Airport Friendly Shoes
 

It's time to buy a new pair of shoes.

I'd like to buy some that are actually reasonably comfortable to fly in, including the annoying process of removing them at security as well as slipping them on and off in the confines of an airplane seat. And they should be dressy enough to wear with a coat and tie.

Any recommendations?

If your current coat+tie shoes aren't comfortable enough for airport travel, then you aren't spending enough on your feet.

There's a big world of quality footwear out there, invest a bit more and you'll have shoes you can walk miles in without noticing.

How much is enough?

I have a pair of Ecco shoes from Nordstrom's that dig into my heels and don't have enough support on the front, so I hobble along anytime I have them on.

They weren't too cheap either, I think around 150 or so.

Not sure what your budget is, nor your gender, but I've found Rockport has some business casual shoes for men ("Dressports") that go for $80-120 (look for sales at Macy's et al). If you want to go a little more upscale, I've found Allen Edmonds makes some comfortable slip ons that look good enough to go with a jacket and tie. Just my 2 cents, but I've found Johnston & Murphy quality has gone down since they stopped making them in the US, and therefore not worth the price.

They're comfortable, but a pain at security. And I'm happy to spend "enough". I was admiring those springy things in the SkyMall, but not fool enough to order them without a personal recommendation.

Male and a great recommendation/price-point. Probably good enough for me (I'm an analyst, no need to "impress", just need to look reasonably professional.)

Comfortable shoes without laces so you can slip in and out of them without tying. That makes the shoe security circus that much easier. I would also buy something that could work with anything from jeans to cotton slacks/khakis so you can do more with one pair of shoes in case that's all you bring.

I've had good success with the mid-priced shoes at Men's Wearhouse. Add a custom footbed (you can reuse them) and you get a super comfortable dress shoe.

Then again, I hate wearing dress shoes.

^ That would be my #1 criterion.

I swear by my Cole-Haan loafers (I rotate through 5 pairs). They go very well with anything from casual-casual to biz-casual to semi-formal to formal.

Although someone above mentioned not being happy with Johnston & Murphy, I got my first pair last year after wearing Allen Edmonds for years, and I love them. I originally got them mainly for traveling, but now wear them to work every day and don't plan to go back to AE.

Here's the style I'm wearing: http://www.johnstonmurphy.com/produc...=641&pid=52929

I second the Allen Edmonds recommendation wholeheartedly. All of my dress and casual shoes are from AE (aside from athletic shoes).

I was all set to recommend what I wear -- comfortable yet stylish black ballet flats with just enough cushioning and support to make them suitable for lots of walking -- but then I saw the part about the coat and tie, so maybe those won't work for you. ;)

Do you have a link for the ballet flats? Sounds very comfy!

They may seem kind of cheap but I found these shoes at Wal-Mart a few years ago and bought them to just use as a slip on shoe to use in the yard or running to the store. They were so light and comfortable I started wearing them to work when I drove for Airborne Express and they were way better then any athletic shoe I had tried. At that job you spend all day walking and on your feet that a good shoe is important. They run about $20 but they sometimes have them on sale for a low as ten plus KMart and other places have their own versions, they come in the tan and also dark brown and slip on and off easily.

Here’s another vote for Allen Edmonds, although for domestic travel I usually wear Rockport deck shoes.

Sure! I got them at DSW for about $40 or so. This is the shoe. (If that link doesn't work, just go to dsw.com and search for item # 162370, the What's What Materess Leather Ballet Flat. Apparently it comes in corduroy, too.)