# Walking Shoes



## Pgolden (May 13, 2006)

Looking for a good pair of walking shoes. Suggestions?


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## smujd (Mar 18, 2008)

Well, not too Trad, but I generally wear running shoes if I'm going to do a lot of walking.

If I need something more dressy, I have an old pair of Timberland suede bucks which fit the bill quite well.


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## Joe Beamish (Mar 21, 2008)

In NYC, all shoes are "walking shoes". On the casual side, desert boots are very good. Almost all of my nicer shoes are good walkers because they have been converted from leather soles to rubber or Dainite. Leather gets chewed up fast around here.


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## Patrick06790 (Apr 10, 2005)

Some years back I found a rubber-soled Alden plain toe blucher at Sierra Trading Post and bought two pairs, tan and dark brown, and for tromping around in a variety of conditions they are superb.

But I have never seen them since, not even at Shoe Mart or other Alden sellers. Which helps you not one bit.

How about the AE Wilbert?


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## Penang Lawyer (May 27, 2008)

I have most lickely walked every block below 125th Street in Manhattan and the A&E Leeds with leather soles have been my choice. A police officer once told me that they always had double soles on their shoes. I don't know if those "diamite" soles would work on some of the Park Avenue side walks.


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## cumberlandpeal (May 12, 2006)

There's walking and then there's walking. If you are talking about tramping around the city and its puddles and obstacles then you can go with Alden's plain toe walker with some sort of crepe sole, or with the leather soled plain toe blucher in cordovan which, once broken in, will absorb the miles, the puddles and the pounding and look good in the bargain. If you are walking paths in the country you might consider Tricker's country line for shoes like the Keswick or Burton both of which are stout and very comfortable. I have walked all over Manhattan island in Alden ptb cordovans as well as in Brooks Brothers Peal cap toes. The Aldens will give better support and will go more miles before having to be resoled. Frankly all good quality leather soled shoes are pretty good for walking as they are designed for it.


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## Joe Beamish (Mar 21, 2008)

I don't know. If you check out the associated threads (at the bottom of the page) you will see lots of suggestions for "walking shoes", most of which don't involve leather soles. That's because concrete makes short work of leather. 

And leather is slippery when wet.


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## ds23pallas (Aug 22, 2006)

I can cover a lot of miles in my Alden Longwings with the double leather sole. I try not to do so when the streets are wet, and I am pleased with the durability of the soles. 

On the more casual end, I no longer wear Clark's DB's as (for me) they lack support and sufficient heel cushioning for long walks. In the past they did perform well, and I tramped all over Trinidad and Guyana in a pair years ago. I guess I must be getting old and need more support.

My Mephisto Hurricans boat shoe are very good for a walking shoe. For a less expensive alternative, I am quite pleased with the Rockport Perth. I think those are still on sale at . They feel more like a sneaker with the look of a fairly standard boat shoe.


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## Flanderian (Apr 30, 2008)

Pgolden said:


> Looking for a good pair of walking shoes. Suggestions?


Depends on what you mean by walking shoes. That term is commonly used to describe a particular type of English country shoe. If that is your interest the S&H Boston model I acquired last year certainly is good example of the type. -

 
https://askandyaboutclothes.com/community/showthread.php?t=91256


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## Joe Beamish (Mar 21, 2008)

For leather soles, the suddently wet streets are the kicker. And the wet slick floors of office lobbies and metal grates, etc. 

But these are mainly NYC concerns.


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## Tenacious Tassel (Sep 11, 2006)

You don't normally think of boat shoes when you think of a "walking shoe", but I can testify to the fact that 3-6 mile walks in the Rockport Perth boat shoe are no challenge whatsoever.

You would never know it by looking at them, but they have some sort of proprietary "airsole" technology in the outsole that makes it feel a lot like a streamlined, cushioned running shoe to walk in.

If you want supreme comfort (and cost), you can check out the New Balance 2002 running shoe. It is like the 993, only twice the price, with softer cushioning. Only $250!

Seriously, try on the Perth if you are at all into boat shoes.

tt


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## Earl of Ormonde (Sep 5, 2008)

The most comfortable first time on, and the most reliable on walks and marches are Doctor Martens. Many troopers on the Nijmegen march used to swap their military issue boots for DMs just for the march. I wear a pair of high 10-hole Docs for hiking and wood walking and have never had a problem. On foot patrol in London, I always wore either 3-hole Black Gibson Dr Marten shoes or 11-hole Solvair Highlander boots. The Airwair "bouncing" sole is so called for a reason. And nowadays Docs do some very nice shoes. I own 4 pairs in total that I wear regularly. Cool in the summer, warm in the winter. Currently I'm wearng a pair of 8-hole 1460s, classic black DM boots.

