Comfortable Shoes In Bangkok

[EndofDays]

I have horrible feet and it doesn't help that I wear combat boots where I work (all the sand, dirt, rocks and gravel). Where can I go in Bangkok that has comfortable shoes for big Farang feet? I am a 13wide, U.S.. I am probably going to need orthopedic inserts (Planers Faciatis, bone spurs). I know I will end up paying a lot but I really need something comfy to walk around in. Any suggesions of where to look?

[Moonrakers]

Combat style/rugged boots would probably be best for you if you're feet are not good. Maybe try a camping/outdoors shop though and you can probably find a compromise.

Don't know where exactly, although I reckon you'll find something in one of the bigger malls.

[EndofDays]

Combat style/rugged boots would probably be best for you if you're feet are not good. Maybe try a camping/outdoors shop though and you can probably find a compromise.

Don't know where exactly, although I reckon you'll find something in one of the bigger malls.

I wear Altima Dersert Combat Boots now but I was hoping to find a nice looking shoe I could wear to walk around in. Not a sneaker but something I could wear to a decent restaraunt. With my combat boots, my feet would have been toast here.

[A_Traveller]

Have you considered getting some custom made?

Regards

[EndofDays]

Have you considered getting some custom made?

Regards

Actually, no, not until now. Where could I get that done?

[allane]

Here is the website for a New Zealander who makes custom-made orthotics in Bangkok: www.footcontrol.co.th

I have had several pairs made by him over the past 5 yrs.

[Furbie]

I have horrible feet and it doesn't help that I wear combat boots where I work (all the sand, dirt, rocks and gravel). Where can I go in Bangkok that has comfortable shoes for big Farang feet? I am a 13wide, U.S.. I am probably going to need orthopedic inserts (Planers Faciatis, bone spurs). I know I will end up paying a lot but I really need something comfy to walk around in. Any suggesions of where to look?

For an actual custom made shoe, you can try Tony's leather on Suwriwong and the place at MBK, starts with an M on the first floor, I think they aloso have a Suriwong location. There are a few threads on this if you search. I think entry level shoes are under 4,000 THB.

Edited August 31, 2009 by Furbie

[astral]

In the past I have had some bad experiences with shoes "made to measure".

Despite the outline of my foot at the start the shoes were excruciating and impossible to wear.

[Dakhar]

The ECCO brand is sold in Thailand.... 13 wide though.... that is a big one

[EndofDays]

The ECCO brand is sold in Thailand.... 13 wide though.... that is a big one

I had my shoes stolen at a temple once (nice, I know) and I had to borrow a monk's sandals (which fit half-way) and then I went looking for some new shoes. Only that I found that could kinda fit were some big boy sandals, expensive and not that comfortable. That is why I am planning ahead to see if I can find out about a place before I return to Thailand.

[Longbow212]

In my experience the shoes here are crap but maybe I just havent found a decent brand yet. I bought a pair of Aldo shoes (supposedly Italian made and not cheap) 2 months ago and they are starting to fall apart already. No points for guessing what will happen if I was to return to the shop and complain about the shoddy workmanship.....

So you are not actually in Thailand yet? I would buy in your home country and bring here. In the UK we have a brand called next, without a doubt the best quality shoes I have ever had and last around 2 years if worn everyday and looked after.

[jfchandler]

Yesterday, I came across a local Thai store in BKK that seems to stock a pretty good range of orthotics, insoles and even a range of specially cushioned men's and women's sandals and casual shoes (not work wear) -- all at pretty reasonable prices. Sizes up to 14 U.S.

The name is Healthy Max Health Promotion Pharmacy, located on the ground floor of the Wave Place Building, near the Ploenchit BTS Station. The Wave Place Building is the one housing the Home Pro Plus store there, which is attached by walkway from the Ploenchit station.

The store is open from 9 am to 8 pm daily, and has a phone number of 02-655-7734. I spent some time there yesterday with the staff exploring their products. The store is somewhat like a regular pharmacy, but with special sections devoted to footwear and sleeping products, such as the supportive pillows and such.

At a higher and more costly level, the Verasu store on Wireless Road between Sukhumvit and the U.S. Embassy has a special in-store shop upstairs that specializes in orthotic, custom insole footwear. It's called "Fit for Feet" and they advertise selling German-made Finn Comfort walking shoes for men, women and golf. I stopped by there during a visit a few months ago, and their shoes were very pricey...

[Hawkup2000]

If I had the option, I would not buy shoes in Thailand. The cheap shoes here (sub 1000 baht) falls apart in an instant. Quality shoes are the same price here as back home. And back home there is something called warranty. For example, in Sweden it is 2 years for all sold items. I remember how embarrassing it was when I was a kid and my shoes were over a year old and started to break and my mom went to the shop and traded them fora new pair.

