• Hi, I am the owner and main administrator of Styleforum. If you find the forum useful and fun, please help support it by buying through the posted links on the forum. Our main, very popular sales thread, where the latest and best sales are listed, are posted HERE

    Purchases made through some of our links earns a commission for the forum and allows us to do the work of maintaining and improving it. Finally, thanks for being a part of this community. We realize that there are many choices today on the internet, and we have all of you to thank for making Styleforum the foremost destination for discussions of menswear.
  • This site contains affiliate links for which Styleforum may be compensated.
  • We would like to welcome House of Huntington as an official Affiliate Vendor. Shop past season Drake's, Nigel Cabourn, Private White V.C. and other menswear luxury brands at exceptional prices below retail. Please visit the Houise of Huntington thread and welcome them to the forum.

  • STYLE. COMMUNITY. GREAT CLOTHING.

    Bored of counting likes on social networks? At Styleforum, you’ll find rousing discussions that go beyond strings of emojis.

    Click Here to join Styleforum's thousands of style enthusiasts today!

    Styleforum is supported in part by commission earning affiliate links sitewide. Please support us by using them. You may learn more here.

First pair of decent shoes, brown or black?

distinct

Member
Joined
Dec 15, 2008
Messages
17
Reaction score
0
I am soon to buy my first pair of decent shoes; all others that I own are shameful at best. Anyhow, what do you fellows recommend as far as color goes if these are to be my only nice shoes for a while. I have no need to dress professionally, and whenever I wear a suit (which is not so often) I usually wear grays and charcoals, never black. Most of my pants are also grays of varying shades, khaki or dark browns and the occasional pair of jeans. I'm thinking a good brown shoe will be the most universal, yet I'd like to know just what you think.

Additionally, I have a budget of about 300 to 350 to spend. I really adore AE's, having had a pair that I wore so often they became eventually un-salvageable. I've got my eye on a few models, most notably the strand, mcclain and evanston. Obviously I like broguing...
laugh.gif
 

James Bond

Distinguished Member
Joined
Jan 20, 2005
Messages
1,073
Reaction score
2
Originally Posted by distinct
I am soon to buy my first pair of decent shoes; all others that I own are shameful at best. Anyhow, what do you fellows recommend as far as color goes if these are to be my only nice shoes for a while. I have no need to dress professionally, and whenever I wear a suit (which is not so often) I usually wear grays and charcoals, never black. Most of my pants are also grays of varying shades, khaki or dark browns and the occasional pair of jeans. I'm thinking a good brown shoe will be the most universal, yet I'd like to know just what you think.

Additionally, I have a budget of about 300 to 350 to spend.
I really adore AE's, having had a pair that I wore so often they became eventually un-salvageable. I've got my eye on a few models, most notably the strand, mcclain and evanston. Obviously I like broguing...
laugh.gif


Why not get both?

You can easily find two pairs of AE's for that.
 

distinct

Member
Joined
Dec 15, 2008
Messages
17
Reaction score
0
Originally Posted by James Bond
Why not get both? You can easily find two pairs of AE's for that.
Whereabouts? I have large feet and so every pair I have run across on ebay/B&S/thrifts tend to be about 3 - 4 sizes too small. Also, is it wise to order shoes online, especially if this is the first time I have tried out a brand - or should I go to a store? My friend's AE's fit me fairly well, but they are well broken in to his foot and not a very good indication of how a new shoe would fit. The size I had before is useless, as I was younger then and my feet were smaller.
 

James Bond

Distinguished Member
Joined
Jan 20, 2005
Messages
1,073
Reaction score
2
Originally Posted by distinct
Whereabouts? I have large feet and so every pair I have run across on ebay/B&S/thrifts tend to be about 3 - 4 sizes too small. Also, is it wise to order shoes online, especially if this is the first time I have tried out a brand - or should I go to a store? My friend's AE's fit me fairly well, but they are well broken in to his foot and not a very good indication of how a new shoe would fit. The size I had before is useless, as I was younger then and my feet were smaller.
What's your size? On eBay, you can find things pretty regularly up through about 16. You can try them on at a store and buy them online. eBay is a great source for new AE's. Shoesteal.com currently has 50% off most of theirs: The Hale in black
 

distinct

Member
Joined
Dec 15, 2008
Messages
17
Reaction score
0
Well my shoe size is usually 12.5

I have to admit I've never bought a shoe and actually paid attn to the width before, but my feet are 4.5" wide so would that be an "E" width?
 

izlat

Senior Member
Joined
Jun 20, 2008
Messages
265
Reaction score
0
I guess it depends on what your other clothes are (currently) but in general if you don't have a good pair of black shoes - get this first. I would only consider brown first if you really can use them more than the black in your outfits.

But the thing is - I guess you need at least 2 pairs of good shoes to alternate, no?

Cheers
 

bigbris1

Distinguished Member
Joined
Feb 3, 2007
Messages
6,964
Reaction score
15
With your budget you can go to ebay.co.uk & get 2 pair of brand new quality shoes in your size from the same seller. 2 birds...
 

Doc4

Senior Member
Joined
May 15, 2008
Messages
792
Reaction score
2
Black.













You will 'eventually' get some brown shoes, and probably like them more than the black, and wear them more, too. But you NEED black ... what else to wear to funerals, for example.

And yes, if you intend daily wear, you should have two pair (and one can be brown, for sure.)

Post-Xmas sales should get you some decent shoes at a good enough price to afford two pair.
 

Featured Sponsor

How important is full vs half canvas to you for heavier sport jackets?

  • Definitely full canvas only

    Votes: 55 35.5%
  • Half canvas is fine

    Votes: 60 38.7%
  • Really don't care

    Votes: 17 11.0%
  • Depends on fabric

    Votes: 27 17.4%
  • Depends on price

    Votes: 28 18.1%

Forum statistics

Threads
505,162
Messages
10,579,073
Members
223,883
Latest member
Darru
Top