Cheap Shoes vs Expensive Dress Shoes
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- Опубліковано 20 гру 2019
- My Recommendations for Best Entry Level Dress Shoes:
Beckett Simonon: thekavalier.reviews/B-S
Allen Edmonds: thekavalier.reviews/Allen-Edm...
Ace Marks: thekavalier.reviews/AceMarks
Blake McKay: thekavalier.reviews/blake885f4
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For reference, I am 6’4 usually 190lb. Typical sizes of clothing:
Wrist Size: 6 1/4 in (15.875cm)
T-shirts: S
Long sleeve shirts/button downs: M
Dress Shirts: 15.5 x 35
Pants: 32 x 34
Dress Shoes: 12
This video is not sponsored. Contains Affiliate Links.
Edited by Ashley Saldanha
I'm a business professional in my 40's, and you've helped me see that I've been doing it wrong for so many years. It's not too late, and I'm looking into investing in quality shoe and wardrobe pieces. Thanks for all the tips.
You can never go wrong buying good quality. My Mother always taught us at a young age, buy the best you can, because in the end, you'll keep it longer and save. Good shoes are one of the most important things you can buy for yourself. You can keep a good pair of shoes over 3 times the lifetime of a cheap shoe.
Keep killing it brother!!!
Figure out what shows quality and buy used on eBay
I need formal shoes for work, they have to be comfortable. All day on my feet with moderate walking, but I have wide feet.
Any suggestions, please.
Great job! Agree 100% with everything you said! 👍🏻👍🏻
Found this video after buying $60 square toed shoes from Amazon.
Definitely returning these. Thanks for the advice.
"What do I know?" Apparently quite something. I absolutely agree that toe shape and profile are key to dress shoes style but for some with less than ideal (for shoes) feet there may need be some compromise here and there. Your grandfather's wing tips were boxy but fit most feet. The formal shoe of today does not have much of a toe box and won't accommodate the flipper foot or, say, a bunion. Dress loafers are more accommodating in my experience. Kavalier, would you consider a video on this subject?
This channel is my major go-to for dressing my husband. Thank you for this awesome channel.
Just ordered from beckett and made sure to use your links. Thanks!
I appreciate channels like this so much. It's been covered elsewhere, but Allen Edmonds factory seconds from shoebank have been fantastic for me. I've bought a pair of strand oxfords and Dalton wingtip boots and I absolutely love them and got them both for about $200 each. I'd have never known enough to look for this sort of thing before watching some of these videos. Also love AE bc of the variety of widths which Thursday and most others just don't have.
such an interesting channel ! glad I found it
I got a pair of like new dress shoes at a thrift store for $6. I Googled the brand when I got home and they retailed for around $200. I think they were an estate donation.
So true John- the shoes make the person!
May I suggest teaching your viewers the Berluti knot. It is an elegant knot that is balanced and makes the laces lay snugly against the shoe. It makes any laced shoe look better.
Buy coffee from a coffee shop and buy shoes from a shoe shop.
Sound advice
And buy watches in a watch store
My first mistakes were buying dress shoes from Sears and thinking Wing tips were fancy and sign of a higher end shoe. My dad loves his wing tips and swears by them and I grew up thinking the additional decoration made them fancier than the simpler styled ones.
I will either be choosing a black oxford captoe from Thursday Boots or Beckett Simonon as my entry into quality dress shoes. Thanks for your reviews! Love the channel!
Great video! I started out with square-toed shoes in the $70 price point too (mostly because that’s what I could afford then) until I graduated to Allen Edmonds. Now with several good pairs of AE (majorly factory seconds), I realize the difference in quality, construction, and value. Now I feel like my original pairs were garbage, and am not sure how I wore those for so long!
Good basic introduction to quality shoes. My finest shoes have been found at estate sales and thrift shops...if you know what you’re looking for! As always, great content...keep it up!
Thanks to you man I dodged the shoe mistakes, just got my first pair of dress shoes ever from Beckett Simonon last week!
Very informative.. Thanks
Highly recommend you to explore NPS's shoes, recently bought a pair and beats every other shoes i have in terms of value per buck. Leather and construction is superb.
Omg I couldn't agree more on square-toed shoes... so glad that trend didn't last long because I bucked it! Btw I'm glad to not be in the market for dress shoes atm, so I'll forgive you for tempting me. Merry xmas lol :p
Great video with solid advice. What do you think about Johnston & Murphy? I have two pairs of Chukka boots that are wearing well.
