These shoes must be made of unicorn leather.

August 8, 2012 12:01 PM

You know those cool wingtip 1920s shoes the guy wears in Boardwalk Empire? I need 'em.

So my dad is in love with the shoes Nucky Tompson wears in Boardwalk Empire. You can see them here:

crazy expensive shoes

I would love to get him a pair...but they cost $630! Insane. Can anyone help me find a similar pair for much less? Im thinking $200 at the most but less would be great.

posted by silverstatue to clothing, beauty, & fashion (17 answers total)

Something like this? Check the rest of Allen Edmonds' website, they have a few two-tone wingtips that are around $200.
posted by backseatpilot at 12:05 PM on August 8, 2012

Um. The article you linked has a few examples within your price range?
posted by elizardbits at 12:05 PM on August 8, 2012

None of the ones in the article really look like the originals though....its the coloring he really likes! The one pair they suggest thats $200 is nowhere close unfortunately.
posted by silverstatue at 12:10 PM on August 8, 2012

Have you tried mefisown Modista?
posted by zamboni at 12:16 PM on August 8, 2012

These Paul Fredricks are a bit more affordable.
posted by Sidhedevil at 12:20 PM on August 8, 2012

This problem is easier if you know what you're looking for. What you want is a two tone wingtip. Paolo Shoes sells them at a lower price than the featured brand on that page, and there are ebay listings of what you're looking for at lower prices, as well.
posted by deanc at 12:21 PM on August 8, 2012

Still pricey but very well-made shoes.
posted by Sidhedevil at 12:25 PM on August 8, 2012

If you're not wedded to that particular colorway, Stacy Adams makes two-tone (or "spectator") wingtips for <>
Under $200 US is a tough price point for men's high-quality dress shoes in general.
posted by Sidhedevil at 12:28 PM on August 8, 2012

"for less than $100" is what that html fail should have said.

They're not the best quality shoes--machine-made, unlike the Forzieri (which is why they cost so much; they're handmade out of top quality leather and will last more than three times as long as a $200 dress shoe, but on the other hand it might be overkill for a novelty shoe for most people)--but the Stacy Adams are decent department store quality.
posted by Sidhedevil at 12:30 PM on August 8, 2012

These Wolverine Thatchers are $250. Good shoes.

This is beside the point a little bit, but there has been some very good writing on men's leather shoes around the web and the conclusion seems to be that the difference between <$200 and >$200 is significant when it comes to quality, durability, value, and overall satisfaction. What I've seen recommended over and over is if >$200 is tough to swing for you then head to Ebay and set up some saved searches. There's always a good shoe on sale there (sometimes they're all just purple suede though).
posted by carsonb at 12:38 PM on August 8, 2012 [1 favorite]

The shoes in the show look to have a carefully done patina - the cream leather seems to have almost a colorwash over it which gives it a depth and subtlety of color and the darker leather also seems to be an unusual shade, a deep brown with a faint burgundy, maybe? I also wonder if they are shell cordovan - they remind me a bit of an RL shell pair I saw on Styleforum second hand for $400. The trouble is that patina'd shoes in unusual shades and shell shoes are expensive.

Now, if I were you and willing to devote some serious time to this project, here's what I'd do:

1. Make sure that I have access to a talented cobbler.

2. Go to an Allen Edmonds store and try on some different models - note your size in each. AE uses different lasts and you may be an 8 in one and an 8E in another.

3. Troll eBay for a bargain shoe in a two-tone colorway.

4. Take that shoe to your shoe guy and get his help patina-ing it. If you are careful, you can add a layer of sheer color over a light leather even after the leather has had its primary dye/color applied - you use good quality shoe cream and a lot of care.

Truly, the agony of shoe desire is a powerful thing. I want those shoes now, and I don't even come close to needing another pair of brogued shoes.
posted by Frowner at 12:57 PM on August 8, 2012

These Fluevogs have kinda sorta a similar color scheme, and they're $179.
posted by jabes at 1:07 PM on August 8, 2012

(I saw those IRL this weekend and they are not very wingtippy at all - they're much too rounded at the toe.)
posted by elizardbits at 1:09 PM on August 8, 2012

Ebay and Etsy are definitely places to look into.
posted by PhoBWanKenobi at 1:19 PM on August 8, 2012

I have a pair of those Fluevogs -- they're awesome, I bought them sometime in the late 90s and they still look OK (after resoling). The soles are wrong, though (too thick), and they're more rounded at the toe.
posted by irrelephant at 3:29 PM on August 8, 2012

I marked the two that best fit my budget and color requirements... but they're all gorgeous! Thanks so much for the suggestions, everyone!
posted by silverstatue at 7:40 PM on August 8, 2012

Allen Edmonds has some two-tone wingtips. I buy their shoes on eBay and then take advantage of their refinishing service. You can get a good pair for $40 or $50 if you're lucky, then spend another $50 on refinishing, and basically have a like-new pair of shoes that would have cost you $350 brand new.
posted by fso at 11:18 AM on August 9, 2012