comfortable dress shoes and custom belts.

[JO3B]

sort of a two in oner here.

first, im starting a retail position where i'm dressed in a suit and i'd like something fairly comfortable on my toes. id assume a rubber sole would be a bit more comfortable then leather, but besides that, i'm also looking for something budget.

any reccomended brands even to buy something used? any help would be greatly appreciated.

and second, i recently aquired this:

and its a tad smaller then most buckles. does anyone know of an online or NYC outlet that'd be able to make me a belt? again, the budget applies.

thank you in advance for any and all help.

 

[m3rkury]

I actually find leather/hard soles to be more comfortable and easier on my feet and back than rubber soles. I am a medical student going into surgery and I spend 14+hrs a day on my feet, so footwear is crucial.

One thing I would recommend is avoiding anything with corrected grain leather. Besides the whole quality issue, I found that corrected grain shoes are not as forgiving when they bend. My CG shoes have these large creases in them that tend to dig into the top of my foot and cause some nasty friction burns.

Depending on what you consider to be "budget" is also another factor. Allen Edmonds is the forum favorite, but I recently purchased a pair of these shoes and absolutely love them. The price was within my budget, and the quality was very good.

 

[Rolo]

I don't find that the composition of the sole makes that much difference to me. Shape of the arch and fit are bigger factors for me. A good fit in a shoe with a leather sole will leave my feet feeling better at the end of the day than some tennis shoes.