Dress Shoe Thread

Discussion in 'Geek Cave: Computers, Tablets, HT, Phones, Games' started by Kunlun, Feb 9, 2017.

  1. Kunlun

    Kunlun cat-alyzes cat-aclysmic cat-erwauling - Friend

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    This is the thread to show us your dress shoes and tell us about them!

    From bespoke fine Italian leather to one step dressier than a sneaker, it's all welcome here.

    I don't really know anything about finer dress shoes, so I hope to learn a thing or two.

    Meanwhile, I like these Johnston & Murphy Melton toe shoes.

    [​IMG]

    I tend to wear bordeaux/burgundy, aka cordovon (which I've heard is the vegetable dye they originally used, not the color, per se).

    Anyway, these are comfortable enough to walk around all day in, which is more than I can say of some others I've tried.

    I usually buy two pairs and switch off to reduce wear.

    I used to wear rockports, which are also comfy, but not quite as nice.


    Okay, please share! Like I say, it's all welcome here.
     
  2. aufmerksam

    aufmerksam Friend

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    Hahaha! I saw this thread title and thought "aww man, my only proper dress shoes are a pair of black Johnston and Murphy captoes"

    I have been wearing that exact shoe, in black, for more than 10 years. Finally got it resoled last fall. Love it.
     
  3. a44100Hz

    a44100Hz Friend

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    I like Allen Edmonds and Alden for leather shoes. Both are still (mostly) made in the U.S. like J&M is. You can find good deals on AE seconds every few months. Usually just a scuffmark somewhere. The overall quality isn't quite as high for AE as Alden, but still above what you'll find at a department store, and it may be more palatable to try a $300 shoe rather than a $600 shoe (like you would with Alden). I'm a fan of the Strand especially, probably their iconic shoe, see it on the right in this image:

    [​IMG]

    Particularly like the style of brouging (perforations). It's a nice brogue cap toe oxford. On the left is a wingtip or longwing, which is a very American style.

    I find leather shoes aesthetically pleasing and note their absence when not on my feet in a way I don't typically care about with other physical objects.

    They're also very comfortable to walk in if you're fitted properly.
     
    Last edited: Feb 9, 2017
  4. Stapsy

    Stapsy Friend

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    I have been wearing a pair of Brown CXL Alden Indy Boots and Black CXL Alden Wing Tip Dress boots every day for the last 4 years. The quality of the shoes has absolutely blown me away. They are probably a bit on the heavy side, but the leather is thick, durable, and incredibly supple. The only thing I have to do is replace the heels on the Indy Boots, which is a $20 heel from Alden and then paying a cobbler to fix it or $120 for Alden to rebuild the whole boot. I figure that is pretty darn good. The leather itself is super easy to take care of. The oil in the CXL leather allows you to polish them up using a simple brush. Once in a while I will hit them with some Venetian shoe cream, but I haven't found it to be that necessary.

    Alden's are the type of shoe that will last you a lifetime. The combination of a slightly rugged, yet refined design really appeals to me.
     
  5. FallingObjects

    FallingObjects Pay It Forward

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    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]

    Do carefully creamed and polished boots count?

    ~$150 Steve Maddens. When I bought these, they were matte, and a dark brown/pumpkin colour. Didn't really do it for me. Dyed them, greased them, creamed them, used brown shoe polish. Much happier with the results.

    Also as general advise, if you could only buy three things, get a GOOD shoe tree (cedar, split toe), a horsehair brush, and some kind of oil or conditioner. A shoe tree alone will make any leather shoe last significantly longer. All three together you can get for as little as $20, though shoe-care has a following that runs as deep as audio stuff, so don't be surprised if you end up going down the rabbit hole there too.

    If you walk through any slush, snow, dirt, or mud, use a damp cloth to clean off and then brush down your shoes as soon as you get home. Salt and minerals will leech into the leather if you let it sit and seriously diminish the lifespan of your leather.
     
    Last edited: Feb 9, 2017
  6. Kunlun

    Kunlun cat-alyzes cat-aclysmic cat-erwauling - Friend

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    If it's leather and well loved, it's welcome here!
     
