Good shoes should:
- Not be pointy
- Be laced or fastened with velcro (for a good, snug fit)
- Be broad enough and deep enough to accommodate the foot
- Have a removable insole
- Have 1 finger/thumb's width in front of the longest toe (there should be space in front of all toes)
- Have a firm sole but with some flexibility where the ball of the foot is (i.e. in front)
He also said (as everyone probably knows) that heels are bad.
Unfortunately this rules out a lot of shoes - even men's shoes (let alone women's).
He said it wasn't easy to get good shoes in Singapore, but that it was very hard to have bad sports shoes (from a support angle).