Tell us your favorite urban walking boot or shoe

[andy richards]

Great thread! For me the Meindl Perfect mountain boot is the absolute winner. It is non-goretex, great for walking in the streets, hiking and climbing. Yes, these are heavy boots, but I like them heavy. Also a great benefit is that they can be completely renewed and re-soled. Unfortunalty my wife doesn't let me wear them on every occasion...so besides some real nice classy dress shoes as "van Bommel" and "van Lier", I like the Red Wing Iron Ranger very much. I have them in brown and tan. They are great for long city walks and have a real classy look too.
Andy

Meindl Perfect

Red Wing Iron Ranger

 

[theman]

JohnnyCanuck - Good day to you as well... the Redback Crazy Horse UACH are Clark Kent's aka Superman's go to everyday work/hero boot for about 8 seasons on the tv show Smallville. Amazingly, once I got them i realize why they put him in this workboot. It is actually a very nice work boot to run in if you had to do takes of many scenes where running is required.

 

[Mr Badger]

My most comfortable 'all day / walking / urban' footwear is a pair of vintage Acme buckle boots I got cheap off E*bay. Funnily enuff, they were really, really uncomfortable when I got them – the soles being very thin leather and no instep support, which really made my feet ache – so I hardly wore 'em. Instead of getting the soles covered with a rubber half sole & heelpiece, as I usually do with leather-soled shoes & boots, our bassist kindly took 'em on his annual visit to see his in-laws in Portugal and got them completely re-soled and heeled with a fully stitched-on, lightly treaded, incredibly hard wearing 'army' rubber sole of about 1/2" thick – all for about £5 ($7.50)! What's really great it that they're lightweight enuff to wear in warmer climes and, when worn with trousers or chinos, look like a pair of square-toed monk strap shoes... I darkened mine all over with polish, giving 'em a lovely, slightly mottled patina which goes v. well with my Aero goatskin A2...

I think they've got quite a timeless appeal and, although probably 60s or early 70s, the design could date back to the 30s or 40s – they're basically a roper boot with buckles and squared-off toes. With my A2 and denim workwear, they make me feel like a post war ex-AAF man. With a trim suit, they're just perfect for that proto 'cusp pf Ivy League vibe' cos they're quite dressy...

Here's a v similar pair online at the mo, with the original soles (I'm not the seller, BTW!):

 

[dnjan]

Ariat Lacers with the kiltie removed...
http://www.zappos.com/ariat-heritage-lacer-ii-black-deertan

Agree. Nice-looking, comfortable boots.
However, I prefer Double-H Packers or Work Boots when I don't need something that looks quite as nice.

 

[westinghouse]

Mephisto, the "walking shoes".

 

[gliderace]

Andy Richards has it right: the Red Wing Iron Ranger is fantastic. I have a set that I have worn through and through. Excellent.

If you can believe it, I find myself wearing my brown Corcoran "jump" boots about 3 to 4 days per week when the weather is cold. Once broken in, they are perfect. The vintage russet color goes well with khakis or the odd A2. Sure, they are tall combat boots, but inside slacks they are just right. So what about the rounded toe? I like it. ... Then again, I've been wearing combat boots for a very long time.

 

[STW]

Great thread! For me the Meindl Perfect mountain boot is the absolute winner. It is non-goretex, great for walking in the streets, hiking and climbing. Yes, these are heavy boots, but I like them heavy. Also a great benefit is that they can be completely renewed and re-soled. Unfortunalty my wife doesn't let me wear them on every occasion...so besides some real nice classy dress shoes as "van Bommel" and "van Lier", I like the Red Wing Iron Ranger very much. I have them in brown and tan. They are great for long city walks and have a real classy look too.
Andy

Meindl Perfect

Red Wing Iron Ranger

Walking all day in heavy hiking/mountaineering boots like your Meindls really works for me too. Even though they're heavy and I don't need the support on city streets, the stability and inertia of boots like this is so comfortable for walking. I have a pair of Richard Montvert Galibier light mountaineering boots I got when I was 16 (!) that still fit, still keep out the water, and are still great for sauntering. I wear them on campus when I have a long walk between lecture halls. But I also used them last Spring on an alpine climb in our local range at 11,000 feet or so. As good as ever. What does that say about a 35 year old boot still on its original soles.

Somehow I can't bring myself to wear a European looking hiking boot in European city streets though.

The light boots I tried to post look somewhat like the Iron Rangers you post, but without the toe cap.

What is the best photo hosting site to link photos to? Picasa didn't work, flikr didn't work. Maybe I'm not linking photos right.

 

[STW]

My most comfortable 'all day / walking / urban' footwear is a pair of vintage Acme buckle boots I got cheap off E*bay. Funnily enuff, they were really, really uncomfortable when I got them – the soles being very thin leather and no instep support, which really made my feet ache – so I hardly wore 'em. Instead of getting the soles covered with a rubber half sole & heelpiece, as I usually do with leather-soled shoes & boots, our bassist kindly took 'em on his annual visit to see his in-laws in Portugal and got them completely re-soled and heeled with a fully stitched-on, lightly treaded, incredibly hard wearing 'army' rubber sole of about 1/2" thick – all for about £5 ($7.50)! What's really great it that they're lightweight enuff to wear in warmer climes and, when worn with trousers or chinos, look like a pair of square-toed monk strap shoes... I darkened mine all over with polish, giving 'em a lovely, slightly mottled patina which goes v. well with my Aero goatskin A2...

I think they've got quite a timeless appeal and, although probably 60s or early 70s, the design could date back to the 30s or 40s – they're basically a roper boot with buckles and squared-off toes. With my A2 and denim workwear, they make me feel like a post war ex-AAF man. With a trim suit, they're just perfect for that proto 'cusp pf Ivy League vibe' cos they're quite dressy...