I personally own a pair of Johnston & Murphy Meltons with a custom Burned Wood Patina (european calf leather and goodyear welted). I bought the most expensive pair they have because I knew (after calling J&M customer service) that the leather uppers are what make the difference (the leather is supple, confortable and is so good you can see the skin pores). But be careful, not all their models are like that. The melton is a high quality shoe , same as an Allen Edmond. I stripped the color out and when I dyed the shoe with a new patina it absorbed perfectly the leather dyes, it just confirmed how good they are. If you have more questions about dress shoes please don't hesitate I have a facebook page its called @myshoehobby, and all my projects are on my Instagram at my_shoe_hobby , I'm a Dress Shoe patina artist, I do dress shoe restorations and Deluxe Shinnings, pleasure to meet you!
My advise would be to get the 30 dollar shoes if you need them right away to hold you over and actually save up for the real deal, wether it’s USA Aldens or Spanish Carminas or U.K. Edward Greens. I now find myself wishing I had less of the “in between” stuff because it’s ok and not necessarily disposable, but it’s disappointing once you experience real quality and you end up giving those shoes away to friends or trying to ebay them in order to replace them with the same version in the better brand. Just wasted money IMO
That’s a good point. I have a cheap pair of black oxford‘s that I wear for weddings and funerals. I don’t wear black shoes otherwise and all my other shoes are good quality nice brown oxblood colors.
You can get some of the more "casual" styles of the favorites like the strandmok, which is same style as strand with a more "casual" leather. But the kicker is the colors available are the same and can definitely be worn with a suit. I picked up a pair of strandmoks with customized dainite soles for 280 before tax, 240 before the customization. I think they also have a more "casual" wingtip emulating the McCallester too
2 pair of Beckett Simonon and growing!!
I suppose the way I cut my corners are for casual shoes. I'll go to the outlets and buy a good pair of runni g shoes in neutral color and wear those as an everyday offf work shoe. I'll mix that in with a pair of sketches and Clark's that i own. I do have a pair of Allen Edmond, Paul Evans and a pair of Thursday Boots as well as two pairs of Bruno Magli for work, but it's hard for me to spend $100 for a pair of shoes that I can't resold, if that's the case, I'll find five pairs of shoes and just rotate them, and get a new pair once a year to throw the old pair in the rotation out
100% agree with everything here! My first big leap from Kenneth Cole shoes was to Johnston and Murphy at $125. They had faux welts and the cement began to separate from the upper within 2 months. I also grabbed Eccos around that time. Cemented, decently made, not very fashionable though. This was in 2010. Got my first Allen Edmonds during a Black Friday sale in 2013 and haven’t looked back. Shoe care is as equally important. I see guys in great suits with terrible shoes. A lot of them tell me they’ve never learned about proper shoe care. In today’s world, that’s not uncommon, but it can be learned and adopted very easily (UA-cam).
I'm glad I stumbled on this video
I started by buying AE Higgins Mill boots. My god these are by far and away the most comfortable things on my feet.
It completely changed my thinking about all my footwear.
I am now in a solid obsession 😮
AE boots are extremely comfortable out of the box w/o any sneaker tech gimmicks. The core line dress shoes are a no brainer for great workhorse dress shoes.
I had the exact opposite reaction. I got Higgins mill and they feel so heavy and plodding, and uncomfortable in the vamp for me. I wish I didn’t buy them.
Just got my first pair of allen edmonds for 130 bucks on ebay, and they are so comfortable. I've been happy with my fryes but the ae feel like a step up
Three AE shoes, and two Magnanni later... yes - this video was really quite helpful Thanks Kav.
Excellent video. Biggest mistakes: Aldo shoes (woof) and not getting properly measured for shoes. Had AE measure me and my foot/back pain has drastically reduced
I'd like to see a review on Velasca shoes. I bought a pair of boots which I like and it seems like good value for the money but I not confident in determine actual quality.......and a bit curious
$200 is not quite enough to get you into decently made shoes and there is no reason to wait and buy inferior shoes. Everyone can benefit from having real leather and quality construction. It is cheaper in the long run, more comfortable, looks better, better for the environment, etc.
p.s. AE style is super boring. Plenty of better styles choices out there.
Very good information for anyone who cheaps out on buying shoes. If a person is a business professional, it makes more sense to buy something that lasts lifetimes over a cheaper pair.
