your favorite walking shoes

[5S8Zh5]

After a PM from bykfixer, pulled the trigger on a pair of Simple brand shoes. I volunteer at a pharmacy and am on my feet for 3 hours plus, which I like as sitting around for too long isn't good for you at all. I have no problems with the two shoes I posted in this thread (Salomon and Crocs), but I'm always on the lookout for a good walking / working shoe.

[bykfixer]

Those Daddy-O's look mighty cool. Every cool kid at Arnolds Drive In would have been sporting a pair if they were made back then.
Instead they were probably wearing Keds or Randys. (btw there was no Randy, that company was named after the town Randolph Massechusetts where their first factory was.)

Hopefully they'll be good "standing" shoes too.

[5S8Zh5]

After my last post I discovered a company called Simple shoes had been revived in 2018...

Thanks for the recommendation. I decided to check them out and found these on the 'bay - search New Mens SIMPLE BRAND 50's Daddy-O Black ECO Shoes US 9. About half the price of a new set on amazon, different model though. Through PM with bykfixer, these never made it into production. Bottom line: very comfortable. Glad I got them for sure. Though they look kind of like Chuck Taylors, they exceed them in comfort by a long shot.

vglx8OWl.jpg

[bykfixer]

I spoke with Simple who indicated the Daddy-O was an idea conceived, a few prototypes made and owner Decker shoes shelved the Simple line so it never went into production. Nine pairs in size 9 is all there were.
Good score!!

Not long before Christmas I decided to try a shoe from the Vans MTE lineup. Black suede skateboard shoes with a skotch guard coating, a protruding lugs sole and inside lined with a layer of velvety warm cloth.
The MTE idea is a cross between their snowboarding and skateboard line up. The Sk8-Hi MTE is a cool weather shoe, but not a snow shoe per sae. Yet they are a skateboard shoe that works well in cold weather when things get muddy.
The protruding outsole also makes a nice walking shoe when the mercury drops. Extra shock absorption without feeling mushy and without looking like a cross between hiking boots and ballet slippers.

[StarHalo]

I decided to try a shoe from the Vans

If you want to walk in Vans, search "ComfyCush", but be aware it's still not on the materials-tech/comfort level of Nike's React/Zoom/ZoomX or Adidas' Boost.

[bykfixer]

Addidas insoles can be found in some Rockport walking shoes and Nike insoles in some Converse skateboard shoes.

Me personally, I don't care if Nike shoes can stop hair from growing in my nose or make me 24 years old again I'll never spend another penny on anything made by that guy.

But I don't mind these sidewalk surfer shoes one bit.


Minimalist linen canvas outside with the UltraCush inside.

[RedLED]

Fixer,

Maybe you you know about this... on our drive to our place in Beverly Hills, we pass what seems to be a mile long Van's factory just before Riverside, CA. No matter the time we never see any trucks, there are dozens of loding bays, yet never any trucks?

Anyway, Van's still look cool, I may get a pair just for fun!

Best,

RL

[bykfixer]

Far as I know red the factory is closed now. I suppose that's why no trucks?

They are owned by the folks who own Columbia and other out door related apparel companies. Fake Vans coming in from Mexico in the 80's nearly put them out of business, so they put the company up for sale and were bought by a conglomorate who thought making funky shoes could compete. Nope.
VF Corparation bought them in the early 2000's and focused on making tons of versions of the originals and it worked. They'll never compete with Nike or Addidas but are definitely doing ok in 2020.

If you opt for a pair definitely go with ones with ultracush insoles.
My favorite Vans are a line called SF (for surf friendly). Old style shoes, all with really nice insoles.


These 1950's era shoes are called "destruct SF"

[ven]

I have been following with interest mr fixer on FB, although not commented. Very cool and i have come to the assumption........you must nearly have enough shoes to match your flashlight count. I want to know what you do with all those boxes

[bykfixer]

Well, the ones that come from outlet stores have what they call cut boxes where the lid is removed. Those boxes are used to keep my DVD's and Blu Ray discs in. We unplugged about 15 years ago and watch dvd's and blu rays. So we explore the $3 bin a lot and over time probably have had a few thousand. But we donate every so often to thin out the collection.

Some shoes are limited edition, like 25th anniverssary surf shop etc specialty types and they stay in the original box when not worn.

With some, at Christmas everybody thought they had gotten skate shoes for Christmas as items we gave away all went into them.

Some stay in the box for use later down the road. Take checkered slip on Vans for example. Those will probably be made for the next 50 years since those are popular. But ones like the orange flowered ones above were a novelty. Nothing special about them except that they won't be around next year. So some were purchased thinking they'll be worn in a couple of years, like ones I stashed at my dads 20 years ago and are now my favorite(s).



Nowhere near the number as flashlights, but if the government ever bans skateboard shoes I'll be ok for a decade or so.

[bykfixer]

Once upon a time I had me some of those checkered Vans slip on shoes that were made famous from the movie Fast Times at Ridgemont High. Life goes by and things get lost. I bought another pair in the early 90's when Vans were still made in America. Man, I loved those shoes. Not long ago I went digging through my old closet at my pop's house and found some nice old relics yet no checkered slip on's. Dratz.

Eh, I'll be ok I thought. A few weeks went by and the ocd voices convinced me to go to the mall and buy some more. Things hadn't changed much. They were slabs in the 80's and still are today. Origin of manufacture was the only real change. I slid in a set of Dr Scholl's odor eaters and was set. The little extra padding made a big dif.

Then one day I stumbled across an online clearance sale on checkered slip on Comfy Cush shoes at a huge skateboard e-store called CCS. The so-called Comfy Cush line differs from Comfy Cush insoles that are installed in some of the models. The actual CC line are a simplified construction in a much lighter weight shoe along with a softer, better supportive sole and insert. The difference is striking.