Here's a v similar pair online at the mo, with the original soles (I'm not the seller, BTW!):

Find a comfortable roper and you're done looking. That's a great boot. When I was in Portugal last year, I saw the opportunities for having boots re-made. Serious talent there.

I wear a western boot often here in the Rocky Mountains where they fit in ok. A pair of Chippewa western boots called Wellingtons is my most comfortable, but they aren't roper style so don't travel as well or walk as comfortably as your Acmes.

 

[normanf]

The dressiest boot I have is a Haferl Richard. A German half shoe and it has a timeless look to it. Mine is black like in the picture.

 

[BaggyPants]

My every day walking boots are a pair of current issue U.S. desert boots with steel toe caps. Very comfortable indeed, like slippers

 

[eClairvaux]

I also own a pair of those Haferl "Richard" above and quite a number of other shoes, but my idea of what makes for a perfect "tool" for walking has been changed about two years ago.

When travelling, I usually walk the whole day to explore a city and as long as it's pavement and not mountains or beaches, my White's were introducing me to a whole new world of comfort:

and finally, the latest addition, the semi-dress:

The latter is pretty good too, but by far not the fortress those other work boots styles are.

Last test: three days, each day at least 10 hours of walking around Paris and my feet were not totally trashed.

Yes they are heavy, not elegant and also quite stiff, but I can't rave about their qualities enough.

The only alternative I could think of would be some crepe-soled shoes with a custom-made inner sole.

 

[GriffDeLaGriff]

Wich ones are the ones in the middle? I cant find them on whites pages.
So these boots are the most comfortable you had? What is it that makes them so good for walking?

 

[eClairvaux]

Wich ones are the ones in the middle? I cant find them on whites pages.
So these boots are the most comfortable you had? What is it that makes them so good for walking?

Hi Griff,

from left to right:
- Farmer/Rancher, double midsole
- Smoke Jumpers, composition sole
- Packer, composition sole

I wish I could tell you what their secret is, but I don't know how they do it. It's certainly a high arch support compared to other boots, but if that does the trick, I honestly don't know. In some way I feel the weight is also rather positive in the long run, as the whole boot provide so much of the structural rigidity your feet will need for a day on tarmac. I know that sounds utterly nonsensical, but I am living proof. And boy are they heavy!

 

[WolfeMan]

Andy Richards has it right: the Red Wing Iron Ranger is fantastic. I have a set that I have worn through and through. Excellent.

If you can believe it, I find myself wearing my brown Corcoran "jump" boots about 3 to 4 days per week when the weather is cold. Once broken in, they are perfect. The vintage russet color goes well with khakis or the odd A2. Sure, they are tall combat boots, but inside slacks they are just right. So what about the rounded toe? I like it. ... Then again, I've been wearing combat boots for a very long time.

:arated: I have a pair of Corcoran field boots that i wore walking around Washington DC all day an were great. Only problem is they aren't all that dressy, so might not work you you. But the vintage jump boots probably would.
Good luck,
Wolfe

 

[JoeNiblick]

I second the vote for Blundstones. I love mine, and after almost a decade, I've had to replace them. They wear well, are comfortable, and durable. Plus, you can dress them up or down.

 

[GriffDeLaGriff]

Hi Griff,

- Smoke Jumpers, composition sole

I cant find it on their website. I can only find it with a commando sole and as a very high boot. Yours seem to have only 3 speedhooks.

Could you guide me to them?

 

[eClairvaux]

I cant find it on their website. I can only find it with a commando sole and as a very high boot. Yours seem to have only 3 speedhooks.

Could you guide me to them?

I don't think they have them (or many variations at all) on their website.
You usually get them custom made, which I went for through Baker Shoes:
http://www.bakershoe.com/build-a-boot/

I just told them what I wanted, which was this set-up:
6'' Lace to Toe Smokejumper with:
• standard brown leather
• Kiltie in same dark brown
• single mid-sole
• natural sides
• brass eyelets&hooks
• Vibram 705 sole

They will build them to your specs, you just need to send them a few measurements.

Here is an incomplete, but the best available overview over the customizing options:
http://www.vintageblue.co.jp/option/wb-smokejumper-001/index.html

Note you can order them with a 90 degree blocked-off heel and even ask them to lower it (see my semi-dress model).

I recommend getting the rolled top, but don't think anyone needs the lining really.

 

[jsecunda]

MBTs

Not pretty, I admit. However, for walking/standing days at a time, 8 hours per day on city streets and sidewalks, MBTs are truly amazing (but not for hiking.) The best I've experienced. Zappos carries them, I think.

 

[GriffDeLaGriff]

I don't think they have them (or many variations at all) on their website.
You usually get them custom made, which I went for through Baker Shoes:
http://www.bakershoe.com/build-a-boot/

I just told them what I wanted, which was this set-up:
6'' Lace to Toe Smokejumper with:
• standard brown leather
• Kiltie in same dark brown
• single mid-sole
• natural sides
• brass eyelets&hooks
• Vibram 705 sole

They will build them to your specs, you just need to send them a few measurements.

Here is an incomplete, but the best available overview over the customizing options:
http://www.vintageblue.co.jp/option/wb-smokejumper-001/index.html

Note you can order them with a 90 degree blocked-off heel and even ask them to lower it (see my semi-dress model).

I recommend getting the rolled top, but don't think anyone needs the lining really.

Thanks. I´ll think about it.

 

[Mav]

Irish Setter Legend chukkas. Well- built, Gore- Tex lined. Taken me across Ireland and large chunks of England, and are my regular dog walkers.