I went to TK Maxx today and found not one, but 2 pairs of perfect travelling sandals. Problem is, I can only choose one pair...

I've never owned a pair of Brikenstocks before, but a lot of travellers I know seem to swear by them. When I tried them on they weren't uber-comfy, but I've heard they mould to your feet. These are a black "Ibiza" style...

The other pair is a pair of black hush puppies. They're comfy as hell, and a bit dressier than the Birks (nice enough that I could likely pull them off in a club). I'm more inclined to stick with these, but I wonder if I'm missing out... ?

Anyone have anything to say about Birkenstocks?

I got birks for my trip through Europe and as a non-birk wearer they were amazing in short doses. I mean they support your foot really well, but at the same time, they rub every single part of your foot meaning I had blisters all over for the first month. Yet I still used them everyday and did EVERYTHING in them; walked for like 5-8 hours each day I wasn't traveling ...so I mean blisters were inevitable. Never had hush puppies though...but I did take my birks into clubs hehe didn't seem to cause much of a commotion

Hush Puppies have practically no arch support...

Birks are great, but they have a too loooong break-in period for my tastes.

Clarks makes some incredibly comfortable walking/travel shoes, but for my dollar, Keen (www.keenfootwear.com) is the way to go. A bit on the weird looking side, but SO DAMN PERFECT in my oh-so-humble opinion.

I'll second the word on Keen. My brother got them for our trip but has worn them hiking once or twice. He loves them, and he's obnoxiously picky.

I :wub: my Keens. Yeah, a bit weird-looking but for hiking sandals I don't give a rat's ass. At least they're red! :)

I've got older Birks I've probably had for nearly 10 years, and though they're uber-comfortable (and I take great care of them), they aren't what I'd consider for serious hikes/walks. More knocking round kinda sandals. However, similar footbeds are used in their professional kitchen clogs, and I know plenty of chefs that swear by 'em. If they're good for 10 hours on your feet, they can't be bad for a trip (personally, I own Dankso's but thats another topic)

All the chefs and nurses around here have dumped their Birk and Dansko clogs for Crocs. But god damn if they ain't the most hideous footwear I've ever seen.

The hipster marketing on these is that you have to be SUPER manly to wear these. hahahah

http://freeridinretrievers.com/news/images/crocs.jpg

Crocs ARE comfy, but yeah, they're fucking ugly as hell!! :unsure: The jury is still out though, some of the kitchen workers at the club like them and others say they're fantastic for shorter shifts but not so good for longer ones. *shrug*

Having those holes on top is asking for trouble. I've spilled all manner of hot stuff (oil, water, sauces) on my Dansko's and with those things they'd shoot right through and burn the piss outta my foot, therefore turning me from friendly local kitchen pirate into rampaging king of the assholes. I've cautioned our new hires against getting them. Save up for the big dogs- Dansko, Birki, or Sanita.

Beyond that, dealing with sharps in the nursing field would render them unsafe as well. Sorry.

Practicallity aside, not much will help after 10+ hours on your feet- no footwear, no standing on rubber mats, etc. Your feet will eventually win out and you'll need to sit down.

If you really need to have funky colors, get the Birkis. They have at last count at least 5 or 6. Danskos only come in black and brown. But be prepared for whatever you get to get the living shit knocked outta it. My Danskos are getting retired after 2 years of abuse (the soles are cracked, the leather is cracked, etc) at 8-10 hours a day 5-6 days a week. I figured that was $100 well spent.

Not true, my friend... I've seen the clog in blue, red, pink, funky stripe colors, green, mustard yellow, denim and a few others I'm forgetting about... :cheers:

I went shoe shopping with a nurse once... As if shoe shopping with any ol' girl isn't bad enough, try it with a nurse. We went to every f'in store in LA until we found the one that had Danskos in every color imaginable. And I think she bought them all. :doctor:

Well, maybe for you wimmens you can get the different colors... but for me I can only find black and brown on their website...

You COULD just get a chick version in a larger size, ya know. :blink:

the chefs at my work wear workboots.. like RM Williams ones but I think they probably wear baxters... I go for dunlop volleys at work cause they are all black and cheap and when I come home with food all over them I can just chuck them in the washing machine... back to the topic, for travelling I swear by my chucks but I tend to be a winter traveller so I've never really needed ugly (oops, I mean practical) sandals.. plus I can wear rubber thongs all day every day no trouble, I'm immune to whatever problems they are supposed to cause (thats flip flops for whoever thinks thongs are underwear)

I've had half a dozen people tell me these are the way to go....lightweight, waterproof, comfy as hell...

But, they are pretty fugly.

But why would I wanna wear pink clogs? They'd completely clash with my Urban Camo BDUS! :D

As for pro work boots, I've entertained getting some Shoes for Crews stuff, but I'm so addicted to my Dankso's that it just doesn't jive for me to switch. Plus, having to lace something up, etc etc... too much of a PITA opposed to sliding on and off...

I'll toss in for the Keens as well. I wore my pair all through Mexico and I easily walked 10+ miles a day on average. Also I wear them daily back home (like right now) and have gone climbing with them, fishing which involved me in and out of Saltwater many times, running, just genral around town stuff and everything I toss at it they hold up to. I never have shoes last me more than afew months and these have gone non stop for over a year (I wear them almost year round). I wear the Newport H2's.

SuDZ

Sorry to dig up an old thread, but MAN I only wish they made those crocs in size 15 (50Eur) mens..

Those ROCK!

Quick Question...

I heard that you need adequate footwear to enter bars/clubs in europe (where im in the US, u can get into bars with shower sandals... :cheers: )

My question, has anyone tried enter them with Keen Newports? I mean, they are kind of like shoes. More than a sandal, less than a shoe....


Do you think they would pass, or should i bring along fancier footwear?

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(ttfreek @ Jul 4 2006, 01:45 PM) [snapback]129469[/snapback]</div>
Keens are generally funny looking and the newports are no exception. I would definately bring a fancier shoe for a Euro tour, just to be safe. I wore my keens everywhere in South America, but they do not care.