RL, how ecumenical of you!

Sal, it sounds like your 7-year old shoes do most of the active things these will be asked to do. Most of my fitness activities are fairly ambivalent about shoes (biking (at my level), weight lifting in the gym (at my level)) or are done barefoot (yoga, swimming, resistance training /weight lifting at home). I bought a pair of running shoes a few years ago, but they didn’t make me run. The only sports I’ve played much that have specific footwear requirements are soccer (no, not going to wear cleats around town) and tennis.

Molly Mac, that’s exactly what they were telling me in the store. I guess the feel of tennis shoes is just very familiar—once they were too worn to play in, they always became my run-around shoes. They’re actually good for lifting weights, because of the sturdiness & broad base. Real weight-lifting shoes have a bit of a heel, but tennis shoes come close. But these days I don’t think I’m going to buy another weight bench, so maybe I don’t need to think about lifting at all. I feel a little bit like my dad, who always prefers big & sturdy. As cassette and 8-track tapes were both coming out, he made the choice that our home stereo system, wired and all, would be 8-track. That’s a cautionary tale for me about my love for the way the tennis shoes feel.

Suntiger, high 5 on barefoot workouts. Your pink shoes are cute! I wish the ones that fit well were either that color or the color of the Nikes. These Reeboks, however, are more of a peachy, orangey, sandstone, mauve kind of pink. That’s not a color I usually wear, but it might not be the end of the world.

LaPed, wow, you have as many sneaks as I do boots! I get it that they all have specialty purposes, and agree that they work well for daily wear. I’m looking for what the Germans call an “allrounder”. (Yes, they use the English word, and no, I haven’t heard it without a terrible accent. If I don’t say it their way, they don’t understand me.) Have you walked a couple miles in the Vans? I was considering a pair of them instead of these, probably Kelly green. I can see that most of yours look like casual shoes rather than like gear, which is probably key.

Aw, Shevia, thanks! That was late July. He’s even taller now!

It has been a long time since I realized I needed to make this purchase. Winter has come and gone, and i can work out outside now—that playground is 300 yards away. I could go back to pulling up reviews of cross-trainers and trying to find the perfect pairing of style (like La Ped’s “stable”) and performance. Last fall, that resulted in dithering and no final choice. If I’m understanding correctly, no one is saying “ack no, not the peach!”, and some are saying “those might could work for some outfits”. I’m still more attracted to the way the tennis shoes feel, because that’s what’s familiar from playing tennis. I think that for now I’m going to let my wallet decide. The peachy pinks are 28€. The tennis shoes are more than twice that much. If I decide I want tennis shoes or white shoes or white tennis shoes or Vans or crosstrainers later, they will be there at roughly the same prices as now. I don’t know if this is sales goggles-y of me or not (if you think it is, please speak up loudly), but I need to get out there and get working out. If I try to make these work in outfits this summer and it’s just not working, please let me know.

Thanks again, everybody, for thinking this through with me.

ETA: just read reviews. These didn’t do terribly well. I’d better get going figuring out the next pair! https://runrepeat.com/reebok-speed-her-tr

I hope Liesbeth, whose husband has these shoes & doesn’t like them for performance reasons, chimes back in, but I’m afraid I scared her off with too many questions on the other post!

Well those are my faves anyway! I said on the other thread. I always loved Reeboks in the past, have had 3 pairs over time and found them lighter than other brands actually, not heavier. I reckon they could also “go” with some berries.

FI -- I took the Vans to Boston this week. I used them on the rainy days, and the black Altras on the sunny days. The Vans did great. No blisters, no chafing. They are just a bit too warm now that it's really spring here, but I appreciated dry feet at the end of the day. I don't count steps, but we walked 4-5 miles each day according to Google Maps, and that doesn't factor in the insides of museums, just getting to-from.

Too bad I didn’t read that before going out & putting over 5 miles on these! But good to know—that question was one reason I didn’t impulse buy them any of the times I had the urge. Now I’m cleared for takeoff. Thanks