Best dress shoe types and style with jeans

[mux8]

Hi all,

I have a dark brown jumper boots that pair pretty well with denim.

I'm looking at other options for non-boots nicer dress shoes that pair well with denim. I'm hoping to spend no more than 240$ (with tax) on them. At this price point I think Meermin is the best?

I tried the following but I'm having mixed feelings on the look with denim:

101430 - DARK BROWN ALPINE CALF - E

Here is our newclassic cap toe oxford made in our newly introuced & fine dark brown Alpine calf, from La Tannerie dAnnonay! Designed on the new ROIS last, a longer & smart almond-toed last pretty similar to the OLFE last, more straight forward & with a slightly higher instep. A contemporary...

meermin.com

Perhaps I need to look at other styles? I'm not sure which though.

Perhaps suede oxfords?

 

[johng70]

Plain toe blutchers work great with jeans on the casual end of things. But, long or short wings can work too. Brand is a tougher nut. I can't help you with a brand at that price point. I would also think about soles. Leather soles can be problematic in some instances. Suedes are nice and certainly pair well. But, there are different variants of leather there - I have 3 different shoes that might all be classified as suede in general speak. The one set of boots really got a lot of discoloring from the jeans and really shoes wear hard. That could be a positive thing for some people or a negative for others. CXL is, IMO, a great material for casual shoes. Yes it shoes scuffs but those scuffs rub away very easily. Maybe twice a year I puth HDLP on my CXL shoes/boots and they've looked great for years. Having said all that, I can't help you at a $240 price point. You might look to see what AE seconds are available.

 

[Phileas Fogg]

For me it’s suede chukka boots. I’m not keen on formal shoes paired with jeans.

 

[Lem87]

Hi all,

I have a dark brown jumper boots that pair pretty well with denim.

I'm looking at other options for non-boots nicer dress shoes that pair well with denim. I'm hoping to spend no more than 240$ (with tax) on them. At this price point I think Meermin is the best?

I tried the following but I'm having mixed feelings on the look with denim:

101430 - DARK BROWN ALPINE CALF - E

Here is our newclassic cap toe oxford made in our newly introuced & fine dark brown Alpine calf, from La Tannerie dAnnonay! Designed on the new ROIS last, a longer & smart almond-toed last pretty similar to the OLFE last, more straight forward & with a slightly higher instep. A contemporary...

meermin.com

Perhaps I need to look at other styles? I'm not sure which though.

Perhaps suede oxfords?

Not my favorite brand, but, if $240 is your budget, look at what Thursday offers in boot and shoe. Largest selection at that price point that I know. More of a boot guy here. The boots are what I dont like. I'd consider the shoe styles though. I like what they are doing there.

 

[EZB]

Allen Edmonds McGregor while it exists

 

[breakaway01]

I tried the following but I'm having mixed feelings on the look with denim:

101430 - DARK BROWN ALPINE CALF - E

Here is our newclassic cap toe oxford made in our newly introuced & fine dark brown Alpine calf, from La Tannerie dAnnonay! Designed on the new ROIS last, a longer & smart almond-toed last pretty similar to the OLFE last, more straight forward & with a slightly higher instep. A contemporary...

meermin.com

definitely not those—plain captoe oxfords are far too formal for denim.
If you want shoes, try:
Longwing derbies in suede or pebble grain
A plaintoe derby/blucher
Casual loafers

 

[Panama]

I am rather fond of Suede Brogues from Loakes.

 

[mux8]

Are wholecut a no no, such as these:

101240 - EXPRESO ANTIQUE CALF - E

Our take on the minimalist wholecut, handmade on theall new MARK last. The MARK last features a slightly longer shape & a UK E medium fitting. We recommend you getting your regular UK size. This wholecut is a very dressy and elegant choice, for your most formal occasions, keep them on shape with...

meermin.com

 

[Phileas Fogg]

Are wholecut a no no, such as these:

101240 - EXPRESO ANTIQUE CALF - E

Our take on the minimalist wholecut, handmade on theall new MARK last. The MARK last features a slightly longer shape & a UK E medium fitting. We recommend you getting your regular UK size. This wholecut is a very dressy and elegant choice, for your most formal occasions, keep them on shape with...

meermin.com

to my eye, and probably to most others here, a formal shoe like that just looks odd with denim.

