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Help me with office shoes

RedTomato

RedTomato

macrumors 601
Original poster
Mar 4, 2005
4,162
446
.. London ..
So I have a new job with a more smart dress code. I need some office shoes. My mangy old trainers won't do at all.

I haven't a clue what to get, can you help me please?

I do own some smart shoes that I use for funerals, weddings, meeting important people, but they are not comfortable at all. I can't walk far in them.

I usually walk about 3 miles a day (walking to the tube, to the office and back), so I need shoes that look smart and that I can walk around in. I've tried buying a couple of pairs that seemed ok in the shop, but after a while they either became uncomfortable / rubbing on my ankle/achilles tendon, or my knees started hurting.

Any ideas? Smart, black, corporate, lightweight, walkable, that's it really.
 
I have a pair of "Ask the Misses" shoes from Office, granted I don't do much walking in them however I find them perfectly comfortable. The aren't that rigid and have soft upper material.
 
Thanks for these suggestions. Looks like it's a visit to Oxford Street after work today to check out Office and Clarks.

The US Ecco prices seem steep - $230-odd which is more than I'd care to pay, but the UK prices are better - £90-odd. Seems only one UK shop, outside London, but they have a sale on their website - around £50 a pair. I'll keep an eye on that, see if a corporate shoe in my size comes up.
 
A quick thoughts. Do you have to wear the work shoes while you do your walking to and from work. I mean if you're worried about comfort and wearing them out then how about wearing comfortable shoes during the commute and slip on your dress/smart shoes just before you come into the office? It might be impractical for you to carry an extra pair in a backpack or something, but it was just a thought.

In terms of good dress shoes that are comfortable I would recommend.

Johnston & Murphy
Rockport
Bass
Bostonion

I just recently picked up a pair of Steve Madden dress shoes and they are extremely comfortable.

Believe it or not you could also look at Skechers. They are affordable and have some shoes that are good looking and comfortable.

I'm a professional DJ so on show days (weddings, corporate, etc.) where I have to dress up I'm wearing my dress shoes between 8 - 10 hours straight while carrying heavy gear on all sorts of surfaces. So, I understand the need for comfortable shoes. You don't have to spend an outrageous amount, just be smart and find what works for you.
 
I quite like the shoes from Next. They are cheap, but look good and are comfortable (once worn in) --

http://www.next.co.uk/shop/fastenin...mal-0?&nxti=0&nxtv=0&ts=v8&filter=subset:4201

If you spend a lot of your day sat at your desk you can always slip them off too! In this case, loafers could be the answer. I often sit with just my socks on (sometimes I risk a dash to the printer with no shoes!).

Yes - my work really is that exciting.
 
Hiya,

Popping back into this thread for an update. I looked at a few shops, asked a few people, and I ended up going to that old boring but reliable shop, Clarks, for the best fit. Seems I have really wide feet, so their Wide range did the trick.

I'm usually a size 9, but they measured my feet as size 7 1/2 and a G width (one down from their max width)!

I was a bit dubious, but I tried a pair on. Bloody no! Far too small!

Eventually after some trying ons and strolling around, I bought two pairs of shoes in size 8 1/2 and width H (maximum width!). Lovely and very lightweight and with comfy soles. I was advised to avoid buying shiny leather, as it's too high maintenance, and get matt leather for daily wear:

Dino Boss £80
20317802_A_p.jpg


Brush Catch £54
20339369_A_p.jpg


Boring and corporate but they do the trick when I visit Parliament / conferences. I also bought a pair of shoe stretchers at the same shop at £11 for a pair:

das_countyshoetree_thumb.jpg


I'm not the kind of man who owns shoe stretchers, but I have to say they really help with my office shoes. After a day's wear, the top front of the shoe is all creased, and after a night with the stretcher in, they look like new again.

I used to dread polishing shoes when I was a kid - ages of grappling with awkward tins and smeary clothes. Polishing is very easy now - I got some polish in a tube and some polishing cloths from Clarks. Just a few seconds with the cloth, and they're gleaming again. I'll probably go back and get another tube so that I have one at work and one at home.

The new shoes aren't quite perfect though. I wore them for the walk home once, and got a blister on the back of the heel, so for the moment, they live at the office, and I wear my old trainers for the walk home.

UPDATE:
After a few weeks, I'm starting to think they're actually bit too big, so I'm gonna try to return one pair, which I've almost never worn, and go for size 8. I'll get an insole insert from Boots or something to pad out the other pair.

I also need to get some sort of nice-looking shoe bag, as while they're comfy, I still can't walk too far in them so I tend to change shoes whenever I need to walk far. Standing around in Parliament clutching an orange Sainsburys plastic bag with my smelly trainers in it, isn't quite the professional image I'm after yet...
 
Either work your way to a position where they cannot do anything about "it"
Or become known as the weird quirky guy who does "it".

It being walking around on your socks.

I do it, I don't care, I'm the boss, the teacher, AND the weird quirky guy ;).
 
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