In the hybrids defense my in laws love the car. But my dad has an all gas outback that also gets like 32 mpg so I’ve always been confused as to what the hybrid is even doing. Both of them are doing the majority of their driving on rural highways from 30-50 mph
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Does anyone have recommendations for ankle boots (preferably black and not suede) that are either Chelsea boots or have a side zipper and are durable? I have a very wide toe box, high arch, and high instep. I’d also prefer as low a heel as possible - ideally 1.5 inches or lower.
I came across Duckfeet but I don’t know much about them. I’ve tried Blundstones, and they cut off my circulation on the instep lol.
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I have Merrell and Keen boots that I like. Keens notoriously have large toe boxes, and the Merrells that I have are also wider than normal and very comfy.
Unfortunately neither of the styles I have is in production anymore, so I can’t recommend an actual specific boot.
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I think Blondo would fit you really well! Do you like these?
Pikolinos would probably fit you well too, and they’re having a sale!
Oh, and Dansko’s are also good for our (I have the same feet) foot type.
And these are not the cutest but SAS is like, super super super comfortable.
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I absolutely love these boots. I have them in Black/Storm and I’ve worn them for 4 winters now (had to replace the heel caps a couple of times). Super comfy once I broke them in. They’re waterproof, too! I did have to cut back the lining fabric piece along the zipper when they started getting caught on the zipper, but it doesn’t affect function. Unfortunately they’re an old model so there are limited sizes available.
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@chaskavitch @AllHat @Meowmalade Thanks y’all!!
@AllHat ugh a bunch of the Blondo and Pikolinos are sold out in my size 
But good to have them on my radar! I’ve had SAS shoes years ago and kinda forgot about them, so a good reminder. The vibe of the Danskos is exactly what I was looking for, so I think I’ll try those first and then if they don’t work go for the SAS 
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Yay! Good luck. I really like Danskos for the arch support and cushioning combo.
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Can’t beat barefoot brands for wide toe box and low heel- Xero and Feelgrounds both have a Chelsea boot. Anya’s reviews has a whole list of brands: The Best Barefoot Chelsea Boots That Don't Squish Your Toes! | Anya's Reviews scroll down for the list
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How are these in terms of cushion/recovering from injury? I had multiple stress fractures in one foot (that I acquired while wearing Altra zero drop shoes, incidentally) and the podiatrist suggested cushioned shoes with relatively stiff soles, so I’ve just been wearing Hoka tennis shoes everywhere. Or is this one of those “conventional wisdom is wrong” type of things 
Also:
weight/impact
I am quite heavy for my height, so my feet do take a lot of impact on hard floors, which is what my work has
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Minimalist shoes definitely require strong muscles and adapting/training up to them and such. I’ll leave any discussions of conventional wisdom versus not untouched right now cuz I’m tired and don’t wanna risk phrasing anything poorly. It’s an interesting discussion area though, I’ll go that far!
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Oh yeah I totally get it! I guess I’m a little hesitant because of my previous injury in zero drop shoes (I had worn zero drop shoes for over 4 years when it happened, so my muscles, bones etc should have been adjusted). But injury can happen in any type of shoe I suppose, so I could be willing to give them another shot in the future (especially if I can’t find anything else that works ). Thank you!
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Ooh-- While we’re on shoe brands, what are folks opinions on hokas vs. other walking shoes? I tend to do a lot of walking around in the city (Think… 10+ miles in a day on weird sidewalks) and it looks like some nice walking/hiking shoes would be a good investment. Any recommendations?
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I need rigid shoes for my needs, but also a very wide toe box. Few shoe makers do this combination, and none that I can try on in person instead of buying online and hoping for the best.
I wear moccasins with outdoor soles a lot for this very reason.
Shoes are complicated and expensive and I hate them.
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So for walking I personally love Hokas, but it took some trial and error to find the specific shoes that worked for me (see: weird feet above lol). For example, tons of people love the Bondi, but for me the Arahi work much better (note that I do overpronate, so a stability shoe makes sense)
@mountainmustache29 @ginja_ninja may also be able to provide some insight!
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I love love love my Hoka Bondis and they basically cured my plantar fasciitis and 3 other friends that I’ve recommended them to as well! . I think if they fit your feet, they are the best for lots of standing and mileage walking. They are wide in the toe box and so cushy. I also have a lot less joint pain all over my body since wearing them.
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whoops thought I responded to @Smacky but I didn’t, lolz
I feel this in my soul. What moccasins do you like?
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I’m a big fan of Manitobah Mukluks. Some of their styles have vibram soles, so I have grippy and durable moccasins.
My current pair I’ve had so long I had to replace the sheepskin insoles. They are actually my first pair, because quality moccasins last for many years.
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Injured feet are their own nuisance, but my personal take is to wear structured shoes for some things and not others (working standing or walking on hard artificial floors I’d do cushioned for me). I do no shoes at home and love things like espadrilles and moccasins. As part of team short and wide I like buying youth unisex or boys shoes- my blunnies are youth and the equivalent women’s wouldn’t fit and would cost more. My running shoes are decathalon zero drop youth, most of my sandals come from the youth section of Joe Fresh. Moccasins I love. I will need new hiking boots in a few years when my kids can walk more than 500 linear m. I often think I should throw it all out and walk the appalachian trail barefoot in winter
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No. Do not do this.
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@Smacky Oooh those look very cozy…thank you!! Definitely some tempting options there…
@ElleP That’s super interesting - I would never have thought about youth shoes (I wear like a women’s wide 8/8.5 - I have no earthly idea if kid’s shoes go that big?). And I really like how you broke down your approach for different scenarios. I’ll have to think more about what that would look like for me
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