Suggestion for Budget Brown Business Casual Shoe?

[lysten]

I need a versatile mid-dark brown shoe that's comfortable to walk in around town. I would pair it with khaki, navy, dark grey chinos or indigo jeans. Bonus if I can wear it to an interview but that's not required.

I was considering getting a used pair of cap-toe oxfords on eBay but I don't know how well oxfords will look with jeans. My guess is that they will be a tad too formal.

I was also considering Bruno marcs but I am very skeptical of Vegan leather. If they are still good quality then I will consider them.

Besides that I don't know of any decent options below $100. Any suggestions?

 

[rjc149]

You could look at Cole Haan, Ecco, Johnston and Murphy, or Florsheim. Most of these will have soft rubber/synthetic soles which should be immediately comfortable and feel more like sneakers.

I certainly would not expect any sub-$100 dress shoe to hold up and look decent after a year, unless you wear them sparingly, so keep that in mind. Personally I think cheap dress shoes are a waste of money since you'll need to keep replacing them, and the long-term cost will be higher than investing in a good pair which can be resoled and get more handsome with age.

My 2 cents on oxfords is that they only work when they're black, and worn with formal outfits. I would go for a derby/blucher/loafer for brown shoes.

I have strong opinions against buying used shoes, it's mainly an ick factor of wearing something saturated with someone else's foot secretions and bacteria, but on a purely objective note, they've conformed to someone else's foot and not yours. But, that's also an option if you're not deterred by those factors.