First pair of "good" formal shoes - which one to buy?

[AmericanGent]

Did you have those fitted at an AE store? They look like they may be too wide, based on the laces. It's impossible to tell from a picture, but it brings into question if you had them fit my a master fitter. If not, that could be the cause of your other concerns.

In any case, shoes will crease. They must crease. If not you'd look like you were walking around in ski boots. Where they crease depends on your foot (length of toes, length of your arch, etc. AE uses many different "lasts" and some will not fit your foot as well as others.

If nothing else, you can get a refund- AE has great service.

 

[michaelvl]



Okay, I finally got around and bought AE Park Avenues as many users suggested here. I wore them for two 8 hr work days with 36 hr gap. I immediately started noticing huge wear out on outer sole - is that common for leather sole or was I sold a dummy? Another thing, is my right shoe started showing creases with in a couple of hrs of first time wearing. Left shoe also has a bit of crease but not as pronounced as the right one. What could be the reason for this? Am I walking differently with right foot and left foot or one foot is bigger than other etc? Right shoe.. Left shoe..

Looks to me that the shoes are too large for you. Faint creasing is normal on well fitted quality shoes, deep creasing after only a few wears is a tell tale of ill fitting shoes. I have the same issue that one shoes creases more then the other. In my case this is because my left foot is a size UK6E and my right foot is a size UK6.5E and I was advised a UK7E by two sales reps that did not know what they where talking about. In men it is very common, the dominant foot is slightly larger then the other. My experience with sales associates of quality dress shoes is that most know nothing about correct shoe fitting. If they ask you what your size is and just bring you a pair in that size and ask you if it feels comfortable, then that is a serious red flag, do yourself a favor and just leave the shop and take your business elsewhere. A good fitter will measure both your feet, in length and in width, let you try on several pairs (so in my case UK6E, UK6.5E, UK6.5D, UK6F), feel how you feet fill the shoe and give you an advice based on all the said information. The wear on the sole looks normal, I cannot see the wear on the tip of the sole, it could be that this is wearing faster then the rest. This is also pretty common. The solution for that problem is to install metal toe tips, I prefer the sunken metal ones. for more info on that just do a search on the forum.

 

[michaelvl]

One more thing did you buy shoe trees for the shoes? Using shoe trees correctly shall also reduce creasing allot by stretching them back to their original shape.

 

[bingo]

@AmericanGent...

Thanks for the reply.. I bought them at Amazon, I usually go for 10.5E on other shoes, so that's what I bought in AE also. You're correct in saying that they are bit wider for my feet. Whenever I wear "D", my feet used to hurt, so I started wearing Es couple of years ago...

 

[bingo]

Looks to me that the shoes are too large for you. Faint creasing is normal on well fitted quality shoes, deep creasing after only a few wears is a tell tale of ill fitting shoes.

Thanks for the reply.. Looks like fitting is the issue on my right foot... So what do you do when buying shoes if your feet are different size from each other? Do you get them specially made for you?

 

[bingo]

One more thing did you buy shoe trees for the shoes? Using shoe trees correctly shall also reduce creasing allot by stretching them back to their original shape.

I just bought it yesterday,, will be getting it by mid of the week.....

 

[chogall]

Sole wear is completely normal.

If the creasing pictures are taken with your feet inside, they are 100% too big/wide. Lacing ate not suppose to close completely.

How far are your big toes from the front edge of the shoes??

 

[Sam3L]

Some AE models run 1/2 size or more large, so you have to make sure to look at reviews if buying online or have them sized correctly if you're in a store. (or they have the sizing tool you can download online).

 

[GastonSharp]

Go with a Monk Strap!..and don't be afraid to wear it without socks...it's Florida after all!

 

[YRR92]

Go with a Monk Strap!..and don't be afraid to wear it without socks...it's Florida after all!

This is bad advice. Sockless monkstraps = fashion victim.

 

[GastonSharp]

who uses the term "Fashion victim" anymore? lol..
and if by fashion victim you mean being fashion forward..then i don't see what's bad about it..it's a matter of personal choice.
by qualifying this of a "bad advice" you are taking your personal taste in terms of shoes for the Norm....oh...but maybe its the "senior member" written under your username that makes you believe you are some kind of Style God of forums....oops..sorry got carried away..am sure you're a good guy. Peace lol..

 

[YRR92]

who uses the term "Fashion victim" anymore? lol..
and if by fashion victim you mean being fashion forward..then i don't see what's bad about it..it's a matter of personal choice.
by qualifying this of a "bad advice" you are taking your personal taste in terms of shoes for the Norm....oh...but maybe its the "senior member" written under your username that makes you believe you are some kind of Style God of forums....oops..sorry got carried away..am sure you're a good guy. Peace lol..

Not a style god, just a guy with some posts. Certainly not a "senior member" in my own reckoning.

Wearing lined, welted shoes without socks? Uncomfortable, kind of gross, and a little too "GQ." More casual shoes without socks? For sure.

Yeah, it's a matter of personal choice, but I'm very comfortable saying "wear monkstraps without socks" is both impractical and rather unstylish. We can certainly agree to disagree, of course.

 

[ChetB]



Go with a Monk Strap!..and don't be afraid to wear it without socks...it's Florida after all!

Do not listen to this guy.

 

[AmericanGent]



Go with a Monk Strap!..and don't be afraid to wear it without socks...it's Florida after all!

Horrible idea.

 

[Badandy]



who uses the term "Fashion victim" anymore? lol..
and if by fashion victim you mean being fashion forward..then i don't see what's bad about it..it's a matter of personal choice.
by qualifying this of a "bad advice" you are taking your personal taste in terms of shoes for the Norm....oh...but maybe its the "senior member" written under your username that makes you believe you are some kind of Style God of forums....oops..sorry got carried away..am sure you're a good guy. Peace lol..

Please go back to the Hypebeast forum I'm sure you frequented a few short weeks ago.