I have the Shark by Mephisto and I've never had better. I've also never spent as much. As for the tags, have your cobbler remove them if they bother you.

 

Oh my.

 

This is an unabashed bump. Any comments on Mephisto, Birks, or Naot and a comparison of quality?

 

For sandals, I prefer Born to all of the above. They are absolutely the most comfortable and hold up well. That said, I only wear sandals at the beach or at the lake. I don't think they are appropriate for wear in town. No one wants to see a guys feet.

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Women thrive on novelty and are easy meat for the commerce of fashion. Men prefer old pipes and torn jackets.
Anthony Burgess

 

quote:Originally posted by onthelistbaby

Oh my.

Ditto....I dont think those are ever the right answer....

If you must wear sandals opt for flip=flops from j crew

MrR

"Give me the luxuries in life and I'll gladly go without the necessities"

 

Birkenstocks for me are indelibly associated with a patchouli drenched, braided armpit earth mother from Oregon chewing me out at a book signing in Santa Monica as a 'Greedhead Cowboy' obviously there to cause trouble ( I had driven straight from the ranch.) A few minutes later my friend Julia Butterfly swept into the room and gave me a deep hug.You've had good luck with your Mephistos. Buy a new pair, buff out the logo and be happy.

 

Birkenstocks are an excellent choice. I grew up in Germany (the country of their origin) and found them to be comfortable and durable. They may have some socialist connotations, but I don't care. Huge bang for the buck. Another advantage is that Birkenstocks can also be resoled.

 

I like Birkenstocks, but I also braid my armpit hair.

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Death is...whimsical...today

 

Keen also makes durable and comfortable sandals.

"Quality is remembered long after price is forgotten" Stefano Bemer

 

Wow, OK, this has gotten totally out of hand. Both of the examples pictured are hideous, I wouldn't put them on my elephant. If you're going to go the plastic route, do yourself a favor and get Chacos:

Also available in more stylish models and colors. Comfort and quality are both out of this world and styling is spare, functional, and attractive. Really, just stay the hell away from anything made of tire rubber.

More at www.chacousa.com. I have had 2 pairs for about 6 years and am just beginning to think about resoling.

Tom

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Death is...whimsical...today

 

Man those "Keen"s are Ugly!!

 

I also like Birkenstocks, I wear a pair in the summer months....no back strap for me though and not clogs, just a good old sandle, thanks.

guit

 

Just to throw in a tourist thing, visitors to Israel should not miss the bargains at the Teva/Naot outlet at Kibbutz Naot in the Northern Gallilee. There are some wonderful bargains and you can wander through the kibbutz factory where they are made.

Ned Soltz

 

quote:Originally posted by indylion

Keen also makes durable and comfortable sandals.

"Quality is remembered long after price is forgotten" Stefano Bemer

If your gonna wear these, why not wear the rest of the shoe?

I'll second that every sandal posted in this thread is hideous. Buy a pair of driving loafers on sale and wear them instead. When you go to the beach, wear 10$ flip flops

MrR

"Give me the luxuries in life and I'll gladly go without the necessities"

 

To many of us, driving mocs (especially sockless) look awfully affected. Besides, they still aren't as open as sandals.

 

quote:Originally posted by Teacher

To many of us, driving mocs (especially sockless) look awfully affected. Besides, they still aren't as open as sandals.

Most people spend a lot of times in their cars but somehow you think driving loafers are affected.

I ask you this, how much time have you spent walking through the hills of Galilee? Because I can't think of anything more affected than grown men walking around in town in hi-tech versions of middle eastern footwear.

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Women thrive on novelty and are easy meat for the commerce of fashion. Men prefer old pipes and torn jackets.
Anthony Burgess

 

It has been my experience that driving loafers are not very comfortable for long term walking, in contrast to any of the sandals mentioned above. Comfort still counts doesn't it, when speaking of sandals?

 

quote:Originally posted by GT3

It has been my experience that driving loafers are not very comfortable for long term walking, in contrast to any of the sandals mentioned above. Comfort still counts doesn't it, when speaking of sandals?

The issue was whether or not driving loafers were affectatious (I'm not sure that's a word). Comfort does count but my point was that "mandals" could easily be seen as affectations. In addition, they look completely out of place in town and in my mind say that the person cares so much about comfort that he doesn't care about how his shoes look. He might as well wear some ratty old comfortable pants and a huge t-shirt to complete the ensemble.

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Women thrive on novelty and are easy meat for the commerce of fashion. Men prefer old pipes and torn jackets.
Anthony Burgess

 

quoteosted - 04/10/2006 : 10:21:51
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quote:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Originally posted by GT3

It has been my experience that driving loafers are not very comfortable for long term walking, in contrast to any of the sandals mentioned above. Comfort still counts doesn't it, when speaking of sandals?

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The issue was whether or not driving loafers were affectatious (I'm not sure that's a word). Comfort does count but my point was that "mandals" could easily be seen as affectations. In addition, they look completely out of place in town and in my mind say that the person cares so much about comfort that he doesn't care about how his shoes look. He might as well wear some ratty old comfortable pants and a huge t-shirt to complete the ensemble.

