Need a new pair of boots and a new pair of walking shoes

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Arya Ebrahimi

Arya Ebrahimi

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Well, I'm going to aussie land in May and will be doing a LOT of walking. My current Asolo's are 7 years old and are showing their age. They've been to hell and back and I really can't knock them in the least. Well, I couldn't until I bought the exact same pair of boots again 2 years ago and they absolutely sucked. So I'm in the market again.

What do you guys recommend? I want something classic looking and suitable for daily wear on campus without looking like a tool. The Vasque Sundowner Classic's come to mind as a boot that I absolutely love the look of, but looking at them in the store they scratch way too easily for me to keep them looking anything close to presentable. Obviously looks are not everything(duh), but they are to be considered. I have long narrow feet with a low arch(not flat footed, but not your normal high arch either). Price is a consideration as always, but I am willing to pay for quality boots that will last another 7-10 years.

I also need a pair of casual walking shoes. My current ones have developed a hole in the sole and are starting to fall apart at the seams. Can we see a trend here? I tend to wear out my shoes before giving up on them. I'd like something comfortable to walk in, but dressy enough to wear with jeans and a dress shirt and be presentable. I saw some 'Earth' brand shoes on sierra trading post that looked rather appealing, but don't know anything about the brand. Any help here would be great too.

Thanks, and sorry for the novel ;p

Ary
 
These are the Earth Oxford's I was talking about:

10051_05


http://www.sierratradingpost.com/p/345,10051_Earth-Vintage-Oxford-Shoes-For-Men.html
 
I don't have much to say about footwear just that whatever you get look into getting some Superfeet insoles. They are really nice and better for your feet if you are going to do a lot of walking.
 
Arya Ebrahimi said:
These are the Earth Oxford's I was talking about:
Click to expand...

Uhm those look freaking gay dude.

I've got a pair of vasque that are about 9/10 years old and are still my daily drivers. Love em probably gonna get them resold. Damn things are indestructable and I felt that around 6/7 years old they were just getting broken in, had people at the time thought I was nuts for paying somewhere in the neighborhood of 300+ for them but now 10 years later I'm the one laughing.
 
Try lowa boots or if you really want to spend some money and go heavy duty try Limmer Boots

www.limmerboot.com
 
i'm on my 2nd pair of sundowners.like your asolos i don't like them as well as the first pair(2nd pair made in china-1st in italy)but they are getting better.if you can find the nubuck they don't show scars nearly as bad as slick leather.only thing they are hard to find in a narrow these days(thats what i wear also)as for hiking and packing i don;t wear boots anymore i wear trail runners,vasque velocity,have had 2 pair & love both of them,very breathable & lightweight.can't say enough about smartwool socks either-only way to go
 
Thanks cruiserbent,

I don't actually need narrow width, I fit in Mediums just find, I just have a narrow 'medium' and some boots fit better than others.

I didn't know they made the sundowners in nubuck, I'll have to check them out, thanks!

I wear a pair of trail runners as "running shoes" but I'm looking for more of a casual shoe, like posted above.

Reffug,

You're kinda gay! :flipoff2:

Ary

PS I LIVE in smartwools, love them to death
 
x2 on the vasque in nubuck, I snosealed mine, and it gave a nice semigloss that was indestructible. (well, except for the ravages of time)
five years later (341 days/year, work and play) they finally kicked it, and I bought a pair of red wings, smooth leather :crybaby: what a PITA to keep looking nice!
walking shoes, don't know, I'm an all around boot kinda guy, but my dad and brother swear by clarks, they're kinda fugly (the shoes, not my family) but they're built tough (unless china got them too)
 
Well I bought a pair of clarks for walking/casual shoes.

I think I'm going to give the Limmer's a try. I really like them, and my parents decided to buy them as a present, so they have come into range financially :D
 
x3 on the Lowa's.

