On 8/25/15 11:51 AM, wrote:
On Tue, 25 Aug 2015 05:37:20 -0400, John H.
wrote:

On Mon, 24 Aug 2015 20:50:01 -0400, wrote:

On Mon, 24 Aug 2015 20:07:39 -0400, Alex wrote:

wrote:
On Sat, 22 Aug 2015 13:32:40 -0400, Wayne.B
wrote:


Sperry Top Siders were de rigueur for boating shoes many years back
but you can now get decent looking casual shoes with a Sperry like
non-skid sole. Racing sailors have mostly gone to Nike like athletic
shoes or Reef Runner type small boots. I still like top siders for
casual wear and age them into different categories. Top tier is
"dress topsiders" that I can wear almost anywhere. As they age and
get scuffed a little, they get downgraded to "boat topsiders". Bottom
of the barrel is engine room top siders after they get really beat up.

I have the same progression with my AOs.
I wear them everywhere unless I am hiking or something. Then in is a
New Balance shoe. I have some 608s on now. (basically a cross
trainer). They seem Ok for pretty strenuous hiking, riding on planes
or whatever, when you want more agility than you get with a boat shoe


Likely the 608 version 3 or 4. The original 608's were the best and
they refuse to bring them back. There are a lot of complaints on the NB
website discussion forum.

These are probably the old style. I have had them for a long time.
I am wearing them in New Hampshire in 2008

http://gfretwell.com/electrical/new_...20howitzer.jpg

Back to those from LLBean. The nice thing is that if you don't like them you can send
them back. A return label accompanies everything ordered from LLBean.

Zappos is the same way. I think that is how "online" may kill B&M
completely.
I know my wife usually tries 3 or 4 shoes for every one she buys.
UPS in USPS out. The mail lady just says "she didn't like those,
huh?"
I imagine the UPS guy thinks we need an addition on the house for all
the shoes.

OTOH I pick a shoe style and order them by item number for years.
When I was working it was Florsheim, side zipper boots and I knew the
number for black and brown. I just walked up to the counter and got
them for 25 years. I usually had a spare of each, new in the box in
the closet.
Right now I have a new pair of my AO Sperrys and when I open the box I
will order another pair.


I just got a pair of these:

http://tinyurl.com/pf8xdh3


Pretty comfy for my daily hikes...not expensive. Heel and sole support
seem pretty good. I was in a Sperry outlet store recently, and it didn't
have one pair of "wide" Sperry boat shoes in my perfectly normal size
11s. Amazing.