The most comfortable footwear?

Submitted by _SGP_ t3_10k1hh4 in BuyItForLife

I'm looking for the top teir, walking-on-clouds, high quality, big money footwear that I can wear forever and be comfortable.

I was thinking hiking boot style for the wet and muddy winters, and sneakers for the dry summers.

I recently tried some new balance 990v5 but they were way too tight on the sides to be comfortable. I was disappointed as I had heard many good things in the past.

I'm also considering some lowa renegade hiking boots for the winter, or perhaps some Salomon, but they sound like quality have fallen off recently, even in reviews on their own site.

I'm based in the UK, in Cornwall, so hours of driving away from any big stores or experts.

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Synaps4 t1_j5nuqx7 wrote

There is no standard for this because different people have different shaped feet, and shoe companies don't generally tailor their shoes. They pick a model for a foot shape and stick with it.

So, what's great for me may be painful for you. In high end boots, like hiking and ski boots, a very experienced seller will know which boots cater to which foot shapes, and they can recommend which to try after measuring your foot.

Unfortunately experienced sellers are rarer and rarer. The last time I went shopping for boots the salesperson knew nothing.

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ImBadWithGrils t1_j5r7jk6 wrote

FYI, for anyone reading this:

The "model" of the foot is called a "last."

If you have a good pair of leather shoes, you can probably find the lasting number for that model and see what other options the mfg makes so you know exactly what to buy.

Sizing can (and does) vary between lasts, not only across different companies but even within the same one!

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spambearpig t1_j5nykjr wrote

Zamberlan full grain leather boots have been very comfy and extremely hardwearing for me.

Hoka make the squishiest most ‘walking on clouds’ trainers I’ve ever worn. They are not especially hard wearing, but they are made relatively well.

I also highly rate Inov8 Roclite Pro and Trailfly. These have extremely hard wearing graphene soles and are comfy but in a responsive, agile type way. Not all bouncy like a Hoka.

That’s what worked for me. Your feet may be entirely different and your preferences.

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nahtorreyous t1_j5o7cjd wrote

FYI.. New balance offers wide options, too

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_SGP_ OP t1_j5oqx59 wrote

I think that might be a good choice. Unfortunately nobody seems to define exactly what a wide fit is. I measured my foot and it seems to be 100mm across at the widest part.

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nahtorreyous t1_j5ort3g wrote

https://support.newbalance.com/s/article/How-do-I-know-if-I-m-wearing-the-correct-size-of-shoe

This has a print out, so you can stand on it and verify your size. Most places have something similar

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_SGP_ OP t1_j5ot2d1 wrote

Oh awesome I never saw this guide! Hmm, without printing and going by my rough measurements, I come up as narrow on here, but that doesn't sound right. I'll print the guide off and try, thanks for this!

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nahtorreyous t1_j5ovg94 wrote

No sweat. It says to measure towards the end of the day because your feet swell, throughout the day

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littlestranger1982 t1_j5pm1tu wrote

New balance is one of the few to truly offer a range of width options. They even have extra wide shoes for little kids (which aren’t easy to find). The fit definitely makes a difference.

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tankplanker t1_j5t1gob wrote

If the narrow is too tight I would just go up a width.

Don't forget your feet will splay out more when you stand up and put your full weight on them. The more you weigh the more they splay usually.

I find that I also go down a half size in size with NB if I go up a width fitting so if you on the border of the next size down I would try to get both sizes and return the one that doesn't fit as well.

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tradfletcher t1_j5nwbzw wrote

Let people know where you are and they may be able to recommend shops where salespeople are well trained and who keep quality stock, there are still a few of these around (in the UK at least).

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regaphysics t1_j5p42qu wrote

No foot wear is bifl, and that’s double true for cushioned comfortable footwear.

Hoka is known for being very cushioned, but yeah it’s the standard 300 miles or so.

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ak80048 t1_j5po00g wrote

I used to get about 1k miles out of several Pairs of brooks

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regaphysics t1_j5psyuz wrote

Until what happened? 300 miles isn’t where the shoe falls apart. It’s a loss in ideal cushioning.

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ak80048 t1_j5qavr6 wrote

That seems pretty subjective is there any data behind this? If I changed shoes every 300 miles I’d be getting new ones every few months

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regaphysics t1_j5qgu7s wrote

It is subjective because everyone’s gait and weight is different. Maybe for you it’s longer. But generally speaking, the cushion of the shoes will be long gone by the time it’s literally unwearable.

Edit: also this is the guideline for running not walking, which obviously involves more impact.

