Good men's shoes?

May 28, 2005 9:48 PM

After years of Rockports, I would like to buy some shoes that will last.

I wear jeans or dockers to work every day, but occasionally will wear a jacket and tie. I would like to get 2 good pairs of shoes, one black, one brown, that will last for at least a few years. I would like a style that could be worn with khakis or a suit. My shoes until now have been Rockports at about $100 or lower priced shoes from discount shoe stores. Is it possible to get a really great pair of leather shoes for $100-200? What should I look for?

posted by kdern to clothing, beauty, & fashion (22 comments total)

Do you really expect only 2 pairs to last 'several years'?
posted by mischief at 10:00 PM on May 28, 2005

Funny, I bought Rockports three years ago because I wanted them to last this long. The soles are only now wearing thin, and I can have them resoled for about $20.

That said, I would love to hear from some experts on what to look for in a leather shoe.
posted by Popular Ethics at 10:03 PM on May 28, 2005

I go with Allen Edmonds. They are typically more than $200 but I think less than $300. I usually rotate wear among three or four pairs. With one resoleing they each last at least 4 or 5 years. The life of a shoe also depends alot upon the wearer. I have a cousin who kind of drags his feet when he walks. The best shoes in the world wouldn't last him 2 years.
posted by Carbolic at 10:26 PM on May 28, 2005

I had a nice pair of Ferragamos in college that I wore every day for about 3 years and hardly showed any wear. They needed to be resoled after 2 years but a $40 repair on a $300 pair of shoes is not bad. If they weren't stolen I could have gotten another year and a half out of them before they had to get donated to goodwill. You really do get what you pay for; a pair of Borns or good Italians or custom Korean-made shoes might cost a lot but they will last for years and years.
posted by luriete at 10:55 PM on May 28, 2005

I second Allen Edmonds - best shoes available in their price range.
posted by nicwolff at 11:16 PM on May 28, 2005

I made the pledge to buy new ones when my Clarkes wore out.

'98 is so long ago...
posted by sourwookie at 12:17 AM on May 29, 2005

...I got impatient.
posted by sourwookie at 12:19 AM on May 29, 2005

Another issue with leather shoes is climate. Here in Oregon, you -have- to rotate between four or five pairs of leather shoes, because daily wear will cause them to rot from the inside out. They've got to have time to dry between wearings.

I personally got a couple of pairs of Cole-haan shoes for $200 each, and they've lasted me this long. I regularly wear the tassel loafers with jeans and a semi-buttoned dress shirt, and I think it looks great but my clothes-horse buddy and his $100 linen slacks and $75 Express shirts and his designer italian sandles turns his nose up at me and tells me I'm weird.
posted by SpecialK at 12:31 AM on May 29, 2005

When I was in Mexico, I purchased two pair of Flexi men's shoes for 80 pesos ($40.00 in U.S currency). They are leather and built to last and you can wear them with jeans, dockers or dress pants.

Some rudimentary Googling turned up a couple of links but I'll be damned if I can find an online source to buy them. They really are great shoes. If I find a source in the meantime, I'll post it here.
posted by KevinSkomsvold at 12:45 AM on May 29, 2005

Like my father and grandfather before me, I feel you can't go wrong with Florsheim.
posted by ubernostrum at 12:52 AM on May 29, 2005

Almost 15 years ago I bought a pair of Red Wings. Dressy shoes, for waiters I guess (though I've never waited tables) and they lasted for around 7 years. Since then I've replaced them with a pair of Nordstrom's Business Software line. This was back in '98 and they're used every 2 to 3 days. Love 'em. Best biz shoes I've ever had. Plus, those two were the only ones I could find that fit my triple E-sized feet.
posted by Tacodog at 1:48 AM on May 29, 2005

Mephistos. Pricey, but they last.
posted by Marky at 5:10 AM on May 29, 2005

I just bought two pairs of Mephistos for $150 each from a store in town that was having a sale. If you look you will be able to find them, and they are the best shoes you can buy, IMO.

Otherwise I've had good luck with Johnston & Murphy's newer shoes, which are often available for under $100 at places like DSW.
posted by josh at 5:23 AM on May 29, 2005

Allen Edmonds.
posted by mokujin at 6:51 AM on May 29, 2005

I got some Mark's Work Wearworld -branded dress shoes a couple years ago. I wear them pretty much daily, abuse them terribly, and they're still fine. (In desperate need of polish, but structurally sound.)

My policy on shoes has gone from "buy expensive good shoes" to "buy the cheapest good shoes." Both seem to last equally well.
posted by five fresh fish at 7:19 AM on May 29, 2005

You can't go wrong with Ecco's.

They are great shoes and a pair (wearing daily) will last me a good 1.5 to 2 years. No real maintenance other than putting some polish on to take care of scratches, etc.
posted by cherryghost at 10:31 AM on May 29, 2005

I have always been satisfied with the shoes from Wissota Trader. Not only are they high quality for a mail-order price (e.g. my favorite, the Rockport-like casual-dressy "Walker", is about $70), they're available in a wide range of sizes. (My high instep demands that I get a double or triple E.) I used to buy about one pair a year; with more than a couple pairs they certainly last a long time.
posted by dhartung at 12:00 PM on May 29, 2005

I strongly recommend that no matter the shoe you purchase, you replace the insole with Superfeet or one of its competitors.

Superfeet and the like provide a couple of essentials:
1. Firm footbed, to help resist torqueing and twisting.
2. A higher arch, to help support the foot.
3. Most importantly, a deep heel pocket, to support the foot and keep it in place.

Worth every penny in my experience.
posted by five fresh fish at 1:31 PM on May 29, 2005

Dr. Marten's. So long as you oil the leather at least twice a year, they will last a lifetime. I have a pair that I've been wearing for eight years -- the soles are somewhat worn down but they have at least another couple of years to go before the tread disappears.
posted by randomstriker at 4:43 PM on May 29, 2005

I too have been wearing the same pair of 3-eyelet Dr. Martens for about 7 years. I don't wear them every day, but probably about half the time. I don't even take care of them and they just keep getting better.

I've found that if a pair of shoes don't take a month to break in, they aren't going to last.
posted by newton at 9:58 PM on May 29, 2005

Allen Edmonds.

I have two pair: one that is just at the end of its 10 year life... and I wore them nearly every day, and the other pair I just purchased ($280). Suggestion: have your foot properly measured, as a proper measurement will ensure proper fit. These are, after all, works of amazing craftsmanship. If you like the shoe after a bit of wear, purchase a second pair, as EA has a nasty habit of discontinuing styles every few years.

My secret for long-wear?

• Vibram sole guards (a thin rubber sheet that is applied — discreetly — to the sole of the shoe to protect the leather from wearing-thru


• Cedar shoe trees — every night


• weekly shoe shine with balm (not polish) and a light sealant... it keeps the leather healthy

posted by silusGROK at 9:50 AM on May 30, 2005 [1 favorite]

Why does a shoe tree preserve your shoes?
posted by booth at 9:08 PM on May 31, 2005