starrs

"My closet needs to be cleaned out and I should just donate all the misfits and forget how much they cost."

bramsole, I'm not a shoe freak but I have WAY too many shoes. I can't tell you how many pairs of sandals I have, and I've worn two pair of Mephisto sandals almost every warm day for 4-5 years. I wear the Bare Traps (I discovered last year) when I am going somewhere I don't want to "mess up" my Mephistos. If I do $/wear averaging, they are less a $1/day - which is a bargain. The comfort level is heads and shoulders over anything else I've worn (Clark, Merrills, etc).

I don't have any winter Mephistos but wish I did

volcanogirl

Bookmarking.

bramsole

Y'all want to know what I think? I would probably pay $500.00 for a pair of shoes. When it comes to comfort, you can't place a price on it. The problem is, I am looking at these Mephistos's, they look good, review are good, but how on earth can you know they will not be hurting in 5-10 miles? Or any shoe for that matter. That's the issue for most of us. Everyone can give their opinion, but everyone is different. But I ask just the same.Just sayin!

sharona

I've got a couple of pairs of Mephisto shoes and a few pairs of sandals and, honestly, I think their sandals are much more comfortable and supportive than their shoes. I know that doesn't make any sense for sandals to offer more support and comfort than a closed shoe but that's what I've discovered. I don't find any shoe comfortable after 6 or 7 miles, even my most supportive sneakers.

I simply related my experience above with Merrell boots. I walked all over NYC last winter in a pair of Merrell boots and didn't have any problems, although I don't think we walked for miles on end. My friends didn't have comfortable footware so we occasionally jumped in a taxi.

I can't personally recommend Keen since I don't have any but have you looked at their boots? Most people like that brand for comfort and they have some fairly nice looking waterproof boots.

starrs

sharona makes a good point. The Mephistos that I love and will (and have) spent hundreds of dollars on are sandals with cork insoles. And they are sandals that are "high" sandals - almost dressy sandals. I really need shoes with a good arch support and flat sandals (of any brand) don't work well for me.

bramsole, I looked at some Mephisto boots and it doesn't look like they have the cork insoles. I'm not as sure they will be as comfortable as my M sandals.

"but how on earth can you know they will not be hurting in 5-10 miles?"
With my first pair, I didn't. I had just read so much great stuff about Mephistos I decided they would be my splurge for my Paris trip. It was actually too cold (in May) for the Mephistos but as soon as we got to Provence they were on my feet and didn't come off until winter. I still use those sandals as my "knock around" sandals. I paid about $150 for those and that was the most I'd paid for shoes - and they were more than worth it. Putting them on is truly an "ah!" moment. I ordered the next pair via Zappos, but they were SO expensive I didn't wear them for a long time. I though the Bare Traps (inexpensive version with cork insoles) would work and wore them. They started to wear down pretty fast, so I opened the Mephisto box and put them on. Again, I've worn them almost every day since. They are not really dressy but not casual either, so I wear them a lot for work and wear them almost every day no matter what I'm doing. I switched out to tennis shoes on Saturday (after standing on my feet for hours for work) and the tennis shoes were good for a change for a few hours. But the Mephistos came back on to go to the theatre on Saturday night. That "Ah!" moment is well worth it to me.

Go to Nordstrom's and try some on.

schmerl

Keens are very comfortable. I have only worn their sandals though. Great for walking.

starrs

bramsole, these aren't my shoes but they are the style/silhouette of the sandals (arch support with cork insole)

First pair -
http://www.gomephisto.com/pinkyblack.html

Second pair -
http://www.gomephisto.com/babatablack.html
Mine aren't thongss but are similar in sole design. I wasn't sure I like the exposed cork on the sides, but ended up keeping them and love the feel/wear of them.

If I were going to buy a pair for a walking visit to NYC, I'd buy one of these. I have enough confidence that the heel height/arch support would work for me and I'd get more wear out of them at home than boots -
http://www.zappos.com/mephisto-womens-clogs-mules~1

Bwino

Thanks for asking the question bramsole, I am looking for good walking shoes for NYC in December, I have very small feet which makes the choices smaller. May have to wait till I arrive in NYC to buy a pair, I live on a tropical island where these sort of shoes are not available and I want to try them on not buy on line. Good luck.

sf7307

bwino, go to Tip Top Shoes when you're in NY:

http://www.tiptopshoes.com/

TC

Bramsole, My two cents worth is this:

(1) Do NOT take a new pair of anything with you for this trip. Buy something now and wear them and wear them and wear them, until you are sure they are comfy.

(2) Buy shoes at least a half, if not a whole size, larger than your normal size. Feet swell from flying and from walking all day. Even your most comfortable shoes from home, can start to pinch and rub. I have shoes especially for travel that are large enough to accommodate this fact.

(3) Buy low cut boots. You will need boots in NY, but anything that is higher than ankle will get hot when you are inside. Look at the cute new shoe/boots. Hot feet are not happy feet.

