"Best" black plain toe dress shoes for $800-$900?

[The_Foxx]

strider--

i understand not wanting to buy shoes online, it is definitely not for everyone. I hope you don't make that a rule for apparel, as well-- there are some great deals to be had when you know you wear a size XX brioni, Y in zegna, etc. when you deal with some of the trusted sellers mentioned here in the forum. I understand ehaberdasher is working on getting kiton, attolini, and bumping up brioni in the future, as well.

anyways, back to the topic at hand. if you're looking to buy the shoes in person for 900, i think that will take you into the entry level lobbs, which i don't care for as much myself but still nice shoes, or edward greens. just make sure that when you purchase them, you at least get them in another state so you don't pay the tax, and have them shipped to you for about $12.


sorry to hear someone had a mixed experience with the seller i recommended-- hope everything worked out in the end.

another idea for purchasing your shoes might be the method i used to get my first pair of lobbs-- i gave my name, shoe size, and cell number to Stanley Korshak. I asked that they contact me if any lobbs went on sale in my size. As i result, i had a pair of Farndon shoes for about $550, a superb deal. you might want to contact Stanley Korshak, Wilkes Bashford, Saks in new york city, etc. (don't waste your time providing this info to the lobb store, i think they purposely rarely-- if ever-- ever have sales) with your info, let them know you want a nice black laceup.

 

[norcaltransplant]

Strider,
Depending on your location, I highly recommend that you browse a few B&M shops before spending close to 1k on a pair of basic black laceups. Almost every company offers this model. The Foxx may love Lobb Prestige, which is a very nice shoe, but the 7000 last favored by Lobb is tough fit for many people. I personally cannot wear shoes with that fitting. Through experimentation, I've found that C&J, specifically their products made for the North American market on D fittings, are a much better choice for me. Just because you have the money, doesn't mean you have to spend it...

 

[The_Foxx]

norcal--

good points, as always. I guess something else to be taken into consideration is this-- what are you planning to wear with the shoes you purchase? If you're planning to wear them with a Brioni, Kiton, Borrelli, Isaia, or similar suit, Lobbs would be a great match. However, if you're planning to wear the shoes with a (non-golden fleece, non-hand tailored) brooks brothers suit, hugo boss, polo, etc. it wouldn't make sense to wear such a pair of shoes. Allen Edmonds, Crockett and Jones, etc. would probably be much more appropriate at $300-$700 pricerange.

one of my biggest pet peeves is seeing someone (or a magazine spread) with a $3,000 suit and a van huesen $20 shirt, or a pair of nice ferragamo shoes with a suit from JC Penny's!! GQ, Esquire, etc. does this all the time and it looks and sounds ridiculous. not to mention it would just be sad to top off a pair of lobbs with a suit from Sears, or finish out a Kiton suit with a pair of shoes from florsheim.

 

[Soph]

The black classic cap toe should always be of exceptional quality and an essential menswear item. Necessary for interviews, can pose for formal, an essential shoe that shouldn't be skimped on.

 

[Maklar]

Originally Posted by Jodum5

I myself am looking for a pair (for around $150) so anyone that knows of a well made piece that can be worn to work/interviews as well as at night in size 10.5 shoot me pm

Depending on your style preference, I was in Saks in St Louis this last weekend and they had the AE Byron in black for 40% off. Unfortunately, I wasn't looking for black and needed brown instead

*Edit, it was Saks, not Nordstrom. My bad

 

[Frittata]

Originally Posted by The_Foxx

... However, if you're planning to wear the shoes with a (non-golden fleece, non-hand tailored) brooks brothers suit, hugo boss, polo, etc. it wouldn't make sense to wear such a pair of shoes. ..
well these days I prefer to buy expensive shoes and skip the suit part...

 

[The_Foxx]

frit--

even better-- i think nice shoes and a pair of jeans is a very sharp look.

Strider, by the way have you considered ferragamo tramezza shoes? if i'm not mistaken, they have a made to measure service for about 800 or 900 bucks, don't they?

 

[Soph]

I have 2 black cap toes.
1 a Vass Ulast medalion in black highly recommended
1 Tramezza black cap toe for inclimate weather.
1 Black chealsea

everything else is browns/tansetc.

 

[jmatt]

The best plain black dress shoe for $800-$900 is the Allen Edmunds Park Avenue on sale for $200 with $600-$700 left over in your pocket.

The shoe is made in a variety of widths to ensure a good fit. The leather is nice, takes a shine well (a colleague has a pair that practically look patent). They're goodyear welted, will last a lifetime, will feel 98% as good as anything else available, and 99.9997% of the population will never know the difference.

 

[itsstillmatt]

Originally Posted by Soph

I have 2 black cap toes.
1 a Vass Ulast medalion in black highly recommended
1 Tramezza black cap toe for inclimate weather.
1 Black chealsea

everything else is browns/tansetc.
I am similar: Black Lobb Chelsea Black Lobb Captoe Black Vass three eyelet derby Black shoes should be very nice or it will show.

 

[drizzt3117]

Originally Posted by jmatt

The best plain black dress shoe for $800-$900 is the Allen Edmunds Park Avenue on sale for $200 with $600-$700 left over in your pocket.

The shoe is made in a variety of widths to ensure a good fit. The leather is nice, takes a shine well (a colleague has a pair that practically look patent). They're goodyear welted, will last a lifetime, will feel 98% as good as anything else available, and 99.9997% of the population will never know the difference.

+1 although I am very fond of the RLPL black captoes that can be found reasonably inexpensively.

 

[zjpj83]

I like my black shoes. I have 11 pairs. I don't wear them very often, but they are great.

 

[dah328]

Originally Posted by Soph

The black classic cap toe should always be of exceptional quality and an essential menswear item. Necessary for interviews, can pose for formal, an essential shoe that shouldn't be skimped on.
Necessary for job interviews, perhaps. Must be of exceptional quality, doubtful. Unless you interview for jobs a lot more frequently than me, it's an expenditure with little return. I have a pair of black, captoe Ballys from my pre-SF days that polish up respectably and are more than serviceable for job interviews.

 

[zjpj83]

Some of the collection. I also have black JL Chelmers but don't think I have pics

 

[sho'nuff]

Originally Posted by The_Foxx

one of my biggest pet peeves is seeing someone (or a magazine spread) with a $3,000 suit and a van huesen $20 shirt, or a pair of nice ferragamo shoes with a suit from JC Penny's!! GQ, Esquire, etc. does this all the time and it looks and sounds ridiculous. not to mention it would just be sad to top off a pair of lobbs with a suit from Sears, or finish out a Kiton suit with a pair of shoes from florsheim.

although i may know what you are truly talking about,

i am often wearing my nice shoes with run-of-the-mill garb. i dont own any brioni, kiton, or what have you but all my ross, marshalls, macys, and nordy rack shirts, pants, sweaters, and such are worn with my santoni fams, guccis, ferragamos etc.
although i have all of my garb well ironed, clean, sensibly matched and fitted.

i do agree with you on the reverse:

i cant stand the sight of a nice suit on a gentleman only to look down and see a pair of dusty black square toed kenneth coles.