Brands that I think offers good value for money are for example Ecco and Doc Martens (They have not only bots, they have a large selection of different styles. Check their homepage).

[jfchandler]

Recently, my TGF and I searched all over BKK to find a good pair of comfortable working shoes for her... We must have gone to half a dozen different malls and checked out countless Thai shoe stores, finding nothing suitable for a hospital nurse (because of that, she needed a very comfortable pair of (mandatory) all-white shoes).

Finally, she bought a pair she liked based on style from a Thai store in Siam Square...pretty much against my advice... And sure enough, after a few weeks, she was complaining about the shoes hurting her feet again... All the Thai made women's shoes we found were pretty much the same, absolutely no padding or cushioning on the insole, just a hard leather pad.

So I took over at that point, pointing her in the direction of the New Balance shop at Central World.... Apart from their tennis and sports shoes, NB makes some great leather upper walking shoes in plain black, white and, brown I believe. And of course, here, they're more costly than the same models back in the U.S., probably running around 3,000 baht... At the CenWorld New Balance shop, the store was overflowing with sports and tennis shoes. And when I asked, the staff guy didn't even seem to know about their walking shoes. But I spotted one on display, and then finally got them to show us the others they had. But we didn't end up buying those shoes (although they clearly would have been very comfortable and durable) since the GF felt the walker was a bit big and heavy on her feet...

Then by chance, a few weeks ago, I stopped her into the shoe department at the Tokyu Department Store at MBK, where we happened across some German-made special walking shoe brand that, at the time, they had on sale for about 2,000 baht, reflecting a 20% sale. Leather upper... good cushioning outer sole, plenty of padding inside, etc etc... She's been wearing it the past month, and her feet feel great. The store had a couple different models and colors of this particular German brand, but I can't remember the name, and the GF's feet are at work right now. I'll try to remember to check when she gets home, and post the brand name as an add-on...

[MikeRay]

GEOX SHOP BANGNA

Via SHOP 330B. 3F FLOOR CENTRAL CITY BANGNA, BANGNA. 1091 BANGNA-TRAD. RD., 10260, BANGKOK.

Thailand > Asia

Tel 662 3610833| Fax 66 2 3610833

I love Geox Shoes, especially in hot climate. Even after hours of walking my feet will stay dry.

[jfchandler]

The walking shoe we found for my wife at Tokyu Department store at MBK is the brand Dortmuend. One big limitation here I found in checking.... This brand appears to make shoes only for women...since on their web site I see nothing in the way of men's shoes.

Here's a photo of the shoe model we got, JS902. which lists for 2,850 baht on their web site. As I reported earlier, we paid about 2000 baht during a store sale... and see more below about that.

Pro Series

The ultimate comfort shoe featuring rich & finest Nappa provides maximum comfort, durability and breathability. Foodbed sock made from soft PU with a smooth finish provides absorb shock and flexibility. Lightweight natural rubber outsole traction gives the surest possible step. This updated for the Classic & Functional weekday/weekend wardrobe.

I thought this was a German shoe/company, but in checking more on the web, it appears to be Thai-based... Here is what they say on their web site that I found....

Company Profile

Headquarters Bangkok, Thailand

History Jongsatit Footwear that was to become known as JF was founded in 1990 as a subsidiary of

AA Group of company. JF continued to manufacture high-quality Dortmüend Shoe. Today,

Dortmüend remains one of the few companies that make a line of shoes entirely made by hand.

Product Exceptional comfort quality footwear

Philosophy Dortmüend is the real deal, a brand that values honesty, integrity, and excellence above the rest.

It’s the genuine article, unadorned by trending. It’s for the people who avoid anything phony and

simply want the best; secure enough to not seek fashion for fashion’s sake. Dortmüend values

comfort, craftsmanship over clever, substance over sizzle.

The web site also appears to allow online ordering from/to Thailand.... And in looking today, their web site home page is still showing a Mother's Day 30% off sale on their shoes thru AUGUST 12 at participating department stores--but apparently not direct from their web site. I think that's the period when we happened to make our purchase. But I'm not sure that's valid now in SEPTEMBER. The web site is nice in that it shows their entire product line of various kinds of shoes and sandals, probably at least 50 different shoe models and colors, each with a photo and a listed price.

The web site says they have their own stores in the premium outlet malls near Khao Yai and Cha Am, as well as have their shoes available at various major Thai department stores including Central, Emporium, Paragon, Zen, Robinson's and others. The web site has a specific page showing what stores carry their products. At Tokyu, which I didn't see listed as a store on the Dortmuend web site, we found only a few of their models available, maybe a half dozen choices among a couple of different styles and colors.