One of the most comfortable hiking boots I've worn. They are exceptionally light, just compare them to a similar boot and feel the difference. The only thing I don't like about them is they can't be resoled, but that's not specific to that brand, most newer boots can't.

For regular walking shoes I like Ecco's, their boots are comfortable too, but they're really not built for heavy duty hiking. They'd work well for just urban walking because they look more like normal shoes rather than outdoor hikers. I've got wide flat feet, so you'd just have to try on different shoes until you find a brand that fits well.

I'm a cheap bastard, but after nearly crippling myself with some bad shoes, I won't think twice about spending $200 on a comfortable pair of shoes. If you're going on vacation and doing a lot of walking, it's definitely worth the extra money to get good shoes. You'll be able to enjoy your vacation a whole lot more if your feet are comfortable, rather than always looking for a place to sit down.

oh yeah, x2 on the superfeet also. If you've got flat feet, it helps a lot. But it takes a couple of days to really get used to it, the first time you wear them they're gonna feel really uncomfortable. Yeah, they're expensive at nearly $30, compared to the cheap $5 insoldes at Walmart, but it took me years before I finally broke down and bought one, now i have them in every pair of shoes I wear.
 
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ducktapeguy said:
x3 on the Lowa's.

One of the most comfortable hiking boots I've worn. They are exceptionally light, just compare them to a similar boot and feel the difference. The only thing I don't like about them is they can't be resoled, but that's not specific to that brand, most newer boots can't.

For regular walking shoes I like Ecco's, their boots are comfortable too, but they're really not built for heavy duty hiking. They'd work well for just urban walking because they look more like normal shoes rather than outdoor hikers. I've got wide flat feet, so you'd just have to try on different shoes until you find a brand that fits well.

I'm a cheap bastard, but after nearly crippling myself with some bad shoes, I won't think twice about spending $200 on a comfortable pair of shoes. If you're going on vacation and doing a lot of walking, it's definitely worth the extra money to get good shoes. You'll be able to enjoy your vacation a whole lot more if your feet are comfortable, rather than always looking for a place to sit down.

oh yeah, x2 on the superfeet also. If you've got flat feet, it helps a lot. But it takes a couple of days to really get used to it, the first time you wear them they're gonna feel really uncomfortable. Yeah, they're expensive at nearly $30, compared to the cheap $5 insoldes at Walmart, but it took me years before I finally broke down and bought one, now i have them in every pair of shoes I wear.
Click to expand...

Maybe these guys can resole your lowas. They have done a couple of pairs of boots for me and did well (before NEW MANAGEMENT)

http://rmresole.com/hiking.html
 
I think my all around fav for pretty much any outdoor activity is now the Alaska hiker by Meindl from Cabelas. These things are the s***. I've worn them thru 1 hunting season (a little tough to break in at first) and this winter, but they're waterproof, have a cork footbed that conforms to your foot, rash guard, 8" high, and comfortable as hell. Downside: 100 g thinsulate, not much, but not enough sometimes. Bonus: they look great (see pic below).

http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/t...&Ntx=mode+matchall&Nty=1&Ntt=meindl&noImage=0


I just remembered the Meindl's Perfekts too. I'm gonna get these for summer hiking after my Vasques give it up. No insulation, 7".
http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/t...e+matchall&Nty=1&Ntt=meindl+perfekt&noImage=0
alaska_meindl.webp
 
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mj1015 said:
Maybe these guys can resole your lowas. They have done a couple of pairs of boots for me and did well (before NEW MANAGEMENT)

http://rmresole.com/hiking.html
Click to expand...

I've used this place before

http://davepagecobbler.com/

for some other repairs and wanted to get resole at the same time. Unfortunately, they were saying these types of boots can't be resoled because of the construction. I think usually the heavier and more expensive backpacking and mountaineering boots usually can be, but not many of the newer lightweight ones. Next time I buy, I might check before hand which ones can be resoled, because a lot of times I think the boot can be saved, it's just the sole that's been worn flat.
 
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