entry level shoes - can they be purchased in Long Island?

[mizugori]

I have been learning a lot about shoes so far; I used to buy shoes typically in the $100-$150 range for work but they never lasted more than a couple of years at best, and were not terribly comfortable. They certainly could not hold a candle to some of the amazing shoes I have seen on here. I am not ready to start dropping $600+ per pair of shoes yet, but I would like to get something nice that will last, to go with my dark grey Canali suit. It has lighter grey pin stripes, and my black cole haan shoes look all right but not great with it - I have a feeling a shade of brown would work better.

It's not convenient for me to get to Manhattan before I will be wearing the suit, so could anyone recommend a place in Long Island where I can buy some good quality entry-level shoes? Any specific shoes to look for?

Would Bloomingdales or Nordstrom at Roosevelt Field have anything decent, or are all the shoes there going to be garbage?

Thanks for your time and help.

 

[Megakurth]

I would take a look at Nordstrom Rack in Westbury.. look for some nice Allen Edmonds.. they're usually priced relatively well if you can find your size. If nothing there, take a trip out to Riverhead to the Tanger Outlets and stop in the Allen Edmonds outlet store there, they can order you pretty much anything and you can most likely get a nice factory 2nd if you're willing to up your budget a little bit.

 

[mizugori]

ahhh I was just in Riverhead a week ago I didn't know Tanger had any quality shoe places!

 

[LanceW]

I would recommend finding your way to the Allen Edmonds store to be properly sized first. Also be sure to purchase shoe trees!

 

[mizugori]

any other brands besides Allen Edmonds to consider? I'm looking for something under $300

 

[Grenadier]

Originally Posted by mizugori

any other brands besides Allen Edmonds to consider? I'm looking for something under $300

Alden, but they are above Allen Edmonds in price. You aren't going to find a quality shoe cheaper than Allen Edmonds, except possibly through Herring Shoes.

 

[mizugori]

I wasn't trying to find something cheaper than AE, I just wanted to have a few brands in mind because I will probably hit Roosevelt Field tonight. I found on the Allen Edmonds website that the Nordstrom and Bloomingdales at RF apparently carry their shoes. So, I figured if I knew what other brands are good to look at, I'd have some options in case the AE selection is limited.

 

[Grenadier]

Bloomingdale's might carry Crockett & Jones, which is a great shoe but will run about $4-500 a pair. Both will also have Salvatore Ferragamo, which makes some well-made, welted shoes, but these are quite overpriced at $500+ a pair. You could also look for a Brooks Brothers; their summer sale might still be ongoing, dropping their Peal & Co. Shoes down to ~$350 a pair. Unfortunately, the number of readily-available brands of quality men's footwear is limited, to say the least.

 

[JLibourel]

There is an Allen-Edmonds Outlet store out on the east end of the island at Riverhead. If you can make it out there, that might be your best bet.