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Double Bass Shoes?
- Thread starter dylanjohnson
- Start date
Hoka One One Black running shoes.
Tip: Wear a loud Shirt to draw their attention away from your feet.
Tip: Wear a loud Shirt to draw their attention away from your feet.
I have two cycling buddies who are both podiatrists. They turned me on to compression socks for standing for long periods. That and good shoes really help.
Woosh, old memory hitting me: someone took me shopping someplace way out of my range when I was 19-20 and, among other things, got me some Ecco loafers.
Those slowly became my favorite shoes to wear for anything and everything. When I wasn’t seeing her anymore I even wore them skateboarding.
Some other poster mentions them giving good sole support- I’m flat footed and it’s a huge pain to find shoes that don’t have an annoying bulge in the middle. My Eccos had no such bulge.
Pardon the intrusion. If you'll allow a (mostly) electric bassist to dip his toe in here....
Try going the other way. It sounds CRAZY. Believe me. I know. I spent thousands over the years on "better" and better hikers because I thought I needed more "support" here and reinforcement there.
Then, on the advice of a friend, I went the other way. Do any of you hurt when you walk around the house barefoot? Likely no. There are some exceptions, of course.
Short version: About three years ago or so I went to minimalist shoes. Some call them "barefoot" shoes. I work on concrete and tile floors every day. I walk on the same sidewalks and grocery store floors everyone else does. And there is usually less than 3mm of material between me and the surface I'm walking/standing on. Knee, foot, and back pain are gone. I gave away a lot of hardly used Merrell, Keen, Rockport, etc. shoes.
Xero shoes is an example of a company that makes dressy shoes for men. Their "Hana" model is nice.
Try going the other way. It sounds CRAZY. Believe me. I know. I spent thousands over the years on "better" and better hikers because I thought I needed more "support" here and reinforcement there.
Then, on the advice of a friend, I went the other way. Do any of you hurt when you walk around the house barefoot? Likely no. There are some exceptions, of course.
Short version: About three years ago or so I went to minimalist shoes. Some call them "barefoot" shoes. I work on concrete and tile floors every day. I walk on the same sidewalks and grocery store floors everyone else does. And there is usually less than 3mm of material between me and the surface I'm walking/standing on. Knee, foot, and back pain are gone. I gave away a lot of hardly used Merrell, Keen, Rockport, etc. shoes.
Xero shoes is an example of a company that makes dressy shoes for men. Their "Hana" model is nice.
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I like Invalid Link Removed
Ultra thin sole where you feel every foot muscle (and every little pebble). Wide and flexible. If you like what you feel with no shoes, this is a good stuff to try.
Ultra thin sole where you feel every foot muscle (and every little pebble). Wide and flexible. If you like what you feel with no shoes, this is a good stuff to try.
Well, those minimal shoes are about the same thing as deck shoes, or traditional dress shoes with thin soles.
What works depends heavily on the type of foot and condition of the feet. In my case, with wide flat feet, excessive pronation, two bad big toe joints, plantar fasciitis, and 40 years of damage from running (and I'm on the heavier end of the spectrum for distance runners), thin soled unsupportive shoes on a hard surface for several hours is a recipe for being unable to walk to the bathroom the next morning. My wife, on the other hand, with high arched feet and weighing 80 pounds less than me, a supinator, and with far less damage from overuse, can clump around as hard as she wants to barefoot on concrete all day and never experience the least foot pain.
What works depends heavily on the type of foot and condition of the feet. In my case, with wide flat feet, excessive pronation, two bad big toe joints, plantar fasciitis, and 40 years of damage from running (and I'm on the heavier end of the spectrum for distance runners), thin soled unsupportive shoes on a hard surface for several hours is a recipe for being unable to walk to the bathroom the next morning. My wife, on the other hand, with high arched feet and weighing 80 pounds less than me, a supinator, and with far less damage from overuse, can clump around as hard as she wants to barefoot on concrete all day and never experience the least foot pain.
Same. I’ve got multiple pairs but I get away with wearing a pair of black chisel toe in more formal settings.
+1,000
A few years back I also developed planta fasciitis and it took me awhile to figure out that what worked for me was very stiff soles that minimized the amount my tendons would stretch. That and the Super Feet insoles in every pair of shoes and minimizing how much I go barefoot.
