, they likely will only last that long regardless of how much you spend. The only way to get a longer lasting shoe would be to go to something made in a traditional way with no synthetics but you lose the immediate support and comfort that it offers. So there are pluses and minuses here.

I recently got a pair of Brooks and they are very comfortable, perhaps the most comfortable shoes I’ve ever owned.

Granted, they are the only pair of sneakers I’ve bought in many years, so I don’t have a lot to compare to. I was a competitive runner in high school about 20 years ago, and my Brooks are immensely more comfortable than any running shoe I tried back then.

Try some Dansko clogs. Great support and long lasting if not lifetime shoes. Still I have a pair that just died after 6 years of almost daily wear.

Very few types of shoes will be "buy it for life" but just about anything will be better for your feet and more durable than what you've been buying!

I wear Keens and Merrill’s almost exclusively, but you’ll have to save up for them. There north of $100 even on sale but are quality and rugged.

Brooks are fine, they have a lot of people who love them. Not my personal favorite. I've been wearing new balance beacon and they last a while and are comfortable. A few women at the hospital swear by hookah shoes for comfort and etc. Ive been tempted to try a pair for a while.

I used to also buy the $10 discount shoes at Walmart before I "knew better". Comfortable shoes are really important... I took a pair of memory foam shoes to boot camp and it was miserable hell. Not only was the memory foam not comfortable to begin with but within a few days it just became a bunch of lumps that wouldn't retain foot shape. Anyways, now I spend about $80-120 on shoes and aim for sales or last season models.

None of these shoes will be buy it for life though. Taking care of them will stretch out their life but running shoes most likely won't hold up forever. Make sure they dry off if they become damp. Mine break the most after getting damp from a run and not drying enough.

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I use Brooks running shoes (Ghost 14 right now, probably Glycerine would be better for wearing all day long though - max cushion).

Another max/cushion shoe to consider is the New Balance Fresh Foam X More v4. It’s supposedly the king of superfoam running shoes these days.

I love my brooks.

You may want to head to a good shoe store and get your feet properly measured. If you’re having trouble with toes feeling squished, you may be wearing the wrong size or width.

Brooks ghost!

Whatever you buy, do it in person.

If you have a New Balance store close, start there.

You'll always get more life and comfort out of a shoe with a hard sole and replaceable insoles than a foam rubber sole like on most walking/running shoes. This isn't the fault of running shoes, they're just optimized for minimal weight and maximum shock absorption. If you're mostly standing and walking short distances (like factory and warehouse work), support and cushioning are what really matters.

I used to have a job that involved a lot of standing on concrete for 10-12 hours a day. I'd go through a pair of boots about every 2 years, and insoles about every 6-12 months. That said, the insoles I used were about $50 on their own, so on average I was spending about $175 a year on footwear (1 pair of $200 boots and 3 pairs of $50 insoles every 2 years).

If you're not in an environment that destroys footwear, a good leather work shoe like redwing should last a very long time, and you can probably get about a year out of insoles.

Vivo barefoot have some really nice shoes that feels like you're barely wearing them.

I'm currently using their leather hiking boots. Best pair of boots i've ever owned and my feet are happier than ever.

It really depends on your feet.

I worked as a nurse 12 hours/day on my feet all my life. New Balance are the best. Come in lots of widths. You can order all you want from Zappos and return the ones you can’t use. Altras are also good. And wool socks like Fit or Darn Tough, I get them from Amazon. Expensive I know, but they last a long time. I wear wool socks all year, even hiking in the summer.

I <3 New Balance and Fit socks so much.

I never could like Brooks. Or Smart Wool socks, they wear out immediately.

My daughter when she was a server liked Doc Martens.

I like Ecco for lots of standing. I knew line cooks who swore by them.

My ten year old ones are in great shape.

