Working from home (mostly) due to that global pandemic thing... So instead of the usual Lowa Strato EVO LL LO (for office days) and the Lowa Uplander GTX (for field days), I'm currently wearing a pair of 10(-ish) year old leather Teva flipflops. Pretty cool that even a simple product like a pair of flipflops can last over a decade with just minimal care. Especially for the €24,95 I spent on them back then... Pretty impressed with the quality, most flipflops aren't really built to last...
Generally speaking, I hate footwear; I prefer to go barefoot wherever and whenever possible. But since that's normally not an option I like something I can slip on and off easily. I work in an office environment so my footwear needs are pretty minimal, and I can get away with taking my shoes off as soon as I get there. Most of the time I'm wearing a pair of Johnston and Murphy Hatfield Venetian loafers. During warmer months it's just a pair of cheap flipflops from walmart, and during the cold winter months if there's a lot of snow and/or slush on the ground I tend to wear simple Red Head rubber boots. But most of the time it's the J&M's.
Have you looked into some of the minimalist shoe brands such as Lems? While not fashionable they allow a more barefoot feel with a no-drop footbed a wide toebox so your toes don't feel squished. Flipflops are supposedly bad for your feet. Personally I like Vibram Five Fingers, but they do look strange
It's not so much about a wide toebox or barefoot feel. I'm a country boy who grew up running barefoot over grass and gravel and my feet are about as leathery as a hobbit's. Further, I radiate a lot of heat through my feet (as opposed to hands and head) so anything that encloses my feet in the summer elevates my body temperature to uncomfortable levels rapidly. Due to these factors I just dont like having stuff on my feet. I've looked at Lems for other reasons but wasnt terribly impressed by their offerings, at least not for my uses. Flipflops might be bad for your feet, but they do fine walking from the truck to the office before I just take them off. If I'm going to be walking a lot I do have a decent pair of sneakers. I've got all the appropriate footwear I need for various situations: walking shoes, working boots, rubber boots, flip flops, dress shoes... and I wear them all when required. But if I ever have the opportunity to go barefoot I take it. I just don't like having stuff on my feet.
Im pretty partial to the Georgia Giant High Romeo Boot, easy to slip on and comfortable walking in while at work or working in the yard. These have become my new version of Crocs. My sneakers are Altra Paradigm 4.5 and these are awesome. They come with a wide foot box and very cushy, this is the shoe I grab when im going to go and do a 12+ mile ruck. Next are Van's Atwoods and they are just an old school comfy shoe. Cairn Bedrock sandals are awesome and on weekends I make it a personal goal to live in my sandals. I've even ran the weedeater in my sandals but I don't recommend that.
After about 8 years of use, I finally wore out my Salomon XA 3D Ultras. I picked up a pair of Keen Targhee III’s. So far, so good. Very comfortable with only a couple of days of break in. Not sure I’ll get the mileage that I did from the Salomons, but we’ll see.
Just received a pair of Soft Star Megagrip Primals: https://www.softstarshoes.com/adult-primal-runamoc-megagrip.html
i'm reading people having issues with qc on merrells; anyone experiencing such with recent purchases?
I've heard the same rumors, but nothing on my low cut Moab 2. The last pair died of natural causes if that helps ease your worries.
