Entry level dress shoes

[Geran Brown]

Hi all,

I recently joined the forum after browsing for some time. I came here after wanting to update my style and appearance for a better me and move away from the hoodies and college style.

Sot far I've started out with getting custom suits and shirts due to my smaller frame and now I'm trying to find shoes to start with before moving up to Edward Green's or even G&G's. My price limit for entry level shoes is anything $500 or less. Any recommendations on brands I should be looking at would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks in advance!

-Geran B.

 

[Thanks SF (a new me)]

imo, certain C&J or Carmina are great choices, but if you can afford custom (MTM/Bespoke ?) suits/shirts, why settle for less? go for EG, JL G&G now. cry once and be done with it.

 

[unbelragazzo]

^ This. I don't see the point of "practicing" on a $500 shoe if you know you're eventually going to be buying $1k shoes. Just do some research ahead of time and be sure you get a style that's versatile and think about it for a while to be sure your preferences aren't changing too fast.

 

[Geran Brown]

imo, certain C&J or Carmina are great choices, but if you can afford custom (MTM/Bespoke ?) suits/shirts, why settle for less? go for EG, JL G&G now. cry once and be done with it.

^ This. I don't see the point of "practicing" on a $500 shoe if you know you're eventually going to be buying $1k shoes. Just do some research ahead of time and be sure you get a style that's versatile and think about it for a while to be sure your preferences aren't changing too fast.

I'm pretty sure what style(s) I like and would want eventually. I'm very old fashion and classic when is comes to clothing. For example, I like Allen Edmonds Strand and Edward Green Asquith as well as the G&G St. James shoe. Very classic and timeless IMO. Thanks for the advice and I see your point about "practicing" on lower priced shoes when in the end I will be spending more on better/nicer shoes.

 

[NotoriousMarquis]



^ This. I don't see the point of "practicing" on a $500 shoe if you know you're eventually going to be buying $1k shoes. Just do some research ahead of time and be sure you get a style that's versatile and think about it for a while to be sure your preferences aren't changing too fast.

No, it's logical to start a bit lower. If someone had given me a pair of JL shoes when I first wanted them, they would have been fucked up in a minute. I think getting C&J and learning how to condition, polish, treat, deal with rain, etc, will make you a real expert once you get JLs or EGs. You can also wear C&J shoes and if you have money, and get them wet or wear them too many days in a row or let them crease, you have learned your lesson.

 

[fritzl]



My price limit for entry level shoes is anything $500 or less.  Any recommendations on brands I should be looking at would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks in advance!

-Geran B.

do you have access to certain brands in person or are you dependent on online shopping?

 

[Geran Brown]

No, it's logical to start a bit lower. If someone had given me a pair of JL shoes when I first wanted them, they would have been fucked up in a minute. I think getting C&J and learning how to condition, polish, treat, deal with rain, etc, will make you a real expert once you get JLs or EGs. You can also wear C&J shoes and if you have money, and get them wet or wear them too many days in a row or let them crease, you have learned your lesson.

Never thought of it that way. I've never really cared about shoes previously but I definitely wouldn't want to make a mistake on a $1500 pair of shoes when I could have spent less and learned how to care for them and make them last for a long time. I've looked at C&J today and they have some nice styles, very traditional from what I can see.

do you have access to certain brands in person or are you dependent on online shopping?

I have access to Allen Edmonds, Crockett & Jones, Alden, Edward Green and Loake. These are local to me. As for John Lobb's and some others, I would have to drive to New York which is only 4hrs away from me.

 

[Gauss17]



No, it's logical to start a bit lower. If someone had given me a pair of JL shoes when I first wanted them, they would have been fucked up in a minute. I think getting C&J and learning how to condition, polish, treat, deal with rain, etc, will make you a real expert once you get JLs or EGs. You can also wear C&J shoes and if you have money, and get them wet or wear them too many days in a row or let them crease, you have learned your lesson.

I agree with this. When I first started buying shoes, I screwed up quite a few times and ended up eating the cost or selling them later, due sizing issues, but I may have weirder feet. Also, it isn't like after he moves up to G&G/JL the, let's say, C&J shoes will be obsolete. C&J still makes a great shoe.

 

[unbelragazzo]

Srsly? Use trees, condition and polish. It's not rocket science. Take to local cobbler to watch the first cpl times if you're worried about it. There's not much a non-idiot could do wrong that couldn't be fixed.

 

[add911_11]

This is the first time I heard a new comer start with Green or JL for shoes, rock on

 

[jammyo40]



Srsly? Use trees, condition and polish. It's not rocket science. Take to local cobbler to watch the first cpl times if you're worried about it. There's not much a non-idiot could do wrong that couldn't be fixed.

^ This. And I guess using a shoe horn goes without saying.

 

[fritzl]



^ This. And I guess using a shoe horn goes without saying.

what's about fit in the first place?

 

[unbelragazzo]



what's about fit in the first place?

I'd expect if you went to a dealer of high end shoes like JL or EG they should make sure you walk out of their store with a pair of shoes that fits, no? (I should warn those reading this thread I have no experience with JL or EG, but I have been to places that sold such shoes - namely Sky Valet in DC and Leffot in NYC - and would trust the people there to get me in the right size)

 

[jammyo40]



what's about fit in the first place?

That's applicable to everything, not just shoes.

 

[ManCrush]

Weird hearing C&J's bantered about as a "starter" shoe. And here I thought I was doing quite well by them, thank you very much.