Hey guys,
Need some new comfortable Work Shoes. Must be Black and allow lots of walking.
Went to Sketchers and they recommended a Memory Foam Brand for $110
All the reviews online say Sketchers is a bad shoe
Checked out Nike and they are 3x the price ($300) for a descent shoe
Can anyone recommend a good black work allrounder for less than $150?
Thank you for the link, I will have a look now ;)
Not under $150, in fact probably around twice that, but I can highly recommend the ECCO Rugged Track GTX. It's a hiking shoe so designed for walking but it's all black leather upper doesn't look like one. I've been wearing a pair to the office for the past 2.5 years. Like a comfortable pair of sneakers but waterproof and ready to do as many km as you're legs can handle every day, day after day.
ECCO Rugged looks like a US Brand. Do any aussie retailers stock them?
ECCO definitely sell local but I bought mine OS so not sure which retailers stock them.
DFO in Perth so could be worth a visit
ECCO is a Danish brand and they have stores in Australia.
I know you said less than $150, and should be able to pick these up cheaper than $180.
https://www.asics.com/au/en-au/gel-540tr-%282e-wide%29/p/001…
I've worked in retail for 20 years(8-12 hours a day on my feet) and up until 2 years ago always wore business shoes. The back pays for it. Now I've switched to these and notice a huge difference.
Depending on what you do, I found it hard to find good black sneakers with the full leather toe and when you're lifting pallets and kicking boxes all day the ones with material are crap.
Thank you for the recommendation, I will add this one to the short list
Maybe
https://www.escape2.com.au/products/ptc-dress-oxford-m/?sku=…
A little bit more but you might be able to get them at a discount at the store. There is a store in Perth.
I have a Keen walking shoe from Escape2 that is really comfortable. In winter I live in these shoes.
+1 for the Keen PTC Oxfords. I had these for work shoes and found they were extremely comfortable and very durable. I wore those at work and other Keen walking shoes at home - I don’t think I’ve worn any other walking shoes for about 15 years! I find the Keen brand really suit me as I have small but broad feet and Keens have a wide fit.
rockport are good if you want it to look work like. the soles wear out a bit quickly though since they went to adidas soles so expect to change the sole or shoe every once in a while.
last pair i bought i got on a 10% or 15% sale, around the 150 mark i think.
if it doesnt need to look like a work shoe in leather then go for a pair of black hiking shoes like merrell, solomon etc, they're usually really comfortable and have good soles.
I second the Rockport comment. The Rockport Allander looks like a work shoe, but it's designed for running in (the CEO of the company apparently ran a marathon whilst wearing them).
On sale for $168 here: https://www.thewalkingcompany.com.au/shop/allander-black
Seen these in Athletes Foot - didn't try them on
Tried these today, decent show if you need to disguise a business shoe as a comfy walking/running shoe
I concur. After trying multiple brands.. Rockport is the one I pick. Apart from the comfort, the sole doesn't wear out as quickly as others. Moreover, the support at the store is amazing. There was a casual shoe that once broke, they refunded the whole amount even 1 year later.
Are you looking for business shoes or just black shoes? Because some of the suggestions above are fugly as and you'd look like a homeless person wearing them with business clothes.
i work in an office but the dress code is a cross between semi formal and blue collar. As long as shoes are black they can be runners/walkers etc
New balance 624 v4 or v5. Perfect for walking. Stable base, full rubber sole, always recommended by physio and podiatrists. Can accommodate orthotics very well. Probably not the most trendy looking. Comes in a massive range of widths up to 6E. So no need to size up to get wider. RRP $130 but you can always find them on sale for $80 or under. This shoe is like the bread and butter for New Balance.
I don't recommend sketchers at all. The amount of foot injuries coming in due to ladies deciding to get fit walking and using sketchers is disproportionately high.
recommended by physio and podiatrists
Only for men aged 40-60 and teamed with jeans.
I have the new model (v5) of these in brown and they look smart and comfy as
If you're doing a lot of walking, probably worth getting the foot shape/walking gait analysis done. I think Athlete's Foot offers that for free? They also have work shoes:
https://www.amazon.com.au/gp/product/B01HD6RHTK
Got these ones yesterday. I was after something with good grip, support and stability, the gore-tex and waterproofing will come in handy as i like to exercise outdoors.
