i work in a hospital--in the operating room, giving anesthesia. i wear clogs, because my old swedish feet like them best--but a good 75% of the other shoes worn by peers are made by merrill. both men and women find shoes to their liking, that keep their feet happy for long shifts standing and rushing around. merrills seem to last a long time, and one friend bought a pair to wear when she was hiking in alaska with her family. maybe when my feet finally reject the clogs, i'll try a pair--everyone who has them seems to love them!

That is the only brand of shoes that my husband will wear aside from his work boots. He loves that the Merrell are slip on and says they are extremely comfortable.

I have been wearing Chaco's sandals for years now, they adjust to fit your arch perfect. They were made for hikers and to use on slippery surfaces. It's also said you won't "turn" your ankle with these shoes. Available at sporting goods stores and on e bay or key up Chaco.com. When I have been on hiking trails I see lots of people wearing them so you know they must be sturdy.

I heard an ad on the radio for a shoe store about 30 miles away that carries many of the shoe brands mentioned in this thread. I'm heading there this weekend, 20% off all sandals, and see what I can find. You have all given me such great advice, I'm going to have a hard time deciding which shoes to buy!

My sister swears by Merrils....she too works on her feet all day. I tried on a pair at the store and was not impressed enough to part with the cash.

I love my Merrells! they are very well made and so supportive. I also own a lot of Clarks and love them too. They provide support, comfort and style,

I have been wearing Merrells for years. They are like bedroom slipper comfort. They run true to size. Another good brand is RYKA. Women's shoes designed by women manufactured by women. Sure there are a few men involved. Lol ! Check out their website. I cried when I wore my first pair out. I am not affiliated with them. They just fit my feet.

I bought some Merrill clogs, and they seemed wonderfully comfortable but squeak like crazy. Worse than that, I found that after a three hours of Christmas shopping in them I had foot pain that I'd never experienced before, plantar fasciitis. It took weeks to go away. That could be coincidental, because the shoes felt fine while I was walking in them, but I don't know. The squeak was bad enough, and just inexcusable in that price range. I am disappointed in them and won't buy them again. It's just too embarrassing to go around sounding like a one-woman basketball game. Later my DIL told me that she had some that squeaked also. I have had much better luck with Born, some Reeboks (the ones called Princess, if they still make them) and Clark, and oddly a great pair of Speedo flip flops that they don't make any more. Naturalizers usually feel good on my feet, but I quit buying them because they don't seem to hold up well. I have pronated arches, and comfort is my first priority in shoes. Some shoes feel good on my feet but I will get a backache every time I wear them. At least the Merrills did not cause a backache. I'll probably keep them around for walking the dog.

I had just the opposite problem with SAS shoes. I developed plantar fascitis in both heels after I started wearing SAS. I had surgery on one heel and changed to Skechers because SAS's prices were too high and my other heel stopped bothering me. Wish that I had changed brands before the surgery. I spent a ton of money on different things that the insurance wouldn't pay before the surgery, trying to avoid surgery. Now I know why they wouldn't pay for them.

Merrill and SAS are my go to shoes. I have a difficult foot - narrow - to find shoes for and these two brands always fit. SAS is also made in US which is an added bonus. Don't know about Merrill. Yes they cost more but they wear like iron, are comfortable and I'm worth it. If my feet hurt I'm grumpy all over.