Casual footwear

[uozay]

What are people wearing these days in terms of casual footwear. I'm a 30yr man looking for recommendations.

Thanks!

 

[Ryan Holden]

I purchased a pair of THESE from Irish Setter recently. Quality material, light weight. I'll know in 3 months how they hold up.

 

[Al Brooks]

Buttero is a good option

 

[johng70]

A big question is how much your tastes change over the years. If your tastes in shoes remain constant, than quality shoes matter as much for casual wear as they do for business or dress. After all, many people where their casual shoes as much as their dress shoes and, in fact, do more walking and spend more time in the elements. However, if you don't think you would want to wear the same pair of shoes 8-10 years from now (even if they were still in great shape) because you're bored with them, then spending good money on them probably doesn't make sense. I have $100 casual flip-flops all the way up to $750 cordovan shoes (smart casual). I would say my most common casual shoes are a pair of whites semi-dress boots, alden indy boots and Rancourt & Co blutchers. I have others, but those are the work horses. The Whites are 5 years old and still look fantastic. At some point down the road (maybe another 5 years) I'll have to send them in to get re-soled. The other two look great as well and can all be re-soled. But, they're all high quality leather, comfortable and fantastic craftmanship. I have two 20-something nieces on my wife's side who both indicate they wish their husbands dressed more like me (I'm 48). I'm not saying this to toot my horn, just to say that casual and quality are not opposites. Quality and style matter just as much for casual (just like the $100 Olukai flip flops are more comfortable, stylish and last longer than the $30 adidas flip-flops the average Joe wears).

We can provide recommendations based upon the style of shoe you want, color and price range too. For example, Clark's desert boots can be had for $70 - a bit cheaper than the $560 Alden Indie's I wear. But, in that price range (under $100) the Clarks are still very stylish and, for the price, a well made product.

If you don't know the style of shoe you want, tell us what clothing you will be wearing with the shoes and we can provide some recommendations.

 

[uozay]

Thanks for the detailed reply johng70. I don't think my style changes much, I imagine I'll be happy to wear in 8-10 years if it's still holding up well.

To explain, I have leather barker chelsea boots, loake suede boots, and a mix of more casual leather loafers/suede shoes.

What sparked this thread is that I've some RL trainers/sneakers that have come to the end of their lives, and I was looking to replace them with one or two items that were similar. I work in a casual office, and I wanted something that would fit that.

 

[SawdustCaesar]

If you can wear trainers for work, it's hard to go wrong with Stan Smiths - they had a bit of a fashion moment a few years ago, but they'll always be classic