I work in an office environment and occasionally need to look sharp. I am required by social convention to dress in business casual to business dress at work. I can't really get away with wearing hiking boots in the office. I have been looking for some decent walking shoes that can look decent underneath a pair of wool slacks or even a suit. <br><br>Aside from the dress requirements I need these shoes to be comfortable enough the do all-day walking in the extreme. Being well prepared for an urban disaster and wearing leather soled oxfords doesn't seem compatible. I do carry strong workboots (timberlines) in my car trunk along with my work-N-wear jumpsuit. In an emergency there is no guarantee that I will have access to my car so I want to be prepared with on-person items. Doesn't make sense to wear leather-soled oxfords if I can find something else with a good look and be as comfortable as a good hiking shoe.<br><br>Any experience or opinions?

Instead of leather soled oxfords, how about rubber soled ones?<br><br>Since we've mentioned Filson's a few times recently, you might want to look at their Uplander Chukka and Uplander Oxford or their new Smooth Toe Oxford or Smooth Toe Chukka.<br><br>There are many other brands of similar nice looking, hard working, leather upper/rubber soled shoes available. They're not all as expensive as Filson's. There are a wide range of qualities available, as well.<br><br>Rockport comes to mind right away as another company that makes some shoes which might be perfect for you. This page has a few.<br><br>Here and here are some pages with quite a few different brands and styles of men's leather dress shoes, some w/ rubber soles. If you don't like the specific choices presented there, at least they will provide you with the names of some companies that might make what you're looking for.

Trask Bison Leather resoled with Vibram soles.<br><br>Mine have lasted 5+ years and are the most comfortable good looking shoes I have ever worn. Original soles were OK but I wore them out in about 18 months. Resoled by a local cobbler they cannot be equaled except by boots.<br><br>Not super high style for a suit but perfectly good for business casual and sport coat type attire.<br><br>Make sure you get the Bison Leather, it shows almost no wear, and looks very good after a wax.

I have to second the Rockports. The black leather oxford will work with any suit. From 10 feet away I don't think it would make any difference if you were wearing Rockports or Allen Edmonds. They are so comfortable and I think pretty durable.<br><br>I'm on my feet a lot, but I wonder if there are any nurses or post office people reading. I would think they would be the experts on this topic.