I have two pair of shoes right now, a pair of Brooks and a pair of Nike Vapormax Plus. The brooks are really nice and what I use mostly, but my Nike's are unreal. It's like walking on a cloud. Highly recommend the Nike's if you can afford them.

Please ask your employer if they supply or will reimburse for safety (steel/composite) toe shoes. If you're lifting heavy things regularly, you should be protected. There are tons of boots and shoes, so I'm sure you'll be able to find something comfortable.

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Timberland Pros! Started wearing them about five years ago on my feet 50 to 60 hours at work. I love them.

I love Cloud running shoes.

Merrill’s may be a bit out of you league especially those with the better Vibram sole but they are a great example of that type of shoe that can last a good long time and be rather comfortable as well. The great thing is if you subscribe to their website you can catch them on sale periodically but the better ones even on sale are about $100. The bad thing is that you just missed them getting rid of the Moab 2 shoes as they introduced their Moab 3 shoes. The Moab line do have that Vibram sole and i think that’s their premium line of shoes. With military discount I bought two pair at about $80 each. I still have a pair I‘m currently wearing which I’ve been using and walking and working a bunch in going for over 2 years now. The gortex versions are at the top of the Moab line and I always go with those. Anyway I have two more pair in the pipeline and with sale and military discount it was about $80 a pair and with Moab 3 they are about $150 shoes when not on sale and without discount. I just never pay retail for them.

if you signup on their site for notifications you”ll get about a 10% to 15% discount on your first pair. Luckily my military discount gives me even more.

‘The type of conditions and use has a great deal to do with how long any shoe will last but the cheaper you go this to has an effect as well not to mention that cheap shoes can very often result in physically issues as well. Those which are put together cheaply often aren’t constructed for the best wear and very often don’t provide arch support that can lead to not only feet but back issues as well.

‘You might find cheaper I just know.what great success I’ve had with Merrill.

I recently found out about Klogs, they make kitchen shoes, as in shoes for people who stand and walk non-stop all day. They have medium and wide variants, and have a round toe for all the shoes. My wife finds them exceptionally comfortable.

Personally, I blame New Balance and Brooks for messing with my back, due to their foot bed angle. They lean slightly outward and I would too frequently roll my right ankle. Until recently I had been wearing Hoka, which are neutral, I never rolled my ankle in them, and they have very thick foam in the outsole. They're extremely cushioned feeling, yet it is easy to walk in them for long periods.

Currently I have Alan Edmonds sneakers but they're not for all day activity, at least not until I break them in more.

Between Klogs and Hoka, I think the Klogs will last a lot longer, and as long as they fit well they should be more comfortable. Once the insole wears out, Klogs has replacements. It's too bad they don't do outsole replacement.

whatever you get I’d look into fp insoles. They’re by far the best trust me

Belgian shoes. Ambiorix.

Dutch shoes. Van Bommel.

Be ready to pull some $. But bifl.

I had brooks revena tens and elevens, best shoes I’ve ever had, ran about six miles a day for several years with each pair and then finally gave them both to goodwill because they were still in good shape and I found other ways to exercise

The vanvene trainers on Amazon cost $42 USA. They have memory foam and I ordered try before you buy. They felt amazing. Almost too good to be true ☺️. They are made for walking and can be used for running. You might like them. They have a lot of sole support and are designed so that your feet are not scrunched. I ordered from UK Amazon.

If those aren't a good pick for you, try a webpage called wider fit shoes. They have an Easter sale going on and they seem to be a solution for people with wider feet. I plan to order a pair of shoes from them soon. I've already ordered the Amazon shoes.

A hiking shoe with a good cushioning insert should last more

Runner here, I've gone through Brooks, ASICS, NB, Mizuno, pretty much anything but Nike because their toeboxes do not work with my feet.

I've pretty much settled on ASICS and Mizunos, I've done a few marathons in various model years of Wave Riders and can't complain.

I'd also look into Danskos - they're more of the "long wearing work shoe" kind of use, RNs swear by 'em.