Ever feel regret after purchasing a pair of shoes?

[raggedsweater]

I'm not usually one to shop for shoes. However, I visited Nordstrom Rack recently and walked away with a sexy pair of Silvano Sassettis. That caused sort of a shoe bug in me and I've been looking for new shoes ever since. I found a slightly used pair of Allen Edmonds Park Avenue on Ebay and I paid $148 (offered $135 plus shipping) for the pair. They looked only to have been worn a couple of times and had two drill marks on the bottom of one of the soles.

Anyway... so I received them. They look bulky, the seams aren't flush and are too noticeable IMO... although I've been recommended Allen Edmonds for years (I usually bought Johnston Murphy, but I have not needed a pair for a while). Anyway... These Park Aves seem even more rounded and conservative than the JM Hyde Park's I had.

I feel some regret. They are definitely more comfortable than the JMs... just as comfy, but not as beautiful as the Sassettis.

Sigh. I think these are too conservative for me... who would have thunk that? Not I.

 

[MyOtherLife]

The Park Avenue is quiet elegance and not flash. It is the 'go to' shoe (or an equivalent) that should be in every mans wardrobe.
Put on the Park avenues. Look down at your own feet. Observe. Now walk over to a mirror and look at the shoes on your feet. We enjoy only half the fun in owning and wearing. The other half of the enjoyment belongs to all those who see us wearing it. Have no regrets. If you are still not convinced, take some photos of you wearing the shoes and post here and see what people will comment. Welcome to Styleforum.

 

[Liquidus]

You're rarely going to want to wear black captoes so it won't matter too much if they're bulky.

 

[MyOtherLife]



You're rarely going to want to wear black captoes so it won't matter too much if they're bulky.

This wouild be true for Berkeley, CA but how do you know what he is going to want to wear where he is?

 

[raggedsweater]

Thanks for the welcome to the forum!

Why am I going to rarely want to wear black captoes? I am in a suit at work every day and these were going to be my new basic blacks. My JMs were black captoes and I wore them almost everyday... I'm going to resole, recondition, and relegate them to my back up shoe... maybe when the weather isn't great.

I suppose I'll wear these when I want to blend into the background. Otherwise... I think I need another pair... I don't think I'd wear these to formal events like weddings.

 

[FlyingMonkey]

Buying second hand, and especially sight-unseen is always more of a risk than buying new and from a decent shop where you can try shoes on. It doesn't stop me, but I have found I am disappointed occasionally, but of course the financial outlay is far less. You take your chances.

 

[raggedsweater]

Thanks, FlyingMonkey.

Now that I think about it, I'm pretty sure that when I went to an AE store in person and looked their captoes... I was not too much impressed and wondered why they looked so conservative. I think I got caught up with the price (at least, I think I got a good deal). I paid $360 for my JMs, afterall. $180 for the Silvano Sassettis (which seems like few people on this forum have experience with).

 

[Grayland]

If you are in a suit every day, AE Park Avenues aren't going to be too conservative. There is always a spot in the rotation for black captoes. I have 43 pairs of dress shoes and if I had to pare it down to 3, the black captoe (AE Byron) would be one of the 3.

When I'm wearing my well polished, well maintained, AE captoes and 90% of the rest of the men are wearing squared toe pieces of crap, I don't look conservative; I look elegant (even though the last may not be).

 

[UrbanComposition]



If you are in a suit every day, AE Park Avenues aren't going to be too conservative. There is always a spot in the rotation for black captoes. I have 43 pairs of dress shoes and if I had to pare it down to 3, the black captoe (AE Byron) would be one of the 3.

When I'm wearing my well polished, well maintained, AE captoes and 90% of the rest of the men are wearing squared toe pieces of crap, I don't look conservative; I look elegant (even though the last may not be).

Wait, what?

 

[raggedsweater]

I figured that he had many regrets with many pairs of shoes. Each time he went and bought another pair to make up for the last.

 

[Grayland]



Wait, what?

Honest to god. 43 pairs. I have a few clunkers in the 43, but the black captoe isn't among them.

 

[Viral]

dude.............you found Sasetti's at Nordstrom Rack? Please post pics!

Secondly, you will rarely feel satisfied if you compare other shoes to the Sasetti's............they're just so damn sexy!

 

[NORE]



I'm not usually one to shop for shoes. However, I visited Nordstrom Rack recently and walked away with a sexy pair of Silvano Sassettis. That caused sort of a shoe bug in me and I've been looking for new shoes ever since. I found a slightly used pair of Allen Edmonds Park Avenue on Ebay and I paid $148 (offered $135 plus shipping) for the pair. They looked only to have been worn a couple of times and had two drill marks on the bottom of one of the soles.

Anyway... so I received them. They look bulky, the seams aren't flush and are too noticeable IMO... although I've been recommended Allen Edmonds for years (I usually bought Johnston Murphy, but I have not needed a pair for a while). Anyway... These Park Aves seem even more rounded and conservative than the JM Hyde Park's I had.

I feel some regret. They are definitely more comfortable than the JMs... just as comfy, but not as beautiful as the Sassettis.

Sigh. I think these are too conservative for me... who would have thunk that? Not I.

You got reeled into the "go AEs" and more specifically "Park Aves" that prevail here and on other sites. From personal experience, unless your feet are abnormal try another brand. Find the brand that works for you. Forum approved or not. If you look forward to wearing them and they don't cripple you, you win.

 

[RSS]



This wouild be true for Berkeley, CA but how do you know what he is going to want to wear where he is?

I'll have you know that I keep a place in Berkeley ... and own at least ten pairs of black captoes. But I must admit ... I doubt I wear a black captoe more than twice a month.

 

[NORE]



I'll have you know that I keep a place in Berkeley ... and own at least ten pairs of black captoes. But I must admit ... I doubt I wear a black captoe more than twice a month.

I would be willing to wager none of those caps are AEs. Amirite?