Shoes are our foundation, and a bad foundation falters, it's not that much different over time. Funny thing is, someone will buy a Honda or Toyota because of the quality of the vehicle, then go out and buy the cheapest pair of shoes.
A word of caution for people who are like me. Many people use cost per wear argument to justify the hefty pricing on more expensive pairs of shoes. However, buying my first pair of Allen Edmonds was like a "gateway drug" (a word used by many shoe enthusiasts as well). Now I have so many pair of nicer shoes, and I am obviously spending way more money on shoes that I actually need to. As you can see, Jon (The Kavalier) owns way too many pairs as well. Be careful guys, don't lose your control Lol. Well, I don't regret getting into the world of nicer shoes as there are many positive things about it. I am just saying it is obviously not an economical way ("cost per wear argument") for people like me. Enjoy!
I'm in my mid-40's and have been wearing dress shoes (and suits) since I was 19. My mistake is like yours -- $50-$100 for a pair of cheap dress shoes instead of $250 for a pair that will last forever. There is an Allen Edmunds shop in my local mall but I figured I couldn't afford "nice" shoes for $400 (in 1999) so I just shopped Dillards, DSW, or whatever for a pair of slip on leather upper, rubber soled throw away shoes. If I had even figured it out at age 30 I would be in so much better shape shoe-wise than I am now. I have 5 dress shoes -- 2 Allen Edmunds (brown derby broques and burgundy loafers) and 3 Beckett Simonons (black whole cut oxfords, brown dean oxfords, and brown single monks). Basically I am covered but always wish I had more variety and could branch out to some European brands.
Lol I remember back when I was in my junior year in high school and I went to our local clothier . I always wanted to someday shop here because my grandmother and grandfather used this particular mens shop as a standard. BILL WYNN was the kind of shop in which you could visit & they would assist you in appropriate attire. I miss them. I looked through their merchandise and noticed that I might actually need to us my folks credit card because these were real shoes and real prices. So I visited my local department store and noticed that they had something that looked about the same but way cheaper. I pulled out my check book and paid the sale price of $75.00 and was pretty proud of myself but Yeah, within several months these glorious duplicates of the amazing Bill Wynn offerings basically began to separate from the sole in certain parts and began to kill my feet.
My sole pair of dress shoes are dark brown Hugo Boss square-toed derbys from Nordstrom's Rack that were 'marked down' from $225 to $170. Not sure how bad of a deal a got as they have held up very well over 4 years, with several worth months of serious use. I wore them every day to my job at Kmart until I started working Lawn and Garden and got them soaked. I've also played football in them while I was working as a TA.
Nice video. I'm at the point where I have several pairs of Meermins and considering jumping over to something like Carmina... I'd love to hear the arguments to justify that jump :/ because realistically I won't buy just one pair (over time)
Hi I have learned a great deal from your videos, and if not learning maybe find others amusing would be the right word.
My general daily dress would be business casual leaning towards darker grey, charcoal or black pants or slacks. Coming from Wisconsin I find about 75% of shoes to be Allen Edmonds. Thanks to a connection I tend to get a very generous Allen Edmonds gift each year, that along with what I throw in allows me to either get a new pair or I have opted to have some 25 yo McAllisters recrafted as well.
This year I find myself looking at maybe the Dalton boots and friends are trying to talk me into splurging and going with the Dalton’s in the Cordovan leather that would be the burgundy color. I am convinced I could unless absolutely formal wear those with my usual pant or slack choice of dark grey etc. Thinking if I go a lesser expensive route and even shop the seconds at the shoe bank I could do the Daltons in Calfskin and the oxblood color and that color is close to the burgundy and might work, or maybe also in calfskin the Dark Chili which seems to have the similar different tones the Burgundy Cordovan would have. I could really use your advice on which boot to go with? Or even if these shades will go with the pants or slacks I tend to wear. Much thanks
Great educational video. I’m going to buy a pair of Beckett Simonon and may be a pair of Ace Marks as well.
Sandi_K Careful with Ace Marks. Their shoe heels are not good quality.
Eye Heart Sushi thanks - will keep it in mind. Would you recommend any specific brand under $250?
Sandi_K You can get Allen Edmonds for $250 or less on sale, many times a year.
ACEMARKS HEELS SUCK. I got my dad a pair of their shoes and he’s worn through the top lift in a month and a half and barely wears them.
Good to know that!
Jon what do you think of Johnston and Murphy as far as build quality in bang for buck
Thanks
Is that the john henric shirt?