If you want a pair of shoes that you can safely & comfortably walk in and still look good in the office, these look good, I think: https://www.dmusastore.com/p-2551-berto.aspx


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## closerlook (Sep 3, 2008)

ALDEN of NYC carries a special make-up series of rubber soled Alden models that Patrick refers to above.
They are however expensive for a rubber soled shoe.


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## srivats (Jul 29, 2008)

Patrick06790 said:


> Some years back I found a rubber-soled Alden plain toe blucher at Sierra Trading Post and bought two pairs, tan and dark brown, and for tromping around in a variety of conditions they are superb.
> 
> But I have never seen them since, not even at Shoe Mart or other Alden sellers. Which helps you not one bit.
> 
> How about the AE Wilbert?


Patrick, is this the alden you had?


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## Joe Beamish (Mar 21, 2008)

I used to wear Doc Martens, but the city chews 'em up pretty good. Other boots such as Red Wings are more durable with tire-like rubber soles. But none of these boots we're discussing look very good with tradly gear.


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## Pr B (Jan 8, 2009)

*Mephistos*

I've had my best luck with Mephistos. I've tried many other brands: I always end up selling them on eBay! And keep coming back to Mephisto.


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## Baywulf (Nov 5, 2008)

Pr B said:


> I've had my best luck with Mephistos. I've tried many other brands: I always end up selling them on eBay! And keep coming back to Mephisto.


+1 on the Mephistos, they are great for walking, but somewhat ugly!


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## Youngster (Jun 5, 2008)

I like my NB 993's and Red Wing 875s. Actually, I like any kind of shoe whose name in a number.


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## Dandy (Aug 7, 2008)

the allen edmonds traveler perhaps?


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## Pei Hyde (Jan 4, 2010)

For casual and walking, I wear my Ecco Seawalker. They are very comfortable and provide excellent support. I also have a pair of Ecco Cross too. They also are excellent walking shoes.


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## Earl of Ormonde (Sep 5, 2008)

Joe Beamish said:


> I used to wear Doc Martens, but the city chews 'em up pretty good.


Really? That surprises me, especially with their lifetime guarantee. That's not my experience though. You must've been wearing them 24/7 in downtown Baghdad! :icon_smile_wink:

The Docs I bought mid 80s and patrolled in in central London & used when working on the DSU (riot police) are still in very good condition.


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## P Hudson (Jul 19, 2008)

If you mean walking through the city, with the occasional easy trail thrown in, I would recommend the AE Fulton as a shoe that fits in the trad range, works with anything from jeans to flannels, and has a good tread.


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## eagle2250 (Mar 24, 2006)

srivats said:


> Patrick, is this the alden you had?


Slap a set of plantation crepe soles and heels on those, with an oak bark tanned toe tap, call them an Alden All Weather Walker, and you have the perfect walking shoe...IMHO!


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## Joe Beamish (Mar 21, 2008)

Yep, I walk a lot. The soles wear down very quickly on concrete. Wink, smile, wink.

Smile. Wink.



Earl of Ormonde said:


> Really? That surprises me, especially with their lifetime guarantee. That's not my experience though. You must've been wearing them 24/7 in downtown Baghdad! :icon_smile_wink:
> 
> The Docs I bought mid 80s and patrolled in in central London & used when working on the DSU (riot police) are still in very good condition.


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## Patrick06790 (Apr 10, 2005)

srivats said:


> Patrick, is this the alden you had?


Similar, but mine are standard calf and a clunkier sole. Closer to this, but without the lug sole. I'll take a picture tomorrow.

They were very cheap, about $125 if I remember right. This was at least five years ago.

https://www.aldenshop.com/DrawOneShoe.asp?CategoryID=64


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## P Hudson (Jul 19, 2008)

These are the AE Fultons I mentioned in an earlier post. I'm showing them because they look so much better in person than the stock image on the AE site.

Of course, it is entirely possible that my picture doesn't do them any justice either. They look overly creased because I am sitting in such a contorted position that it caused me to curl my toes.


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## Patrick06790 (Apr 10, 2005)

Lousy pix of the Aldens I mentioned. The other pair is tan. Sorry about the dog hair.


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