Please help me choose dress shoes in the ~$500 range for a job interview

[rmz1]

I need a new pair of shoes for a pretty serious job interview and it's time to step it up from the ~$250ish dress shoes I have been wearing for the past few years (Cole Haan, Ecco, etc). I can see the difference with the higher end shoes, but there are so many options I could use some help narrowing it down. I'd like to keep it around the $500 range for now if possible (at least until I get past the interview stage).

I am wrapping up graduate school and going into a relatively conservative field, so I am not looking for anything trendy or fashion forward, I am looking for classic conservative dress shoes that can last me years. I am thinking black cap toe or perforated cap toe lace ups to wear with a new charcoal Brooks Brothers suit.

I initially thought I would get a pair of Ferragamos but, unlike the loafers I saw, their cap toe models did not suit my feet well. They were too long and narrow for my foot, and I couldn't find any size/width combo that worked well for me. They weren't completely terrible, but for this price range I did not want to settle on a pair of shoes that did not fit me well.

I was wondering what people on this forum think of the Brooks Brothers shoes (and/or their Peal & Co line) in this category? I gather from some searching that their shoes are made by various manufacturers depending on the model. Which would be the good ones to get and which would be the ones to avoid? And, if that is the case should I not just get the shoes directly from the real manufacturer and not from BB if they simply slap their name on them?

What brands should I look at? I have heard about Church, is that the best option for these criteria? I see that C&J is mentioned a lot on this site, but have never heard of it before, do I need to be enlightened? I thought Allen Edmonds was good, but it seems people on this site don't think so... I'd love to hear why they might be OK or why to avoid them?

Thanks in advance for the advice!

Something like this?
http://www.brooksbrothers.com/IWCat...FC_CJ_VigLink_Brooks+Brothers+Product+Catalog

http://www.brooksbrothers.com/IWCat...rt_by=highestPrice&sectioncolor=&sectionsize=

http://www.brooksbrothers.com/IWCat...8196&Parent_Id=1032&default_color=Walnut#null

 

[rmz1]

Bump (as I have to get a pair today or tomorrow). Thanks!

 

[habanos]

Check out the Trickers at Pediwear. For the price It is hard to beat the leather quality and they are not fashion forward.

 

[Millerp]

Any of the Brooks Brothers shoes you linked to would be fine.

 

[stevent]

Get the Cordovan or Peal ones at $598

 

[rmz1]

Any of the Brooks Brothers shoes you linked to would be fine.

Thanks! Would there be any reason to choose one over the other?

Is the Peal & Co line something worth paying for? Is cordovan better than calfskin? Is the partial rubber sole a good thing or a bad thing?

Would the BB shoes I linked to be better quality and worth the premium over Allen Edmonds Park Avenue or Fifth Avenue?


@habanos: thanks for the tip. unfortunately I need to buy them in person this weekend (can't wait for shipping) and in NYC, but I will keep that site in mind.

 

[Patrick R]

http://www.brooksbrothers.com/IWCat...rt_by=highestPrice&sectioncolor=&sectionsize=

I have these and really like them:



Having tried on several pairs, I believe they run slightly wider than typical and I went down one width size to get the best fit.

 

[viator]

I would not choose cordovan because it's a bit less formal a material.

What about these?
http://www.brooksbrothers.com/IWCat...lor=BLACK&sort_by=&sectioncolor=&sectionsize=

 

[SkinnyGoomba]

My Go-to are C&J punch caps, but I like the brooks punch caps above as well. A plain toe is a bit slick for interviews IMO.

 

[rmz1]

My Go-to are C&J punch caps, but I like the brooks punch caps above as well. A plain toe is a bit slick for interviews IMO.

^Thanks for the input, I was thinking plain toes are a little too slick for an interview as well. Anyone care to comment on that element? Plain toe vs cap toe vs perforated cap toe? My initial thought was that I need a pair of good quality, conservative, cap toe dress shoes... but I like the look of the perforated cap toes so thought I might go that route. Would a plain cap toe be more appropriate for the situation?

I appreciate all the advice I'm getting here, but can someone tell me specifically if the extra money on these shoes would get me better quality than AE? And if so can someone help me understand where that quality difference is? (leather? sole? construction? all?) I'm just trying to use this necessary purchase as an opportunity to learn more about this field so I can make more intelligent decisions moving forward (as opposed to spending about $300 on Cole Haans that result in a separating sole in two months). I started this process assuming I would get the Allen Edmonds Park Avenue but after researching on this site and seeing they got negative attention, thought I might need to be educated?

There is a difference of $250 between these two shoes that achieve the same look (to my untrained eye)... how would you guys choose between them? Would the rubber added to the first one's sole be a positive for comfort/durability or does that cheapen it?

http://www.brooksbrothers.com/IWCat..._VigLink_Brooks+Brothers+Product+Catalog#null

http://www.brooksbrothers.com/IWCat..._VigLink_Brooks+Brothers+Product+Catalog#null

 

[unbelragazzo]

All the shoes you have posted are totally fine. I can't see anyone in an interview actually thinking that captoes are inappropriate. Since you're going to see all these in person, just pick the one you feel the best in.

 

[Patrick R]

I have AE Park Aves. and the C&J perf. cap toes linked above. IMO there is no significant/substantive difference in quality. The only real reason I went with the C&J rather than the AE 5th Ave is I think the 5th Ave's cap is awkward.

I can't imagine an interview in which the C&J would be appropriate, but the Park Ave would not. You're really splitting hairs between the two.

 

[rmz1]

I have AE Park Aves. and the C&J perf. cap toes linked above. IMO there is no significant/substantive difference in quality. The only real reason I went with the C&J rather than the AE 5th Ave is I think the 5th Ave's cap is awkward.

I can't imagine an interview in which the C&J would be appropriate, but the Park Ave would not. You're really splitting hairs between the two.

thanks for the input. the interview is not the deciding factor, it is just the reason i am in the market for "grown up" dress shoes and would like to take this opportunity to determine what's the best way to go in general. so, patrick, because you have both would you recommend i save the money and go with AE or spend a little extra? the price difference isn't huge enough to hurt me but i want to make an intelligent decision, that's all.

if knowledgeable people tell me there is a big step up in quality for spending an extra 1-200 dollars for the C&J Brooks Brothers (did I gather correctly that that's the manufacturer) then I am happy to do so, but if not then i would like to make the informed decision not to spend a lot extra unnecessarily.

my last dress shoes (cole haan) were not cheap and turned out to be not good quality, so i'm trying to do my homework this time around. i just finished grad school and am trying to figure out which of these options would be best to have in my rotation for the first few years of my grown up career.

at this point i think you have all helped me narrow it down to a perforated cap toe from: either Brooks Brothers standard, Brooks Brothers Peal & Co, or Allen Edmonds. any guidance in how to think about these options would be appreciated. what am i getting for the extra money? do people here think it's worth it to spend $600 on Peal & Co over ~$400 on the standard BB or AE? or are they really the same category of shoe? (i.e. i would need to go up the ranks higher to see a difference?)

 

[sns23]

FYI some Brooks Brothers are just rebranded Allen Edmonds

 

[Liquidus]

You would have more options if you didn't have to buy right away. You could buy shoes from C&J directly for cheaper than the Peal & Co.

I would buy a $350 pair from AE or BB. After that, you can step up to C&J or Carmina if you think the difference in construction and shape is worth it.