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I’ve always believed that it’s better to buy high quality items, If you can afford them, obviously. No where is this more important than shoes. I have a pair of Allen Edmonds that I’ve owned for 30 years. They’ve been resoled 4 times. And they are still the best looking shoes in my collection. There is no substitute for quality.
I recall walking into a Florsheim store in 1990 and asking for a pair of black dress shoes that would hold up to wear every weekend, for 10-12 hours a day, feel comfortable, and look good. The elderly salesman suggested a pair with full grain uppers and a rubber sole, saying these were the most comfortable shoes they offered, extolled the virtues of the full grain upper, and apologized for the rubber sole. They weren't cheap, about $150 at the time (about $300 today). I wore these every weekend for 18 years, and then sporadically since then. The soles are original, with a small amount of wear to one edge of the heel. The tops, despite showing some creases from TEN THOUSAND hours of wear, are still nice enough to wear to a funeral. In fact, they are my "go to" pair of shoes any time I'm going to be walking outside or spending a lot of time on my feet. Today, I don't think you can buy shoes of this quality without spending a lot more than $400.
Funny story, I had a glued oxford shoes from a fast fashion store, and they actually lasted quite a while (4+ years), but guess what, when the outsole chose to finally came off, they did so on my graduation ceremony 😂 I still laugh everytime i see my graduation pics
Finally a breakdown of why stuff costs the way it does. I always thought all dress shoes hurt but I’ve always bought $75 shoes and wouldn’t want to spend more if my feet were going to hurt either way!
At the upper end of any product type you start getting less return on the money. Best to find that sweet spot in the upper middle/lower top price point where almost best quality is cheapest.
Very true. There is no reason why shoes should be different in this regard as this applies to all other products. I don’t want to buy off the rack suits until i can finally save up for one bespoke suit. Not to mention the level of anxiety I will feel from the pressure of getting that one bespoke suit just right. I am perfectly happy in the middle with the made to measures. I might not have one “perfect” suit, but I can afford a couple “really great” ones for that money
A lot of my mid tier dress shoes are mid-tier around $200 price point have been real good. I’ve had them for about 4 years. I also found if you have a couple shoes in your rotation, it helps stretches the lifespan of your shoes a little bit as opposed to wearing the same pair right down! Great video though 🙌🏽
Calculating the cost per year (which depends a little on assumptions, such as the number of resoles and cost of resoling the shoes), the results are surprisingly close for all three options.
True, more expensive shoes aren’t necessarily more cost effective. But GY welted calf leather shoes always look good compared to very cheap shoes which always look like trash and mid price department store shoes which look good at first but breakdown as you wear them. One area in which traditional quality shoes are underrated is comfort. As J Fitzpatrick points out, everyone thinks more cushioning means greater comfort but what you actually need is more support which a well made traditional shoe will provide.
You can afford it if you multiply by the time needed to save up for it. Being able to afford something always means that time is a variable in that question.
@@BluePlanet1337 Using a good quality wax & polish like the Saphir line of products will get disguise a scratch to a good degree. I wore black leather combat boots during my time in the service, and scratches can be remedied with a good wax & polish job. Also, its a good idea to buy "classic" styles that never really go out of fashion.
Ohh pretty shocked that you did recommend the cheap version over the mid range one Which I'm impressed cuz I just got a pair of Oxfords and they pass on the cheap category
Also, people should really consider buying used dress shoes. There are plenty of online options of $400 shoes being sold for $150 or less and they still have plenty of life left! A good polish and a shoe tree and many are as good as new!
@@RealMenRealStyle personally, I use the app Poshmark. While it has a larger women’s clothing selection, there’s plenty there for men. You can typically negotiate a lower price than what the seller is asking, and shipping is really fast! Like 3-4 days. I’ve bought at least 5 pairs of shoes off there, like Florsheim imperials for $75, and brand new Wolverine 1000 miles for $150! Those have been my best deals.
@@RealMenRealStyle I've purchased 3 pairs of used Allen Edmonds off of eBay over the last 3 years from a seller that has an eBay store with a very large selection.
@@RealMenRealStyle i have purchased 3 pairs of quality leather, Goodyear welted shoes (Allen Edmonds, Andres Sendra, and Charles Threwitt) from goodwill/savers for $20 or less. A condition and shine (plus disinfectant) and they were good to go.