I was not addressing the issues of "affectatious"-ness, or a walk in town. My comment concerned only the difference in comfort when walking with sandals or driving loafers. Furthermore, since sandals were the original object of interest, a question to replace them unavoidably involves a question of original comfort. Nothing more and nothing less, fairly straight forward.

 

quote:Originally posted by Badrabbit

quote:Originally posted by Teacher

To many of us, driving mocs (especially sockless) look awfully affected. Besides, they still aren't as open as sandals.

Most people spend a lot of times in their cars but somehow you think driving loafers are affected.

Yes. Not everything associated with driving/cars is commonly accepted. Driving gloves look affected to me, too, unless one is racing in a car with a smooth-wood steering wheel.

quote:
I ask you this, how much time have you spent walking through the hills of Galilee? Because I can't think of anything more affected than grown men walking around in town in hi-tech versions of middle eastern footwear.

You might, but most won't, which is in line with what I was originally talking about. An affectation is something that is odd or uncommon and is done/worn/acted (etc.) in order to be different or out of character, or to stand out. The ubiquitous sandal does not fit this description. And sandals originated in more places than just the Middle East.

 

I do concur that driving mocs are uncomfortable for walking around....its also been my experience that they wear much more quickly when not used for their intended purpose....

My point I suppose was that for a group of individuals extremely concerned with their personal appearance, I'm surprised anyone on AAAC would strap those things to their feet because they are comfortable. Might as well get a pair of classic nikes. I understand they arent an "open" shoe but do anyones feet really get to hot?

MrR

"Give me the luxuries in life and I'll gladly go without the necessities"

 

quote:Originally posted by Teacher

quote:Originally posted by Badrabbit

quote:Originally posted by Teacher

To many of us, driving mocs (especially sockless) look awfully affected. Besides, they still aren't as open as sandals.

Most people spend a lot of times in their cars but somehow you think driving loafers are affected.

Yes. Not everything associated with driving/cars is commonly accepted. Driving gloves look affected to me, too, unless one is racing in a car with a smooth-wood steering wheel.

quote:
I ask you this, how much time have you spent walking through the hills of Galilee? Because I can't think of anything more affected than grown men walking around in town in hi-tech versions of middle eastern footwear.

You might, but most won't, which is in line with what I was originally talking about. An affectation is something that is odd or uncommon and is done/worn/acted (etc.) in order to be different or out of character, or to stand out. The ubiquitous sandal does not fit this description. And sandals originated in more places than just the Middle East.

Sandals on men are by no means ubiquitous where I live. Perhaps this is different elsewhere. I seldom, if ever, see men in sandals in town (by men, I mean guys over 25).

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Women thrive on novelty and are easy meat for the commerce of fashion. Men prefer old pipes and torn jackets.
Anthony Burgess

 

quote:Originally posted by MrRogers

I do concur that driving mocs are uncomfortable for walking around....its also been my experience that they wear much more quickly when not used for their intended purpose....

My point I suppose was that for a group of individuals extremely concerned with their personal appearance, I'm surprised anyone on AAAC would strap those things to their feet because they are comfortable. Might as well get a pair of classic nikes. I understand they arent an "open" shoe but do anyones feet really get to hot?

MrR

Yes, my feet get very, very hot. It's actually the first part of my body that seems to feel the heat, believe it or not. Others, of course, differ.

Many here have comment on comfort versus form. What many seem not to realize, though, is that some of us perspire more than others. Additionally, some of us become visibly uncomfortable in the heat. I'm over 210 lbs, yet I'm only 5' 10". I don't mean to brag, but I have a rather muscular physique. What this means is that I'm probably going to be the last to freeze to death, but my compactness and high metabolism mean that I overheat easily (and I mean that...I've suffered mild heat stroke many times, despite frequent water consumption). Therefore, for some, it isn't a matter of a little comfort...it's a matter of (1.) not being drenched with perspiration (which is far more unsightly to some of us than are shorts and sandals); (2.) not smelling like perspiration; and (3.) maybe even helping stave off heat stroke on those really hot days. If somebody doesn't like the look of my sandals or my legs, I can live with that. After all, I dress for myself.

 

The original post concerned replacing sandals with sandals or their equivalents. We have already established the fact that driving loafers are not as comforable as sandals, therefore they are not equivalent to sandals.

Would one replace driving loafers with sandals when driving? Probably not. Additionally, no one sees the drivers feet. In the case of driving, driving loafers are superior to sandals in more ways than one.

 

If I am not in an old pair of running shoes while in the operating room, I wear either a pair of Dansko clogs or Naot clogs. I had to chuck my college dirty bucs that I wore all through residency training about 7 years ago. The Naots are very comfortable and durable. I have a colleague who is a very respected foot/ankle specialist with a gait lab and is the president of the foot/ankle orthopedic surgeon society who states that Naots really are the best shoe for the buck, when it comes to comfort and being "good" to your feet.

"...always aspire to live simply and elegantly." - Madeleine Finn