Men's Shoes That Don't Look Ridiculous

BrainPaint · May 2013

Hey all!

So I'm trying to find a pair of sneakers for the summer. Problem is that I'm a 220lb guy with size 12 wide feet. I like the aesthetics and simplicity of chucks and other canvas shoes but I don't get the support I need and they are designed for people with skinny feet. I like the support of athletic shoes but I hate the whole "I want my feet to look like a cyborg" designs of athletic shoes. Seriously who...I mean...anyway. The closest in-between I've found are skater shoes but they tend to give my feet the whole potato look. I like the look and feel of boots a lot but they look a little silly when I wear them with shorts, plus their weight doesn't help in the summer heat. I'm just looking for a shoe that has support but also has a very simple and casual aesthetic. THOUGHTS?!?!?!

Eat it You Nasty Pig. · May 2013

as long as you're not looking at high end basketball or track shoes, it shouldn't be too difficult to find fairly nondescript athletic shoes. Nike (and probably others) will even do custom colors through their website. You can't really get athletic shoes that look like canvas shoes though; canvas shoes look simplistic because there isn't much to them, but athletic shoes need materials that create support without making the whole shoe out of hard plastic.

Pantshandshake · May 2013

I like New Balance, personally.

Straygatsby · May 2013

Adidas Sambas.

http://www.zappos.com/adidas-originals-samba-leather-black-white

Inexpensive, classy as fuck, versatile. May not have quite the level of support you want, but I love these things and have for ages.

Midshipman · May 2013

I'm a big fan of tennis shoes, particularly the classic K-Swiss ones.

flowerhoney · May 2013

I think adidas can look really cool, but if your shoes don't feel like they're giving you support you can always buy footpads! My partner wears footpads with EVERY pair of shoes he owns to get the right arch support

Midshipman · May 2013

I've got a pair of Sambas that I really like the look of, but I wouldn't recommend them to someone with particularly wide feet. They feel rather narrow on me and I just have medium width feet.

EggyToast · May 2013

I'd say just go on Zappos and put in your size details. They have a couple hundred different "athletic-style" shoes for size 12 E, and since returns are free it's easy to get the right fit.

Take a look in the other categories, too. You may find that you like a different style. If it down, check out Wikipedia's list of styles: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Footwear

illig · May 2013

you appear to be limiting yourself only to what's at the local footlocker - which is geared to athletic wear

unless you're a teenager - you should consider some casual shoes - not patent leather dress shoes or anything, but nice, muted color/comfortable footwear

Check out the Sketchers casual designs - not necessarily the brand i'm recommending, but it may give you ideas as to designs you like:
http://www.skechers.com/men/styles/casual-shoes

if you're looking for properly designed/comfortable shoes, check out Florsheim and Clarks - both were recommended by a podiatrist to me, and both brands are very comfortable in my experience (even for super thin sole dress shoes)

LaPuzza · May 2013

Florsheim and Clarks are good for dress shoes.

I love Nike's nicer shoes for support. And you can make your own at nike's web page, picking the color for every. single. part. If they look dumb, its your own fault then.

iRevert · May 2013

A nice pair of leather boots has never failed me, look classy as heck with a dress outfit and off plenty of comfort for the casual stuff, and of course provided you take care of them age wonderfully.

Wassermelone · May 2013

Clarks are, apart from their classic Desert boots (and I love their Desert boots), a bit middle aged/old man -ish.

Anyway, I don't see where in his post hes even asking about dress shoes. Seems like hes thinking summer-y shoes with some style to em.

Boat shoes are pretty popular right now for summer. Sperry Topsider is the most well known brand for em, but there are tons of them out there at better price points.

Some of the most comfy shoes I own are Keeps: http://www.keepcompany.com/categories/The Homer
I don't know what width they customarily make their shoes, but the feel a bit wider than chucks.

And speaking of chucks, theres also their close cousin, PF Flyers which apparently feel a bit better for people with wider feet.

Also, if you have shoes you like that don't give you support, you could always get a good insole.

BrainPaint · May 2013

The Keep shoes are nice, but there aren't many options in my size. I went with a pair of Sketchers. New balance was a close second, but I wanted something a little less bulky.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0050B32T0/ref=ox_ya_os_product

Thanks for the help folks!

Penny Arcade

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