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Shirts get buttoned, suit jackets don't. (And sweaters get folded and placed in a drawer or on a shelf.)

When you go on a trip (3-4 days), do you bring multiple pair of shoes or is it ok to wear the same pair for this long in a row, putting in shoe trees at night? Rephrased: how long before the moisture would hurt the leather?

There's no definite answer to that question. It's probably best not to wear the same shoes every day, but neither is it like infrequently violating this rule will cause your shoes to fall apart or shorten their usable lifespans by a guaranteed 65%.

It's a little like how eating chocolate cake every day isn't a recommended dietary practice. But if an otherwise healthy adult happens to attend 3 birthday parties in 3 days, and has a slice of chocolate cake at each one, he probably hasn't caused himself permanent ill health or shortened his life. (You people who are allergic to chocolate, shut up. And as for you folks with a tendency toward diabetes, you'll note that I did specify "healthy" adult.)

If you want to get by with a single pair of shoes for a 3-4 day trip, just do it. Assuming you don't make a weekly practice of this, and that you aren't walking through ankle-deep puddles, it's not anything worth worrying about. (Besides, they're shoes; they're meant to be worn. I guarantee you that most men aren't even aware that shoes should be "rested" for a day between wearings, and their shoes don't necessarily fall to pieces after having been worn for 4 straight days. In short, don't fret over it.)

All this having been said, I usually bring more than one pair of shoes if I'm going away for several days, if only because different shoes serve different purposes and may more effectively cover a wider variety of situations. Yeah, a second pair of shoes adds a little weight to, and takes up some space in, my luggage. I'm okay with that. I don't believe that the Flying Spaghetti Monster punishes us in the afterlife because we traveled with an "overnight plus"-sized bag, instead of the smaller overnight-sized bag. And for a mere 3-4 day trip, I'm not going to be taking so much stuff that I'm likely to be hit with significant "baggage surcharge" fees, assuming I'm flying. (I've also been known to wear my old Photographer's Vest, if I'm flying. The thing has multiple medium, large, and extra large pockets, and can probably hold about as much as a second carry-on piece, but because it's technically a garment, and not a bag, I've never been charged extra for wearing it. Not even when it was loaded down with 20+ lbs. of clothes, books, gear, etc. Upon boarding, it gets stuffed into the overhead compartment, of course.)
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Michael
Edited by 12345Michael54321 - 7/19/12 at 7:18pm

Thanks, Michael. I appreciate the input. That's what I figured, since suit jackets hang strangely when buttoned on a hanger. But I just wanted to make sure.

Cotton braided belts? Yea or nay?
Leather tipped, O-ring, D-ring? Any preferences? My thinking is they are somewhat less versatile (restricted to spring/summer) than leather belts which are more 4 season wear.

Examples:

Link

Link

Shoe question: do any of you have any recommendations for a good leather conditioner? I'm putting together a shoe care kit and need some. After browsing through some other topics, I've noticed that AE and Lexol sound good. Maybe one of those?

In addition, is it alright to use conditioner that isn't made specifically for shoes? I would think so but confirmation would be nice.

 

Lexol comes highly recommended by several of the more knowledgeable shoe-care experts on the forum (including DFWII, whose knowledge of shoe construction probably surpasses that of anyone else here).

 

The AE conditioners (which are just rebranded forms of Colonil, a German product, occasionally available on Amazon for cheaper than AE's prices) are decent.

 

Most forumites will swear by Saphir products, as do I. They're not cheap, but they tend to work wonders. They can be strong, however, and should not be overused.

 

 

 

In general, this is not a great idea. There are many different types of leather, and many different types of leather goods. Hence, there are many different formulations of leather conditioner. Some contain ingredients that will dull or stain dress shoes.

 

Most likely you won't do any great harm by using a general-purpose leather conditioner on dress shoes (I believe Lexol, for instance, brands itself as such). But why risk it?

How does Lincoln compare with the aforementioned products. Thanks.

What are the go to premium brands for high quality dress shoes? I've checked out AE and Carmina I'm sure there are plenty of other options. Also, is it typically this difficult to find shoes in a size US12?

AE and Carmina are mid-grade, not premium. Look at Edward Green, Gaziano & Girling, John Lobb, St. Crispins...

Lincoln is ok. About par with Kiwi. Not even in the same boat as Saphir.

Awesome, thank you.

I prefer web belts as a D ring option, but those would certainly be fine, if rather nautical. If that's what you like, go for it. There's nothing wrong with having seasonal pieces in a wardrobe. I wouldn't want one as my only belt, but thankfully, I'll never be in a position where I have to make that choice.

Not really. Most of the shoe manufacturers seem to do half sizes up to size 12, along with a size 13 (but no 12.5). There are exceptions, of course - same way that there are clothing designers who don't offers suits that'll fit anyone but the slender, there are undoubtedly shoe manufacturers who choose not to cater to men with feet even slightly on the large side - but this is a pretty common size line-up. So a size 12 isn't particularly unusual or difficult to find.

It's people needing wide or extra wide shoes, who are much more likely to face a challenge. I wear a size 13-EEE, and while the size 13 part isn't all that scarce, the triple-E part isn't even offered by most manufacturers. And while it is offered by some - Allen Edmonds, for example - many stores choose not to carry them in inventory, or to carry them only in a tiny handful of styles. Hey, I understand how this might be a sensible business decision for them, but it's inconvenient for me.

Although I'm led to understand that in most countries other than the US, finding a retail establishment that carries good quality, reasonably priced dress shoes in the equivalent of a triple-E width is even more difficult. (Again, exceptions exist. And, of course, for enough money one can obtain shoes that'll fit a baby elephant.)
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Michael

it's just not correct, sorry.