An arm and a leg for a foot?

September 8, 2015 9:52 AM

I am looking for a pair of affordable minimalist shoes that are suitable for a business casual environment that won't cost me an arm and a leg.

I'm willing to spend around $100 for a pair of well-made shoes but after spending some time searching I'm starting to believe I can't find anything for less than triple that. Features would be that they don't look like a moccasin or something I made myself. They must hold up to daily wear in a "cubicle farm" and not come apart at the seams (as many reviews might indicate). I've found this nice list (Katy Bowman Winter List) but, again, the prices are all over. Any first-hand experience or recommendations would be greatly weighted over a simple "I found this on Google" reference.

posted by mcarthey to Clothing, Beauty, & Fashion (15 answers total)

I have the Crocs Kaydee flats in black, and they're super-comfy and durable. The waitresses at my favorite local restaurant all wear them too. They don't look like Crocs at all, and because they're molded, they don't have seams to come apart at. Unless you have them in your hand, they just look like matte black flats. If those are too casual for your office, their cap toe flats are a bit dressier.
posted by okayokayigive at 10:12 AM on September 8, 2015 [1 favorite]

Most dress shoes made by Naturalizer come in under $100.
posted by joeyjoejoejr at 10:16 AM on September 8, 2015

OP, you might want to specify your gender.
posted by pipeski at 10:36 AM on September 8, 2015

Response by poster: Thanks for the comment, @pipeski. I am a male.
posted by mcarthey at 10:42 AM on September 8, 2015

I'm a minimal shoe-wearer (Merrells and VivoBarefoots) and I actually just wear cheap RocketDog flats at work. They're very flat (styles vary between zero drop and a few mm) and many of the styles are very soft and let my toes spread out (not every style, but this is usually pretty obvious at the store).

I only wear mine indoors, and they last years for $20-30.

On preview, if you're male, those probably won't work for you - I don't really know what the male equivalent would be. But I really wouldn't worry about durability if you're only going to wear them indoors. I have been disappointed in the comfort level of "fancy" barefoot shoes - VivoBarefoot, especially, narrows up the toe box a lot in their "lifestyle" shoes and spacious toe box is probably the most important thing to me. But that might be less of an issue in the men's versions.
posted by mskyle at 10:47 AM on September 8, 2015

Not pure minimal aesthetic, but much easier to get away with at the office... have you considered just wearing boat shoes year around? They're usually pretty minimal, hold up pretty well (I've got a pair I wear for a walk-heavy commute and every weekend day that's still fine after 3 years), and fit in pretty well with business casual dress (even in winter).

you have the caveat that you don't want a moccasin, so not sure if the boat shoes will work, but they will be the best intersection of affordability/longevity/comfort/flatness
posted by larthegreat at 10:57 AM on September 8, 2015

Okay hear me out. Cole Haan makes amazing shoes. But, they are expensive! Zappos has some for less than $100.

Also, if you have a Nordstrom or a Nordstrom Rack or a DSW you may be able to find them for around $100. But, they're totally worth it. My husband has super snowflakey foot issues and he has at least 3 pairs of their brand in different styles.

As a lady, I have two pairs of their oxfords. They're super great quality and have a wonderful fit. So keep your eye out for sales or at those places I listed or maybe even splurge on a pair after you fall in love with them.
posted by Crystalinne at 11:37 AM on September 8, 2015

Here's some styles: (Again maybe you can find them for less elsewhere.)
These look good! And the leather version.

OH and here's a link to the men's outlet with shoes starting at $40!!!!!!
posted by Crystalinne at 11:43 AM on September 8, 2015

OP, you may get better answers if you clarify whether you mean minimalist in aesthetic or minimalist in terms of being close to barefoot shoes. (I'm guessing the latter because of the Katy Bowman list you linked, but I think the answers are spanning both categories.)
posted by lettersoflead at 12:02 PM on September 8, 2015

I bought two pairs of Doc Martens (specifically the "1461 FORLIFE" versions) in black and brown. The sticker is more than you want to pay, but they will repair or replace them for life, and I think they are great - very tough and very comfortable.
posted by The Blue Olly at 12:07 PM on September 8, 2015

I've been wearing these Clark's shoes for over a year now near daily at work. I'm on my feet a lot and they have held up really well.
posted by msbutah at 12:11 PM on September 8, 2015

You will have better luck checking out Nordstrom Rack or another discount store. I am really into secretly minimal shoes (like, just flat leather soles) and your price point is unreasonable for non-discounted shoes that look nice.

A little hard to track down in the US, but try looking for Anniel.

You might want to try some sneakers, too; my favorites right now are the Nike Free 1.0 Cross Bionics in plain black. I'm not impressed with the durability, though.
posted by jeweled accumulation at 12:31 PM on September 8, 2015

I am huge fan of Bass Weejuns (which come in a variety of styles/materials/soles) as my preferred business casual work shoe (WIDE WIDTHS, YO!). I have a Bass Outlet near my house, so I can usually get nice pair of shoes for around $70-$80.
posted by KingEdRa at 1:04 PM on September 8, 2015

I've bought work shoes for my boyfriend a few times, and I start out by looking for postal service approved shoes, both for comfort and durability, and because they're made in the US.

He works in an office in a sort of prestige position, so he has a fairly conservative dress code, but there are always a few styles that work for him, like this one and others. (He doesn't have that exact style, but I think the last pair I got him has been discontinued, and I'll probably pick something like that next time.)
posted by ernielundquist at 1:45 PM on September 8, 2015

I think you want barefoot shoes, right? Since you linked to Katy Bowman. I have a pair of Soft Stars and love them. They are coming out with a new men's business style shoe (chukka) pretty soon. It's $$ but so far I have to say I've been thrilled with my Soft Stars and they seem like a really great company as well. (Disclaimer: I am a woman and have the Metro Merry Janes, which are not like the new chukkas they are coming out with.)
posted by john_snow at 9:49 AM on September 10, 2015