Here's the contact information from their web site:

8 Petburi 15 Rd.

Bangkok

Thailand

10400

E-mail: info @dortmuend.com (space added after "info" to avoid spam bots)

Telephone: +662 653-8000 Ext.263

Fax: +662 653-9353

Information: We'd love to hear from you! Tell us about your shopping experience, resolve customer service issues, and help us improve by giving us your feedback.

I'd just say in closing... the model we bought is a very comfortable, good quality walking shoe.. unlike almost everything we saw in the local stores around BKK...

Then by chance, a few weeks ago, I stopped her into the shoe department at the Tokyu Department Store at MBK, where we happened across some German-made special walking shoe brand that, at the time, they had on sale for about 2,000 baht, reflecting a 20% sale. Leather upper... good cushioning outer sole, plenty of padding inside, etc etc... She's been wearing it the past month, and her feet feel great. The store had a couple different models and colors of this particular German brand, but I can't remember the name, and the GF's feet are at work right now. I'll try to remember to check when she gets home, and post the brand name as an add-on...

Edited September 3, 2009 by jfchandler

[jfchandler]

More background info here on men's and women's brands of walking shoes that are available in Thailand....

Thai Producers Stand to Benefit

Posted on: Tuesday, 8 November 2005, 15:00 CST

By Sukanya Jitpleecheep, Bangkok Post, Thailand

Nov. 7--Thai footwear manufacturers including the Saha Group and CK Shoes can expect a windfall from anti-dumping duties placed by the European Union on so-called brown shoes made in China and Vietnam.

The EU Commission plans to charge an import tax of 32 percent on brown shoes produced in either country after an investigation into dumping is completed in January, Thai manufacturers learned at the 24th International Footwear Conference held in Bangkok recently.

"Brown shoes" in the jargon of the trade refers to casual or walking shoes as opposed to dress or athletic footwear.

The penalty tax has prompted brands including Timberland, Vans and Fila, to shift their subcontracting orders away from China and Vietnam to manufacturers in Thailand.

Thamrong Tritiprasert, chairman of the Federation of Thai Industries' footwear industry club, said that although the Thai footwear industry stood to benefit a lot from the anti-dumping move, local manufacturers would not be able to take full advantage of the situation because many were already operating at full capacity.

"This is because more than 100 footwear factories closed down after the financial crisis in 1997," he said.

Mr Thamrong, who is also vice-president of Bangkok Rubber Plc, a subsidiary of the Saha Group, said that his company would set up a new factory in Ayutthaya to make Timberland shoes following an almost doubling of orders from the brand owner to one million pairs next year.

Most of the production will be exported, he added.

Meanwhile, Clarks from the United Kingdom has outsourced its production to Footwear Tech, another subsidiary of the Saha Group, and CK Shoes has received production orders from the UK brand Dr Martens.

With the outsourcing of more brand-name shoe production in Thailand set to rise, competition in the six-billion-baht domestic brown shoe segment is expected to become more intense next year.

Timberland has re-entered the Thai market after exiting it seven years ago. An executive from the shoe company will explain in detail the firm's business plan for Thailand next week.

The company has appointed the Minor Group, one of the country's largest distributors of fashion products, as its authorised distributor.

Surached Mungthong, the brand manager for Timberland at Minor, said Timberland products had been distributed in Thailand since September and were available at leading department stores and its own shops in Bangkok and Pattaya.

Outlets now selling the products include Central Chidlom, The Emporium, Royal Garden Pattaya, Zen and Isetan department store and in the middle of December they will be available at Central Pin Klao.

The Minor Group plans to increase the number of Timberland outlets to 10 by the end of this year, and to 24 next year. Apart from shoes, the brand also has an apparel line.

The Minor Group distributes fashion products to about 250 outlets nationwide.

"Even though Timberland is now a newcomer in the market, we're confident that the brand will return to its leadership position in the next two or three years. This is because Minor has strong connections with retailers and the product prices are about the same here as in Hong Kong and Singapore," Mr Surached said.

The company is projecting that sales of Timberland products will reach 120 million baht next year, and climb to 200-300 million baht in the next two years.

Timberland shoes have been offered in Thailand for many years by The Central Group.

The brand owner had appointed Inchcape (Thailand) Co as its distributor. However, distribution ceased seven years ago following the 1997 financial crisis.