I'm not trying to say that cheap shoes are as good or better, but before I got back onto the style wagon, I bought a few Bruno Marc shoes from Amazon, like $35 each. They've actually held up very well from wearing each once or so a week over at least five years and probably more. They're fake leather, but they don't have rubber soles and at least the heels have a wood block, which I'd never seen before. They were the only dress shoes that I ever owned that clicked when walking. I just wished that back when I was wearing leather shoes that I had bought something better than DSW.
I love my Allen Edmonds, but it took me years of walking around offices and factories, and constantly replacing shoes, to realize I needed to make that investment
Well no hate on Thomas, but I was really thinking for one second that Antonio had finally come back with another STYLE video. I really wish he would do those again.
The sad part is how so many men go for the cheapest shoe option, and don't invest in dress shoes as the foundational pieces they are. You can get away with a cheap suit, but EVERYONE looks at your feet: shoes that are glued vs. stitched make the biggest difference. If you invest in $150-$300 shoes just once, they will live beyond you with regular maintenance and resoles. But a cheap suit/slacks + cheap dress shoes mentality = I really don't care about how I look.
I think you can get the mid and the high tier shoes well cheaper than those prices quoted. Also (and increasingly now) you can get quality show with stitched or welted rubber soles (Dainite, Vibram etc). The video should have mentioned that. They are many people's preferred option, including mine
It's of course up to you if you want one pair of shoes for the next 20 years. I don't even know if I've got that much time left. I'm quite ok getting several pairs of $150 shoes in rotation. Then, I change them out every couple of years. I don't have storage space for hundreds of shoes, so I don't wish to keep all the older ones for too long. Why buy shoes to last 20 years if I don't intend to keep them that long?
Yep, real value for money should only be measured by actual usage. i.e. an $8 pair of sneakers represents the same value as $300+ pair RM Williams boots if you're wearing them almost every day. Now you know the 2 staples in my shoe rack . . .
I used be more quality conscious, but in my 60s as long as it's leather I'll buy them, the key is taking care of them and keeping them looking good, mo
Been using $30 target dress shoes for years. They do degrade and crack quickly but they last me around 2-3 years used twice a week but i know your supposed to replace shoes every 6 months. I keep my shoes till it rips n i have no choice to replace it
Good info, but why did you embed an ad for after shave balm in a video about shoes? I don't mind the ads, but it would be nicer if they were related to the content of the video or if you at least made a smooth (or even funny) transition instead, like Alpha usually does.
Just paying more money never means getting high quality products. Some shoes may cost almost $500 but are made much terribly. Best dress shoes are in $120 to $250 range, & almost never big names.
So true! I had REAL Prada shoes, approx 700 euros got it from my brother, and they were totally shit. The ''cheapest'' ones are the best, but it depends on the type of shoe.
Not really you said you can't get a real leather shoe under a hundred dollars maybe in the US its true but I live in india it is one of the largest leather producing countries in the world and you can get a full grain leather shoe under 100 dollars easily and by the way do you think allen edmonds charge you 0% for their brand legacy?
It’s not possible to get a good pair of real leather stitched dress shoes of good quality for less than $300. And that is pushing it, that’s gonna be the cheapest of the higher end leathers, with slightly less quality than other higher end dress shoes. If you truly want high end shoes, be prepared to spend between $350 and $1500.
LOL not true at all! Bought a lot of leather shoes, mostly when they were above 100 euros, they were often fake leather, below the 100 euros I found some extremely good quality real leather shoes, they got even tested by professionals. So the price doesn't say any s.h.i.t.
This video really doesn't do justice to the range of quality you can get. Always best to look on ebay or find sales instead of getting full priced shoes. Allen edmonds in particular is pretty overpriced. I bought most of my shoes from shoepassion who have sales up to 50% very often, bringing allen edmonds quality down to about $200. If you don't spend the time to look for a good purchase, you will get ripped off. There were also assumptions made about the uppers of the "$150" pair of shoes which don't amount to much as you didn't explain how the construction is different, and the B-roll of the cork insert didn't actually show a cork insert at all. Not to mention that this type of video has been posted many times before, was there really a need for an inferior one today?