Hummergeist
Commercial User
- Jul 21, 2020
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I came in to recommend the same thing. This is the only brand I wear now, I have 3 different styles. I am tall, heavy, a history of knee trouble, and wider feet, and these have made such a difference!
If you want extreme comfort, look into Oofos shoes. They are mostly sandals, but they have a few mesh top shoes.
I wore some barefoot shoes for over a year....IMHO not much different than wearing Chuck Taylors. In my experience, my feet will get sore/tired if I stand long enough, regardless of what's on my feet (or isn't). But not too bad, or in any manner that I would consider abnormal. I have good arches and typically can wear a shoe with little to no support with no trouble. And sometimes I do. But I've trended towards the Eccos and boots mainly to keep my feet warm and for the lewk.
Clarks and Doc Martins have treated me well. I’ve had a hard time playing long gigs, and loading in and out, in proper dress shoes.
I can't say these will be more comfortable for standing (except on the deck of the boat), However, if you take advantage of sitting on a stool when you play (as I do) your feet will thank you.
I go back and forth as well. Vans and Chucks are in regular rotation. In fact, rocking Chucks at the office as we speak.
Me too!
Do you get large calluses on the bottom of your feet? If so, I suspect that orthotic insoles will help you.
I went to the podiatrist several years ago with foot pain. He shaved off my calluses and told me to never, ever stand up without wearing either orthotic insoles, or cork-soled sandals; even at night when I get up to pee.
He was right. I use the cheap, grocery store insoles. They work just fine, but may wear out quicker than the expensive prescription ones. That way, I can afford a pair for all of my shoes. Your feet will tell you when it's time to replace them.
Still using my old Canadian military oxfords.
Here's a link to the manufacturer. Commercially available.
Men`s CANADA WEST® Service Footwear - Black Oxford - Smooth - 220 - Leather King & KingsPowerSports
The last pair I was issued before retirement, a decade ago, have Vibram soles and are a balmoral style. The ones in the link are blucher style.
I still wear them formally because they still have the spit shine that I worked up over many hours.
I can wear them for days. There are no lumps and bumps in them (arch supports and such). Just a nice leather insole that's fairly flat, smooth and comforting to slip into.
All the ones issued before these last ones were leather soles, and just a bit less comfortable for long hours.
Here's a link to the manufacturer. Commercially available.
Men`s CANADA WEST® Service Footwear - Black Oxford - Smooth - 220 - Leather King & KingsPowerSports
The last pair I was issued before retirement, a decade ago, have Vibram soles and are a balmoral style. The ones in the link are blucher style.
I still wear them formally because they still have the spit shine that I worked up over many hours.
I can wear them for days. There are no lumps and bumps in them (arch supports and such). Just a nice leather insole that's fairly flat, smooth and comforting to slip into.
All the ones issued before these last ones were leather soles, and just a bit less comfortable for long hours.
The underlined portion describes me. Every step on a bare floor hurts. I don't ever go barefoot, (in fact, I don't ever remember going barefoot by choice in my entire life) and going to a spa or outdoor hot tubs is an exercise in either pain, or the logistics of having sandals ready to traverse the 10-20 steps between tubs. The "shoes" you describe would be immediately and consistently painful when I stood up, but everyone's feet are different.
The prospect of any shoe that doesn't provide a soft sole, considerable padding, plus an orthotic, is not attractive. In tennies, I wear the factory soft liner with a soft orthotic on top of it, the combination provides support and padding.
I have found a pair of Keen sandals that come with padding on top of the moulded footbed. If I'm not walking more than 100 yards at a time, those are actually pretty good. If I have to walk farther than that, I change to my New Balance 410s with the soft orthotics already installed.
@two fingers is a friend. I'm not arguing, just pointing out an exception to the generalization.
Good points.
Yeah do what works for you. I'm certainly not saying anyone is dumb for not doing it my way.
Last year on vacation I put on a pair of Xero Shoes sandals for two meals in a restaurant. They're basically 2mm soles with paracord holding them on. Other than that I didn't wear shoes all week.
Different strokes.
Redwing makes a black Oxford that’s built like a tank. It will last for years. They actually make a 13 B and it fits me like a glove. Been wearing Redwing work boots since the early 90’s at my job as a flooring installer. Just my .02
