The Perfect Shoes do not exist. I know this, and yet at every opportunity, I search for them. Here's my definition of the perfect shoe:
- Comfortable
- As little styling as possible - they should just look like generic shoes
- No company logo
- No bright / flashy colors
- Work well with jeans, shorts and khakis
- In a pinch, should be able to wear them in a dressy context (while, say, traveling)
- In a pinch, should work for running and other exercise activities
- Should be cheap (less than $30)
Feiyue shoes come close: they've got the comfort and budget down, but Shira never liked the styling, and the logo makes it definitely a casual option. So, I continued to search.
And then a few weeks ago I discovered these guys at Old Navy:
As you can see, it's a simple canvas sneaker, minus any logo or funky styling. And best of all, there were $21.00. I picked up a pair, and I've been finding them to be quite comfortable. They obviously don't replace my running, hiking or play in the mud shoes, but they do have quite a range of uses.
And if you act today, you can use the promo code WOW to save 30% off. That's shoes for about $15.00. That's hard to argue with, no?
I'll still be keeping an eye out for the perfect shoes, but until then, these are my new favorites.
I know what you mean. The closest thing I've found to being perfect misses on 1 big element... they are not cheap. A few years ago I managed stumbled upon a pair of clearance Timberlands (now I think they would fall under the Earthkeepers series) They were rugged enough to trek through Cambodia and Vietnam, yet after a good cleaning, good enough to wear to work with a nice pair of pants (I never tried them with a full suit, but could probably pull it off in a pinch). Comfortable for long walks and even a short run. Needless to say I wore them out. I managed to replace them with the exact same pair at the outlets, but they were discontinued and the replacements (earthkeepers) start around $100, so they fail miserably on that front. But alas my search to continues... I've got a nice sale pair of Sperry Topsiders that I think may work as my next replacement, but I don't think they will make it for running shoes, and even on sale, they miss the price benchmark.
ReplyDeleteNick -
ReplyDeleteSo glad to know I'm not alone in my search :-).
You'll have to keep me posted if you find any winners.