Where is Antonio? Thomas has that generic American media voice. I want Antonio Centeno. Or maybe, Thomas can learn to speak in a more authentic voice. Been a follower of this channel for 5 years. With Thomas its sounding like the other wack fashion channels. Not what I subscribed to.
strange and stupid, your cheap shoes are lasting 1-3 years? what are you doing in them? only walk. i bought pair of jelen working shoes for 50 euros, that is 70 dollars, i wear them on work, after work when i work without papers, i wear them to store, i wear them into town (when i am in working clothes), it is minimum 8 hours that i wear them daily (that is at work ) and sometimes i wear them 12-14 hours, leather is pig skin, only thing is that i condition them sometimes at work with machine oil, grease or what comes in my hand, and when i am on vacation (1 month, but i work in woods and farm in my vacation) i have normal condition for leather shoes (i take my shoes home with me, like every day), i had few pairs of there shoes because we get them every year, but i sell them new in package, because i have my pair of shoes 6 years and they dont look worned out, there are some domage on leather from welding, and some things dropped on my foot, and 1 car drove over my foot, but besides that, it looks great, only interior of shoe is worned out, but not in point that is not vearable, and if you think now, you dont walk to much, i can say in 1 shift (8 hours) with my mobile phone aplication, i walk about 7-10 kilometers in 1 shift, that is 52 weeks x 5 days x 7 kilometers, x 6 years (score is 10.000km ), and i am not counting walking in the woods, working in the feild, or other, and my rubber sole is good as new, but in nowdays, some people think that factory where i buy my working shoes is outdated, it is socialistic, there are more modern brands, that look more pretty, i stick to my old communist shoes (i tried brands like, giasco, beta, berner, they are italian german, and whatewer, no good, feet smells, quality doesnt stick, and they were more expensive, and lower quality, everybody makes fun of socialistic factories)
To be honest, your ads are getting somewhat annoying. Besides the loud beep, there's a voice that's more aggressive and contrasts with what I was hearing previously, and finally, the ad's topic has nothing to do with the video's. I realize ads are necessary, but they don't have to be that off-putting.
Too bad and so sad that Fake/cheap looking expensive shoes and clothes does not hide our poverty in public from the eyes of style experts. Luckily though the average person is easily fooled by this. I prefer to play it safe by... buying quality formal wear clothing although it often takes me quite a long time to financially accomplished this.. Don't want to feel any self conscious embarrassment in public.
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Do you want more Cheap vs Expensive videos? Comment below!
▶ ua-cam.com/video/C10n3MivUV0/v-deo.html - Click here to watch Cheap VS Expensive Leather Boots (What's The Difference?)
I’ve always believed that it’s better to buy high quality items, If you can afford them, obviously. No where is this more important than shoes. I have a pair of Allen Edmonds that I’ve owned for 30 years. They’ve been resoled 4 times. And they are still the best looking shoes in my collection. There is no substitute for quality.
I recall walking into a Florsheim store in 1990 and asking for a pair of black dress shoes that would hold up to wear every weekend, for 10-12 hours a day, feel comfortable, and look good. The elderly salesman suggested a pair with full grain uppers and a rubber sole, saying these were the most comfortable shoes they offered, extolled the virtues of the full grain upper, and apologized for the rubber sole. They weren't cheap, about $150 at the time (about $300 today). I wore these every weekend for 18 years, and then sporadically since then. The soles are original, with a small amount of wear to one edge of the heel. The tops, despite showing some creases from TEN THOUSAND hours of wear, are still nice enough to wear to a funeral. In fact, they are my "go to" pair of shoes any time I'm going to be walking outside or spending a lot of time on my feet. Today, I don't think you can buy shoes of this quality without spending a lot more than $400.
Hmmm...I confess I'm a bit surprised you're still on the first soles....
Funny story, I had a glued oxford shoes from a fast fashion store, and they actually lasted quite a while (4+ years), but guess what, when the outsole chose to finally came off, they did so on my graduation ceremony 😂 I still laugh everytime i see my graduation pics
Finally a breakdown of why stuff costs the way it does. I always thought all dress shoes hurt but I’ve always bought $75 shoes and wouldn’t want to spend more if my feet were going to hurt either way!