Both shoes weigh about as much as one of the classic model. Walking in them is like going from a go kart to a automobile. They're not squishy. Matter of fact when walking on carpeting they feel a bit stiffer. When encountering a hard surface the difference becomes obvious. It's like walking on shock absorbers.

The toe box area is roomier, the covering over the padding around the ankle is improved and the heel cup is sturdier, oh and a few millimeters taller.

Unlike many Vans with removable Comfy Cush insoles these are glued in. They have a cordura type covering and an arch support you hardly notice but is definitely there.


A classic versus the new Comfy Cush profile. Top is the new kind.
Pretty close to the same look, but mucho more improved.


The sole has some built in shock absorption too.
Top is the new kind.

Now Vans says they are moisture wicking throughout. Got me how that works. So I did something old school to create positive ventilation. Installed some 5/32" eyelets.


Ordinary house holds tools. Awl to poke a hole, scissors to trim the hole(s), mini needle nose shapes the inside half of the eyelet a bit to keep it in place until the needle nose vice grips squish the eyelet anvil style.
The key is a tight hole and when the eyelet is inserted you massage around the outside to ensure no cloth is covering the inner portion when applying pressure with the vice grips.


The finished product.

[StarHalo]

So you can see what a big difference little changes in the design can make; now imagine making the entire sole of the shoe from the cushy insole material, replacing the canvas with breathable mesh knit, adding suede and leather touches just for style, then getting it at more than half off retail..

[bykfixer]

Rockport has a slip on version of their popular XCS series.



I've had my tie up version for so long I had forgotten to see if they still make them since I stashed a couple of pairs back when I started this thread back in 2015. See post 1 for the tie up version. I'm on pair #2 with #3 still stashed. But yesterday I was in the store that sells them and gladly they still carry them. And now a slip on version that fit very well. They slip on easily and stay on well.

At some point Rockport was purchased by Addidas. The original XCS had what are called Adiprene insoles from Addidas soccer shoes. Well it seems Rockport got a divorce from Addidas and filed chapter 11 after having to pay Addidas a bunch of money in the process. No more Adiprene insoles, which was the charm of XCS shoes for all day comfort. Now they use "trutech" insoles that are a hybrid of neoprene and memory foam with some kind of moisture control something or other. But are they like wearing shoes with Adiprene insoles? In short, yes. But better. Same all day comfort with better odor control and now they are replaceable too. The original tie up kind also have the replaceable trutech insoles now.
They used to run between $85 and $95. Now they are $75 to $79. So it turns out they are at least as good as they used to be while costing a little bit less. It was like going to the grocery store and seeing green Kool Aid again. Woohoo!!

[Lynx_Arc]

Sadly my favorite comfortable walking shoes was originally a Nike pair with velcro straps. When they were discontinued I went to Walmart and bought their cheap velcro shoes and they were good and both me and my dad wore them for decades and as they were cheap we would have 2-3 pairs of them using the old pairs for lawn moving and such till they completely fell apart. They were great till some idiot decided that everyone in the world now has fat feet and they stopped selling "normal" width velcro shoes entirely along with everyone else and till I found some at Academy sports the only choice I had was a $90 pair of new balance and my budget was only about $30 at most. I still am buying the academy sports velcro shoes but compared to the fit of the walmart ones in the past they are considerably wider and don't last as long and not as comfortable either. I think the "normal" sizes of shoes has changed to wider than normal because I bought some work shoes with protective toes that are too wide in that area and my feet slide and chafe my big toes so much I had to wear a piece of foam around them to stop the pain and buildup of huge callouses. Since my feet are narrow I don't like boots or anything that is high top because the heels tend to be lose and hard to keep my heel from sliding on high top versions.
I've found since I've gotten older my toes hurt after being on my feet all day too.

[5S8Zh5]

When you find the perfect shoe - get spares. I've got three pairs of Salomon XA Pro 3D - all the same style. First purchased in 2016 and two in 2020.

[Lynx_Arc]

When you find the perfect shoe - get spares. I've got three pairs of Salomon XA Pro 3D - all the same style. First purchased in 2016 and two in 2020.

The problem is the perfect shoe vanished over 20 years ago and my spares wore out over 17 years ago now I'm using adequate shoes but not as good of a fit and affordable in my current financial state. I tend to walk a lot and wear out shoes more than I used to because I am also about 20-30 lbs heavier too.

[bykfixer]

Several posts ago I mentioned how Simple shoes has been revived. The new owner was using a small site to sell directly to consumers bypassing the middle man. In August the Hurley family quietly purchased Simple shoes. This could be big, or result in another small company bought by a big company only to be sold at fire sale price later. Time will tell.

In the meantime Simple makes some mighty comfy, mighty durable shoes with an old school flair.

On another note, famous hiking shoe maker Keen has entered the work boot market with a bang. The original models were fashioned like hikers but with reflective stitching, rubber toe cap and super good insoles. Some are domestic US made and some are made in Asia. Both at decent prices to sock good old Red Wing with an upper cut to the chin.

Last year they introduced a wedge sole style boot with a 74a durometer urethane out sole infused with millions of air bubbles. The result is a cross between an athetic shoe and a work boot. The original model the San Jose is an ugly old Craftsman looking number. It has a similar look and feel. Instead of a crepe sole it uses the urethane outsole with a thin slab of firm rubber to walk on. They have added to that line with one called the Colorado that looks just like those old Craftsman numbers down to the replaceable soles.
I wear the dark brown San Jose at work standing and walking for 10-12 hours a day and my knees definitely appreciated the air infused urethane.