Is it a sweat producer like some treated fabrics or is very breathable. I am quite sensitive to these things.
Cheers
Yeah very good mate, I have to say I learned my lesson with buying cheap shoes instead of investing and waiting a little while longer to buy a couple of pairs of quality Blake stitched shoes even though good quality shoes aren't quite as easy to get at a good price here in Australia but if you look around you can find a good quality pair of shoes for around $200 👍
What’s your opinion of the shoes from Johnston & Murphy?
You need a larger size shoe tree for the AE Fifth aves lol. You want a tight tree. Yours went in like nothing. Helps a ton when polishing too.
I agree, cheap shoes will make your foot odor stronger. Also, rotating shoes as in not wearing the same pair of dress shoes more than one day in a row lets the shoes dry out completely which also lessens foot odor.
The thing is, most department store men's dress shoes (that usually retail for between $70 and $130) seem like they're mediocre at best. My Clarks derbies are only 11 months old and the creasing on the vamp is VERY pronounced. And even those seem like they're of better quality than those cruddy ones with the square toes that curl upwards.
At the same time, I don't like to spend more than $120 on dress shoes, and anything over $150 to me is automatically in the "expensive" category. Thus, my options are either deeply discounted shoes or used ones. For instance, Meermin auctions off their factory seconds on eBay, usually starting between $50 and $80 for men's laceups, so I'm keeping my eye out for styles I like on there. I also have two pairs of Allen Edmonds that were $58 each used (but in good condition).
I do exactly as you say, I buy them used on Ebay, super high quality shoes, and I restored them, change the color (which is called patina) and wax them. Its not ''like'' brand new, its absolutely new I can assure you that. If you have any questions man don't hesitate, my name is Miguel pleasure meeting you, all my Dress shoe restorations are on my instagram at my_shoe_hobby , take care !
randallrg75g2 Is there any way to restore dry/ chipping leather? I saw a used pair of Allen Edmonds online for 50 bucks but they were not taken care of and the leather on the side is flaking.
Another good entry into good shoes would be NPS/Solovair. Made in England.
Can you review Helm boots? I have a pair of their black Mullers. Long break-in time, but they are great looking.
Going to meet the Helm team in January!
I'd love another pair of Beckett Simonon. My inner sole leather has worn off and scrunches up. But, they don't ship internationally :(
Hello! I’m starting college soon where the dress code calls for dress shoes, I’m looking for oxfords that will last 5 years+ while under $200. Would you recommend Beckett Simonon or Allen Edmonds factory 2nd? Do you have any other recommendations? Looking for something really comfortable for all day wear in lectures and practicals etc. Also, would you recommend like a deep mahogany brown or just black? I feel like deep brown looks better but I worry it could be harder to match. Thanks!! Just looking for any opinions!
Beckett Simonon shoes are a terrific value. I have a pair of their Dowler boots and Morgen Trainers. I plan on getting a few more pairs from them soon.
Craig Piotrowski I just got my Dowler boots a few weeks ago. They are really nice to look at and many people comment on them. Happy so far!
@@boscokid9524 Nice. I've had mine for a good 10 months or so and they've gotten better with age. Great boots.
Now I know why my feet smell really bad when I take out my shoes . It's the fabric lining on my cheaper shoes
Love your shoes ...
So given the construction of the Wolf & Shepherd is glued vice Goodyear/Blake Stitched does that make them lesser quality? I ask because you seemed to hold them in high regard.
I'm okay owning beat down vans and having casual boots most of the week. But i would not skip on the quality of a nice pair of dress shoes
I have 2 pair of Florsheim "Forecast" bike-toe shoes (brown, black) and I think the toe shape is referred to as 'soft chisel.' Is that okay, because I really like them.
You probably have to spend $400 on good shoes and a few good blazer, $1.800 or so for 3 suits, and $150 on a pair of dry denim.
Have you looked into 3DM Lifestyle shoes yet? Weird name but, I have read only positive reviews so far and they are in this price category you are discussing. Also they got 25% off going on right now.
This is good. I’m seeing guys on FB slit their wrists when they see a slight flaw in a new pair of Allen Edmond’s that the paid over $300 for. That’s a fortune for some guys just stepping up. Better to start with something at a $200 price point as they get used to the idea.
