Looking for proper oxfords

[aframi]

In the past, I've mainly owned cheap-ish dress shoes and have always struggled with them breaking rather quickly. In my defense, I work at a fashion retailer so I've had the chance to buy them with a 40% discount, hence I've always gone back to them.

Now, with a recent misfortune with my current oxford shoes, I have finally decided to purchase proper shoes, preferably with Goodyear welting. I am tempted on purchasing a pair from my local menswear/tailoring shop as they stock quite nice Sanders' oxfords.

However, before making the decision, I'd like to ask the forums recommendations on which brands I should look into to get great oxford shoes from for a semi-affordable price! Preferably in chestnut/dark brown, Goodyear welted and optimally in the 300$ price-range with shipping to the EU. If well justified, I'm willing to pay a maximum of around 400$. New or vintage.

TL;DR: Recommendations for Goodyear welted oxfords, dark brown, 300-400$, new or used.

 

[Phileas Fogg]

Herring Shoes

Herring Shoes - purveyors of finest quality shoes, clothing and luggage. Worldwide delivery.

www.herringshoes.co.uk

 

[dieworkwear]

In the past, I've mainly owned cheap-ish dress shoes and have always struggled with them breaking rather quickly. In my defense, I work at a fashion retailer so I've had the chance to buy them with a 40% discount, hence I've always gone back to them.

Now, with a recent misfortune with my current oxford shoes, I have finally decided to purchase proper shoes, preferably with Goodyear welting. I am tempted on purchasing a pair from my local menswear/tailoring shop as they stock quite nice Sanders' oxfords.

However, before making the decision, I'd like to ask the forums recommendations on which brands I should look into to get great oxford shoes from for a semi-affordable price! Preferably in chestnut/dark brown, Goodyear welted and optimally in the 300$ price-range with shipping to the EU. If well justified, I'm willing to pay a maximum of around 400$. New or vintage.

TL;DR: Recommendations for Goodyear welted oxfords, dark brown, 300-400$, new or used.

Try Meerman and Lof & Tung

Meermin Shoes — Quality Footwear. Radical Value.

Properly made quality Goodyear Welted shoes & boots at radical prices — Properly made to last. Our wide range of options go from classic dress oxfords to unlined loafers & wholecut Chelsea Boots in rare materials including Shell Cordovan, French calf & Waxy Kudu.

meermin.com

Löf & Tung

Löf & Tung - a completely new brand created by Skoaktiebolaget founders Patrik Löf and Daniel Tung. The brand has a strong focus on classic styles and lasts. Löf & Tung provides tremendous value and a flexible Made To Order program.

www.skoaktiebolaget.com

Carmina is just a hair outside of your $400 limit, but they sell nice shoes

Men's Oxfords

Exclusive oxford shoes for men handcrafted using the traditional Goodyear stitch on all models and lasts. We follow a strict shoe quality process and confer all our formal shoes with durability, elegance and feet comfort. Discover which oxford s...

www.carminashoemaker.com

 

[Panama]

You probably have 30 brands to choose from. I am more than happy with Loake and Cheaney. It depends on what country you are in? If you live in Holland no one will mention van Bommel etc.
Sanders is the same level as Loake Shoemaker or possibly 1880. The Diplomat range will be more nearer Loake Legacy or Export grade.

 

[aframi]

Herring Shoes

Herring Shoes - purveyors of finest quality shoes, clothing and luggage. Worldwide delivery.

www.herringshoes.co.uk

Thank you! Very good looking shoes and price-wise extremely suitable.

 

[aframi]

Try Meerman and Lof & Tung

Meermin Shoes — Quality Footwear. Radical Value.

Properly made quality Goodyear Welted shoes & boots at radical prices — Properly made to last. Our wide range of options go from classic dress oxfords to unlined loafers & wholecut Chelsea Boots in rare materials including Shell Cordovan, French calf & Waxy Kudu.

meermin.com

Löf & Tung

Löf & Tung - a completely new brand created by Skoaktiebolaget founders Patrik Löf and Daniel Tung. The brand has a strong focus on classic styles and lasts. Löf & Tung provides tremendous value and a flexible Made To Order program.

www.skoaktiebolaget.com

Carmina is just a hair outside of your $400 limit, but they sell nice shoes

Men's Oxfords

Exclusive oxford shoes for men handcrafted using the traditional Goodyear stitch on all models and lasts. We follow a strict shoe quality process and confer all our formal shoes with durability, elegance and feet comfort. Discover which oxford s...

www.carminashoemaker.com

Thank you! Meerman and Lof & Tung are very interesting options. I’ve heard only praise about Carmina so I think that I’ll have to look into their offering also. Could be worth spending some extra.

