Dress Shoe Thread

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

  1. Tim Thomas

    Tim Thomas Friend

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    Not particularly dress shoes, but I have a pair of brown and a pair of black of Dr Marten For Life 1461's. Very comfortable and guaranteed for life.

    [​IMG]
     
    Last edited: Feb 10, 2017
  2. Stapsy

    Stapsy Friend

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    Sorry to hear you had a bad experience with your Indy boots. I generally walk everyday 7-8km through the city in all four seasons and they have held up incredibly well.

    I do agree that they are clunkier than British and Italian shoes, but I like the clunkier design.

    Do you have a suggestion for British or Italian shoes brands to be on the look out for?
     
  3. Cryptowolf

    Cryptowolf Repping Chi Town - Friend

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    I have not purchased a new pair of Alden's, but own several used pairs that have served me well. I had a pair of #6 Shell Cordovan oxfords restored three years ago and they did an excellent job.

    My go to brands for work shoes are Barrie (no longer existent American company), Alden, and Crocket & Jones. The Barrie Ltd line are fantastic bargains and can be easily reconditioned with a little know how and elbow grease.

    For boots, I recommend either Rider Boot Co or Oak Street Bootmakers. Their boots are nice enough that they can easily be worn to a business casual office.
     
  4. Thad E Ginathom

    Thad E Ginathom Friend

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    Do you fancy-shoe guys go for leather soles?

    I once, in about 1972, bought a pair of shoes with leather soles. No grip, and I was sliding all over the place. They also wore out in no time. Never again, and couldn't see why people did!

    (Of course, deck shoes are the absolute opposite, being designed not to slip on wet surfaces. Ice beats them, though.)
     
  5. Cryptowolf

    Cryptowolf Repping Chi Town - Friend

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    Yes, I wear leather soles for the office because they seem to fit me better and cause my feet to sweat less. I prefer Vibram commando or crepe soles for outside wear. And yes, I do change from boots to shoes when I arrive at the office. This keeps my nice work shoes looking pristine and allows for more suitable footwear during the long Chicago winters.
     
  6. a44100Hz

    a44100Hz Friend

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    Leather soles really only make sense if you drive everywhere and are never in the elements. Rubber for me. I am too lazy to change shoes at the office, I wear what is weather appropriate.
     
  7. bxh

    bxh Friend

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    Got some fancy new Redwing 2966 in Klondike Leather last fall, between casual boots and work boots I only wear Redwings these days, no runners or anything.

    Boots everyday, absolutely gorgeous engineer boots.

    [​IMG]
     
  8. Cryptowolf

    Cryptowolf Repping Chi Town - Friend

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    Those are great looking boots @bxh. Sadly I couldn't get away with wearing them at my conservative office.
     
  9. Prydz

    Prydz Friend

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    I really like Loake. Got a pair of monkstraps and oxfords! Little expensive still, but I wear them so rarly so its fine!
    Never wear black suit, mostly navy, so I have both pairs in brown.

    [​IMG]


    [​IMG]
     
  10. yotacowboy

    yotacowboy McRibs Kind of Guy

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  11. BrettMatthews

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    First a wet shaving thread and now this! I've been looking to step up my shoe game for a little while now. My most worn shoes as of current are two pairs of Ashton Grey's (DSW/ Town Shoes house brand), one is a grey suede chukka boot, and the other is a brown leather "oxford" (using that loosely with what I now know about oxfords). From a distance they look nice however they don't hold up well over time and I am looking for something with better quality.

    I'm currently looking for a nice pair leather chelsea boots that are better quality that wont break the bank which has lead me to Meermin (Dark Brown Calf), then after that most likely a simple classic black cap toe oxford. The one thing that I am uncertain of is sizing, I haven't ordered shoes like this online before so I am not sure what size to go for. The chukka is 10.5 US, and the "Oxford" 10 US. I know last can factor into this as well as the chukkas have a narrower toe thank the oxfords so I am leaning towards a 9 UK for the chelsea's as they are said to be a standard last. This is where I am currently a bit stuck, any thoughts?
     
  12. aufmerksam

    aufmerksam Friend

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    For sizing, go to a fancy department store and try on EVERYTHING. Get your foot measured (if they offer to xray your foot, call the police because that shit is illegal now). Get someone to help you and when possible figure out country of origin for the shoe. That helped me figure out sizing conventions the last time I did this (loooooong ago). You will get pretty clear idea of what you want to wear. Also, if you are buying full leather, and wearing as true dress shoe, err on the side of smaller/snugger. Dress socks are ephemeral, and the shoes will flex and stretch to fit your foot as you break them in.
     
  13. zonto

    zonto Friend

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    Check out dappered.com for deals. I love AE, but none of their lasts fit my feet well, so my go-to now for dress shoes is Banana Republic with 50% off coupons. My favorite pair of dress shoes are a pair of walnut single monks from BR that I bought a few years ago for $25 on clearance. I'd love to try Alden at some point, but I'd rather spend $650 on power cables than a pair of cordovan dress shoes.
     
  14. Stapsy

    Stapsy Friend

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    That is a tough question to answer. Your best bet is to buy from somewhere with a good exchange policy and factor in the cost of an exchange to your order.

    This might sound weird, but what size do you wear in Nike/Addidas running shoes? Most nice dress shoes I have tried I am about a full size smaller than equivalent running shoes. My concern is that you are sizing based on your existing shoes that may not be your size in a "standard last".

    Alternatively if they are a standard last you can just go to any department store or shoe store and get your shoe size taken with a Brannock device (those fancy looking metal thingy's). That should get you pretty close to a standard size.
     
  15. xLn

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    Fucked around with Cole Haan with the Nike soles for a few years and got tired of having to buy new ones each year.

    This year AE went on sale for like 250 and 333. Well I took the plunge and bought 5 pairs. Dalton boots in chocolate, park aves in oxblood (the best), other ones I don't remember the name of... a black cap toe boot, a black cap oxford with brogueing, black loafers. Waiting for my British tan Cole haans to die on me before getting the AE strands in the same color.

    So far so good, break in was much faster than any other shoe I've had.

    I work in sales and try to keep it fun by popping some sock color too.

    Also, tiebar.com is amazing if you guys haven't checked it out yet.
     
  16. FallingObjects

    FallingObjects Pay It Forward

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    [​IMG]

    Currently stripping off the polish from my boots. It was flaking in some places, which was a sign to me that the layers were inherently too thick and uneven if it was occuring.

    Taking this as an opportunity to dye them a deeper shade of brown as well. While I'm loathe to use so much alcohol on my shoes, I do need to strip quite a fair bit of polish off.

    edit: Isopropyl and papercuts is a bad time
     
  17. Stuff Jones

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    [​IMG]
     
    Last edited: Mar 27, 2017
  18. Gemini

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    My wife bought me these Ferragamo. I'm not sure what to wear with them, grey jeans, khakis, bermuda shorts?



    [​IMG]
     
  19. jhaider

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    Alden quality was actually never that good. I have a pair of 405's (Indy Boots) I bought in the late 1990s, and after not too much wear one of the heel nails nearly poked through the insole! They fixed them and they've been fine ever since, but still!

    Interesting thread. If I have a chance I'll post a few pics of highlights from my shoe rotation.
     
  20. Changeling

    Changeling Tube Slut

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    I've worn Crockett & Jones for years. The handgrade's (Audley) I bought 5 years ago are probably one of the better investments I've made in my life.
    Once I found the right last for me shoe purchasing became very convenient. Stay with last, stay with size, take care of shoes, use galoshes for rainy days. That's been my recipe.
     

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