Ranking Entry Level (Good Quality) Men's Dress Shoe Options

[stylenwby]

Cheaney boots are fascinating to me. No experience yet, but it's on the list. Lately I've had good experiences with Tricker's, which I say are quite a bargain at $300 or less on outlet. Sadly their prices just skyrocketed for the US market.

Yeah , if you can get the Trickers for cheap it's great. At higher prices ☹️

 

[ProfilaBinding]

Cheaney boots are fascinating to me. No experience yet, but it's on the list. Lately I've had good experiences with Tricker's, which I say are quite a bargain at $300 or less on outlet. Sadly their prices just skyrocketed for the US market.

It's been a challenge for me to find styles from Cheaney that are in stock. A lot of the time what I want is either out of stock or discontinued. I would say that Cheaney insoles remind me more of Grant Stone or Loake. The sockliner Cheaney uses is different than the other British brands I've tried.

 

[manowar]

@ProfilaBinding Cheaney seems like a long reach for the US market (and hardly a budget choice if memory serves). And, based on how you described their fit, sounds like it could be a sizing disaster for me.

My idea of budget has admittedly evolved in recent years from sub $150-200 to now sub $300-350.

Not sure if anyone has mentioned Taft. I recently acquired a pair of their boots and they are good. ~$300.

Parkhurst has sort of left the budget realm with their increased material and production cost unless you can find a lucky seconds. I had a pair of samples from them that were solid.

Lots of other smaller contenders around the $300 range like Bordon Columbia and Adelante as well. White's and Drew's have good budget lines in the PNW boot space.

Also surely Red Wing bears honorable mention.

These are of course all boots. Maybe we need a separate thread for that.

 

[Duke Santos]

How about Bodiley's house brand. The London line is made by Cheaney, and the Mayfair line is made by C&J. When you select a size, you'll see an ex-vat price appear. They're a great company with whom to do business.

 

[JFWR]

How about Bodiley's house brand. The London line is made by Cheaney, and the Mayfair line is made by C&J. When you select a size, you'll see an ex-vat price appear. They're a great company with whom to do business.

I've heard nothing but good reports about Bodiley's, honestly.

Too bad my beloved Pediwear died. They had the best price on Saphir around.

 

[Corded Dyson Vacuum]

Not sure if anyone has mentioned Myrqvist yet. I have the boots linked.

Out of Stockholm with shoes made in Portugal. To compare them to Meermin, since I guess everyone will be familiar; pricing is around 10-20% more, but the leather is substantially more supple. Not at the level of my C&Js, but noticeably better than Meermin (I have 4 pairs). The last is roomier than Meermin's, which I find can be a bit pinchy in the toes.

Other brand I'd mention is Solovair. Most of their stuff is Docs-but-better, but they have some of what appear to be their own designs. I have the linked boots in crazy horse. Really impressed with these. They were broken in by the second wear and the leather looks great once its been knocked about a bit. They can be neatened up with a quick dry brush, or brought back to new with dubbin. The sole is wearing out at a rate of knots though, although they were my main boots through last winter. Plan to put a commando sole on them once they wear smooth.

 

[Nick@NicksBoots]

@ProfilaBinding Cheaney seems like a long reach for the US market (and hardly a budget choice if memory serves). And, based on how you described their fit, sounds like it could be a sizing disaster for me.

My idea of budget has admittedly evolved in recent years from sub $150-200 to now sub $300-350.

Not sure if anyone has mentioned Taft. I recently acquired a pair of their boots and they are good. ~$300.

Parkhurst has sort of left the budget realm with their increased material and production cost unless you can find a lucky seconds. I had a pair of samples from them that were solid.

Lots of other smaller contenders around the $300 range like Bordon Columbia and Adelante as well. White's and Drew's have good budget lines in the PNW boot space.

Also surely Red Wing bears honorable mention.

These are of course all boots. Maybe we need a separate thread for that.