 

[aframi]

You probably have 30 brands to choose from. I am more than happy with Loake and Cheaney. It depends on what country you are in? If you live in Holland no one will mention van Bommel etc.
Sanders is the same level as Loake Shoemaker or possibly 1880. The Diplomat range will be more nearer Loake Legacy or Export grade.

Thank you! Heh I am well aware of the wide array of options, hence the crowdsourcing. It’s good to hear your experiences.

I’m in Finland and in my city I have a decent supply of Sanders Diplomat and Loake 1880 to choose from. However I do not really shun online shopping either.

 

[dieworkwear]

Thank you! Meerman and Lof & Tung are very interesting options. I’ve heard only praise about Carmina so I think that I’ll have to look into their offering also. Could be worth spending some extra.

Just a note, Meermins are a little harder to break-in than other options, such as the ones named in this thread. I think they are an excellent value, but you will have to wear them for a short period (say, five hours or something) each day for about a week. I like them because they are fairly affordable, are made well, and come in nice designs

 

[Phongmoua]

You should check out the Noble shoe out of Stockholm. For around $400, I would highly recommend looking at their hand grade Carlos Santos GYW shoes in this dark brown color.

In my opinion its a great classic oxford that's not visually boring nor is it overwhelming distracting.

I hope this helps.

 

[Daniel Hakimi]

Be sure not to wear a given pair of shoes two days in a row. Rotating your shoes, giving them a day to rest, will really help them survive longer.

 

[leadbelly2550]

Allen Edmonds website, look in the sale category. You'll see good options in your price range.

I'm still wearing multiple pair of Allen Edmonds shoes purchased between the early 1990s and around 2005. all have been resoled at least once, the oldest pair resoled twice and leather recrafted the second time. Definitely more cost effective than buying lower quality shoes and replacing them periodically.

Years ago, I took that a step further & bought a few pair of higher end shoes - Alden 684 loafers, 990 oxfords. Shell cordovan. They're more money than you want to spend. They also wear much better than calfskin or chromexel leather, and once they break in, they fit spectacularly well. They're both around 15 years old, and in all likelihood, I'll still be wearing them when I retire. Functional equivalent would be spending on a pair of Crockett & Jones oxfords in a neutral tone & not so ornate that you couldn't wear in more casual settings. Short term pain, long term gain, in my opinion.

 

[aframi]

Allen Edmonds website, look in the sale category. You'll see good options in your price range.

I'm still wearing multiple pair of Allen Edmonds shoes purchased between the early 1990s and around 2005. all have been resoled at least once, the oldest pair resoled twice and leather recrafted the second time. Definitely more cost effective than buying lower quality shoes and replacing them periodically.

Years ago, I took that a step further & bought a few pair of higher end shoes - Alden 684 loafers, 990 oxfords. Shell cordovan. They're more money than you want to spend. They also wear much better than calfskin or chromexel leather, and once they break in, they fit spectacularly well. They're both around 15 years old, and in all likelihood, I'll still be wearing them when I retire. Functional equivalent would be spending on a pair of Crockett & Jones oxfords in a neutral tone & not so ornate that you couldn't wear in more casual settings. Short term pain, long term gain, in my opinion.

”Short term pain, long term gain.” What a great quote. I try to live by that in my clothing decisions. Thank you for the comprehensive answer. Cordovans are on the list as soon as I finish university and get a proper budget to work with.

 

[aframi]

I’m grateful for all the great answers! Each one provided clarity for my search. I ended up going with Meermin after some extensive research.

Nailed the size on the first try and now after a few wears I have been very satisfied. A world away from high street brands.

 

[Phileas Fogg]

I’m grateful for all the great answers! Each one provided clarity for my search. I ended up going with Meermin after some extensive research.

Nailed the size on the first try and now after a few wears I have been very satisfied. A world away from high street brands.

the most important thing is that it fits and that you’ll wear it.