Shoes for my dad

[vanity]

My dad is about 50-something and since losing weight is getting into shopping a lot. Last year for xmas I bought him a few of those 70s style tank watches where the metal face sits on top of a wide leather band.

So this year I'm thinking of getting him shoes. He has a lot of dress shoes and some black Nike Shox he likes for casual. So I thought I'd bridge the gap between the two.

What do you think of the following 3 styles?

I have a pair of black casual Kenneth Cole's that he really likes, so without getting him the ones I have, I chose the above 3. I need a second opinion, please.

Thanks a lot!

 

[Tomasso]

 

[Jared]

The first ones are the only ones I can really see a 50-something pulling off. You definitely have to be young to have velcro, or else people will wonder if it's there for function. The middle ones are pretty downtown mixed with sporty - I think they'd work better with natural tones.

Speaking of natural tones, why not get him something like Clarks Desert Boots?

 

[AlanC]

 

[VMan]

He should be dressing his age and not trying to dress 'younger' and sadly failing like a lot of older guys who try and pull off the sneaker/shoe hybrids.

How about an ankle boot? Works well for in between dressy and casual situations, and very versatile with different types of clothing. Engineer boots can sometimes also be pulled off by older men.

 

[DocHolliday]

I can't endorse any of those for anyone, of any age.

 

[sho'nuff]

he may not be 'trying to dress young' but maybe he just has a preference to those types of shoes due to comfort, practicality, maybe looks.

 

[hossoso]

I am not sure if I am naively entering into some running joke here so I will tentatively give you a serious response. I really, really don't like any of those shoes. Our fathers are similarly aged and I would prefer to see mine in something much more classic and dignified (age appropriate). Those shoes are hybrid abortions that do a disservice to both the styles of shoe they are trying to incorporate.

If he wants athletic shoes, get him New Balance or Saucony. If he wants classic and casual but comfortable shoes, that can range anywhere from Jack Purcells to Sperry to Allen Edmonds. If he wants a dressier shoe, I am sure you can find hundreds of examples here on this forum.

I know that, economically, it would be ideal if you could find a shoe that satisfies all three functions, but I have not seen an example of a shoe that adequately meets all three criteria. There is overlap between criteria 1(athletic) & 2(casual) and overlap between 2(casual) & 3(dress) but, if you expect more than that from a shoe, you should lower your standards. The difference between athletic and dress shoes is too great to expect it to be spanned by a single shoe.

 

[acidboy]

much to learn, padawan, much to learn....

 

[Full Canvas]

Originally Posted by AlanC

You can't kill them. They always return with a new name!
________________________________________

 

[marc237]

I am 50ish. I would disown any child who purchased any of those shoes. But seriously, my take is that the velcro one really implies that the arthritis has really gotten bad. The loafer is ugly. A nice penny or bit loafer would be a far more attractive choice. The sneaker is just a sneaker - many are far nicer.