In men's shoes, Central Marketing Group's Hush Puppies brand is the market leader, followed by Ecco. Nine West is the market leader in women's shoes, followed by Scholl, Dortmuend and Ecco. Geox is the best-selling children's shoe ahead of Hush Puppies and Ecco.

[jamora]

Can only recommend Kenzo for casual, Boss and Bally for nice shoes and North Face for walking/trekking! Can all be bought at reasonable prices at Paragon. My favourite for walking though is Haglöefs but don't know if they can be bought in Bangkok...?

Edited September 9, 2009 by jamora

[worldfun]

Got a few Geox shoes as well (guess they're Italian?) & their forte as mentioned evolves around 'breathable' soles/shoes.

And while I'm not super impressed with my 'foot climate' at least they're comfortable albeit as usual the price point is up there even on sale!

Most central or central plaza malls have the shop at least chaeng wattana & bangna has been verified...

[Deelectro]

I have the same problem. I would concentrate on the insoles more than the shoes. Whatever shoes you buy, replace the insoles with orthotics. I bought some "Powerstep Pinnacle" on the internet, and they helped quite a bit. there asre plenty of others I'm sure. Also icing and proper stretching is important. I plan to try a night splint next. If anyone knows where to buy these let me know.

[phetaroi]

So I took over at that point, pointing her in the direction of the New Balance shop at Central World.... Apart from their tennis and sports shoes, NB makes some great leather upper walking shoes in plain black, white and, brown I believe. And of course, here, they're more costly than the same models back in the U.S., probably running around 3,000 baht... At the CenWorld New Balance shop, the store was overflowing with sports and tennis shoes. And when I asked, the staff guy didn't even seem to know about their walking shoes. But I spotted one on display, and then finally got them to show us the others they had.

I just read your post a couple of days ago and I stopped at New Balance today. Finally a walking shoe that was comfortable, with support, and a size 10.5-wide! Perfect! The tip is much appreciated! If anyone else is interested, they are on the 3rd floor at Central World...fairly close to the central part with all the escalators (newer section).

[simcity]

I bought Scholl shoes lately, I find them good.

My problem is I am wearing sandal 49 weeks a year and I need get out the tree for 3 weeks for travelling , I find it painful to wear shoes for more of few hours during meeting, walking !

Not looking at cost, what will be the most comfortable wearing shoes brand?

[personchester]

If you intent to stay in Thailand permanently as an expat and you feet are size 13 US it will be extremly difficult to purchase shoes matching your size,

Therefore, before you leave the US buy yourself two pairs of the famous French shoes "Mephisto" you can wear them every day, and they will last you for about ten years each, this will solve your problem for some twenty years "shoe-wise"

[simcity]

Therefore, before you leave the US buy yourself two pairs of the famous French shoes "Mephisto" you can wear them every day, and they will last you for about ten years each, this will solve your problem for some twenty years "shoe-wise"

The Mephisto shoes look really good to me, but buying shoes ‘online’ sound bit strange!

Only few shops around the world, wonder how they done before the online shopping times to become so exclusive.

MontBlanc, Gucci, Rolex, Hermes all have shops in major cities

[pisitjongs]

Dear jfchandler

My name is Pisit Jongsatitwatana, I'm working at this company; JF. I just have read your post and comment on the Dortmüend Shoe for your TGF, It was a very inspiring and encouraging. Thank you very much for your compliment. We'd would really love to hear a comments and an advise from your TGF.

In case you wanna know our latest activities, we have updated our website recently as well a FB fan page<snip>

Looking forward to hear from you again.

Blessings,

Pisit Jongs

The walking shoe we found for my wife at Tokyu Department store at MBK is the brand Dortmuend. One big limitation here I found in checking.... This brand appears to make shoes only for women...since on their web site I see nothing in the way of men's shoes.

Here's a photo of the shoe model we got, JS902. which lists for 2,850 baht on their web site. As I reported earlier, we paid about 2000 baht during a store sale... and see more below about that.

Pro Series

The ultimate comfort shoe featuring rich & finest Nappa provides maximum comfort, durability and breathability. Foodbed sock made from soft PU with a smooth finish provides absorb shock and flexibility. Lightweight natural rubber outsole traction gives the surest possible step. This updated for the Classic & Functional weekday/weekend wardrobe.

I thought this was a German shoe/company, but in checking more on the web, it appears to be Thai-based... Here is what they say on their web site that I found....

Company Profile

Headquarters Bangkok, Thailand

History Jongsatit Footwear that was to become known as JF was founded in 1990 as a subsidiary of

AA Group of company. JF continued to manufacture high-quality Dortmüend Shoe. Today,

Dortmüend remains one of the few companies that make a line of shoes entirely made by hand.

