comfy classic style sneakers?

Stefan (Forum Supporter) said:

AngryCorvair (Forum Supporter) said:

i Have nothing to add for classic-look shoes, but my New Balance 880's make my feet very happy.

I suspect you may have some polos and jorts in your collection as well....

And a corvette? Oh right...

Out of all the retro, simple sneakers, I found the Puma Suede Classic to be the most comfortable to me... And if you are near an outlet center, they always seem to have these on sale in a bunch of colors.  

I'm a Vans guy. Only shoe I will drive the Cayman aggressively in is a slip-on pair of Vans.

I have some of these Nike Killshots....which I love because of the gum soles and general style. A little pricey and often sold out....but all leather and goes with anything. 

DC Anvil TX.

I thought my Adidas fit perfectly until I tried these on

While I mentioned the New Balance 574's previously, the ones I actually have right now are the 515's:


I have these ones on my feet right now. They are very similar to the 574's, but are typically cheaper. I think I paid $30 for these right from their Factory Store. They also come in a million colors and materials, these being canvas and suede.

And holy crap, Simple is back? Haven't seen those since about 1996!

I am such a shoe whore but on my budget that just means a lot of inexpensive shoes.

Sketchers: for me they're comfy, but they don't last long.
Adidas: I broke down and bought some actual running shoes because I am getting more into the fitness/running thing.  I found some UltraBoost sneaks for $38 on a closeout at Dicks and they are lovely.  They aren't the Chucks style you're wanting, but they look very much like a classic sneaker
Merrel/Keen:  Super comfy, high quality, can be found on sale, but also not the style you're looking for.  I have several of the ones that Toyman pictured and I beat the snot out of them and they won't die.  I could walk all day in those, and I have crappy feet.

I have yet to find anything in the All Star look that doesn't suck.  I have some shoe-outlet shoes in that style - low rise with the canvas upper and rubber toe that I use sometimes in the summer, but they are just awful.  I get the same toe-rubbing that you do.  The way my feet/toes are built, I also haven't found a single steel-toe that I can wear without excruciating pain.  I did some design work for a storefront that sold tactical/first responder gear.  He treated me to a custom-fit set of tactical boots with a synthetic steel toe.  I can't wear them and it makes me sad.  They were $350 boots that I got for free and they look great in the bottom of my closet.

not exactly classic styled, but this is exactly the pair of shoes I wear daily, and they're easily the most comfortable pair I've ever owned. I actually bought an identical second set they were so good. 

In reply to Curtis73 (Forum Supporter) :

I've heard (read) people talking up the PF Flyers. I have no experience though.

Well, I ordered some of the Converse Chuck-70s after reading a lot of reviews about how much more comfortable they were than the originals. We'll see...but it will be a couple weeks till they get here. They threw a 15% discount down on first purchase with free shipping direct from the Converse site, so that was enough to tip me over to trying them out.  

If I remember I'll give an update when they come in.

Toyman01 (Forum Supporter) said:

Not classic style in any way, but I made the switch from sneakers to a casual style shoe. They are super comfortable and provide enough support to walk in all day. 

I usually buy Keens or Merrells. Something like this. 

 

Yes, this ^^^^^. I bought a pair of Merrell's just like that about 15 years ago, probably the original style. If I could do a marathon I would have worn them. (I can't do a marathon). I wore them every day and wore them out. Now I have a new pair designed especially for cold weather. Winter Merrell's. Waterproof, insulated, and slip proof. It's almost as if they have suction cups on the soles when you're on ice. It's May, and it's unusually cold and blustery in SoNE, so I'm still wearing them. But not right now because I'm in bed. So I got out of bed to take this pic, because every post needs a pic. Annie questioned why I was taking a picture of my shoes, and I didn't have a good answer. That's why I'm an UltraDork. And I'm proud of it.

Pic added next day:

New Balance 608 - comes in 3 or 4 colors if I remember right.

There is no substitute.

Tough to go wrong with new balance. When I'm not in my boots (which admittedly is rare) I rock the classic dad shoe 

yeah, no dad shoes. I did the Merrell jungle mocs thing for years. They're OK but I much prefer my Sperry boat shoes for that kind of look. Plus as much as I like Merrell their quality and fit has dropped off in the last couple years for me.

I admit, I like to dress with a bit of style, although it's not really high fashion or anyone else's style. I wear a brimmed hat or flat cap almost every day, I like color and patterns and I'm pretty picky about what I wear even if its just the right t-shirt. Of course, I'm talking about work and activities not mowing the yard or working in the shop. 

I've been wearing hi-top Vans for the last ~15 years.  They're confortable and since they have a slim profile they offer good pedal feel (auto-x). The ankle-support varys by model.  I'm sad my go-to pair will need to be retired, they've gotten sooo soft and comfortable.

I just checked the Vans website and it looks like Vans does have a few different options for padding/performance.  You can create your own custom colors and upgrade the sole, etc.  Kind of pricey, but also neat.

The one mistake I repeatedly make is that when I find a pair of shoes I like at a good price I should just buy a few extra pairs while they're still available.  I don't buy shoes often, so I usually wait until I see a sale/clearance price before I ever pull the trigger.  My last two pairs of Vans were at some crazy post-holiday outlet sale where I only paid $15 for two pairs.  I should have bought extras.

Once retail gets more normal, I'll probably go to the outlet compare the low-top Nike/Puma/Adidas suggestions earlier in this thread. 

I suggest taking a look at Etnies, they're skate shoes so they do have lots of padding if you're looking for comfort.   I had a pair of suede Lo-Cuts (below) and they were very lightweight.  I replaced them w/a pair w/the rubber trim all the way around and they were too clunky/heavy.  

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3 of my favorite shoe brands (and I'm a shoe whore) that I haven't seen mentioned here: 

Crocs (seriously)

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Ecco: 

Allen Edmonds: 

In reply to ultraclyde (Forum Supporter) :

You're missing out on the dad shoes 

And these just arrived: 

Old_Town said:

Out of all the retro, simple sneakers, I found the Puma Suede Classic to be the most comfortable to me... And if you are near an outlet center, they always seem to have these on sale in a bunch of colors.  

 

Came to say this. Awesome sneakers in my opinion. 

pres589 (djronnebaum) said:

Addidas Classics or Sambas are my jam.  Don't be afraid to cut down the tongue on a pair of Sambas if you like them otherwise.

Been wearing Adidas Sambas for 40 years. Very comfortable. Have a whole assortment of colors and collaborations.

shoe canoe?

alfadriver said:

shoe canoe?

Would they not be....... Boat shoes?! 

I picked up a pair of these a couple of weeks ago.  Insanely comfortable. 

Merrell Cameleon 8

I switched to Asics after being a new balance fan for like 20+ years. Got tired of the new new balance falling apart. Bottoms falling off within the first 3 wears. Thats sad too because im really nice to my new shoes and rotate daily. 
 

i loved my NB minimus, they kinda got me back on the flats so now im looking for the classic addidas, puma or wanting to try some Onitsukas like Yupididit mentioned earlier. My hipster brother has been wearing them a long time. 

Air Force 1s for sure, Nike Internationalist are also good.