AEs are not doing it for me. Where can I turn for comfort?

Have you tried Topying the soles? That might add to the comfort. A rubber-soled shoe would probably work well for your purposes.

Mephisto makes some really comfortable shoes - but may be considered "butt-ugly" by most forum denizens. I have a pair of Abels I wear quite a bit and I love em

troop

junk the leather soled shoes and get something with a rubber sole - the AE stockbridge, or mephistos.

Give them time. If they are the corect size... u will break them in. How long have u had them?

Perhaps an Alden model with the gummy sole would be appropriate

i don't think so - the OP is running around manhattan serving subpoenas. if there is actual running or more than 5 miles of walking involved, the rubber soles need to come out.

I did a sprint in leather-soled AEs just this afternoon. Felt fine at the time, but now, hours later, I'm starting to feel the effects.

NoVAguy... i understand the point... but I have done the same thing in manhattan. U don't walk/run more than 5 miles in manhattan to do anything. Learn the tubes, stay in the trenches.

see the op's post above.

I've found Doc Martens to work very well for walking around NYC all day.

I truly, truly don't understand some people's insistence that leather soles are just as comfortable for walking as rubber ones. First, if that were the case, there would be leather-soled athletic shoes. There are not. Second, if that were the case, podiatrists would not be recommending people with foot, knee, ankle, hip, or back problems switch away from leather soles to rubber ones; but they are. Third -- and this is the most important thing of all -- if the OP has given it a good try and says they are not comfortable, who are we to insist that he is mistaken? Some of us may be comfortable in leather soles all day -- I am if I'm not doing too much walking on hard surfaces -- but that doesn't mean everybody is the same.

Angelicboris (I'm not doing the cap/small thing), those who have recommended rubber soles are absolutely correct. Both AE and Alden make great ones in conservative styles that would suit your needs very nicely. Some European companies do too, but they can be pretty spendy over here. Good luck.