At the upper end of any product type you start getting less return on the money. Best to find that sweet spot in the upper middle/lower top price point where almost best quality is cheapest.
Very true. There is no reason why shoes should be different in this regard as this applies to all other products. I don’t want to buy off the rack suits until i can finally save up for one bespoke suit. Not to mention the level of anxiety I will feel from the pressure of getting that one bespoke suit just right. I am perfectly happy in the middle with the made to measures. I might not have one “perfect” suit, but I can afford a couple “really great” ones for that money
A lot of my mid tier dress shoes are mid-tier around $200 price point have been real good. I’ve had them for about 4 years. I also found if you have a couple shoes in your rotation, it helps stretches the lifespan of your shoes a little bit as opposed to wearing the same pair right down! Great video though 🙌🏽
I wholly recommend Allen Edmonds factory seconds. With a good wax & polish, they are indistinguishable from the full price shoes.
Calculating the cost per year (which depends a little on assumptions, such as the number of resoles and cost of resoling the shoes), the results are surprisingly close for all three options.
True, more expensive shoes aren’t necessarily more cost effective. But GY welted calf leather shoes always look good compared to very cheap shoes which always look like trash and mid price department store shoes which look good at first but breakdown as you wear them.
One area in which traditional quality shoes are underrated is comfort. As J Fitzpatrick points out, everyone thinks more cushioning means greater comfort but what you actually need is more support which a well made traditional shoe will provide.
You can find Allen Edmonds on ebay for cheap also. I just got a brand new hardly worn pair of walnut strands for $95.
To start, some of us cannot afford $500 shoes or $100 T-shirts. You be thinking lobster, I be thinking Burger King.
You can afford it if you multiply by the time needed to save up for it. Being able to afford something always means that time is a variable in that question.
The $500 shoes that last 20+ years will end up being cheaper per wear.
@@BluePlanet1337 Using a good quality wax & polish like the Saphir line of products will get disguise a scratch to a good degree. I wore black leather combat boots during my time in the service, and scratches can be remedied with a good wax & polish job. Also, its a good idea to buy "classic" styles that never really go out of fashion.
@@bikesnstuff6962 I get the concept, Mr. Trump.
Thanks Thomas for all those explanations we really need 👌
You're welcome Ziam! Thomas did a great job in this video.
Ohh pretty shocked that you did recommend the cheap version over the mid range one
Which I'm impressed cuz I just got a pair of Oxfords and they pass on the cheap category
Is it mean that you would not recommend Thrusday Captain ($199)?
I had some great Chelsea boots from Mephisto. I liked those and they lasted several years already until my recent unfortunate incident.
Also, people should really consider buying used dress shoes. There are plenty of online options of $400 shoes being sold for $150 or less and they still have plenty of life left! A good polish and a shoe tree and many are as good as new!
Hey Andrew - where do you recommend to buy second hand shoes?
@@RealMenRealStyle personally, I use the app Poshmark. While it has a larger women’s clothing selection, there’s plenty there for men. You can typically negotiate a lower price than what the seller is asking, and shipping is really fast! Like 3-4 days.
I’ve bought at least 5 pairs of shoes off there, like Florsheim imperials for $75, and brand new Wolverine 1000 miles for $150! Those have been my best deals.
@@RealMenRealStyle I've purchased 3 pairs of used Allen Edmonds off of eBay over the last 3 years from a seller that has an eBay store with a very large selection.
@@RealMenRealStyle i have purchased 3 pairs of quality leather, Goodyear welted shoes (Allen Edmonds, Andres Sendra, and Charles Threwitt) from goodwill/savers for $20 or less. A condition and shine (plus disinfectant) and they were good to go.
I bought a like new pair of rockport tassle loafers at a resale shop for 10dollars, very comfortable and the look like new, you can get lucky
I'm not trying to say that cheap shoes are as good or better, but before I got back onto the style wagon, I bought a few Bruno Marc shoes from Amazon, like $35 each. They've actually held up very well from wearing each once or so a week over at least five years and probably more. They're fake leather, but they don't have rubber soles and at least the heels have a wood block, which I'd never seen before. They were the only dress shoes that I ever owned that clicked when walking. I just wished that back when I was wearing leather shoes that I had bought something better than DSW.
