Men's dress shoes with hiking-shoe-like support?

March 4, 2017 8:22 PM

I'm a university lecturer and I wear dress shoes for work. But I have some back and joint issues which make dress shoes uncomfortable for more than short-ish walks. I'm looking for men's dress shoes that are faculty-appropriate but have the support and comfort of sneakers or hiking shoes.

My standard-issue dress shoes are fine for walking between my classroom and my car/bike, but anything more than that and I risk starting to get ankle/knee/back pain. This happens with most shoes that don't offer much support, so for comfort I generally wear these sneakers (which are basically hiking shoes), but those won't do for teaching. I want shoes which will approach that level of comfort and support while being appropriate for a smart-causal to semi-formal, West Coast academic style.

Complication: I'm a size 14, so they have to be available in that size, and most shops only go up to 13 so I'd have to order online. Hence free shipping on returns is a plus. Also I would like the shoes to be available in brown. Recs?

posted by hoist with his own pet aardvark to Clothing, Beauty, & Fashion (16 answers total)

Rockport has one model that is like a brown Oxford and comes in a 14. Made for walking without being frumpy orthopedic shoes.
posted by rhizome at 8:42 PM on March 4, 2017 [1 favorite]

I have both Rockports and Eccos that are fairly dressy and also comfortable. I also have some Sperry loafers that look a lot like dress loafers but have a memory foam insert. None of these exactly mimic the look of a true leather sole dress shoe, but I think they'd be appropriate for most situations, and they're worth trying on. I order a lot from Zappos and return all the time with no problems. I explicitly asked them if they have a problem with me ordering a bunch of shoes and returning all but one, and they said no. They understand that ordering shoes online is difficult and in my experience they make it very convenient.
posted by primethyme at 8:48 PM on March 4, 2017

I have found that really good hiking insoles from Superfeet make any shoe better.
posted by BrunoLatourFanclub at 8:58 PM on March 4, 2017 [7 favorites]

I'm not a man, but I'd like to cast my vote for Clarks. They make the most comfortable footwear, and they'll do you well. Additionally, have you bought insoles before? Superfeet have saved me at work (8-9 hours on my feet) many a time. Putting a study yet bouncy insole into whatever shoes you choose will be a game changer, I promise.
posted by Champagne Supernova at 9:06 PM on March 4, 2017 [3 favorites]

Came here to chime in on those Rockports. I'm somewhere between a 13 and a 14 and they made my old gig standing long days in art galleries much more manageable.
posted by rhooke at 9:10 PM on March 4, 2017

For west coast academic (my husband's one too, size 13 feet), at least for the non-suit-wearing days, I'd recommend Merrell's jungle mocs, maybe in black. They go up to size 16, so you should be good. There's also a leather version which you might think is a little dressier.
posted by leahwrenn at 9:32 PM on March 4, 2017 [1 favorite]

Apparently they have the gunsmoke merrell jungle mocs in stock at the San Francisco REI in size 14 (sold out of black at all the nearby REIs).
posted by leahwrenn at 9:38 PM on March 4, 2017

Cole Haan. They are pricey, but their dress shoes/wingtips/sneakers are the most comfortable shoe I have ever worn.
posted by AugustWest at 10:52 PM on March 4, 2017 [1 favorite]

You and I have the same job. I've been through a ton of shoes trying to find a shoe I can stand in all day. Keen is the best. Not super dressy, but they're super comfortable.
posted by persona au gratin at 12:46 AM on March 5, 2017

I highly recommend Samuel Hubbard. They are extremely comfortable. They may seem expensive, but are built so they can be resoled.
posted by plo_veggie at 4:00 AM on March 5, 2017

I just asked a similar question about women's shoes and I found that a lot of sites that specialize in work boots for people who work on their feet all day have a good selection of dressy shoes that are super supportive and comfortable.

Here's one site that had a pretty massive selection of dressy work shoes:
http://www.midwestboots.com/midwestboots.html#/filter:type:Shoes
posted by forkisbetter at 5:02 AM on March 5, 2017 [1 favorite]

I wear Keen Austin and really like them, but I have become a Keen guy in the last few years. The look fits my office (.edu IT manager), and looks good with khakis and a tie while still eing a good tough shoe.
posted by wenestvedt at 6:51 AM on March 5, 2017

If you haven't tried superfeet that should be your first stop. You may need to get a half size larger shoe or take the padded insert your shoes come with out of the shoe first. Superfeet don't last forever but they work great for months.
posted by jeffamaphone at 8:49 AM on March 5, 2017

I'm not sure about the risk/reward ratio, but you might talk to a podiatrist about orthotics, i.e. custom shoe inserts, with the idea of making any shoe you want into the shoe you need.

Orthotics are controversial in some quarters. They're expensive, and you would probably have to pay the full cost which might be $600 or more. And, they might or might not be a blessing. So there is risk in might be a significant cost without any real reward. On the other hand, they might not only solve your foot problem, but help with your ankle/knee/back pain.

Aside from custom orthotics, there are OTC orthotics which are like the very expensive, deluxe version of the shoe inserts you find at your local drugstore or shoe store.

One more suggestion. In any area, there is going to be a shoe store that supplies special shoes for medical needs, e.g. diabetes, deformities. Their staff is going to be trained to fit you, and they will have the skinny on which shoes support the best. I'm not sure of the term of art to search for, perhaps "therapeutic footwear."
posted by SemiSalt at 11:12 AM on March 5, 2017 [1 favorite]

I wore merrel jungle mocs for a long time in this role. They are still comfortable, hit the criteria you stated, but longevity has gone down. A 5-day-a-week wearer of these shoes, they used to last me 14 mos 10 years ago. Now, barely more than half that.
posted by lalochezia at 7:44 PM on March 5, 2017

I'm a professor and I teach in runners- even sandals sometimes. Why do you need to wear dress shoes??
posted by ethnomethodologist at 7:30 PM on March 7, 2017