[SG_67]

The Allen Edmonds Voyager might do the trick.

Bicycle toed sneakers?! Sorry man, I think those are kinda hideous.

We've gone from "grown up" to geriatric.

 

[SlideGuitarist]

We've gone from "grown up" to geriatric.

I'm 54, but I'll die before I wear those.

 

[RogerP]

I don't know what I'd wear as a tourist, if I were going to walk for miles on pavement: not brogues, most likely!

I'd go for a pair of suede chukkas with a soft crepe sole. Unbelievably comfortable and tremendously versatile. I would not wear sneakers.

As it happens, the only athletic shoes I own are for cycling.

Me too. And golf. For casual wear, I have far better options. Though I will say that on some level I find cordovan sneakers to be conceptually cool. Perhaps because they look a bit LESS like they belong in a high school gym.

 

[RogerP]

To those chiming in and still suggesting athletic trainers, thanks for the input. For those advocating I don't buy sneakers at all, I hear there's sale on bay rum in aisle 9! Check it out!

To those advocating wearing sneakers as casual wear, get off your Mommy's computer, finish your homework, brush your teeth and go to bed!

 

[BostonHedonist]

I like both that the OP displayed. My issue with the Common Projects is the prominent numbering on the side of the shoe. Perhaps the pair in question is void of these but those I've seen all have it.

A bit of acetone maybe?

The Allen Edmonds Voyager might do the trick. They aren't the most stylish things in the world, but they aren't bad and the reviews seem to suggest they are quite comfortable. Plus they're recraftable, which is always nice (especially since the uppers are of good enough quality to deserve it if you still like the shoes).

Maybe as a bowling shoe....

But on the topic of sneakers from more "traditional" shoemakers, Church's recently came out with a line that I think is noteworthy. Their uppers are quite a bit more refined in design than CP clones and the silhouette looks much more lasted.

Love the way the upper remains unbroken from the toebox to the heel.

 

[Fred G. Unn]

As promised, here's a comparison shot:



From L to R - Diemme, Buttero, Pantafola, National Standard
The Butteros are the longest, but they are also maybe the most narrow. Virtually everyone seems to size down in them, but I wear 'em TTS because I need the width. The National Standards are maybe a touch smaller than the Diemme and Pantafolas.

 

[BostonHedonist]

As promised, here's a comparison shot:

From L to R - Diemme, Buttero, Pantafola, National Standard
The Butteros are the longest, but they are also maybe the most narrow. Virtually everyone seems to size down in them, but I wear 'em TTS because I need the width. The National Standards are maybe a touch smaller than the Diemme and Pantafolas.

Nice looking setup Fred. Love those Butteros and the cut of the Pantofolas looks great. Matter of fact, I just bought a pair of burgundy CPs and pair of navy blue butteros. I think burgundy is a vastly underrated color for sneakers.

Are you the same size in Pantofola as in Buttero? Because so far CP and Buttero seem the most generously sized of any shoes I've tried on.

 

[zzdocxx]

To those advocating wearing sneakers as casual wear, get off your Mommy's computer, finish your homework, brush your teeth and go to bed!

Lol that was a good one Roger !

Have to say though out here in San Diego, I have to admit yes I do wear athletic shoes for casual wear.

Anyway, when I was in Europe a few months back, heeding the advice to not look like a tourist in Paris, heaven forbid, I eschewed the wearing of white athletic shoes and only wore black ones. I did some cycling and walking and so forth.

So the bicycle toe AEs don't look so bad in retrospect, though I too thought them somewhat ugly when I first saw them mentioned here.

Now as far as what is worn in Paris, the "sneakers" are in all sorts of crazy colors and designs, and to my eye they look somewhat effete and strange, maybe even effeminate, but that is just me. The dress shoes tend to be extremely pointy and look a trifle absurd to this American's eye, but horses for courses as they say.

Just goes to show there is bit of as to what your culture has accustomed you.

Reminds me of a Mexican American fellow I met several years ago, he was telling me about one of his relatives visiting from Durango, where they have vaqueros (cowboys) and such. His relative told him that if one didn't wear boots then they weren't a real man, and so forth.

Sorry that was a little off topic.

I'd love to wear the perfect shoe for all occasions but you know I over packed as it was. I was up till 2am the night before unpacking and repacking. I wanted to make sure to have weather appropriate clothing for England and France and I stumbled on various threads with people obsessing over whether they might be mistaken for tourists in Paris, oh the horror.

Lol, it turned out it wasn't cold at all there, it was quite warm and I lugged those suit cases around for naught ! Still learning to pack light and making some progress !

Wow, rambling aren't I ? ? ?

 

[mreams99]

How about a pair of Red Wing chukkas?

 

[David J. Cooper]

To those advocating wearing sneakers as casual wear, get off your Mommy's computer, finish your homework, brush your teeth and go to bed!

Outstanding post.

Of course I think of a Beaufort and Bean boots as "active wear".

 

[Desirable Result]

I liked that post too, and it can be reused again and again, I hope it's not copyrighted.

 

[BostonHedonist]

Then I got only one question for ya.

What are thooooooose?

 

[Desirable Result]

[ B Hed ] Then I have only one more question for you'

What are those?[/QUOTE]

"take a hike"

 

[italianstallion]

Adidas Stan Smith 2 in plain white leather.

Special editions abound. The mahogany leather is particularly nice IMO:

 

[fishertw]

I was in Patis in June on the way to LeMans for the 24 hour race and wore Cordovan Ranger Mocs for two days and did not feel like I stood out as a tourist. I also wore an OCBD and British Tan trousers and olive trousers. I did not feel that I stood out as a tourist.
Not sure that gym shoes, however you classify them, are appropriate for travel.

 

[jackmccullough]

Sorry, but I think that just about every shoe pictured on this thread was almost aggressively ugly. They seem to be made for people who don't really want to wear sneakers.

I lean toward the classics: Jack Purcells, Cons. I just got a pair of Adidas Sambas and I'm still breaking them in, but they may be working well.

If you're talking sneakers you always want comfort, and I think K-Swiss tennis shoes can be extremely comfortable.

 

[BostonHedonist]

It's kind of silly, isn't it, how so many people have an obsession with not looking like a tourist? It's no easy feat if you're carrying a camera or a map... or speaking another language. I'd say one should only consider this line of thinking so far as not looking like a target (the sort of person who is clearly new to travel and bought everything they're wearing for the 'big trip').

At any rate, I guess the aesthetic of the minimal leather sneaker - something casual that resembles trainers yet has an obscenely long lifespan compared to synthetic footwear - is lost to a great many people (though why those folks feel the need to detract from an otherwise-productive discussion is a mystery to me).

I wonder if perhaps it is better to just go right to the New Balances of the sneaker world when considering sneakers; to just let any shred of material luxury go in the name of comfort.

Hm, no, I still just don't care for footwear that isn't made from some animal hide or another.

 

[Desirable Result]

Thank you for your recent post, you sound well educated, But I would like to here more convincing argument, please.

 

[MaxBuck]

If we're really talking sneakers here, I have no intention of looking past function to find "grown-up style." Sneakers are all about function, and grown-ups IMO choose their sneakers accordingly. Saucony works best for me; their last provides excellent support for the long walks for which I typically rely on sneakers. Don't much care about looks, as if I cared about looks I wouldn't be wearing sneakers.

 

[Chris Giakoumakos]

All the sneakers pictured so far are hideous looking. From what I understand, the OP wants a pear of "fashion" sneakers, not for the gym, not to go running in , but something super casual, maybe that he can wear when he takes his dog to poop in the park. In that case , the brand you are looking for is PUMA.