NYC-Walking Shoes
 

Anyone have advise on comfortable and warm walking shoes for New York? I'll be there from NYE to Jan 4th. I've heard about La Canadienne but they are hard to find in a state like CA.

Look for Santana, they are Canadian shoes. Waterproof leather, usually lined with flannel or something warm.
For January, boots would be good, skip the shoes.

Nordstom's catalogue carries both brands. Just go to www.nordstrom.com. I always buy La Canadienne-they are terrific and run true to size. They are made in Canada. I was in Nordstrom's last week, and noticed that the Santana's were also nice. I'm not sure if they are made in Canada. You can buy online, and if you need to, you can send the merch. back if there is a fitting problem. I think if you have to change sizes you do not have to pay for shipping the 2nd time.

http://www.lordjohnsfootwear.com/pro...?idCategory=16

Santana Boots-I think you can look at pictures of the boots and get an idea..they are made in Canada.

I have a pair of Santana lace-up ankle boots, and they're very nice--warm-ish, as they're lined with flannel, and waterproof. They're very comfy,and run true to size. I also like that they're not big and clunky (although I adore Uggs, too!)Whatever brand you choose, just get something waterproof and black! NYC makes for dirty, dirty shoes.

Despite what someone said on another thread about waterproof shoes/boots being everywhere, that was my mission today and I struck out at all the majors--Nordstrom, Neimans, Saks, L&T, Dillards. Nordstrom tried to sell me a pair of patent leather (oh the water will run right off them) Prada boots...teeny little heel despite my mission statement of a decent looking waterproof shoe or boot for walking miles and miles in the rain in Paris. My feet were never as miserable as they were in soggy London and I don't want an encore!

I saw some Santana lace up boots in Travelsmith.com...not bad. Not the same as your link Scarlett. Have never bought shoes online, but you all say they run true to size and are very comfortable? Any other suggestions? It doesn't look like I'm going to have any luck in Tampa. In a state with 350 something days of sunshine, I guess waterproof isn't a high priority.

Oh I did see a pair of Burberry plaid rubber boots, made by the same. They were a bit over the top but sure would have done the trick! lol

Just looked at your LordJohnFootwear Scarlett. <i>Lots</i> more choices!! Oh...when I passed on the Prada's my Nordstrom salesman moved on to Paul Green...also in your website. I tried on the first 4 shoes on the site...all cute, but too casual for what I wanted and again, not water proof. Cute shoes though..may have to have a pair for jeans here. Have you ever bought from that website?

Has anybody tried Zappo's.com? My daughter-in-law orders shoes and boots from there regularly. They won't ship to us in Canada but she gets them shipped here to my daughter's in NY and eventually somebody brings them across the border for her. She says the prices are great and they have a wide selection of brands and styles.

Ahhh Shoe Shopping~
Sometimes it seems that I live to find the perfect pair of shoes..and it seems I have not quite found them yet!
I have never bought shoes online. I must try them on, walk in them, wiggle my toes and generally, break them in , in the store, before I decide they really don't feel all the right and give them back. But then, once in a while, I will put on a shoe and it was made for me!
Nordstroms is having their Half Yearly Sale-wonderful if you like being a part of a huge herd of ardent shoe shoppers.
My including the site was merely to illustrate the shoe, not the site..I envy those who are able to shop without trying on.
I have had Santana boots for years. They are always comfortable, never look worn out and are definitely warm and keep your feet dry. We are talking about walking in the chilly rain here, I have worn mine, ankle deep in snow and those little feet have stayed fine.
I believe there is a huge mall in Orlando Fl? Perhaps that would be worth the drive to find the right shoes? Or what about Palm Beach? I hear they have some nice things? :)
FYI- I did buy a pair of Paul Greens. Got them home, thought they were a tad casual but great for long walks in big parks with a Pup. The next day I put them on and they hurt. They are now back in the store.
My most favorite shoe of all right now and I think one of you ladies has them- ICONS~
What a treat to talk about shoes as I wake up :D

I almost always order my shoes on-line because it's so hard to find my size in stores (size 10.5 feet!). I usually order from nordstrom.com, but have also ordered from zappos. I've had good experiences with both.

I second Ugg. They are very comfortable and warm. They make great winter walking shoes for NYC.

About two years ago I bought a pair of Prada boots that have a very thick rubber sole, square toe, very very comfy.

OO-while you should know any kicky little heel will kill your feet while doing any city walking, I bet your feet looked great!

What ever boot you pick, make sure it has a thick rubber sole and is waterproof.

