• Hi, I am the owner and main administrator of Styleforum. If you find the forum useful and fun, please help support it by buying through the posted links on the forum. Our main, very popular sales thread, where the latest and best sales are listed, are posted HERE

    Purchases made through some of our links earns a commission for the forum and allows us to do the work of maintaining and improving it. Finally, thanks for being a part of this community. We realize that there are many choices today on the internet, and we have all of you to thank for making Styleforum the foremost destination for discussions of menswear.
  • This site contains affiliate links for which Styleforum may be compensated.
  • No Man Walks Alone one of our oldest sponsors owned and operated by one of the most discerning buyers I know, is right now offering up to 50% off on their winter sale. Browse their extensive selection of mesnwear, shoes and accessories, and get something truly special, like this special collaboration Western style shirt by G. Inglese in a rich, thick, and luxe brown cotton moleskin, with subtly contasting yellow snaps

  • STYLE. COMMUNITY. GREAT CLOTHING.

    Bored of counting likes on social networks? At Styleforum, you’ll find rousing discussions that go beyond strings of emojis.

    Click Here to join Styleforum's thousands of style enthusiasts today!

    Styleforum is supported in part by commission earning affiliate links sitewide. Please support us by using them. You may learn more here.

Thoughts on "lace-ups without laces look" slip-on shoes?

TimelesStyle

Distinguished Member
Joined
Dec 25, 2010
Messages
2,008
Reaction score
89
Going to be traveling in Europe in a few weeks and am at a bit of a loss for what "nice" shoe to buy/bring. It's going to be a very casual trip, where I'll need nothing more formal than nice jeans. I'll be wearing sneakers for walking around during the days (don't worry, not "look at me, I'm an American tourist" sneakers) but want something else for evenings.

I'd like to to be a slip-on and would prefer it not be a boot (heat and a desire to do only carry-on luggage) but I'm also not a huge fan of loafers and jeans (since there will often be that space where you see sock and the jeans can slip under the tongue of a loafer). Then today I saw some shoes that are meant to look like lace-ups but without laces, though they have an elastic band under the tongue to which everything is attached. They were on the clearance rack at Barney's and were light weight with a fairly thin rubber sole, so still suitable for walking (if not cabbing to dinner).

These seemed casual but nice enough for dinners out, just not sure how I feel about the look. The toe was also a bit wider/boxier than i usually go for, but not to the point of looking blockish and I found myself thinking that this may actually be advantageous for walking since my toes wouldn't be squished the way they are in some of my more elongated shoes.

They're similar to this, but in brown suede:

http://www.barneys.com/Barneys-New-...0209,default,pd.html?cgid=mens-shoes&index=31

Or you could say they're similar to this, but laceless:

http://www.barneys.com/Barneys-New-...7762,default,pd.html?cgid=mens-shoes&index=28
 

Gdot

Distinguished Member
Joined
Jun 14, 2011
Messages
5,247
Reaction score
297
niether are particularly impressive in terms of quality and the toe box is indeed blocky.

if you must, go for the suede with jeans - the black is too formal.
 

TimelesStyle

Distinguished Member
Joined
Dec 25, 2010
Messages
2,008
Reaction score
89

niether are particularly impressive in terms of quality and the toe box is indeed blocky.
if you must, go for the suede with jeans - the black is too formal.


Yes, I probably should have been more specific on the black leather vs. brown suede point; the ones I saw in-store were brown suede laceless, so the style/material was the same as the brown suede wingtip, but the no-laces look was the same as the black.

The only redeeming quality of the toe box is that it's fairly flat, so doesn't have that Kenneth Cole mid-90s douchebag look.

As for quality, I realize that, but I'm getting down to the wire in terms of time and for the price that's not my top concern. Have the rest of the weekend to look so no commitments yet.
 

Hayward

Distinguished Member
Joined
Jul 31, 2011
Messages
2,504
Reaction score
585
There is a reason those shoes are on sale.

Unless you want to go the Churchill style route (a bit much with jeans), I would stick to:

1) loafers
2) monk straps
3) if you need them, elastic shoelaces
4) boat shoes
 

KObalto

Distinguished Member
Joined
Mar 22, 2008
Messages
4,213
Reaction score
85
They will make you look like you just broke out of jail. No.
 

F. Corbera

Timed Out
Timed Out
Joined
Sep 30, 2010
Messages
4,906
Reaction score
1,169
Edward Green gusseted captoes in reverse calf (for Ralph Lauren Purple Label), 88 last.


i-9LX2wPk.jpg
 
Last edited:

JakeLA

Senior Member
Joined
Jun 22, 2007
Messages
348
Reaction score
28
but I'm also not a huge fan of loafers and jeans (since there will often be that space where you see sock and the jeans can slip under the tongue of a loafer

good god
 

Jackie Treehorn

Timed Out
Timed Out
Joined
Mar 26, 2012
Messages
514
Reaction score
61
As with most sartorial matters, it is useful to consider the origins of a certain look. In the case of laceless sneakers (and now, evidently, dress shoes), the look traces its roots to prison, wherein inmates are not permitted to wear laces for fear of their use as weapons of homicide or suicide.

If I were the sort who stepped out in laceless oxfords, I'd want to accessorize appropriately, i.e., with teardrop facial tattoo and a ready toothbrush shank in my breast pocket. That way, people who complained about my choice of attire would be forewarned that I wouldn't think twice to ice a *****.
 
Last edited:

Featured Sponsor

How do you prefer trousers to be finished?

  • Plain hem

  • Cuffed (1.5 inches or less)

  • Cuffed (more than 1.5 inches)

  • No preference, as long as the proportions work


Results are only viewable after voting.

Forum statistics

Threads
523,032
Messages
10,746,490
Members
229,710
Latest member
Richardo Pierre
Top