Investing in my first dress shoes after my first charcoal suit..need help. thanks

[maikal00112]

Hello, First of all, thanks for taking some time to read this.
I just got my first charcoal suit, which i will be wearing to wedding, interviews, and to a new job (hopefully consulting). I'm thinking about investing in a good dress shoes. I like AE park Avenue cap toe, but I'm stuck on color.

Should I go with burnished Merlot, like here http://www.englinsfinefootwear.com/...m=5875-11.5D&gclid=CND49fvJpcgCFQ6CaQod-oQBPA

Or Stick with classic black? my next suit will be navy, if i need it (depending on the job and career I might take). Currently I have a bachelors in biology and working on some my own entrepreneurial projects.

On casual side, I have dockers open lacing derby in BLAck (mid condition), and the rest are athletic shoes.

can you wear burnished Merlot to interviews and work with a charcoal suit?

which shoe should I invest in first?

any other recommendations?

thanks

 

[AlexE]

I have been working in the past for one of the big three strategy consulting firms in the US and interviewed a few dozen people for them. Contrary to popular believe, your outfit will hardly been taken in consideration as long as you wear some kind of suit with some kind of dress shoes and a tie. It is purely based on the impression you make when answering the interview questions and in particular how well to solve the business cases. At least in the US, management consultants are usually not among the best dressed professionals ... things are a bit different in Europe, but I assume you are based in North America since you posted a link to Englin's Footwear, which appears to be a U.S. retailer.

This being said I still would go with a classic black oxford dress shoe for your charcoal suit - you might at some point discover your passion for a more conservative industry and it just happens to be the most formal choice. Allen Edmonds is probably the lowest price point for which you can get GY welted shoes in the U.S. and a decent choice. The Park Avenue would be the most conservative option, but a black Fifth Avenue or a black Strand would also be fine in most situations (exceptions being some law firms, but without a law degree I guess this would be a far shot in any case).

Good luck with your interviews and your other endeavors!

 

[Veremund]

Black shoes first. Brown shoes second. And third. And fourth.

 

[maikal00112]

thank you both
I decided to get two pairs of Allen Edmonds, One black park avenue, and McAllister in Merlot.

 

[billythekid]

As nice, formal, and traditional as park aves are--have you looked at Leeds perhaps? Or a few others that perhaps you could wear very nicely with jeans? Allen Edmonds makes a few models that really are versatile enough wear with a suit, yet dress up slacks or jeans as well. Those park aves are going to sit in your closet, especially if they mainly pair with your first suit.

 

[Veremund]

Nothing at all wrong with having a very nice pair of formal black shoes that spend most of their time in the closet waiting for special occasions that demand clean, crisp, perfectly mamicured shoes.