Here's what the mysterious SAS shoes look like:
http://www.farrarshoestore.com/Pics/sas_shoes.jpg I have no idea whether they're comfortable, because I've never tried them.
I don't usually post on these shoe threads, but I've given this topic A LOT of thought. I have opinions re shoes, but am still looking ofr comfortable walking sandals and am not usre whether there is such a thing, at least for me.
For walking more than a few miles in rustic places or walking on rough terrain or steep trails, I would wear hiking boots, but I wouldn't wear them as "normal" shoes in cities. My hiking boots are usually (maybe always?) Merrell, in the light to medium range.
Other than hiking boots, the most comfortable walking shoe I've found recently is the Merrell Primo Moc for women. (This is NOT the slide version, not the padded insulated winter version, not the "jungle" version, which looks comfortable, but is too wide for me.) It fits perfectly, has a thick sole with pretty good traction for a non-hiking shoe, a well shaped removable insole, and, because it is smooth and not lumpy like athletic shoes, it really doesn't look bad at all with pants, though I wouldn't wear it with a skirt--even a very casual one--because I don't like to wear it without socks. The only drawback is that they are rather hot, even warmer than regular thick tie shoes, possibly because of the stretchy, partly rubber, foam material that replaces a lacing system as a means of keeping them secure and snug on the foot. Before finding these, the most comfortable casual walking shoes I'd found were regular athletic walking shoes (Rockport usually, or sometimes Naturalizer walking oxfords), which I'd get in black, so they just looked like ugly thick shoes and didn't stand out form a 1/2 mile away like the white version.
I almost always buy shoes at discount shoe stores like DSW and Famous Footwear. The one bad thing about that is that often the shoes are discontinued styles. I don't care a bit if they are outdated styles, BUT that does mean that when I find something perfect, I often cannot find it again, a few months later. That's what has happened with the regular Primo Moc. I see the Primo Moc slides, the Jungle Mocs, and other variations, but not the just plain women's closed back Primo Moc shoe.
Sandals--here are lots of comfortable sandals for casual walking, but I've never found sandals that are supportive enough for more heavy duty walking around towns for hours adding up to about 10 miles in a day. I wish I could, because then I could wear them with a skirt, and that would help me travel light, since, unlike pants, a skirt doesn't have to be washed after wearing it for a day of vigorous activity.
Lately I have a problem finding even casual sandals that are OK for up to about 3-5 miles of walking. About 3 1/2 years ago I somehow injured my Achilles heels--on both feet but especially on the right foot. I could barely walk for months, I couldn't wear anything that pressed on the Achilles heel, and walking barefoot or in very flat slides caused severe pain. I wore slides a lot, and found them very comfortable for just hanging around, but they really are not a good idea for long or fast walking. It seems to be much much better now, but if I walk too much in shoes that do not have a high enough heel, or spend too much time barefoot, the Achilles heel gets inflamed again. Before this, I USED to think that Clark's Springers were very comfortable sandals, but, though they are still pretty good for very limited walking, they are too flat for me now and I risk exacerbating the Achilles heel problem if I wear them too much. I also think heavy people need sturdier, more supportive shoes than lightweight people. I can't get by with the kind of shoes that were fine for me when I was young and many pounds lighter.
I recently bought Joseph Seibel sandals at DSW. The heel is just a little flatter than I should wear, but the sole is thick, the straps don't rub, and they're pretty good. Last weekend I walked about 3 miles mostly uphill in DC to a picnic that we were told was a mile away. Most of the people I was walking with also were wearing sandals, and I was the only one of the sandal wearers whose feet didn't hurt.
What I'm looking for is comfortable, supportive sandals that would not look too bad with a skirt, are not too flat for my Achilles problem, have good thick sole, can accommodate a fairly narrow heel without getting dangerously loose (making them useless for support and a risk for turning the ankle), and are comfortable for about 10 miles of walking stretched over a day.
