I definitely agree with you regarding the switches being tactile and high-quality.

I started with a Yamaha footswitch (which was pretty decent quality.) But the travel was vague, and it was light enough to skate across my hardwood floor. I tried a long sustain pedal next. It was better than the Yamaha footswitch but had too much travel for a quick press. Then I found the Boss FS-6 dual footswitch. Two switches in a metal housing that weighs more the a pound. ​The switches have a positive 'clicky' feel, and most importantly they press straight DOWN, rather than forward and down. There are even channels milled into the side of the unit so you can group multiple FS-6's together.

The FC7 is no longer made by Roland. But if you wanted to make your own "counterfeit" FC7 with the appropriate DIN connector, the FS-6 is a good choice for the footswitches, if a bit expensive.