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Entry-level Black Dress Shoe

thekosmicdesign

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I'm new to this site and there is a wealth of info that I'm grateful for. Anyway, I don't wear suits often, so I've had some crappy square toe Kenneth Cole's in my shoe closet that I would bring out once in a while. Now that I own a couple pairs of Cole Haan casual shoes, the KC's look ugly and I can't bear to wear them again with a suit. :) I have some weddings, possible interviews, and other social functions that may require some dress shoes in the near future.

What are some good ones? Are Allen Edmond Park Avenue's a good entry-level shoe? Do nicer shoes come with shoe trees and are they needed? I also need to read up on how to care for the shoes (saw something about S___ Renovateur? Can't remember the name).
 

chogall

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You should be able to pick up Goodyear Welted Cole Hanns @ Norstrom Rack for much less than $100. Or AE Park Avenue from the bay for around $100 if you are diligent. Don't worry about renovator and all those bullcrap. If you can't raise a shine w/ Kiwi, using Saphir isn't going to be much bette.
 

sportin_life

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Try to grab some allen edmonds seconds on sale, like the one they are having now. You can land decent shoes for $150-200 and most seconds don't have any visible defects. Strands and Kenilworths look like they are included at the moment. The most basic black dress shoe would probably be the park or 5th aves, as mentioned above. Try calling the local AE factory stores and ask what they have.

The other option is to grab some from the brooks brothers sale, which basically has rebadged AE's with a more padded insole/topied outsole but they will be ~ $250 even with the upcoming 30% off. They also have rebadged crockett and jones but these are priced higher.
 

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