Nice summary educational video. Glad to hear a guy your age say No to square toed dress shoes to your peers. This old guy has never liked the square shoe look. LOL Gotta question for you: I’m just breaking in my first pair of Thursday Captains in Old English, worm them 2-4x they are comfortable and look nice, but the leather stinks. And I like the smell of nice leather. Who doesn’t right? These boots have a ‘leather smell’, but with a nasty petro-chemical nose to it. Any idea what that might be? Or heard of it from Thursday’s? I couldn’t put them in my bedroom closet. So I’m storing them in the laundry room to off-gas a while.
So the question im asking here is my work requires me to wear slacks, button ups and typically ill pair it with dress shoes unless its jean day.
Do any of these shoes types handle long distance walking? I typically am walking 4-5 miles with all the steps I'm taking so is it practical to invest in these types of shoes given the dynamics of my job?
Also go on ebay and check out used AE's. You can never go wrong with that.
💯
So if you have to pick this would be your order from first to last?
1. Beckett Simonon
2. Meermin
3. Thursday
Merry Christmas and happy holidays
Great video, and one everyone should learn from. Cheap shoes are a false economy. BTW the shoe trees appear a little small as they are not under any tension.
After 20 years of marriage, and not really caring much about my clothing/shoes, I found myself separated. Now that I am single again, I have been slowly upgrading my wardrobe/shoes. I recently purchased a pair of Allbirds. Casual, but nice. I was very surprised when a woman randomly complimented me on them. Now I am seriously looking to upgrade to even better quality shoes.
What’s your opinion on Mercanti shoes
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.
Wha is a good price to pay for getting shoes resoled...and what to look for?
Very helpful, thank you! Any recommendations for Allen Edmonds alternatives? I ordered a pair online and they keep sending what I would consider 2nd or 3rd quality shoes. I've been a fan of AE for a while, but think it's time to move on....
Look for Santoni, Salvatore Ferragamo, Myrqvist or Magnanni. In the world of quality shoes, Allen Edmonds are entry level type shoes. Keep in mind that maintenance is key for shoe longevity, leather conditioner, cream, wax and shoe trees are absolutely mandatory to keep a quality shoe in perfect condition. If you have any questions don't hesitate man, im at my_shoe_hobby on Instagram, I do shoe restoration, shoe patinas and Mirror shines. My name is Miguel, nice to meet you.
@@randallrg75g2 Thanks so much, Miguel! I'll check them all out...
I would have to say shoes that I thought looked great, thought I'd wear a lot, but in the end wore a handful of times. Ended up giving those shoes away. Now only really wear more conservative styled shoes or boots.
Although I hate the looks of a square Toe shoe... My feet is quite wide in the toe region so most of the times only square Toe shoes feel comfortable.
Missing out on Florsheim, Kav.
Also- addition of captions was a nice addition! Was that you or UA-cam?
Florsheim is awful.
Bought stacey adams and clarks loafers. Definitely dont hold up as well. Ordered some thursday dress shoes to upgrade my work footwear after watching all your videos
Nero, I have a pair of Clarks loafers. I have worn them most days for the past 3 years and they've lasted well. I rate Clarks.
@@davew1421 what model did you get?
@@radenxo its says flexilight on the soles. Velcro fastenings.
I’ve bought Stacy Adams shoes that have lasted over 10 years. Stacys get a bad rap sometimes. Put heel plates on them and protect them with shoe trees and they are a good option for those that aren’t in the $300 shoe market.
How about Samuel Windsor
What about getting super expensive shoes at half price on sale? Maybe Tod’s?
Love from India
I really like Thomas Bird very high quality for a decent price.
I'm glad you mentioned Thomas Bird because I've been seriously considering making my first purchase from them. Their located in the U.K. I'm in the States that was another concern was buying from a company overseas.
I'm Canada and can't even get Beckett Siminon here. But for me it's Allen Edmonds (I buy factory seconds on sale), 1 paid of meermins and 1 paid of Spier and Mackay (on sale for 220 CDN).
If you are young go super cheap (aldo on clearance) or try to step up.
I'm in Canada and I was able to get Becket Simonon through amforward. Can also use usa2me. Call Becket Simonon customer service to get the approx weight and dimensions of what they'll send you so you can get a price estimate for shipping from these two services
Hmm. Imho AE, Meermin, & Spier & Mackay all have more sartorial style as workhorse dress shoes and according to other reviewers, better leather than Beckett Siminon. Not that Beckett aren't a good value, but is the extra steps to order plus the 3mo wait really worth it? At this point why not invest in a slightly higher tier, more elegant shoe like Carmina for example?
