great lakes mom

My S is off in a few weeks to teach English in China. Will be in a combination middle school/college for a year. Today we were discussing appropriate footwear, and realized that neither of us has a clue. His one pair of 'good' shoes from HS prom have served him well on rare necessary occasions, and will go along. Aside from those, he's never worn anything but athletic shoes and sandals, so this is new for him. Our non pretentious midwestern town does not give us much to go by in terms of examples. My experience of athletic shoes overseas, is that they immediately mark the wearer as American, and excessively casual.

Ideas?

nyumom

My S, who also teaches, really likes Clarks - they're conservative yet stylish and very comfortable - almost like wearing a slipper, and they come in many styles.

ali153

I'm not sure if young people wear these, but my father has worn Rockports for years. They aren't as fancy as dress shoes, but come in classic colors and professional styles. They also last a long time and are extremely comfortably, according to my dad, who suffers from flat feet and associated foot problems.

if you are interested, their site is: www.rockport.com

My Sweet Babboo

Son just bought these Rockport Loafers. They remind me of driving mocs.

http://shop.rockport.com/product/ind...entPage=search

They look great with shorts or khakis and they're machine washable! Never seen machine washable leather shoes before.

corranged

My father loves Allen Edmonds. I think they're expensive, but he says they last for years and are super comfortable. If you go to a store, they really size your feet, and their sizing goes beyond 9-10-11 to make their shoes fit perfectly. It might be more than a college boy needs, though.

wharfrat2

Born shoes are also extremely comfortable and look appropriate for a work setting.

lamom

Husband has been wearing Allen Edmonds for several years. I have sent a pair or two for refurbishing (?)-makes them brand new but about $100. Nordstroms sale is over-but that's when I buy them.

I bought son some Eccos last year, they are comfortable and look nice w/ causal, suits, he even wears them w/tux. He has no trouble running(when necessary) with them. His had Bostonians-but they were hard to run in.

A friend's son loves the Rockports, he is in retail sales.

iloveagoodbrew

Bostonians are nice.

Novelisto

Many companies now make 'athletic shoes' in colors other than white. It is the big ol' white sneakers that scream "American Tourist" so a pair in beige or brown would be the comfortable shoes he's used to without labeling him. My mother and her guy, who travel everywhere, wear Pumas a lot. They're very popular in other countries and come in a wide range of colors.

corranged

Pumas are a great suggestion. I know they're pretty popular in Europe (or were last time I was there). You can get comfy Puma sneakers that are brown suede and would likely blend in well.

marite

I suspect he'll find that most of the students wear Nike. They're made in China.

Novelisto

Marite -- They wear mostly counterfeit shoes they can buy for cheap from vendors. Nikes are too expensive to be purchased by everyday Chinese young people.

somebodynew

I like Nunn bush shoes. These are the kind I have (Portland):
http://images.google.com/imgres?imgu...icial%26sa%3DN

They're durable and comfortable to walk in (and going to UMD-CP, I do a lot of walking) They look good with jeans, or even khakis and a polo/button up (pretty much any sort of non-black pants).

marite

Novelisto, you are right.

I once stayed next to a shop that sold only counterfeit handbags--0Gucci, Chanel, Prada, you name it, the shop had it. I should have been less cryptic. This is a young man who will be teaching young people. He does not want to come across like an ibanker in the making but someone who can relate to young people. It would perfectly fine to wear sneakers and jeans and a polo shirt, or black or brown walking shoes and khaki pants and a polo shirt. I'd worry more about being comfortable standiing on his feet for hours on end. And he can always buy shoes there. They're cheaper.

woody

S spent last year in China and wore his Brooks Brother oxfords nearly everyday. The Nikes he bought there fell apart almost instantly. His Merrills were the best but he grew out of them by January. We didn't send another pair because he never told us!
BTW = S would be very interested in English teaching job in China. Can you share your resources?