For me it's been Adidas Samba basic white stripes on black model, with occasional forays into suede color related models. They've always held up well, wash well, feel good. I'll have a new pair on hand, an older one or two for exercise, and a junk pair I can discard at any time.

I've always been fascinated by a particular finger of land in the SF Bay just north of the San Mateo Bridge, west of the channel that goes under the bridge. It's quite some distance from the Foster City shore. I waded out to that finger on the day of lowest tide about ten years ago and walked to the northernmost point one day, with my junk Sambas ... it's probably the loneliest spot in the bay area without getting into the hills, except you can wave to the commuters on the bridge. I didn't bother to clean up that pair when done.