Product Exceptional comfort quality footwear

Philosophy Dortmüend is the real deal, a brand that values honesty, integrity, and excellence above the rest.

It's the genuine article, unadorned by trending. It's for the people who avoid anything phony and

simply want the best; secure enough to not seek fashion for fashion's sake. Dortmüend values

comfort, craftsmanship over clever, substance over sizzle.

The web site also appears to allow online ordering from/to Thailand.... And in looking today, their web site home page is still showing a Mother's Day 30% off sale on their shoes thru AUGUST 12 at participating department stores--but apparently not direct from their web site. I think that's the period when we happened to make our purchase. But I'm not sure that's valid now in SEPTEMBER. The web site is nice in that it shows their entire product line of various kinds of shoes and sandals, probably at least 50 different shoe models and colors, each with a photo and a listed price.

The web site says they have their own stores in the premium outlet malls near Khao Yai and Cha Am, as well as have their shoes available at various major Thai department stores including Central, Emporium, Paragon, Zen, Robinson's and others. The web site has a specific page showing what stores carry their products. At Tokyu, which I didn't see listed as a store on the Dortmuend web site, we found only a few of their models available, maybe a half dozen choices among a couple of different styles and colors.

Here's the contact information from their web site:

8 Petburi 15 Rd.

Bangkok

Thailand

10400

E-mail: info @dortmuend.com (space added after "info" to avoid spam bots)

Telephone: +662 653-8000 Ext.263

Fax: +662 653-9353

Information: We'd love to hear from you! Tell us about your shopping experience, resolve customer service issues, and help us improve by giving us your feedback.

I'd just say in closing... the model we bought is a very comfortable, good quality walking shoe.. unlike almost everything we saw in the local stores around BKK...

Then by chance, a few weeks ago, I stopped her into the shoe department at the Tokyu Department Store at MBK, where we happened across some German-made special walking shoe brand that, at the time, they had on sale for about 2,000 baht, reflecting a 20% sale. Leather upper... good cushioning outer sole, plenty of padding inside, etc etc... She's been wearing it the past month, and her feet feel great. The store had a couple different models and colors of this particular German brand, but I can't remember the name, and the GF's feet are at work right now. I'll try to remember to check when she gets home, and post the brand name as an add-on...

Edited June 17, 2011 by soundman

[Familyonthemove]

There's a sports shoe sale in Amarin this week (Ground floor hall) ..... some decent looking, supportive walking shoes and casual shoes - some with 40% off. They had some large sizes but limited range over size 11

[jfchandler]

Khun Pisit... welcome to ThaiVisa...

Indeed, my wife is a nurse's aide and often spends very long shifts standing with the doctor in the doctor's treatment room, hence comfortable, supportive shoes are very important...

Before she always used to complain about pain in her feet after wearing regular Thai shoe shop type shoes... But ever since we bought your brand, she wears the same pair every day to work and I haven't heard one word about any feet discomfort ever since...

It's probably getting toward the time we should buy her another pair.... So we'll be shopping soon for a simple pair in nurse's white color...

BTW, we had a trip over the new year to Khao Yai, and stopped by the outlet mall there where there's a shop for your shoes. For the model we were interested in, the price there at the outlet store was much higher than the price we paid on sale at Tokyu in MBK....

[ricklev]

Ecco, my favorite shoe for years has sadly put profit before integrity. Just google "Ecco soles" to see what has happened to this once fine company.

[pisitjongs]

Dear JFChandler

Very Sorry for taking many months to reply, I really had no idea there was a reply from you. I'm very glad to know that your wife has found this shoe comfortable enough for her long working day. <snip>

Khun Pisit... welcome to ThaiVisa...

Indeed, my wife is a nurse's aide and often spends very long shifts standing with the doctor in the doctor's treatment room, hence comfortable, supportive shoes are very important...

Before she always used to complain about pain in her feet after wearing regular Thai shoe shop type shoes... But ever since we bought your brand, she wears the same pair every day to work and I haven't heard one word about any feet discomfort ever since...

It's probably getting toward the time we should buy her another pair.... So we'll be shopping soon for a simple pair in nurse's white color...

BTW, we had a trip over the new year to Khao Yai, and stopped by the outlet mall there where there's a shop for your shoes. For the model we were interested in, the price there at the outlet store was much higher than the price we paid on sale at Tokyu in MBK....

Edited June 17, 2011 by soundman
Please contact sales to promote your business on Thai visa.

[Pollyjoy]

Have you tried going to surawong road, they make shoes there some where near patpong end of the road.

Have you considered getting some custom made?

Regards

Actually, no, not until now. Where could I get that done?