I love my Allen Edmonds, but it took me years of walking around offices and factories, and constantly replacing shoes, to realize I needed to make that investment
Well no hate on Thomas, but I was really thinking for one second that Antonio had finally come back with another STYLE video. I really wish he would do those again.
The sad part is how so many men go for the cheapest shoe option, and don't invest in dress shoes as the foundational pieces they are. You can get away with a cheap suit, but EVERYONE looks at your feet: shoes that are glued vs. stitched make the biggest difference. If you invest in $150-$300 shoes just once, they will live beyond you with regular maintenance and resoles. But a cheap suit/slacks + cheap dress shoes mentality = I really don't care about how I look.
I think you can get the mid and the high tier shoes well cheaper than those prices quoted. Also (and increasingly now) you can get quality show with stitched or welted rubber soles (Dainite, Vibram etc). The video should have mentioned that. They are many people's preferred option, including mine
I'm new to your channel. I really appreciate the quality information you provide. I find it very helpful. Thank you.
Very good! I agree with your recommendations!
It's of course up to you if you want one pair of shoes for the next 20 years. I don't even know if I've got that much time left. I'm quite ok getting several pairs of $150 shoes in rotation. Then, I change them out every couple of years. I don't have storage space for hundreds of shoes, so I don't wish to keep all the older ones for too long. Why buy shoes to last 20 years if I don't intend to keep them that long?
Hello from Russia! Great channel!
Privet! Thanks for checking this out. Did you have by any chance check out the Russian channel?
Yes, I moved here from the Russian channel, but there are fewer videos, so I watch you in the original
My brogues costed 20 bucks brand new here in Mexico, artisan made and made from cowhide leather. Legit leather actually.
Coming up to 3M subscibers. Congratulations!
Are those Allen Edmonds' shoes true to size?
Most of the time. Some styles can run a bit tight.
How you feel about brunello cucinelli or Loro piana?
I love how leather leather hase character 😍
Yep, real value for money should only be measured by actual usage.
i.e. an $8 pair of sneakers represents the same value as $300+ pair RM Williams boots if you're wearing them almost every day.
Now you know the 2 staples in my
shoe rack . . .
Hello Mr Antonio. How's your day going?
I used be more quality conscious, but in my 60s as long as it's leather I'll buy them, the key is taking care of them and keeping them looking good, mo
Been using $30 target dress shoes for years. They do degrade and crack quickly but they last me around 2-3 years used twice a week but i know your supposed to replace shoes every 6 months.
I keep my shoes till it rips n i have no choice to replace it
Thanks. Great vid.
I'm only buying quality items from now on. I love my new TLB's and Thursday Boots.
Love my Thursdday Boots as well. 😁
Good info, but why did you embed an ad for after shave balm in a video about shoes? I don't mind the ads, but it would be nicer if they were related to the content of the video or if you at least made a smooth (or even funny) transition instead, like Alpha usually does.
I have a few pairs of AE shoes and boots and I’m confident in saying they’re way over priced
Thank you 😊 I like it 👍
I can't find a €400 pair anywhere and I get bored of the same pairs after a few years. The 150 pair is good for me.
Love From India
For 250$ that's a steal!!
If one has to replace a $50 pair of shows every year, after 8 years the $00 shoes are now paid for.
Just paying more money never means getting high quality products. Some shoes may cost almost $500 but are made much terribly. Best dress shoes are in $120 to $250 range, & almost never big names.
So true! I had REAL Prada shoes, approx 700 euros got it from my brother, and they were totally shit. The ''cheapest'' ones are the best, but it depends on the type of shoe.
Not really you said you can't get a real leather shoe under a hundred dollars maybe in the US its true but I live in india it is one of the largest leather producing countries in the world and you can get a full grain leather shoe under 100 dollars easily and by the way do you think allen edmonds charge you 0% for their brand legacy?
If there is a Shoe that’s made in the US I’ll buy it.
Alden
That 395 shoe in the vid is US made (Allen Edmonds). As with any brand, dunno for how much longer
Question is: are the $400 shoes still worth it after adding the $65 shipping and 35% import duty? Eish, I wish my country produced high quality shoes.