JeanG, you must be tall. sigh~
I find that my feet get quite cranky when in these pointy toed shoes and it is still hard to find anything that has a stylish look that is still comfy.
Prada has a pair of almost elastic seeming, high boots with small heels, that would be great for travel..they would go with everything!
If I were not heading South this winter, I would be verrry tempted!

Stuart Weitzman has several styles of ankle boots made of gore tex that's waterproof &amp; stretchy. Some have lining for warmth, some don't. They're sold at all the major dept stores, Nordstrom, Saks etc, &amp; also have their own Weitzman store on Park Ave. &amp; about 56th.

Another brand that's been mentioned here for comfort is Taryn Rose. Saw them on the Nordstrom website.

I really like ankle boots for winter walking. Somehow they always look better with low heels than shoes with low heels. Just limits you to pants though, but in winter that's fine.

Rebroc, if you don't find what you want at home, there's no shortage in NYC although I guess shoe shopping on NYE is not ideal. :)

Zappos is great... prices are pretty much the same as anywhere but they have a great selection, sometimes free shipping, and they do free returns.

Scarlett, always remember, Prada is your freind.

I feel as though I just walked into the chat room of InStyle magazine.

You never know what you will walk into on these forums, JackOneill :)

Yes, Prada is my friend ((L))

Taryn Rose shoes are sooo expensive but cute.
Weitzman has so many styles, easy to find something suitable.

Scarlett, I hear you regarding those pointy toed shoes. Who can wear those without pain?

Merrell also makes comfy shoes although not for winter. Some of their clogs &amp; slip-ons are nice for spring.

Yes indeed, I love my Icons! So comfy and so quirky. I've got &quot;Girlfriends&quot;, but have been eyeing others too. They have rubber soles too, but I'd worry about destroying the leather in the rain, so they will stay home. I saw two pair of them in Neiman's pre-sale yesterday Scarlett. Was thinking Xmas for my daughter. Also saw Taryn Rose, not in pre-sale, but regular price natch...very cool shoes!

I'm going back today, now with specific info from this board. If Nordstrom carries Santana in their online catelogue, they must have them in store...my sales associate just wasn't up on the waterproof request. And everyone carries Stuart Weitzman so surely between these suggestions, something exists if I dig for it myself!

You'd think between these stores shopping would be easy--not so. Second quest I struck out on was a pair of nice flat front black wool slacks--not cotton, not low riders for heavens sake! Such a simple request, such an impossible task.

My prep time for this trip is cut significantly by a 10 trip to AZ beginning next week so I'm feeling pressed for time. So why am I sitting here? Just came in from running...time to shower then run back out to shop.

A shopping trick of mine is to try on shoes in a store--I agree that it's really difficult to mail-order shoes, even if you've worn the brand before, they're all cut so differently--then search for the best price and order online (or buy at the store if their price is competitive). I feel sligthly guilty doing this, but only slightly.

OO, they do carry them in the store! I looked at them last week.
ICONS, I am moving to warm weather where I can wear them every day (happy dance)
I want the red ones with shoes on them:)
Saks for the pants.

Yes OliveOyl look in the &quot;Real Clothes&quot; dept at Saks for basic slacks.

I was telling my daughter about this discussion and she showed me the shoes she got online from Land's End. They're called all-weather mocs and they're really cheap - about $30 - she says they're great for walking around the City - they're waterproof and warm. Hey, I might even get some myself. And I live in Canada where we can get Santana boots cheap. She says the sizes tend to run a bit big; she orders them a half size smaller than her usual size.
Not only that, but she just came back from my new grandson's first visit to the pediatrician, where the baby was pronounced &quot;perfect.&quot; Well, I could have told them THAT. :)

I'm back, no shoes, but slacks in hand, so things are looking up a bit. Asked everywhere specifically for Santana's and no go. Nordstrom says &quot;only in their larger stores: Dallas, SF, etc&quot;. Of course!

Weitzman, interesting--I'd tried on a waterproof pair yesterday not realizing they were GoreTex (sp?), until I specified that today and he came back with the same boot. Good looking, but they hit 3-4 inches above my ankle and rubbed my shins with every step. That won't work.

What if...I've got a pair of Donald Pliners, about 8 years old so they've given me my money's worth. They've got a thick rubber sole, but the top is almost like gros-grain (for lack of a better way to describe it). They are soft, cushy, walkable, casual but not too--what if I scotch guarded the uppers. Do you think you could make them water resistant that way? Has anyone ever tried anything similar with any success?

Hmmm...rebroc, I see you were only looking for comfortable and warm, which means I've hijacked this tread in a way. I apologize and hope you can use all the waterproof info too.

