Sunnyhere

Domo, Domo, Domo Arigato...your words are manna from heaven! ^ I love chopped レバー, with raw onions and natto!

kcvt750

This logic is flawed.

MrLapLap

Personally, I like New Balance shoes (but that's just a personal preference) in terms of choosing shoes specifically for Tokyo I go for personal hikng shoes or trainers designed for walking, but then I'm someone who'll walk for up to four stations rather than take the subway (time allowing). Because Tokyo is such a big sprawling city that forces you to think carefully about your travel route, I prefer to just walk and free my mind from schedules and train maps and transit options.

In the rainy season you'll need something that dries out quickly - I suggest taking three pairs of shoes for this time. Although I don't myself, people do wear sandals, but you can always get caught out. Really clever people carry flip flops in their bags!

But be warned! I once walked home through a particularly bad typhoon (serious enough to stop the buses) and found I was wading through quite a lot of potentially dangerous debris (glass shards in particular), and for this reason I prefer to keep my feet protected in wet weather.

As we are on the subject of shoes, with leather shoes (not trainers) I found the ones I bought in the UK to be more comfortable and better ventilated. Athletes foot was a common problem in Japan, people don't seem to complain so much about it now, I don't know why this is... My dad has a funny theory that the Japanese just don't know how to make shoes like the Europeans but that's just an old man's conjecture, whether there is any truth in it, I will leave to your own judgement.

Finally for those who may try and do a survey of what the locals wear, from my own casual observation people wear anything and everything, but people seem to be divided into walkers and non walkers, and they both tend to be rather extreme in their practice. (i.e. non walkers will get taxis and other public transport options to get absolutely everywhere, walkers spurn these options whenever possible).

There is also cycling, but that's another topic...

jib71

The podiatrists at the big hospital down the road from here (who know a thing or two about shoes) agree with your dad.

A few months with plantar fasciitis makes the theory seem less funny...

LapLap

One of the reasons why sales of 5 finger socks are still doing well in Japan (supposed to help against fungal infections).

I think my husband meant 'difficult to prove scientifically' funny rather than 'hah hah' funny. He's in complete agreement with his Dad over this.

Sunnyhere

Two of my Japanese friends claim New Balance shoes are the best shoes "for Japanese feet." Maybe there is something to that. That's exactly how I feel! Mind you, when I'm in Japan (usually Tokyo) I'm seldom under time constraints...I'm just there to soak it all in.

Something that puzzles me to no end, is number of women wearing outrageous high heels up, down and around subway stations. Maybe a few can pull it off, but so many I see are seemingly practicing a painful, masochistic fanstasy.

jib71

The "science" that I remember from the doctors that I spoke to was something along the lines of:

- The width of Japanese shoes has not kept track of increasingly narrow feet in Japan. (Hence the docs preference for New Balance - since they offer multiple widths).

- Some Japanese shoes have too much flexibility (too little rigidity) in the middle, because the shank is too short

- Generally a tendency to have "easy slip-on/slip-off" shoes leads people to wear wrong size (too large) and shoe makers don't build shoes that fit closely. (and people destroy the heels of their shoes)

There were some other points that I have forgotten.

LapLap

I think this will go some way to soothing MrLapLap's Dad's grumblings once we pass this information on. He'll be delighted his suspicions have been formally validated. Thanks!

And it's a complete surprise to my husband that his preference for New Balance is echoed so loudly amongst other Japanese people who take their footwear seriously (the things you learn in this forum... )

As for heels - it seems to be a real problem, even for people who've chosen seemingly sensible shoes. It bothered me when I spent a week practically on my feet at a huge conference centre recently. Some of the ladies who worked there and did this all the time (and I'm talking 8am to 11pm shifts) were being terribly served by their 'reasonable' footwear. As you described, the middle part that's supposed to support the insole would be flexing towards the ground and pushing out the heel so it was at a 100 degree angle to the sole. When it was time to say "otsukare sama desu" I'd mean it with all my heart.

I guess if you're going to knacker your feet anyway, you might as well do it with stilletoes rather than more humdrum options.....

jib71

Disclosure - One of my best friends works for New Balance and allows me to buy at the staff discount rate. I am correspondingly biased.

Tokyorich

As far as sneakers are concerned New Balance always ranks as the best in consumers reports. A few years ago they rated SAS shoes as the most comfortable walking shoe...I have been wearing them ever since.

Sunnyhere

Perhaps the Birkenstock designers read FlyerTalk. They now have a Birkenstock Tokyo!*

*OK, maybe they had them before but I hadn't noticed them. I found them, today, because I was looking for "closed toe shoes" for the SFO Mega Do United Maintenance Facility Tour. I didn't buy them because I'm too cheap and I found some ugly-colored Eaton Suede Clogs. Can I dye suede black? (easily and cheaply)

LapLap

Aren't they just leather crocs?

I've not been shopping for over 6 months and most of this year's fashions have completley passed me by, but even I've noticed the recent rubber strapped clogs boom. Is this the Birkenstock version?

These Crocs might be good for the tsuyu/typhoon season.

tide

Late to the discussion but maybe some interesting info to share.

I have been running/racing 5Ks and 10Ks for the last 10 years so I know a little bit about shoes.

Japanese running shoes are some of the best out there. My alternate training shoes are a Mizuno Wave Inspire and an Asics Kayano (and a Saucony Labyrinth for the occasional trail run in summer) and I race in a Mizuno Wave Precision. I go through each pair in approximately 5-6 months on running 30-miles/week. Somebody mentioned New Balance: their shoes are all over the map - some seriously good shoes but a lot of junk as well. Mizuno on the other hand, make only serious runner shoes.

I am a moderate overpronator (which means I have issues with running mechanics i.e. heel-strike on the outer side rolling into the inner), flat arches etc so I've had to deal with injuries: plantar fasciitis, shin splints etc. So shoes are important to me. YMMV but I've gone through many types: Saucony, New Balance, Brooks, Etonic etc but Mizunos and Asics work for me.

So while Japanese casual footwear may be not so good (I have no experience here so I trust this board's opinion), they have pretty good running shoes. They are all made in China anyways

kcvt750

Two words:

Flip Flops

Sunnyhere

This past trip I noticed ABC Marts, for the first time. At first I assumed they were imports from Hawai'i...until I noticed all the shoes.

I've always been amused by the five fingered socks and this past trip I found a sizable stash at a 100 Yen store. I stocked up on them and some two fingered socks. Too early to tell, but I hoping the five fingered socks will help to keep my otherwise crammed together toes separate, reducing the occurrence of fungal infections.