Where do you live?
@@mundmm South Africa
Crazy how they all, almost look the same.
It’s not possible to get a good pair of real leather stitched dress shoes of good quality for less than $300. And that is pushing it, that’s gonna be the cheapest of the higher end leathers, with slightly less quality than other higher end dress shoes. If you truly want high end shoes, be prepared to spend between $350 and $1500.
LOL not true at all! Bought a lot of leather shoes, mostly when they were above 100 euros, they were often fake leather, below the 100 euros I found some extremely good quality real leather shoes, they got even tested by professionals. So the price doesn't say any s.h.i.t.
This video really doesn't do justice to the range of quality you can get. Always best to look on ebay or find sales instead of getting full priced shoes. Allen edmonds in particular is pretty overpriced. I bought most of my shoes from shoepassion who have sales up to 50% very often, bringing allen edmonds quality down to about $200. If you don't spend the time to look for a good purchase, you will get ripped off.
There were also assumptions made about the uppers of the "$150" pair of shoes which don't amount to much as you didn't explain how the construction is different, and the B-roll of the cork insert didn't actually show a cork insert at all.
Not to mention that this type of video has been posted many times before, was there really a need for an inferior one today?
@@BluePlanet1337 You just described fast fashion, not sure if you realize that.
Actually, I don't like leather soles... They are too slippery.
Something i really dislikes guys wearing pointy dress shoes or boots it looks wrong
That's why tou should buy a Rolls Royce, if you plan to buy a car.
ITS TOTALLY normal for real leather to crease. So your ''information'' is pretty false lol.
Where is Antonio?
Thomas has that generic American media voice.
I want Antonio Centeno.
Or maybe, Thomas can learn to speak in a more authentic voice.
Been a follower of this channel for 5 years.
With Thomas its sounding like the other wack fashion channels. Not what I subscribed to.
Do not buy cheap would be my verdict.
strange and stupid, your cheap shoes are lasting 1-3 years? what are you doing in them? only walk. i bought pair of jelen working shoes for 50 euros, that is 70 dollars, i wear them on work, after work when i work without papers, i wear them to store, i wear them into town (when i am in working clothes), it is minimum 8 hours that i wear them daily (that is at work ) and sometimes i wear them 12-14 hours, leather is pig skin, only thing is that i condition them sometimes at work with machine oil, grease or what comes in my hand, and when i am on vacation (1 month, but i work in woods and farm in my vacation) i have normal condition for leather shoes (i take my shoes home with me, like every day), i had few pairs of there shoes because we get them every year, but i sell them new in package, because i have my pair of shoes 6 years and they dont look worned out, there are some domage on leather from welding, and some things dropped on my foot, and 1 car drove over my foot, but besides that, it looks great, only interior of shoe is worned out, but not in point that is not vearable, and if you think now, you dont walk to much, i can say in 1 shift (8 hours) with my mobile phone aplication, i walk about 7-10 kilometers in 1 shift, that is 52 weeks x 5 days x 7 kilometers, x 6 years (score is 10.000km ), and i am not counting walking in the woods, working in the feild, or other, and my rubber sole is good as new, but in nowdays, some people think that factory where i buy my working shoes is outdated, it is socialistic, there are more modern brands, that look more pretty, i stick to my old communist shoes (i tried brands like, giasco, beta, berner, they are italian german, and whatewer, no good, feet smells, quality doesnt stick, and they were more expensive, and lower quality, everybody makes fun of socialistic factories)
To be honest, your ads are getting somewhat annoying. Besides the loud beep, there's a voice that's more aggressive and contrasts with what I was hearing previously, and finally, the ad's topic has nothing to do with the video's. I realize ads are necessary, but they don't have to be that off-putting.
I wouldn't be able to bring myself to wear fake leather at all. It's blasphemy.
Too bad and so sad that Fake/cheap looking expensive shoes and clothes does not hide our poverty in public from the eyes of style experts. Luckily though the average person is easily fooled by this. I prefer to play it safe by... buying quality formal wear clothing although it often takes me quite a long time to financially accomplished this.. Don't want to feel any self conscious embarrassment in public.
...again that same talk😐
What do you mean?
@@RealMenRealStyle....very similar...
What