if you can have one pair of dress shoes - what type

[aquatherm]

I work in construction and rarely get to wear a suit. I have a cheap suit and corrected grain leather chelsea boots (yuk!) which I bought 6 years ago but only worn it a dozen times or so.

So now I thinking about buying a better suit and decent shoes - they will be my only pair of shoes. What type should I buy? Should I stick to a plain black oxford captoe or something a little frilly like adelaide captoe?

I dont want to spend more than £200 or thereabouts so I have narrowed it down to Loakes Aldwych and Strand. I own a pair of Loake Pimlico in brown suede and the last fits my feet well and like the shape of the last so I would prefer to stick to this unless there is something better VFM.

Comments welcome. Thanks

 

[markfjh]

I think that you can't go wrong with a plain black captoe!

 

[Mifune]

I work in construction and rarely get to wear a suit. I have a cheap suit and corrected grain leather chelsea boots (yuk!) which I bought 6 years ago but only worn it a dozen times or so.

So now I thinking about buying a better suit and decent shoes - they will be my only pair of shoes. What type should I buy? Should I stick to a plain black oxford captoe or something a little frilly like adelaide captoe?

I dont want to spend more than £200 or thereabouts so I have narrowed it down to Loakes Aldwych and Strand. I own a pair of Loake Pimlico in brown suede and the last fits my feet well and like the shape of the last so I would prefer to stick to this unless there is something better VFM.

Comments welcome. Thanks

I'd avoid a black captoe Oxford and go for something a bit more versatile - something you can dress down for casual wear, and dress up with a suit. A black captoe Oxford may be tricky to dress down. Perhaps a dark brown, or burgundy/oxblood Oxford with some brogue detailing might be more versatile for you.

This shoe is far beyond the 200 pound price range, but it might give you ideas on what to look for.

 

[aquatherm]

Wow! They are stunning. What make and model?

 

[Mifune]

Wow! They are stunning. What make and model?

Edward Green Inverness.

I actually bought these a few weeks ago. Prior to this, I hadn't bought anything near this price...not even close. I ummed and ahhed quite a while about it.

I ended up justifying the purchase thus:
- the fit of the shoe was mindblowing, and I really liked the shape/last;
- I intend to enjoy these for the next 15-20 years (if not longer);
- on a scale of 1-10 I like these 10/10, and I couldn't find a suitable alternative that was "economically better". For expensive purchases, I don't buy if I don't like it at least 9/10 - my arbitrary rule;
- I would still keep thinking about these if I went and bought something else (so I avoided buyer's remorse); and
- the cost of the shoes is not going to be the difference between bankruptcy and avoiding bankruptcy.

The shoes have a high cost, however they have a high value to me as well. I have deliberately not mentioned the price...go and try them on, and if you like them 10/10 then strongly consider acquiring! And as silly as this sounds, the Loakes - they are utility items, like a good saucepan...they will serve you well, but won't excite. These Edward Green - if these are your only "formal shoes", you will really look forward to wearing them each time.

 

[aquatherm]

A big decision, I'm sure. Being so indecisive, if I was to spend that amount of money on an item of clothing, I would always find myself justifying it and possibly even returning to the shop to see what else I could have had.

 

[Staffer18283]

If I could only buy one shoe, I would buy a double monk. I find them very versatile and rarely look out of place (perhaps at a funeral)

 

[Swede66]

I'd go for a dark brown punched cap toe /quarter brouge Oxford model if I were to have only one dress shoe.

 

[Claghorn]

My one shoe would be a dark brown chelsea. But something along the lines of what Mifune posted would probably be a better choice for most. Some other options:



350 USD via Kent Wang


300 USD via Howard Yount



160 euro via Meermin


I wouldn't be concerned with dressing them down too much. Basically they'd need to work with a suit or a trouser/odd jacket combination. I'm sure you'd have something else to wear with jeans (and maybe even chinos, though the Yount would probably work there as well)

 

[coldsalmon]

I think that you can't go wrong with a plain black captoe!

I would favor a black punch cap over a stitch cap. I happen to be wearing my Allen Edmonds Fifth Avenues today:


If you are only going to have one, it has to be black if you ever need to be the epitome of conservative business dress. The punch cap doesn't really sacrifice any formality (some may disagree), and you can dress it down a bit more than a stitch cap.

Don't worry though, if you hang around here for a couple more weeks, you will develop a shoe addiction and you will buy a whole lot of brown ones anyhow.

 

[archibaldleach]

Black punch cap or stitch cap. If you are very rarely going to wear a suit, a pair of black punch cap or stitch caps are going to be more useful than anything else. They'll last forever if you don't wear them often and take decent care of them and will work anytime you need to wear a suit. Brown may be more stylish in the minds of many here, but black is going to be the best choice since no normal person is going to look at you funny for wearing black shoes with a dark suit (it is the classic combination) and there are some circumstances where black is the right choice.

You're not going to be able to dress down most pairs of shoes that you'd buy to wear with a suit. Don't try. Just figure out what you are comfortable spending (sounds like you have), take good care of them and wear them for the special occasions in your life.