Comfortable Derby Dress Shoe Brands for Wide Problem Feet?

[rjc149]

I have been eyeing Allen Edmonds Boulevard cap-toe dress shoe, but unfortunately I do not think I can try on their shoes before ordering as I live in Europe and do not know any retailers in my city who carry the brand.

I probably should not risk a shoe that is difficult to break in considering how fragile my feet are; the last off-the-rack pair, open-laced and in the correct size no less, took the skin off my heel, ankle, and little toe and pressed down so hard on my arches that two years later I still have discoloured indents on my feet.

After having bespoke shoes made, the high cost is well worth the difference in comfort in my opinion, but I do not want to spend that much on a pair of shoes that are just to be worn for the period it takes for my bespoke ones to be resoled and sent back. Maybe I should just swallow my sartorial pride and settle on casual shoes for that purpose; after all, I would rather avoid a repeat of ending up in bandages and flip-flops due to my chosen shoes proving unwearable.

If I were in your shoes (pun intended) and were looking for a pair of stand-in shoes to serve the sole (no pun intended) purpose of being worn while my regular shoes were being repaired, I would just buy a pair of Florsheim or Eccos, with soft rubber soles. These are cheap, comfortable right out of the box, require no break in, look nice to the casual passing observer, and may even make their way into the regular rotation as a comfort shoe. If they're only being worn every few years or so (depending on how often your good shoes need repair), they should last a while even with the cheap build quality.

I think this would still be a step up from just wearing casual shoes, if that's what your trying to avoid.

 

[ConservativEccentric]

If I were in your shoes (pun intended) and were looking for a pair of stand-in shoes to serve the sole (no pun intended) purpose of being worn while my regular shoes were being repaired, I would just buy a pair of Florsheim or Eccos, with soft rubber soles. These are cheap, comfortable right out of the box, require no break in, look nice to the casual passing observer, and may even make their way into the regular rotation as a comfort shoe. If they're only being worn every few years or so (depending on how often your good shoes need repair), they should last a while even with the cheap build quality.

I think this would still be a step up from just wearing casual shoes, if that's what your trying to avoid.

Thank you for the recommendations; Florsheim's website does not seem to be working, but Eccos have a retailer in my country, and their Melbourne model looks like it would serve my purposes nicely. I will only need to wear them for a month or less every two to three years. (How long is normal between re-soling? I think I am unusually hard on my soles.)

 

[rjc149]

Thank you for the recommendations; Florsheim's website does not seem to be working, but Eccos have a retailer in my country, and their Melbourne model looks like it would serve my purposes nicely. I will only need to wear them for a month or less every two to three years. (How long is normal between re-soling? I think I am unusually hard on my soles.)

I have sole protectors on my dress shoes, I’ve never had them resoled in 6 years (I alternate between two pairs each weekday). I’ve needed new heels, however.

 

[suitforcourt]

I am also EEE width. I have these brands:

Allen Edmonds, Alden, Crockett Jones, Loake, Barker and Church's.

Vintage brands include: American and Canadian made Florsheim, Hanover, ET Wright, Dexter, Jarman, Dacks, Hartt, and John McHale.

All of these brands offer wide width derbies.

 

[ConservativEccentric]

Has anyone tried Undandy? According to a review, they use soft, easily broken-in leather, and on their website, they have a "Wider Feet (EEE)" option.

 

[suitforcourt]

custom made shoes are the best for your situation, there are some affordable and good ones.

Any brands you recommend?