Which of these would go well as a daily casual shoe for work and dates?
Thinking of buying one pair, they must be comfortable for long hours of continuous use (7-8 hours) and long walks? I typically wear black pants with beige or grey shirts (I know and do need an overhaul on the wardrobe department as well)
Nike Pegasus 40 (140$), New Balance 880v12 (120$), Adidas Ultraboost Light (190$, but need to wait till a discount sale in 3 months)
If you guys have any other recommendations, please do share (Budget 150$)
Note: The terrain I use isn't always pavement, so I wouldn't buy/use something that can get dirty/wrinkled/crumpled easily - durability and comfort is a must
48 Replies
These will probably all be fine for comfort. In terms of fashion I'd go for a different colourway in a chunkier style e.g. 990 or 574
None of these are good "daily casual for work and dates" shoes imo
Not for dates. For work it depends on the office dress code and how much walking is involved
I personally would wear these to exercise in, not for everyday wear. In fact I do wear the 880s as workout shoes.
man really wants some black workout shoes i guess 
yeah follow up to that, turns out official distributor of new balance doesn’t sell 574 or 990s here (I really really wanted 990 in grey)
and I ended up ordering 880 before as well, but the pair that was shipped to me had a ton of QC issues so I refunded and am unsure whether to retry getting it or reconsider
there’s no dress code but I like to look semi formal at least
sadly neither of them are available here from official distributors (new balance doesn’t sell directly in my country)
If there’s other comfortable suggestions that’s durable and okay with gravel surfaces and usable for long hours feel free to recommend
I considered above options since they’re typically trainer shoes that’s comfortable to run in and okay on pavement and gravel kind of roads
@jfarrell468 @bigelow_ I have provided some background info above, please suggest alternatives if you know any that fit
I didn’t want to go suede or leather route thinking it may get wrinkled fairly easily and dusty from the above as well
Nike, Puma, Adidas, Reebok, ASICS are some brands whose outlets exist offline in my country
Can you buy some 990s on ebay or grailed etc?
eBay doesn’t exist in my country officially and the shipping/import taxes are sky high - 75% often (not kidding, India)
Wish a coworker was coming along with my manager from US - I could’ve asked him to bring along a pair of 990v6 in grey
Really loved how it looked
What about a chunky sneaker from a different brand? AF1 or reebok club c?
Asics has chunky stuff I'm not super familiar with the brand tho
Do they get wrinkled fairly easily or get damaged in rain?
Durability is a big factor
No better or worse than New Balances I'd say. But I would try to wear something other than sneakers in the first place if you're gonna be out in heavy rain
The weather is pretty unstable here
Can be sunny in morning and rainy in noon
This answer isn't exactly within the confines, though something I would suggest is maybe a comfortable derby perhaps, unless that is totally out of question, since some derbies can be comfortable for extended periods of walking, including dating, casual wear, formal wear etc etc
and can be very versatile too
furthermore, derbys work in whichever whether you desire: Warm, cold or rainy, since it is leather after all
I apologize if I’m misinterpreting since I’m new to shoe stuff, are derbies and Oxford shoes the same?
I do plan to get a pair eventually since my old pair got worn out completely a yr ago
but I’m not sure if I’ll use it for non-serious events
maybe business meetings or dates
or maybe the pair I used were uncomfortable
There are minor differences between them. Derbys are typically considered more "casual" but works perfectly for anything. Even for business meetings https://www.gentlemanwithin.com/types-of-dress-shoes/
Gentleman Within
10 Dress Shoe Types (+ Difference Between Oxford, Derby & Brogues)
Discussing all you need to know about 10 dress shoe types. We also explain differences b/t the often confused oxfords, derbys & brogues.
a dress shoe is generally a dress shoe
thus will always be more formal than a sneaker
though some derbys are more unformal than others, such as Doc Martens
I recall someone saying to check out Aldo for the oxfords before - I’ll have a look at these over there as well
They have an offline outlet here too
However, I’m honestly looking for a pair aside from these since I definitely plan to get these
So what I would have are:
1) Running shoes - Adizero SL (not used for anything aside from running)
2) Hiking ish shoes - technically for hiking but I use it for office since I don’t have a choice
3) soon to be derby/oxford
None of these will be good for rain or fit “semi formal” by which I assume you mean business casual
Basically whatever choice is suggested shouldn’t be too loud/bright is the criteria for appearance
A casual sneaker that can be dressed up a bit you really don’t want to go with synthetic knit uppers like this
Where are you in the world?
India
May be easier to just get some German army trainers or something if shipping from Germany isn’t as bad
The issue is horrendous import taxes in my country
60-75% on average
Otherwise I’d have gone with 990v6
https://www.etsy.com/listing/1139645766/supergrade-original-german-army-leather how much do these cost shipped to you?
SUPERGRADE Original German Army Leather Trainers White - Etsy
This Sneakers & Athletic Shoes item by OutdoorsEE has 238 favorites from Etsy shoppers. Ships from Estonia. Listed on Sep 2, 2023
Honestly just look at adidas if they’re available and get some sambas or their gat
Looks like that product doesn’t deliver to India at all
I see, any specific color that’s recommended?
I can have a try on those when returning from office on Monday
I typically wear black pants since it’s the only color I have
I was looking at it now and honestly shocked at the price, didn’t expect it to cost that much and be so minimal in appearance
I wonder how the fit and breathability is
The OG Sambas are quite a bit cheaper
OG Samba are 140$ here
Yeah I just grabbed the first links of white ones tbh
In adidas website
But that’s right in the range of the other shoes you posted so that makes sense
It says that’s made out of leather
Won’t that wrinkle or crumple up?
There might be cheaper brands from China
Not in any negative way
Leather uppers are very typical for this type of sneaker
I see, I do not have any pair of white sneakers so maybe that’s tempting
Your other option is synthetics of various kinds which are typically more casual or more outdoorsy, I think this is the right direction if you want a good catch-all sneaker
The synthetic knit upper + huge white sole just screams workout or running shoe
I will have a look at more reviews on samba and check them out for fit before considering it for purchase (prob by Monday)
Is that typically a bad thing? I’m sorry I’m dumb at these stuff, just grinded at work since graduating 3 years ago and had ditched social life
wasn’t caring about my appearance till recently
It’s just not the right shoe if you’re looking for going on dates/wearing to work shoes
I’ve typically seen employees wear running shoes so that was my first thought
There are styles that make very sporty shoes work, but they are typically way way more sporty and technical than the ones you posted initially
either running shoes or oxfords/derbies
is what I’ve seen here
Yeah I mean the running shoe has become the default shoe in many places, but that doesn’t mean it’s fashionable
See allbirds which are all over the place in certain circles and are really ugly and soulless shoes
but when it comes to comfort and 7-8 hours of use the sambas and sneakers like that are still great?
we don’t have this brand in India but from a Google image search lot of brands seem to be mimicking them
doesn’t look nice to me as well
Yeah sambas and gats are comfortable you’ll be fine, if you want more support for walking and standing a lot you really have to go for new balance or some specific Hoka models, lots of hokas are pretty ugly though
Yup, I dislike the font and colors of hoka - too bright for me
I wear sambas to work a lot and walk 4-5 miles in them comfortably, on my feet for 8+ hours. They're great especially for indoor use. The white suede are dirt magnets so consider treating it to make it easier to clean later.