Brogue for work and street wear

[mrroco]

Hi all,

I am hoping to buy my first pair of brogues. The main purpose of my purchase will be to wear in work. The office environment is quite formal with most people wearing full suits, however beards, no tie, no suit jacket are acceptable too.

I am in my early 20’s and would like to get away from wearing canvas shoes outside of work so I ideally would like a shoe that I can occasionally wear at the evening or during the weekend. My previous style was rather casual and most of my friends dress casually so I would not like this shoe to be too formal.

My current plan is to buy the Paul Smith ‘Miller’ brogue in brown, then in 3-4 years, perhaps buy a more formal brogue.

My question is, would the Paul Smith Miller brogue be suitable for the stated reasons? Given my budget is around $410/ £250 are there better alternatives?

http://www.paulsmith.co.uk/uk-en/sh...wn-dip-dyed-leather-miller-brogues-gacif.html




Thanks,
mrroco

 

[TM79]

Although they look more fancy and formal to some, brogues are actually more casual shoes and probably not advised if you work in a business formal office.

I guess in short what I am trying to say is that you should probably keep the brogues outside the office unless you dress down the rest of the outfit as well.

If you're going to wear a suit go with a balmoral or cap toe oxford or something ...

 

[jsherman02]

I think you could wear the above shoes for dress work occasions. I am a firm believer that "we" all care more than anyone else....most people do not even notice

 

[markkohfm]

With your budget, a pair of Allen Edmonds in the classic collection will be a evergreen addition to your wardrobe.

http://www.allenedmonds.com/aeonline/producti_SF6105_1_40000000001_-1
http://www.allenedmonds.com/aeonline/producti_SF5705_1_40000000001_-1
http://www.allenedmonds.com/aeonline/cati2_Shoes_1_40000000001_-1___0__120552__189__1000_#

I personally work in a tech company where most are in just shirt and pants, polo t-shirt even. I have a pair of AE Fifth Avenues which is really versatile for both a suit/**** and pants/shirt and jeans combo.

With a pair of AE that is goodyear welt, you can easily resole when they wear and the cork sole conformed to your feet over time, making it a really comfortable and long lasting investment. A fashion brand will usually have a cemented/glued-on sole which you have to throw after a while.

As with every pair of shoes, you should buy two pairs (different/same design, depending on your preference) and alternate them to allow the leather to breathe and recover.

 

[LA Guy]

They will work fine. Personally, I think that N.D.C. makes a good casual brogue, which is what this is.

 

[mrroco]

Thanks everyone, spending £250 on a pair of shoes is a lot for me so I wanted to double check here that they would work with a suit.

The Fifth Avenues looks amazing Mark and I seen a few pictures of them paired with jeans and they look great, but I think wearing them with jeans would be too much of a jump for me currently. I will be considering them on my next splurge though!

 

[Grenadier]

Try Crockett & Jones, Alfred Sargent, or Herring Shoes instead. The shoes will be of a much better quality for a similar price point.