^You guys are going to laugh and I begrudgingly feel like a bit of a douche admitting it, but I've been getting these at Famous Footwear; always on the cheap ( ~ $25).
Like I said, second pair of this model (the CTS (which I believe stands for Chuck Taylor Slip)) I've had & they skate great; a bit thicker in the overall material & in the ankle padding.
I skate them for a bit to identify where they are going to wear the most, apply a thin layer of hot glue & usually tamp it down with a piece of coinage; surprisingly this has proved an effective way to stave off perpetual wear.