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Rd28T t1_j5o0w4f wrote

Go to a real old school shoe shop. The fit is the most important thing.

My family has been going to the same shoe shop for 55 years, nothing beats them.

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_SGP_ OP t1_j5or0lc wrote

Wow, that sounds brilliant!

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Sdmonster01 t1_j5pcqb0 wrote

Crispi, Miendel, scarpa, whites, nicks are all very high quality boots.

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StormTrooperJoe t1_j5ps255 wrote

Good boots are only as good as the socks you wear with them. I highly recommend darn tough; wool socks that stay dry, warm and comfortable with a lifetime warranty

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johnbro27 t1_j5q0mw1 wrote

Lowa GTX waterproof (Goretex) hiking boots. Danner (the ones made in USA, not imported) are still great. Had a pair of Danners for 30 years until they were too far gone to rebuild. The company will completely refurbish even the most worn out ones but they're not cheap. Neither of these options are under $250 USD.

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Sekshual_Tyranosauce t1_j5q6xqe wrote

Walk on clouds leads me to believe you want gushy padding. Shoes like that are disposable. The rubber padding wears out by design so your joints don’t during high impact exercise.

Then on the other end of the spectrum hard soles boots like Nick’s are as long lasting as footwear gets, very comfortable and ergonomically healthy once broken in. But you will never call them gushy.

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F-21 t1_j5oabf2 wrote

> I'm looking for the top teir, walking-on-clouds, high quality, big money footwear that I can wear forever and be comfortable.

You're from the UK. Drive up to Northampton, basically the traditional cobbler capital of the world, have them make you a custom shoe last based on your feet then have one of those shoemakers make whatever you want on that shoe last. That's what you do when money is not a concern.

And even then you'll need more boots and shoes, a single pair will never last forever and won't be as versatile as you want it to be.

Otherwise, if you want awesome sneakers made in the UK, try Crown Northampton. For boots and shoes there's countless cobblers, a good price/performance comes from Loake, though I hear the stuff that's not made in UK isn't very consistent (still high quality if it's made as intended).

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_SGP_ OP t1_j5oqqhz wrote

That's unfortunately an 11 hour drive to pop to Northampton 😅

I'm very rarely out of the county, and even more rare I'm that far north, but it would be fantastic if I'm ever in the area. I had no idea about their reputation, that sounds great!

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F-21 t1_j5ovdfn wrote

Yeah that area is really famous :)

The first part was a bit sarcastic of course... but for the dirty rich people, it's also a possibility.

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achatteringsound t1_j5ow3wg wrote

This is so individual- but my favorite walking shoes are Nike Free Run. Never had a more comfortable walking shoe.

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FilletOfZero t1_j5p1zcq wrote

Brooks for most comfortable, they dont last forever though.

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RwnE_420 t1_j5p1zm6 wrote

For sneakers some of the most comfortable shoes I've worn are Adidas boosts (ultraboost, yeezy 350, yeezy 700v1). They're so comfortable and fit me well even though I also have wider feet. But I would definitely reccomend trying them on before buying.

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ibarmy t1_j5prnxh wrote

Maybe get some loafers for summer. Cant think of anything more comfortable than that.

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SilentSamizdat t1_j5q1o8y wrote

Try ordering those New Balance shoes in wide width.

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Antswan t1_j5qkwwi wrote

Adidas Terrex Free Hiker 2 gore-tex. Best hiking shoe ever

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ImBadWithGrils t1_j5r7bdh wrote

It's pretty personal tbh.

For me, Adidas Ultraboosts are by far the best feeling sneaker I've worn. So comfortable and light it's like nothing is there.

Boots? Salomon hiking boots or Redwing leather boots are what I've got at the moment but I'm eyeing up a set of Nick's that's tempting.

Can you get access to a brannock device to measure your feet? Width plays a big part in fit, not just the typical length measurement you see

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Professional_Show918 t1_j5s40lk wrote

Mephisto shoes, dress shoes feel amazing. I can wear them 12 hours a day.

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zachcaputo t1_j5s72r4 wrote

I wear altra low peak 5s as my daily shoe. Super comfy and wide so your feet are not smooshed and lay naturally in the shoe

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HamBroth t1_j5w59nw wrote

I got some boots from The Office of Angela Scott that are blowing my mind. I also love Beek’s all-leather boots.

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MrBarber1 t1_j60tq5j wrote

Lmao get ready to go down the rabbit hole of expensive and quality footwear to find out what you want. It's a fun journey, goodluck!

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