I've been looking for a pair of shoes which fit a specific set of criteria, and since I'm beginning to think that there is no possible solution...I thought I'd ask the OT for help.
When I go on business trips (which happens more than I'd like), I have a strict no-more-than-two-pairs-of-shoes policy -- first because I'm a man, and second because I don't feel like lugging a lot of extra crap in the suitcase. I tend to dress up at work (slacks and dress shirts) and the shoes which go with those clothes are too formal to wear with jeans. I need a second pair of shoes which would fit these criteria:
1) I need to be able to work out in these shoes -- not playing basketball, obviously, but stable enough to do cardio at a gym comfortably. So, in addition to construction, they need to have a look which isn't completely jarring when paired with gym shorts and a T-shirt.
2) They should be casual enough to go with jeans and a hoodie, but not so casual that they would look out of place when paired with jeans, a button-up shirt, and a jacket.
My first thought was to look for a pair of sneakers because of requirement #1, but the bottom line is that sneakers look like ASS these days. I love my basketball shoes -- stable, comfortable, light -- but the styling pretty much guarantees that I'd never wear them EXCEPT when I'm working out or playing ball. Most sneakers are either mostly white with garish trim, mostly black with garish trim, or entirely black or white...and I'm told that white and black are "out."
Any suggestions on brands/styles of shoes I should check out, or have I set an impossible set of criteria for one pair of shoes? Am I restricted to mail order, or are there stores that I might have luck shopping in person?
When I go on business trips (which happens more than I'd like), I have a strict no-more-than-two-pairs-of-shoes policy -- first because I'm a man, and second because I don't feel like lugging a lot of extra crap in the suitcase. I tend to dress up at work (slacks and dress shirts) and the shoes which go with those clothes are too formal to wear with jeans. I need a second pair of shoes which would fit these criteria:
1) I need to be able to work out in these shoes -- not playing basketball, obviously, but stable enough to do cardio at a gym comfortably. So, in addition to construction, they need to have a look which isn't completely jarring when paired with gym shorts and a T-shirt.
2) They should be casual enough to go with jeans and a hoodie, but not so casual that they would look out of place when paired with jeans, a button-up shirt, and a jacket.
My first thought was to look for a pair of sneakers because of requirement #1, but the bottom line is that sneakers look like ASS these days. I love my basketball shoes -- stable, comfortable, light -- but the styling pretty much guarantees that I'd never wear them EXCEPT when I'm working out or playing ball. Most sneakers are either mostly white with garish trim, mostly black with garish trim, or entirely black or white...and I'm told that white and black are "out."
Any suggestions on brands/styles of shoes I should check out, or have I set an impossible set of criteria for one pair of shoes? Am I restricted to mail order, or are there stores that I might have luck shopping in person?
