Anyone have a great on-line shoe store? Tight budget here

[yy4me]

so I have to watch what I buy. Have had to try many different athletic shoes to find something comfortable for foot problems. I gave spent $$$$ on sneakers at TJ Maxx and Marshalls and I just can't find anything that looks remotely feminine and that has an arch support. The $65, $75 and more sneaks are out of the question. What I need are some really good "Keds" type sneaker. Not the regular kind we all grew up with but the heavier ones. Googled the heck out of things and still find them very pricey. Have any of you found a good source? I even checked e-bay but nothing my size (9)
in white or navy.

[politicat]

1. Well...

Your best bet is clearance at Kohl's, Sears, Penney's, Mervyn's, etc. I don't even bother with Ross/Maxx/Marshall's anymore. Kohl's and Mervyn's are the same price. Kohl's carries basic Keds - with arch support - for about $22.

Shoes are one of those places where quality and cost do actually go together. While yes, it can get outrageous, and there are a lot of overpriced and underengineered shoes, there is also a baseline (which I'm sure you've now found.) Keds themselves (the champion and Prokeds lines) and K-swiss are probably your best bet. They last practically forever, which is good. Vans might also be a possibility. I'd recommend Propet (another brand) but they may not the style you're looking for and they're not real inexpensive. (Basic walkers run about $40, though they will last a long, long time.)

If you must go online, I strongly recommend zappos; best return policy and excellent service. (They may have elves that do their delivering for them. I've literally had shoes arrive in under 24 hours from them.)

I've had my keds for 3 years now, and though I only wear them in the summer, that doesn't seem to be the secret of their longevity. I went through cheap ked-clones monthly once upon a time. I have both canvas and leather, and the canvas is very well woven. It's also cut straight on the grain, which means less fraying. I also rotate them - never wear them two days in a row. They last longer if they have time to dry out completely.

Would orthotics help? Then it really wouldn't matter what shoe, as long as you had your supports. (I have high arches and my choices are either kinda expensive shoes or really expensive orthotics.) Some insurances will cover them.

[NMDemDist2]

2. do you run in them or are you just looking for a casual comfortable shoe?

here's a post from the Lounge of shoes that looked interesting

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=105x6471668

http://store.okabashi.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWPROD&ProdID=9

[lumberjack_jeff]

3. I buy street shoes from Costco

I buy work boots from Sierra trading post. They frequently have good clearance items. I bought a new pair of Vasque Sundowners for like $49 last year. Best. Boots. Ever.

[eleny]

4. Do you have a DSW shoe store anywhere near you?

They carry many athletic shoe styles and always seem to have good sales.
https://www.dswshoes.com/home.jsp

[blondie58]

5. I have had good luck with a site called www.shoebuy.com

the shipping is free, both to you and a return to them, if you need to. I think that as a first time customer, that you can deduct 20% from you bill and they have a pretty good search engine, so you can narrow down the brand, color, etc. I got a good deal on some teva sandals and some Aerosoles. Good luck!

edited to change the word sight to site! Friday night, ya know, the brain has stopped functioning!

[lumberjack_jeff]

6. The wife buys from Zappos. Last shoes I bought were from Sierra trading post. n/t