Am also looking for sneakers to get for the following seasons:
- grey ones for summer
- black ones for spring/autumn
But I’m virtually clueless when it comes to fashion + they should be available in the EU
I’ve been enjoying my Vivo barefoot shoes. But obviously they’re only really good if you like having a thin sole on the shoe. They have a repair service though so that’s one of the reasons I recommend them.
I just switched to these last summer. Took about a month to relearn how to walk, but they’ve held up better than any other shoe in my life. One of my pairs is a single continuous piece of rubber from the top of the heel to my toe on the bottom, so there’s no way for the heel to wear out, which is usually the first thing to fail in a shoe.
They’ve been getting worse and worse imo.
My first pair lasted 3 years (Tracker FG) before the sole cracked and unglued itself. My second 2 from the same issue.
My third pair (Magna FG) has lasted less than a year. The lugs on the sole have gone and I’m probably going to wear through them.
Not to mention the colours have gone absolutely mental. I don’t want a yellow sole. Or a green boot.
I haven’t tried out “barefoot” shoes, since I imagine it would be sensorically weird/unfamiliar to me.
But if I ever do, I’ll look into Vivo ones firstI hadn’t tried them until I went to one of their shops last year to try them on. I didn’t really expect to like them, but wanted to give it a go and was pleasantly surprised. They are now my favourite, most comfortable shoes (although sometimes I wish they had a slightly thicker sole). It is worth noting that the insole they come with didn’t last very well though (it started to crumple up in the shoe and became uncomfortable) so I replaced it with a cheap regular insole I found online and it made them even more comfortable (a bit more cushioning but still a wide toe box and flexible shoe).
Altberg make shoes, I’ve not tried them but if the quality is similar to their boots they will be great.
Although they’re not technically in the EU any more since they’re made in the UK.
Not OP, but thanks for the suggestion, seems like they might be a good choice for wide fitting walking boots and the like, and they’ve got plenty of outdoor shops listed in the UK as stockists
On the made in the UK note though, seems like many of their boots are manufactured in a factory in Italy?
Will definitely look into whether Altberg is worth the hassle, makes a good first impression tho
I needed expensive custom orthotics. Of course making a costly medical modification to flimsy shoes is a terrible idea. The orthotic maker gave me this advice: buy leather shoes and make sure the inside is also leather. It was great advice because when the interior heal of the shoe is some kind of fabric it’s not long before the material forms a hole and the plastic skeleton is exposed.
I found some ugly tennis shoes (didn’t care); had 3 stripes (i think that’s Adidas). They were all leather inside and outside except the sole. They lasted like over a decade. The outer sole was the first to wear out. I can probably have them resoled.
But in general, if you go into a place that makes medical orthotics they will have the advice you’re after, and perhaps have specific recommendations.
Theoretically there is just one material more durable than leather: aramid (aka Kevlar™). Not sure if anyone is on the ball with making aramid shoes though.
I’ve not tried the brand myself (but am planning to) and I’m conscious it’s an expensive option, but I’ve heard Goral shoes have good repairability, as they are resole-able. Made in England if that matters to you. But without having tried them myself, it’s hard for me to give a full recommendation.
Goral seems great and straight forward in terms of getting the shoes repaired
I bought a pair of Adidas sneakers (no clue thrle name). They looked like the ultra boost series but without the special™ shoe sole (I think they are no longer being produced).
I bought them in 2012, and wore them in death valley, in the snow in Slovakia, as running shoes in the Forrest and more or less daily for ~8 years. And they still hold up.
Now the Ultra boost Adidas are crooked after ½ year.
yeah, unfortunately big brands (like Nike, Adidas and even Docmartens sadly enough TwT) nowadays just means discounter quality with a markup, unless you want to pay min. twice as much for higher quality stuff when compared to “smaller” companies
but ofc all those smaller companies are either getting bought up or run into bankruptcy by larger ones. Suchis late stage capitalism ig…
(btw I love the gay toggle on your website >w<)
I have a pair of leather classic samba Adidas shoes. I wasn’t sure how well they would hold up because i can wear out a cheap or poorly made shoe like nobody else I know. The pair i have now are almost 5 years old and aren’t worn out.
impressive that they held up for so long! thx for the suggestion, but those aren’t rly my style
I’m a bit late to the party but I’m in love with Zaqq recently. They are barefoot shoes but they offer some quite nice designs. The shoes are handcrafted in Germany and made with high quality materials. I cant say something about the long term yes but I believe with the proper care they could last years.
Common projects wear in very well and last
foreverfor many years in my experienceedit: I haven’t actually had them forever
they seem like quite a commitment, especially with their instransparent internet presense, insecure website and rly high price
Check out doghammer, they also sell some for reduced price if they were display models or similar.
Furthermore they offer a repair service for certain parts of the shoe. I have a pair, though I didn’t need the repair service yet, so cannot attest to that. I am using mines all year, even in (light) snow.
doghammer seems interesting, but they don’t seem to have neither monochrome black nor monochrome grey shoes
which is a make or break for me, since I only wear black all year round and make exceptions for hot summer days during which I wear only grey >w<
You could also check out Lowa. I had a pair of them before my doghammers, and only replaced them after ~6 years because they got torn at the side.
They are a bit more expensive though…
their everday line looks interesting
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I’ve got New Balance ones which are fairly cheap but have lasted me a good few years. Won’t last for life but definitely years.
I’ve only had one pair of sketchers I used to wear everyday, but, I’ve had them for 5 years and they are still decent. Lineing in the inside is coming apart, but, otherwise still good.
