I've gone through a lot of shoe phases in my lifetime. As a child of the 80s, it was Nikes and Reeboks exclusively. I went through a Converse Chuck Taylor phase and, for years, exclusively wore Doc Martens. I've tried New Balances as well, with mixed feelings.
A few months ago, I was having a discussion with friend of mine about how there aren't any comfortable shoes that you can wear in a business environment, presumably because manufacturers assume that dress shoes are worn by people who sit all day. This isn't always the case.
Fast-forward to this past March, around my 30th birthday. My wife and I are walking through the King Of Prussia mall outside of Philadelphia and stumble upon a Clarks store. This reminded me that the friend mentioned previously had suggested Wallabees. We walk in and I try a pair on.
WOW. They're like walking on a Nerf cloud. Fantastic. Some people think they're ugly, but it's okay to be wrong. A pair was purchased without hesitation and I've purchased two more since from eBay (much cheaper). I have one pair of boots in Beeswax leather, one low-top in brown leather, and one low-top in black leather. The latter two are my office shoes.
So my quest has definitely ended for the perfect comfort shoe that's flexible enough in appearance to be worn casually or with business dress. I haven't stopped wearing them since March. I know just a small bit about their history after reading a few websites; that they were part of Italian preppy fashion in the 80's, that they've been part of British punk/new-wave fashion for a long time, that they used to be considered school shoes for children. All I know is that they're no match for even the most contoured of the comfort sneaker.
Anyone else a fan?
P.S. - Another excellent trait of the Wallabee: the crepe soles are so quiet that it's exceptionally easy to sneak up on people. I like to pretend I'm an assassin. Or a ninja. Or a ninja assassin.
A few months ago, I was having a discussion with friend of mine about how there aren't any comfortable shoes that you can wear in a business environment, presumably because manufacturers assume that dress shoes are worn by people who sit all day. This isn't always the case.
Fast-forward to this past March, around my 30th birthday. My wife and I are walking through the King Of Prussia mall outside of Philadelphia and stumble upon a Clarks store. This reminded me that the friend mentioned previously had suggested Wallabees. We walk in and I try a pair on.
WOW. They're like walking on a Nerf cloud. Fantastic. Some people think they're ugly, but it's okay to be wrong. A pair was purchased without hesitation and I've purchased two more since from eBay (much cheaper). I have one pair of boots in Beeswax leather, one low-top in brown leather, and one low-top in black leather. The latter two are my office shoes.
So my quest has definitely ended for the perfect comfort shoe that's flexible enough in appearance to be worn casually or with business dress. I haven't stopped wearing them since March. I know just a small bit about their history after reading a few websites; that they were part of Italian preppy fashion in the 80's, that they've been part of British punk/new-wave fashion for a long time, that they used to be considered school shoes for children. All I know is that they're no match for even the most contoured of the comfort sneaker.
Anyone else a fan?
P.S. - Another excellent trait of the Wallabee: the crepe soles are so quiet that it's exceptionally easy to sneak up on people. I like to pretend I'm an assassin. Or a ninja. Or a ninja assassin.