(4) Change your shoes during the day. Your feet need the change in structure. If you wear your boots all day, change into something different for evening or change shoes from one day to the next.

(5) Soak your feet every night in hot, soapy water. Even if you don't feel like you need it, your feet will thank you the next day.

(6) Buy and wear very good, thick, cotton socks. This makes a world of difference in how your feet are able to stay cool and dry. No nylons or synthetics.

(7) Keep Band-aids in your purse. At the very first inkling of a rub, cover the spot with a Band-aid so you don't get a blister.

My favorite boots are a pair I got at Aerosole. They are lightweight and waterproof. The soles are cushy and comfortable for walking all day. You can always add an insole if you need more arch support.

You asked how to know if the boots/shoes will feel good. Order from www.zappos.com I order shoes in every size that I even think might fit. Put them on at home and walk, walk, walk. Put a size 9 on one foot and a size 10 on the other to feel the difference. Compare one boot to another by wearing one of each. Zappos has free shipping both ways, so you can try on a 100 different styles -- keep what you like and send the rest back for free.

TC

The "faux leather" really holds up well in salty, sloppy, snow and comes out looking fine with just a wet wipe and a little polish. The style is clean enough to be fine with trousers or with a skirt and dark tights. I've had my pair for years.

http://www.aerosoles.com/product1.asp?P=HUDSONRIVER

sf7307

No matter what anyone recommends, the only good shoe is one that fits your feet. I say this because there are several brands mentioned in this thread that I generally find uncomfortable.

suze

ditto what sf7307 says above. Mephistos & Merrells don't work for me... AT ALL. They are horrible. I absolutely would be looking at boots, not shoes, for NYC in February. You need to try them on for yourself. I had a pair of LizFlex (Liz Claiborne brand) low black rubber sole boots that were fabulous, for example.

ita

I have reached the stage in life where I don't want to wear any shoes that are uncomfortable. I just bought a pair that will do for dress shoes that are comfortable and I am disposing of all the pairs of ill fitting shoes I have accumulated.

ellenem

I agree with sf7307. I live in NYC and have tried some of the brands mentioned but they don't work for me. You can start from these recommendations but you really have to try on the different brands and styles and take the plunge by purchasing a pair. Only then will you know what is perfect for you.

I have found that the majority of Ecco styles work well for my feet. I wear a larger size that veers toward wide as well and most styles seem to hit my arch in the wrong place. (Recently a shoe clerk measured my foot and explained that my "foot" [arch location] is one size but my "toes" are the next size up.) Something about the way Ecco shoes are sized hits my feet in all the right spots.

As someone else said, I am willing to pay more for comfortable shoes that really fit since they are my major form of transportation.

KatieFS

have you tried putting a good quality over the counter insert into your uggs? there are tons of good boots with arch supports, but if you can't find any, its a good idea to buy otc and put them in your shoes!

BlueSwimmer

I have to disagree with TC on one issue, although the rest of the advice is dead on for walking lots of miles in the city.

Cotton socks: My hubby is very prone to hot spots and blisters. We always wondered how we could both walk miles and my feet would be fine but he would get blisters.

Then I realized I always wear socks that blend merino and synthetic, like SmartWool. I learned about high tech synthetic socks that breathe and prevent blisters when I was training for a half marathon. I also love the Balega brand.

He always wore cotton socks, which don't breathe as well as wool/synthetic blends and can get saggy and bunch up more easily too. Once he switched to Smartwool, his blister problem was solved!



I also recommend moleskin, precut into small pieces, applied to hot spots before they turn into blisters.

I love Merrells and Clarks but found a cheaper alternative that served me very well on a trip to Italy last year: Naturalizer. I think of it as an old lady brand but found a cute style with excellent support for walking.

portiaperu

WOLKY!

Here is my response to another thread asking about comfortable walking shoes:

For a woman I would recommend several of the Wolky styles. I have two pairs of the Jewel sandals and have worn them extensively on travels throughout Europe and the US, covering miles of cobblestones, roughly paved (and some unpaved) trails, and typical city sidewalks. They are completely adjustable, have a lovely interior cushioning, and are very high quality. There is a wide range of leathers and colors available (I currently have red and black patent.)

See: http://www.wolky.com/

I would advise against flats. I believe advice from specialists (medical) is to wear a small heel or platform (my preference) for maximum comfort and protection
when walking.

Happy travels!

___________

And, I've worn the sandals with a variety of socks and been very comfortable in cold weather and inclement weather (I'm a New Englander.) The fully adjustable Wolky can't be beat in my opinion. There are, of course, closed styles available as well.

portiaperu

Writing about shoes got me thinking about purchasing shoes. I just browsed the website listed above and I believe the "Jewel" sandals I am talking about are listed as "Tulip" on the Wolky website.

Trying to avoid confusion . . . .