  7. HAL9000

    HAL9000 Almost "Made"

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    My favorites are the shell cordovan full strap slip-ons by Alden. I have them in black and dark burgundy (pictured).

    [​IMG]
     
  8. Daveheart

    Daveheart Friend

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    While I really do like the build and looks of the Allen Edmonds shoes, I've never been able to find a pair that actually fits me well. I've instead found that the Florsheim Veblen fits well and has a few color options that work for me, so I have a few pair of these.
    [​IMG]
     
  9. GettingBuckets

    GettingBuckets Almost "Made"

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    A good company that makes high quality leather shoes is Meermin Mallorca. They are a Spanish based company so shipping takes a bit longer but they have the cheapest Goodyear welted shoes that you can get. Seriously check those guys out.
     
  10. Vent

    Vent Friend

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    Honestly I think Allen Edmonds have gone down in quality.

    Meermin is the way to go. Half the price of the AE's too.
     
  11. dmckean44

    dmckean44 In a Sherwood S6040CP relationship

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    AE has gone downhill which leaves Alden as the last great American brand. Honestly though, British dress shoes are the way to go. There's at least a dozen great brands and they're all extremely reasonably priced right now with the weak GBP. I have a pair of Herring wing tips I bought eleven years ago that have been worn twice a week, resoled twice and still look fantastic.
     
  12. zerodeefex

    zerodeefex SBAF's Imelda Marcos

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    My wife buys me beautiful Italian leather boots to get me to avoid wearing fivefingers. Does that count?
     
  13. Torq

    Torq MOT: Headphone.com

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    From my home town (famous for, well, four-fifths of f**k-all actually, except shoes and the battle of Nasbey ...) ... Church's Shoes ... if you're ever there, let me know and we'll see about getting you hooked up (especially if I'm there at the same time).

    Think Prada bought them not long after I came to the US, but either way I love their stuff.

    And, remember, gentlemen ... Oxfords, not brogues.
     
  14. GettingBuckets

    GettingBuckets Almost "Made"

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    Oxfords will always and forever be the classic. Really can't go wrong with them.
     
  15. Psalmanazar

    Psalmanazar Most improved member; A+

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    Alden's quality control is non-existent and they are horrifically overpriced and clunky compared to their British and Italian equivalents.
     
  16. dmckean44

    dmckean44 In a Sherwood S6040CP relationship

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    That's disheartening, I have twenty year old Alden cordovan boots and really wanted another pair.
     
  17. Psalmanazar

    Psalmanazar Most improved member; A+

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    Quality went down and price tripled according to the internet, which has tons of cordovan preorder horror stories. I had Indy boots that I returned as a seem broke in one day and not the toe-stitching. Totally untreated thread. Red Wing and Chippewa uppers are actually better put together despite using worse leather.
     
  18. dmckean44

    dmckean44 In a Sherwood S6040CP relationship

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    Awful.

    There's nothing worse than when a company you onced love is now making crap under the same name.

    I'll double down on my British recommendation. I bought a pair of Loake oxfords when I was in London six months ago and they're still great. Cost me under $200 USD.
     
  19. SteelCannon

    SteelCannon Friend

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    From my experience Meermin, Rider boot co and Alfred Sargent represent the best bang for buck.

    I primarily wear boots and have found them to have great roi. For example I have owned a pair of AS hannovers, like the ones pictured below, for coming on 10 years worn at least 3 times a week and they still look great. A little broguing never hurt anybody XD

    [​IMG]
     
    Last edited: Feb 9, 2017
  20. Thad E Ginathom

    Thad E Ginathom Friend

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    My most expensive clothes ever were bought for sailing. It is not as bad as skiing, but staying warm and dry on a boat is far from cheap. And I was only doing coastal stuff, not ocean!

    Formal wear on land? Well, I'm one of those guys that go to the stalls at Covent Garden (100GBP ticket in 1990) in scruffy jeans.

    My favourite shoes were a pair of Docksiders. Yes, bought for the sea, but so comfortable I could not resist wearing them every day, even if they were slightly off office dress code. Crazy price differentials make them much more expensive in UK than in USA.

    My current favourite shoe cost me 140 Indian Rupees. That's a couple of dollars. And I'm never going to have to polish it!
     

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