Personally, the only thing I’ll wear with denim is suede, preferably a boot of some sort or a derby/Blucher.

There is something visually and aesthetically jarring about pairing an inherently casual fabric such as denim with a smooth calfskin shoe. While women have the luxury of mixing up such styles, men do not.

 

[Chowkin]

I beg to differ. A pair of wholecuts look not that different to a pair of Chelsea boots with the jeans covering the shoe laces.

 

[EZB]

to my eye, and probably to most others here, a formal shoe like that just looks odd with denim.

Personally, the only thing I’ll wear with denim is suede, preferably a boot of some sort or a derby/Blucher.

There is something visually and aesthetically jarring about pairing an inherently casual fabric such as denim with a smooth calfskin shoe. While women have the luxury of mixing up such styles, men do not.

That’s just gender biased. I pair almost everything with jeans. My Chelsea boots are brown and chocolate suede though. I’d probably not wear black calf versions or a black wholecut with jeans. I’d wear light brown wholecuts though

 

[Phileas Fogg]

^ Really? A woman could wear a patent leather loafers and pair it with jeans a t-shirt and a tuxedo jacket and look “cute”. If you saw a man wearing a similar what would you think?

 

[nikolau]

I think this is heavily dependent on how fit/tall you are actually (as well as what size shoe you wear).

You can likely pick up a pair of vintage Florsheim Imperial Longwings, have them shipped to a reputable cobbler, and have them refurbished & resoled with JR, Vibram, or Danite, all within your budget.

That said, I’m 6’4 or roughly 192cm, so for me a lot of brogues and details in my accessories doesn’t detract from an otherwise simple outfit. Further, Longwings can much more easily be dressed up or down than a purely formal shoe like a whole cut or cap toe Oxford.

 

[mux8]

here in NYC you see everything. I've seen gents with jeans and oxford pulled off quite well. A lot of you have suggested brogues. Unfortunately I'm not a fan of the complexities and busyness the brogues bring when worn. I'm a fan of simple uncluttered design. Suede derbies might be appropriate. I also like the idea of leather chukka. I'm still trying to grasp the wholecut silhouette with jeans but I think it can be done. I'm still not conivned oxford and jeans can't be done, but I think it really depends on the jeans. This is a look that's not unpopular here by some.
I can almost view wholecut like lowtop chukka boots.

 

[nikolau]

I love the discussion of Chelsea’s going on and wanted to throw in my two cents... I doubt there is a more versatile shoe out there than a good Chelsea boot. The RM comfort craftsman or even the forum special are rugged, well built shoes that can take a beating and still look plush at a wedding that same evening.

There are many rather affordable and good looking Chelsea boot offerings on the market right now within your budget. I’m a fan of the (very casual) chelsea I just attached (which can also be had in black). It is made by Doc Martens much less successful/popular cousin, who is nonetheless a perfectly decent shoemaker, Solovair.

That said, if you want something much more traditional you can get RM Williams’ craftsman or turnouts on sale for ~350 AUD from Australia, or the Henry Baxter dress boots (an unfortunately casualty of the decile of Australian shoemaking, discontinued when the Baxter factory in Australia closed), if you know where to look.The Henry Baxter, RM Craftsman, and RM Turnout shoes are all of a comparable or superior quality to Allen Edmonds and certainly as good as an entry level English bench made piece- in my humble opinion.

All those chelsea boot options will come out within your budget as well.

Edit: like some of the other people on this thread, I do think Chelsea’s can have a similar appearance to a wholecut, but a lot depends on the vamp/toe box... I’ve never seen a Chelsea that looks the way a Carmina wholecut looks below the ankle if that makes sense... even if one could expect it could.