OO, I have a pair of 4 year old pseudo pointed toe Stuart Weiztman boots with about a 3 inch heel on them. By accident two Januarys ago they were the one and only pair of shoes that went with me to NYC.

I can honestly say that my feet did not hurt me and we walked quite a bit. The slush did not hurt my boots either.

On the contrary OliveOyl, every bit of info is useful in some way or another. Hijack away! Everyone, keep it coming! And by the way, JackOneill, perhaps you have some suggestions for my boyfriend on comfortable walking shoes?

I'm glad rebroc...I didn't mean to go off on another tangent for you.

GoTravel, those sound like the boots I tried on...toe is very pointy but squares off at the last moment. They really hurt me in the store in a casual walk-around-the-shoe-department pace, so I know I'd be down to bare bone in Paris. They might be worth your looking at rebroc--they may not hit you the same way they did me. They will not self destruct if you run into slush on your visit. The ones I saw would have only accommodated hose on your feet, so I'm not sure how much warmth they would provide. I don't recall warmth being a problem in NYC last time we were there (also January), but it did rain the last day and I could have used something waterproof there as well, or at least not leather soles, which is what I had.

For the boyfriend: Go to Bob's and look for Deer Stags. You can find them online as well. My husband LOVES these. I do as well, but the styles for ladies are quite limited.

rebroc, Cole Haan makes some decent looking men's walking shoes. My husband also loves his Merrells (sp?) but they're not very dressy.

Deer Stags offers dress styles for men, even Wing Tips, with incredible cushioning in the sole. And, they're inexpensive. If you live near a Bob's store, they often have buy one-get the second half off, 30% off, etc. specials. And, with a Bob's card, there are further discounts.

It's important to find the shoes most comfortable for you. (I, personally, do not find Mephistos comfortable for more than an hour, tops.) AND, shoes that seem comfortable, if you don't do a lot of walking, may fail you miserably after several hours of pavement pounding. I always head for a mall and do lots of walking (at least the length of the mall several times - the floors are hard, similar to pavements and museum floors) before packing a pair of shoes for a trip to a destination with lots of walking.

NOw you guys have me wodering what to buy/wear for a possible trip this winter! Meesthare, I ,too, have heard that the mocs from Lands End are good. I may have to order some, and hope that I'm not zinged too much for duty etc. Glad to hear the baby is perfect!! I bet he is real cute....and grandma is thrilled to bits!

The Stuart Weitzman store in New York is on Madison; they carry larger widths on some of their shoes .

rebroc-
I'll try to help here. I was in Reno in business recently and discovered that I'd forgotten decent walking shoes at home. I needed to walk some pretty long stretches of property and couldn't do it in dress shoes. I went to a local mall and bought a pair mad by a company that is pronounced something like Bjorn (not exactly sure on the spelling--pronounced just like the tennis player Borg) because the salesman said these were the best shoes he'd ever owned. I've never had a more comfortable pair in my life. This company also makes a full line of men's and women's boots, which you might need in NYC at this time. I didn't price all of their products but the shoes/hiking boots that I bought were only $100.

I'd also agree on the all-weather mocs comments above from Land's End. A great shoe and a steal at about $40.

The concrete and asphalt in NYC is totally different than in any other city. The temperature is also different than in any other northern city. On NYC bound flights they check your baggage to make sure you have special NYC certified shoes. If not, they don't let you on the flight. Be sure to check the manufactures' label. The fines in NYC for non NYC certified shoes have risen in the past few years. Good luck and stay safe.

Aha, jor--so this explains the real reason why you have to take your shoes off for inspection at the airports. And here I thought they were just looking for explosives! (But why do they also check when I'm leaving NYC? hmmmmm. Maybe NYC certified shoes aren't allowed out of the city?)

Nice job, Judy24!

Jor, you sumed it all up! thanks.

This is for OO: for Paris, you definitely want something with a rubber sole if possible, if you'll be walking about all day, and a minimal heel, because the cobblestones on many side streets in the older, smaller historic districts will kill your feel without good cushioning when you've done miles of walking during your stay.

i have also used Zappos several times. Look for free shipping and sales and they arrive quick. i have never been disappointed.

You will definitely want those comfy shoes!!! You can get to just about anywhere in NYC by walking, subway or bus. Do not rent a car -- especially during NYE festivities, when NOPD shuts down many streets in the Times Square area for security and crowd control. Another suggestion: look into thermal socks, rather than bulky &quot;warm shoes&quot; for your trip. You should be able to find these at any sports store that carries hunting equipment.