Thanks again to the people who discussed those cool boots here.
Thanks to this GREAT thread, I'm going to hunt down some
jikatabi boots in my town, (so that I DON'T have to buy them online).
Lots of reviews rave about how silent and comfortable they are.
The key is buying 'em too small as they take a week to stretch to full size. If you wear a size 12, buy size 11.5.