Sturdy walking shoes

June 28, 2008 10:14 PM

Looking for great walking shoes in the Bay Area.

I've been in San Francisco for several weeks, doing a lot of walking in my assortment of flip flops, sandals, sneakers, and (my favorite) vaguely boot-like cheap shoes. I've experienced some mild ankle pain that I didn't have in another city last summer, when I actually did more walking than I do now.

I had a great experience with a running store that fitted me for shoes and inserts (which I actually lost in my move over here... oops). I would like to pick up new inserts at a running store, but I'm at a loss for what to do about the shoes themselves. I'm also not sure if the inserts that work for running are the best ones for walking.

Are there any other shoe stores with good salespeople that can help me find non-hideous shoes for city walking? I need a store that stocks wide-width (D) women's shoes. They don't need to be formal enough for the office, but they need to blend in better than the blinding white and reflective blue running shoes I currently have.

I have seen these posts but am specifically looking for good service, and would love to know where other wide-footed women shop. I would prefer not to shop online.

posted by scission to clothing, beauty, & fashion (5 comments total)

My two favorite sturdy well-fitting shoe places in the SF Bay Area: Nordstrom in San Francisco and The Walk Shop in Berkeley (Vine and Shattuck).

The staff at these stores will work with you to find something that fits, and both stores have a wide selection of comfortable, stylish shoes.
posted by zippy at 10:57 PM on June 28

I've had good attentive salespeople at On the Run in the avenues. I had to get high-quality walking shoes when I developed a fallen arch; my doctor recommended On the Run. Not cheap (although they do have occasional sales), but good shoes, in my experience.
posted by kristi at 11:30 PM on June 28

By the way - I wear "sneakers" almost all the time. The shoes I got last time are all black, so although they're athletic shoes (specifically marketed as walking shoes), I wear them to client offices all the time.
posted by kristi at 11:32 PM on June 28

I highly recommend most shoes by Keen - definitely wide-foot-friendly, even though they aren't sold by widths. Seconding On the Run in the Avenues, or head to Astrid's Rabat Shoes (NOT to be confused with Rabat, a nearby boutique) in Noe Valley, or to REI.

I'm not a runner, but from what I understand, you do not want to wear running shoes/running shoe inserts for everyday walking. Can't quite recall the mechanics of it, but IIRC walking shoes/everyday inserts are made to accommodate a normal heel-to-toe motion, while running shoes/inserts don't allow this same motion.
posted by chez shoes at 6:28 AM on June 29

Crosswalk has good shoes - not cheap, but good.
posted by gingerbeer at 5:25 PM on June 30