Is there not a general thread just called boots or handmade boots here? If not I may start one

 

[stylenwby]

Yep, there's a boots, boots,boots, only thread, but that thread is huge. I'm pretty sure you guys will have a big following if you start your own. I bounce over to follow your reddit thread all the time! 👍

 

[Nick@NicksBoots]

Yep, there's a boots, boots,boots, only thread, but that thread is huge. I'm pretty sure you guys will have a big following if you start your own. I bounce over to follow your reddit thread all the time! 👍

Thanks for the feedback!

 

[manowar]

Is there not a general thread just called boots or handmade boots here? If not I may start one

Yep, there's a boots, boots,boots, only thread, but that thread is huge. I'm pretty sure you guys will have a big following if you start your own. I bounce over to follow your reddit thread all the time! 👍

While I'm not over there much, I can offer the link to the existing thread: Boots Boots Boots - For Boot Guys Only. While the thread may not be focused on the PNW boots segment, there's all kinds posted there.

I too would welcome the existence of a catch-all handmade boots thread. Or a PNW makers thread. There might be a thread like it lurking around, I'm not sure since I usually only visit the threads I follow.

In my earlier post, I was thinking primarily of having a boots-equivalent thread to this one, ranking the quality of affordable boots, which would probably not include Nicks for pricing reasons (I am a fan of Nicks however).

 

[Fifty150]

By good quality, I mean satisfying these basic requirements:

1. Non-cemented construction.

One of the best selling brands in footwear, Timberland, glues their shoes together. A lot of people don't have a problem with that.

frequently these same men are on a limited budget

That is the final deciding factor. If they can't afford it, then there's no use in looking at high priced shoes.

can't be resoled

While the welted shoe, with it's ability to be resoled, is a sign of a good shoe; a lot of people don't care. 100 years ago, maybe even 50 years ago, well crafted shoes were an investment. People did not own 5, 10, 25 pairs of shoes. They owned 1 or 2 pairs of shoes. You took care of them. And shoes were resoled for a more practical reason....... it was cheaper than buying a new pair of shoes. The same way we buy tires, instead of a new car.

Very few people in today's world think that they are making an investment into footwear, nor do they buy a shoe with the intention of owning it for a lifetime. Shoes are often purchased based on style and trends. Shoes are also inexpensive in today's world. Often, you can buy shoes for less than the cost of a resole.

As a younger person, I have to think about spending a day's wages, or a week's wages, on a pair of shoes. For me, the deciding factor is that my feet have to feel good. That's the first thing that I want. If my feet hurt, I don't want them. When I was a kid, they used to say that it was normal for feet to hurt, and that was part of breaking in the shoe. I didn't believe it then, and I don't believe it now. I have owned less expensive and more expensive shoes. Cost has nothing to do with comfort.

I'm sure that everyone has their own beliefs on what is a good shoe, and what is not. As I often wonder to myself, if it's "worth it" to buy a more expensive shoe. At what point am I buying shoes for my feet, or for owning the status symbol label?

 

[Fifty150]

For US residents the general consensus seems to be AE all the way due to the price and range of styles offered

They have greater access to distribution channels. Their own stores, and department stores. And they offer sizes small to extremely big. Someone with a size 5 narrow foot, or size 15 EEE foot, can always get shoes from Allen Edmonds. If you can find it in your size, even Amazon has Allen Edmonds to compete with the $100 shoes.

 

[gimpwiz]

One of the best selling brands in footwear, Timberland, glues their shoes together. A lot of people don't have a problem with that.

Oh snap, Timberland makes dress shoes now?

 

[Fifty150]

Timberland shoes could be your dress shoes..... If that's what your "style" is.


You could wear these with a cocktail dress, and take a stroll down Figueroa.

 

[William Kazak]

Great mentions of brands from all of you folks.

Does anyone have any specific comparisons they could make? Any that you might say are better than their price would suggest? Or conversely, worse than their price warrants?

I have Church's leather shoes before Prada. I purchased them in Chicago years ago when they had a presence here. No longer the case, however. I would suggest ebay. Check out styles and prices of shoes that you are thinking about. Look for "we accept returns". Sometimes, excellent condition, excellent prices on excellent brands can be found on eBay. Paying less than new, of course, is fun.