I bought a pair of Hugo Boss black dress shoes... $350 glued together garbage. Be wary of high priced named brands like Hugo Boss, Ted Baker, Gucci, etc... all made to last a fashion season and not recraftable!!!
RogueLeader81 But you learned quickly apparently. Good work!
to add to this, a quick tip someone told me was to buy something from a brand that they’re known for
so I might go to Hugo and Ted for clothing but not footwear
conversely, I would likely get footwear from R.M. Williams but not their clothing
Ted Baker actually makes some nice stuff, especially their wool coats. But yeah they aren't a shoemaker.
i'm probably one of a small number who would take a $60 pair over a $200 - even ignoring the possibility of resoling, i can wear through 3 pairs of 60s before i'm close to a 200, and as my tastes change or my feel swell from age, i can change style, size, and color on the 2nd or 3rd shoe. as long as the uppers are leather and not manmade, i'd lean towards a string of 60s. and yeah, i'd take one leather 60 over 2 pairs of $30 manmades.
I also like MAGNANNI & too boot New York and word on these?
According to Trenton and Heath on their UA-cam channel. Those two brands along with Ace Marks are the same when you take them apart, so on that note I would try to find the cheapest one out of the three and buy it. They said that it's a good Italian shoe, but probably too expensive when purchased at the department stores.
glued sole doesn't mean not possible to resole. If you get good quality glued shoes, it's still worth resoling because it can be done...
Can you use shoe trees for Thursday duke boots?
Yes. Any shoe or boot.
@1:44: Are you saying guys shouldn't buy square-toed shoes just because you don't like how they look or because square-toed shoes _cannot_ be made well? (Not that they're _usually_ not, but that they _cannot_ be.)
Clarke shoes your go to shoe
Where would be the best place to buy 2-3 cedar shoe trees?
Karbuckle plenty on Amazon or online from Allen Edmonds. The AE ones are about $30 and well worth it.
Unfortunately, Thursday began doing a square toe on their dress shoes. Hopefully, they change that asap.
$200 is still kinda cheap. My Crocket and Jones are around $600 but are fully repairable.
I like what you are explaining, I do not have any problem to purchase expensive shoes, but the fact is kind of little selfish to be looking at the cost of a dress shoes, there is people that can't afford it, people that works hours and hours to get a pay check. please be a little realistic in this world that we live in.
If I see that stitching in the sole, is that a guarantee that it is constructed well, or are there manufacturers that put a stitch in there to make it look better.
Not necessarily a quality shoe if it has stitching.. it may be bad shoe as manufacturer may fake it. Go google some info about - Goodyear welted, Blake Stich, and Cemented construction
@@fifaworld95 I know what these things are but how do I SEE it from the outside?
@@needfoolthings You have to look at other signs. Usually, but not always, price is another indicator. If there is a disparity between the price and the stitching, the stitching is probably fake.
Some do put a fake stitch there on the shoes to make it seem nicer. Youll typically see the "stitch" on top, from my experience, and ive found out the hard way that they were fake stitches.
@@needfoolthings it comes with experience, normally manufacturer would mention it's a blake or good year construction if the stitching is real
Hot tip: Never throw away cedar shoe trees. If they need a refresh because they no longer smell good, then toss them in a fire for several seconds to a couple minutes!
what ive always read is to just give them a very light sanding
Only thing I don't agree with as a "rule" is the assertion that square-toed dress shoes should always be avoided. As others have said, fashion is often subjective and the people pushing boundaries often do so by breaking the rules and accepted norms (not always to great fanfare, but such is being a non-conformist). There are a multitude of ways to be stylish at any given time, and those options change over time - I wouldn't get too caught up in "rules", instead, much like a modern painter, focus more on the thinking behind the rules, why they're there, and then figure out why and where you can break them to your own benefit.
My unstylish 2 cents, anyway ;)
My niggles aside, solid advice!
Exactly; "Fashion" is just another word for assimilation, and going with the crowd, because, being independent and unique, and thinking for yourself, is such a scary thing. Isn't it.
I would add Anthony Veer to the $150-$200 range great Goodyear welt shoe options.
There are no shoe trees used and it shows in these shoes.
So no Johnston Murphy's?
I don't believe in buying cheap shoes such as $50 to $60 shoes but I have found reasonably good shoes for around $150
Nothing wrong with square-toed shoes. Square-toed boots are all the rage right now. See Raf's CK line.
Except they will be out of style in a year and sophisticated people laugh at them.