California Dreamin': Shoe Edition
December 24, 2018 1:23 PM Subscribe
Happy holidays, Metafilterians! In a week I'll be leaving the Midwest to spend two months in California. I need suggestions for good, attractive, and functionally versatile "athletic" shoes. Snowflakes inside--though unfortunately not on the ground for a white Christmas this year.
I've got two months in warm weather coming up and I'm not looking forward to packing a suitcase full of shoes for the various activities I like to participate in. I anticipate that I'll be doing the following things, in order of likelihood:
1. Walking for exercise (3–4 miles a day), most likely on the beach.
2. Going out to casual events (movies, farmers' markets, museums) a few times a week.
3. Playing pickleball twice a week.
4. Running a few miles a few times a week, if I'm feeling ambitious.
5. Light hiking.
At home I have a pair of shoes to run/walk in, a pair of tennis shoes for pickleball, trail running shoes for hiking, and "going out" tennis shoes ("vintage" Sauconys, Supergas, Nikes). The walking/running shoes and trail running shoes are big and thick and way too ugly to put on with a pair of jeans to go to a movie. The "going out" shoes are too flimsy for walking longer distances, running, or playing pickleball. Is there a middle ground here of a good looking all-around shoe that you can put some serious miles on as well as handle the lateral movement of pickleball? Is there one shoe to rule them all?
Please feel free to tell me that I have become a victim of the advertising industry, which has unnecessarily convinced me that I need different shoes for these activities, and that I should just bring my "going out" Nikes and call it done, since there are obviously real problems in the world that demand attention while I am overthinking shoes. Thank you!
I've got two months in warm weather coming up and I'm not looking forward to packing a suitcase full of shoes for the various activities I like to participate in. I anticipate that I'll be doing the following things, in order of likelihood:
1. Walking for exercise (3–4 miles a day), most likely on the beach.
2. Going out to casual events (movies, farmers' markets, museums) a few times a week.
3. Playing pickleball twice a week.
4. Running a few miles a few times a week, if I'm feeling ambitious.
5. Light hiking.
At home I have a pair of shoes to run/walk in, a pair of tennis shoes for pickleball, trail running shoes for hiking, and "going out" tennis shoes ("vintage" Sauconys, Supergas, Nikes). The walking/running shoes and trail running shoes are big and thick and way too ugly to put on with a pair of jeans to go to a movie. The "going out" shoes are too flimsy for walking longer distances, running, or playing pickleball. Is there a middle ground here of a good looking all-around shoe that you can put some serious miles on as well as handle the lateral movement of pickleball? Is there one shoe to rule them all?
Please feel free to tell me that I have become a victim of the advertising industry, which has unnecessarily convinced me that I need different shoes for these activities, and that I should just bring my "going out" Nikes and call it done, since there are obviously real problems in the world that demand attention while I am overthinking shoes. Thank you!
If it were me, I'd pack the running shoes to cover the running, walking, hiking, and pickleball, and pack a pair of nice shoes (tennis shoes or otherwise) for going out.
posted by lazuli at 2:22 PM on December 24, 2018 [8 favorites]
posted by lazuli at 2:22 PM on December 24, 2018 [8 favorites]
Merrell make a range of shoes that lean towards the walking/hiking/trail running end of the spectrum. I bought mine because I was getting a lot of pain due to the crappy support given by Vans/Converse and the like. I wish I'd discovered Merrell shoes ten years ago.
posted by pipeski at 3:08 PM on December 24, 2018
posted by pipeski at 3:08 PM on December 24, 2018
Lots of trail running in CA. I'd bring trail running shoes and going out shoes as noted above. Walking on the beach will be barefoot anyway which will do wonders for your foot problems.
posted by fshgrl at 3:32 PM on December 24, 2018 [1 favorite]
posted by fshgrl at 3:32 PM on December 24, 2018 [1 favorite]
Any place that you could wear Nikes, you could wear the bulky walking/running shoes. Whether you'd feel comfortable is a separate issue, but they shouldn't get extra stares or harsh reactions from staff or other patrons.
If the concern is fashion, I'd recommend bringing the heaviest shoes that you need for activities you have planned, and, after arrival, possibly picking up a cheap ($20-ish) pair of lighter, less flashy pair of shoes that you don't expect to bring home. Two months is a long enough stay to consider buying apparel dedicated to the trip.
posted by ErisLordFreedom at 4:28 PM on December 24, 2018
If the concern is fashion, I'd recommend bringing the heaviest shoes that you need for activities you have planned, and, after arrival, possibly picking up a cheap ($20-ish) pair of lighter, less flashy pair of shoes that you don't expect to bring home. Two months is a long enough stay to consider buying apparel dedicated to the trip.
posted by ErisLordFreedom at 4:28 PM on December 24, 2018
As a fellow person of shoe needs, I have to recommend visiting a high quality local shoestore. Not a chain, probably not in a mall. Here in Denver, I really like Pedestrian Shop's selection, and their in-store staff have been awesome about helping me find the right shoe. So if you have time before your trip, I'd check out a place like that, or at the very least comb their website for good candidate brands. Enjoy your trip.
posted by rachelpapers at 5:32 PM on December 24, 2018
posted by rachelpapers at 5:32 PM on December 24, 2018
I wouldn't plan to walk or run barefoot on the beach, it's cold and rocky and kelpy if it hasn't been groomed recently, and stuff gets left/put in the sand sometimes, plus the sand above the tide line can be quite deep and difficult to walk in even in decent sport slides.
I feel like you probably should bring separate running and non-running shoes. If all you were planning for was walking you'd be okay (see caveat below) with one pair, but it would suck to get hurt running because you were trying to save a smidge of space/weight. You may want to ScotchGuard both pair if you haven't waterproofed them recently - you'll be here for the rainy season and we have no drainage, so streets and parking lots turn into ponds every time we get .10" (and you daren't step on any dirt because it is mud because water doesn't soak into our ground), so that's another reason it's not bad to have two pairs of shoes on hand.
posted by Lyn Never at 8:41 AM on December 25, 2018 [1 favorite]
I feel like you probably should bring separate running and non-running shoes. If all you were planning for was walking you'd be okay (see caveat below) with one pair, but it would suck to get hurt running because you were trying to save a smidge of space/weight. You may want to ScotchGuard both pair if you haven't waterproofed them recently - you'll be here for the rainy season and we have no drainage, so streets and parking lots turn into ponds every time we get .10" (and you daren't step on any dirt because it is mud because water doesn't soak into our ground), so that's another reason it's not bad to have two pairs of shoes on hand.
posted by Lyn Never at 8:41 AM on December 25, 2018 [1 favorite]
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by fiery.hogue at 1:50 PM on December 24, 2018