Mutant skate shoe / dress shoe

February 6, 2013 11:16 AM

I'm looking for a good pair of sneakers that split the difference between "casual" and "work." Mostly this is for casual Fridays at my office, when I want something cool/relaxed on my feet to go with some jeans, but my ratty Converse sneakers might come off as too informal. I like the Vans Ludlow and Pritchard collections, but the shoes in those links are limited edition and appear to be gone. The newest models in those collections don't fit my aesthetic tastes all that well. Is there anything along those lines - sort of a hybrid skate sneak / dress shoe, with a playful hint at formal classiness - you can recommend?
posted by naju to work & money (17 answers total)

Are you averse to more of a boot? I got a pair of these John Varvatos "Fillmore" boots that are basically a comfortable rubber sneaker sole with a leather upper, and they've been awesome so far.
posted by saladin at 11:25 AM on February 6

I have Pumas like these but cream/gray with orange sides for exactly this purpose.
posted by Bunglegirl at 11:27 AM on February 6

I'm not averse to boots and such; bring those recs if you got em.
posted by naju at 11:28 AM on February 6

Maybe these Paul Smith boat-shoe/oxford hybrids?
posted by saladin at 11:28 AM on February 6

I saw these Vans the other day. They are probably closer to "casual" than "work" but they appear to be close to your tastes at least.
posted by Medw at 11:30 AM on February 6 [1 favorite]

Camper Erics, Romeos, Pelotas...
posted by gyusan at 11:32 AM on February 6 [2 favorites]

One good brand to check out for casual but style-conscious shoes is John Fluevog. They tend a little more towards structured shoes and less towards sneakers, but a lot of them are still fun and casual. I have a pair of the Radios CBC that I absolutely adore. They look great with jeans and tshirts. They're also high-quality and comfortable (although I did have to break them in first).

guysan's recommendation of Camper is also a good one. The Peu line is a nice sneaker-feel, laceup-look option. This red and black one is pretty neat. I will say, though, that the vegetable-tanned leather they use is pretty fragile. I've gotten really bad water-marks on my light-colored pair, without abusing them too much. The toes are now just a mass of overlapping splotches and stains, which really takes away from the look.
posted by duien at 11:47 AM on February 6

A little more sedate than what you're looking for, maybe, but I have worn the hell out of more than one pair of Brooks Addiction Walkers.
posted by kindall at 11:49 AM on February 6

Find something brown in the Cole Haan oxfords section.
posted by oceanjesse at 11:50 AM on February 6 [1 favorite]

I came to say Pumas too.

I've got the Zandy in black and white, but it comes in a ton of great colors!

I've also got the Roma, for when I've got to look slick, but I'm also running around a lot.

If you want to dance on the edge, Nike Air Rifts with the split toe, look weird, can be worn barefooted. So comfy! In trying to find a picture, they appear to be a rather rare item. Trust me though, they're cool.
posted by Ruthless Bunny at 12:03 PM on February 6

I really like my brown leather Camper Imars. Classier than my Chucks and a good color to go with jeans.
posted by smackfu at 12:03 PM on February 6 [1 favorite]

You might try UGG Australia Vanowen, Eddison or Roxford. Note I cannot vouch for the actual pavement-pounding/use-as-a-break ability of these shoes, merely that they might hit your style sweet spot.
posted by Rube R. Nekker at 12:08 PM on February 6

One of the in things now is Common Projects, which are a bit on the expensive side.
posted by Comrade_robot at 1:07 PM on February 6 [1 favorite]

I wear my lime green and black adidas dragons everyday to work. I don't feel like they look too sporty the few days I wear slacks and they look sweet with khakis, cords, and jeans.
posted by missriss89 at 4:23 PM on February 6

My husband wears these with this khakis and jeans. Might be a bit more casual than you're looking for, though.
posted by jeoc at 5:34 PM on February 6

Depending on your budget, you might like something from the ecco casual line.
Another brand that occasionally has something is Cole Haan.
posted by nickthetourist at 7:04 PM on February 6

I was poking around on Zappos today and noticed a few shoes from PF Flyer that seem similar to your examples, the Exeter Suede in particular It's almost out of stock at Zappos, but maybe that one pair is your size. Or maybe you can find them elsewhere.
posted by duien at 10:35 AM on February 8 [1 favorite]