Ascent Footwear
https://www.ascentfootwear.com.au/
The Athlete's Foot stock them. That's where I got mine a while ago and they're super comfy, basically trainers disguised as work shoes. Had them for a couple of years and they're showing no signs of falling apart.
Sketchers a bad shoe? I don't think so.I'm into my second pair of "cooled memory foam" Dual-Lite Lite Weight black shoes.They're a good compromise between the very soft (but not long wearing) sole and one that's a bit more substantial for walking.I got mine from the sketchers shop in Pacific Fair $99.
SpottyMoose….that's a running shoe mate not a comfortable work shoe.There's a difference.
I used to always wear Nike AF1s, partly because it seemed like every other shoe I tried would hurt after a while. Very comfy shoes, but I wanted something a bit less casual.
Then a couple years ago I bought a pair of cheap simple black canvas Timberland shoes, and the sole had the words "Sensorflex" on it. Super comfy, and the only canvas shoes that haven't hurt.
Then I had to deal with some typhoon season and cold winters overseas, and bought a pair of slightly dressy/smart casual waterproof shoes with the same word on the sole and they were also great.
So, Timberland shoes with Sensorflex soles. Whatever style works for you.
Florsheim comfortech, picked mine up for around $130 down from $190.
Feels better than my sports shoes
Agree on the comfortechs - especially if you have a wide foot as they’re all EEE
Florshelm has got a few mentions, might need to check out the Comfortech range :)
Skechers are incredibly comfortable, however they get that comfortable by being soft - and soft wears out bloody quickly! I still wear them, but never buy them at full price (DFO sales / Amazon).
Yeah hence why I changed my mind about Sketchies
Doc Martens . On sale, but even still last a long time. Very comfortable
Slatters Award Comfort Walker. The only lace up shoe I wear for 12 hour security shifts.
Sketchers Black Leather running are most comfortable work shoes I've had
Just bought these Merrell's for the same reason:
https://www.merrellaustralia.com.au/annex-trak-low-black-low…
I already have a pair in brown, they're awesome. All day everyday, city or bush they're great.
Brooks addiction walkers, usually around $200 mark, but,oh my god. Im near 60 yr, overweight and tall, these are a boon for walking, they have become my everyday shoe.
@sharkyoz Ended up getting the Brooks Glycerin 17 for $199 today from Jim Kidd
Went to the shops today and tried out the Florshelm Comfortechs, more of a business style shoe I found the leather to be a bit tight on the sides of my feet. I'm sure once you wear them in they would be fine. These were retailing for $180AUD
Visited Kathmandu and looked at a Keen Targhee Exp WP for $200AUD - waterproof, durable leather and nylon shanks - didn't try them on but looked ok.
Visited Athletes Foot and the guy recommended these
1) Brooks Glycerin 17 - Blk / Ebony (2E) for $240AUD but had none in stock (more of a running shoe)
2) Asics Gel Nimbus Blk - $220 - had no stock either
A little more pricey but they looked like decent shoes.
Could be a winner https://www.jimkiddsports.com.au/collections/mens-footwear/p…
$199
Slightly over budget but covers all bases (walking/running)
These look nice too for $120 https://www.kinggee.com.au/vapour-knit-19.html
Truth be known everyone's foot and walk are different!
Go into a good shoe shop and try some shoes on!
Suggest the best place to do that is "The Atheletes Foot"
They will measure your feet - both length and width, measure your walk and also the way you stand and find the right walking shoes for you.
They recommended the "correct size" New Balance for me
But it looks like you already did that.
So go ahead and buy what they recommended.
Or go back and try on some more shoes
Dont ask us !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
We dont know anything about your feet!
Haha hit a nerve with you bro?
Thanks to everyone for your help
Ended up trying all the suggestions and going with the Brooks Glycerine 17’s from Jim Kidd for $199
Did you search the forums?
https://www.ozbargain.com.au/search/node/Walking%20Work%20Sh…