My feet would be fine for that!
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I wear Oboz trail runners as my regular sneaker because they have a little extra support (and good arch support), and I wear them for hiking unless I am going for something serious, and I love them. They also have taller ones that are more hiking boot, though I haven’t worn them for hiking so have no first hand experience.
(I wear the Sawtooth X Pro Low. And I think they are kind of cute.)
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Blundstones do great in mud! They rinse off nicely afterward.
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The blundstone lace-ups look great for the balance between hikabilty and dressiness!
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I briefly (wore once, thankfully got them from Sierra so didn’t lose money when I resold) had the laceup ones and I didn’t like how they feel, but that could be the type of leather in my pair. I like the ones that are thick, slightly shiny leather. The thermal waterproof ones I got are amazing. They are slightly warmer than the usual ones (really not that much) and have a cushy sheepskin insole. Now they’re my winter boots in Portland!
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Now that my feet are out of the ballooning phase/mostly stabilized in size post pregnancy, I need new summer work shoes (business casual, male dominated, engineering, mostly casual but occasional customer presentations).
I tried Rothys at Nordstrom rack and feel like they aren’t very supportive/cushioned which is admittedly asking a lot of flats. But I like the look/style of their daily loafer, or the Eden by Thursday Boot Company. Looking at also getting a driver moc or sneaker maybe for some more natural wider toe ox foot positioning.
Any recs of similar products? Or reviews of above companies?
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$$ - Put good insoles like Sole or Superfeet in whatever shoes you want
$$$ - Vivaia (looks like Rothys but better support), Taos (nice “slightly dressy” sneaker option, very supportive, my go-tos for the past few years), Born, Nisolo (similar aesthetic to Thursday, decent support now that my feet are slightly healed but not orthopedic levels of support and slightly narrow for true toe wiggles, I love their mules and wear them for like 3-6 hours at a time but not a full day of walking),
$$$$ - Bared Footwear
I dealt with a lot of postpartum foot/ankle problems and now categorize healthy footwear as medical spending. Being unable to walk without pain for a couple years did a real number on me.
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I love Vivaia. You can often get it on Poshmark.
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Vivaia always struck me as a Rothys knockoff and I expected cheaper/flimisier materials/feel. Sounds like I’m wrong?
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I like padded loafer style shoes. Naturalizer or something similar. These are the shoes I have with me on a work trip right now (with a male dominated engineering flavor of coworkers). I think they say Kenzie as the brand?
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How much walking are you doing? I used to wear ankle booties (mostly lucky brand but sometimes Clark’s), because I find that I need the arch support that the heel provides.
These days I’m all in on the sneakers - I basically just get my usual sneakers (asics) in black, because otherwise my plantar fasciitis acts up. But my office runs very casual and I walk a ton (no restrooms on my floor) so ymmv.
Oh, and also I feel like Gen Z wears hiking shoes and Hokas as work shoes so I’m leaning into that as well 
.
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In a nutshell, I don’t walk lots usually, but like to be able to.
I like booties for winter wear (when it stays under 70) but like to switch to flats and sneakers in summer. We’ve become more casual as a workplace since covid (and GenZ coming in played a role…) so jeans/company tee/sneakers aren’t unusual. But there’s still a lot of pressure to step it up to business casual, especially if seeing customers or leadership. And I think it’s easier to come off unkempt or frumpy as a (heavier) woman. I find that full athletic shoes (even black) feel unkempt to me. But also black sneakers kind of read food service. So I want them but I haven’t had them.
This has been my standard work shoe for 7 years https://www.nordstromrack.com/s/me-too-yale-loafer-women/6051913 I got 4 pairs after I realized I liked them and was afraid they’d be discontinued. The last pair I opened was sadly too small (not sure if variability or foot growth). Now I want something in very similar style but nicer materials/durability… And it’s hard to find!
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I want to clarify that this meant it feels this way on my body, I think it looks super cute on others and I am jealous 
I think I can pull off lower profile fashion sneakers but not aisics/hokas/etc except on casual Fridays
Today we are interviewing someone and I am wearing Aldo Oxfords (black) which are very cute but stiff. Not helped by me saving them for special occasions.
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Cole Haan has a good reputation. I don’t have these exact shoes but they seem similar to your faves with a slightly sporty twist. $50ish with the extra 30% off. More options if you filter for womens sale + loafers.
These from Charix have excellent reviews but they’re $200+. The construction looks durable and could be worth it if they’re perrrrrfect and you can wear them for many years.
What do you think of black sneakers with a twist, like this? $80 Nike Cortez Leather Women's Shoes. Nike.com
Or if you want to stay away from Nike, these:
https://www.colehaan.com/products/womens-grandpro-breakaway-lace-to-toe-sneakers-w33684
This blogger has a longform review of about 10+ comfy flat styles including detailed notes about arch support, durability, etc. Most options are in the $80-100 range.
I’ve been pretty happy with anything from Vionic. I have the Vionic Uptown loafers as well as the Uptown Sneakers, both in black and they are super comfortable. I have lots of foot issues, so them being comfortable to me says a lot
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Ooo Vionic did come up with a loafer style I like.
I’m finding out I am stupid picky haha. I want the smooth, rounded, almond toe style (not penny loafers, not square toe, not seams). They need to have the little heel or a flat sole, some have this kind of little wedge thing going on (see: vivaia Eloise https://www.vivaia.com/products/XRPD01231/Eloise?gid=10025907) that I’m not fond of.
For sneakers I want a dark sole, which is surprisingly uncommon.
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I no longer have any clue as to what makes shoes cute or not, but I have a pair of Clark’s that are very comfortable black flats. They aren’t cushy like sneakers but they have a lot of arch support and I can walk a long way in them.
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I also prefer a dark sole, and it’s so funny to me that the default is white, which gets dirty and discoloured immediately
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Thanks everyone for your inputs!
I ended up getting Rothys loafers (so I can wear barefoot and wash!), Thursday sneakers, and also these because I don’t have self control (and my nude ballet flats do not fit anymore, either) Womens Marie Loafer Natural Textile – TOMS.com
I will need to come back to Taos and Nisolo and Vivaia for boots! And Vionic is my runner up if I hate/return the ones I got and go with leather loafers…
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Those Tom’s loafers are very cute. No one has that much self control.
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