Helly-Hansen Footwear -any opinions?

[Melensdad]

From my younger days on the Wabash Sailboat Team, and my room mate with a 36' sailboat on Nantucket, I know that Helly-Hansen makes some great sailing gear, especially their rainwear and their jackets.

But has anyone tried their shoes? I have Rheumatoid Arthritis, it affects my feet and I find I end up switching shoes on a regular basis. I'm looking for some casual shoes and found some Helly-Hansens but didn't even realize they were in the shoe business. Apparently they have been for a long time.

Anyone try these (any variety of them not just these below?)

 

[Michael]

I have seen the shoes in person and am unimpressed with them, I rather spend for a really comfortable hiking shoe, I was having problems with my feet about 8 years ago (I have cronic problems of having stress fractures in both feet) with my doctor and reccommended that I go and buy a couple pair of Ecco shoes. I bought and have never looked back, The hiking shoes I bought have gore-tex and they have never failed my feet. Right now I have a pair I bought three years ago and I wear them every other day, The second pair of shoes is the exact same shoe that I bought in November. I will admit that Ecco are expensive but they wear like iron and they actually are still comfortable and I walk on a concrete surface for 8 hours a day and I have never had any pain from my fractures in all the years I have I worn Ecco shoes. Just follow the link below to the Ecco shoe site. BTW the pair I wear cost $189.00 a pair. They are not cheap but actually they are cheaper then all the tennis shoes I used to buy.

http://www2.ecco.com/ss2006/Products/men-casual/