Best Bang for Your Buck Dress Shoes?

[mrmonday]

Okay so I have been doing a little research on dress shoes and I want to get a nice brown pair and a decent black pair. I want to keep price under $500 (preferably $250-$350) and quality is by far the most important aspect of shoes. Of course style is important to me, but the shoes that people bash on for being ugly look fine to me. I feel really good when I buy something at a great price so getting a pair that is highly discounted but top quality is the goal. I really like the Sutor Mantellassi shoes I found highly discounted on shopthefinest.com but I have not seen recent opinions on there quality. These are the ones I am looking at (http://www.shopthefinest.com/p-42968-sutor-mantellassi-dark-brown-shoes-size-105-us-95-uk.aspx)
If you guys have other suggestions let me know, I am really most interested in quality bang for your buck shoes that can be resoled over and over and will stay supple.

 

[MartiniGirl]

Those Sutor's are the top of the line. I don't know much about them, but I know the better quality is in the ones with the blue soles. Which are these ones. Plus that seems like a really good deal! Do some research before purchasing though. Google "Sutor Mantellassi Quality" and you'll have your answer. Good luck!

 

[mrmonday]

Apparently both the blake and good year construction ones have the blue sole now but I want to make sure I am getting the good year construction ones. All the threads that refer to this brand are about 4-6 years old so I am not sure if the quality is still the same. If anyone knows of any other great shoe deals out there on the interwebs let me know. I have only researched for about 30 minutes on the forums and came across these. I don't feel like I should make the purchase until I have compared them to similar quality shoes at a similar price. I really don't know anything about quality made shoes so I am relying on the SF community..

 

[Liquidus]

At your price range (~$450) Crockett and Jones Benchgrade is what people here like.

 

[mrmonday]

Yes, I noticed very quickly that C&J are the favorite but I have not been able to find a handsome pair of C&J brown oxfords under $550 on internet retailers. Also, I am looking for something that not everyone is buying and can be found at a deep discount but is the quality that its retail price suggests.

 

[Liquidus]

C&J Westbourne. Check Robert Old. You can't have superior design AND quality AND a low price.

 

[Luvwine]

This is probably too obvious, but for the money, it is hard to beat Allen Edmonds and there are lassic choices in the $250 to $350 range (most anything except Shell Cordovan).

 

[mrmonday]



C&J Westbourne. Check Robert Old. You can't have superior design AND quality AND a low price.

Is that not what this is? (http://www.shopthefinest.com/p-42968-sutor-mantellassi-dark-brown-shoes-size-105-us-95-uk.aspx) It's a $900 retail shoe at $360 and the reviews say its on par with other $1000+ shoes quality wise. I am just wondering if the community knows of any other similar steals.

 

[Liquidus]

What reviews? Are you a 10.5 D US?

Another way to get discounted shoes are factory seconds. The problem with buying shoes on discount is that even if you find something in your size, it's probably an unpopular design/color.

The "bang for your buck" mentality doesn't really work in the world of clothing in my experience. I was thinking in the same way 3 years ago. Now I buy C&J Handgrade at full price and don't regret it at all.

 

[mrmonday]



This is probably too obvious, but for the money, it is hard to beat Allen Edmonds and there are lassic choices in the $250 to $350 range (most anything except Shell Cordovan).

Yes, Allen Edmonds and Sutor are the best bang for your buck shoes I have found so far but I'm still searching and I'm sure there are others out there that are less popular. What do you gents think of these N.D.C. made by hand shoes? http://www.gilt.com/sale/men/footwe...t/164118017-n-d-c-made-by-hand-notion-oxfords

 

[Caustic Man]

Pretty ugly.

 

[mrmonday]



What reviews? Are you a 10.5 D US?

Another way to get discounted shoes are factory seconds. The problem with buying shoes on discount is that even if you find something in your size, it's probably an unpopular design/color.

The "bang for your buck" mentality doesn't really work in the world of clothing in my experience. I was thinking in the same way 3 years ago. Now I buy C&J Handgrade at full price and don't regret it at all.

If you do a simple google search for the label you will find quite a few threads talking about the shoes, here is an example (http://www.askandyaboutclothes.com/forum/showthread.php?98541-Sutor-Mantellassi) You are right that often times discounted shoes are unpopular but as long as there are positive reviews it is usually just a good deal.

 

[Liquidus]

If you're a 10.5 D:

http://www.styleforum.net/t/337463/...de-audley-dark-brown-antique-calf-uk-9-5/0_30

http://www.styleforum.net/t/337465/gently-used-crockett-jones-tetbury-dark-brown-suede-uk-9-5/0_30

http://www.styleforum.net/t/337462/nib-crockett-jones-handgrade-belgrave-polo-suede-uk-9-5/0_30

http://www.styleforum.net/t/339776/crockett-and-jones-for-brooks-brothers-punch-caps-10-5d/0_30

 

[mrmonday]



Pretty ugly.

I love this response. Which ones are you referring to? I am looking for top tier quality for as cheap as possible so looks are not as important as quality.

 

[XKxRome0ox]



Yes, I noticed very quickly that C&J are the favorite but I have not been able to find a handsome pair of C&J brown oxfords under $550 on internet retailers. Also, I am looking for something that not everyone is buying and can be found at a deep discount but is the quality that its retail price suggests.

you can grab C&J made captoes through brooks brothers (peal & co. labeled shoes) on sale for under the $500 mark