Quote:
Originally Posted by Mean Mr. Mustard
Does anyone have any good recomendations for quality dress shoes. I have a hell of a time finding a well made pair of basic Oxford dress shoes that are able to fit a wide foot. I have a wedding that I have to go to in a couple weeks and I don't want to be looking like an idiot in my old shoes that never really did break in well.
Thanks in advance.
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If you are in Calgary, stop by O'Connors on 7th Ave and 2nd St. SW. They are having their semi-annual clearance open to previous customers (starts publicly advertising tomorrow).
What you are looking for is a pair of Allen-Edmonds or Aldens. They normally run around $350/pair but O'Connors usually clears some pairs out for $150 or less (especially unusual pairs such as wides). AE makes wonderful shoes in a range of widths from A to EEE, and if you take proper care of them will last you a lifetime.
General quality shoe suggestions....
I prefer a closed-lace, aka
balmoral, style shoe. They are tough to find at most 'mall-type' shoe stores (who generally only carry open laced 'bluchers'), and are the only style that are truly appropriate to wear with a suit, but I have pairs that look great with jeans as well (like
these that I am wearing today). If you can find a nice pair of
monk straps, you can pick them up as well.
Look for shoes made of calfskin, or even better, shell cordovan. These shoes do not crease across the toes like those made from cheaper 'corrected grain' leather. They also hold a shine much better.
Avoid square, duck-billed or bicycle toed shoes. Fashion is for the ladies. Men should focus on 'style'. This will allow you to wear the same shoes you wore to you own wedding to your kids, and look great each time.
Generally speaking, the more ornamentation a shoe has (eg. caps, perforations, brougeing) the more casual it is.
While I prefer leather soles (oak-bark tanned) in my shoes, ensure you get goodyear welted soles. These can easily be re-soled when you finally wear through them.
While black is a fine colour, a more versatile choice for a first pair of shoes would be dark brown (make sure you find a belt to match).
Want to spend more?
~$500
Crockett and Jones
~$700
Vass
>$1,000
Gaziano & Girling