What makes your shoes better than my shoes?

[pacumeni]

I'm shopping for a new pair of shoes/boots to go with my everyday jeans wear. There are so many suggestions and brands out there that it discourages me to actually go shopping.

What do I want? Something that will last and still look good. What's the difference between my pair of Nike leather boots or my Timberlands and say...Gucci, Branchini, Barrett, Grensons, or <insert $200+ pair of shoes here>?

Am I getting that much of a better deal? Longer wear? Nicer look?

-Novice, with a desire to learn

 

[imageWIS]

Well, if you don't know what makes my shoes better than your shoes, I would suggest you spend a few more hours reading the forum, you have a lot to learn...j/k

Seriously, the "˜it' shoes of the moment are Pumas. If not, Adidas makes a lot of shoes that go with jeans. Prada is not worth the money in IMHO, unless you get them on sale at least 50% off. Gucci is OK, the only reason I was looking for a pair of their driving loafers is that the only other company that fit me as comfortably is LV Lombok loafer, which incidentally costs twice as much. I like more "dress" (read: simpler, streamlined) based sneakers, so your tastes may vary. Better deals depend on how much of a discount you can get, but if you are discussing retail, consideration as to which particular quality is important to you (style, look, etc...) determines if the shoe is "˜worth it' or not. Long wear is a multifaceted problem, variable such as your weight, how often the shoes get used, the materials of the shoe, etc... are all factors which determine longevity, on top of the obvious outset of build quality. Regarding look, well that is the most subjective question of all, to some a particular shoe will look amazing and to others it will be the sartorial devil incarnate. Which shoes are you currently looking at? (I.e. which model from which manufacture?) Jon. (who probably just confused you more than actually giving a helpful answer)

 

[pacumeni]

Well, if you don't know what makes my shoes better than your shoes, I would suggest you spend a few more hours reading the forum, you have a lot to learn...j/k

... Which shoes are you currently looking at? (I.e. which model from which manufacture?)

You're probably right. Â I *do* need to spend some more time reading. Â It's all very interesting indeed. Â With so many brands around, it's hard to tell the difference between being "brand aware" and truly getting a good shoe. Â With a certain segment of the population, Nike, Puma, Adidas or Reebok might be famous footwear. Â Another might like the feel/look of Timberland. Â And still another wouldn't be caught dead with any of those brands labels on them. My frustration comes in that I don't have a "little black book" that tells me Emporio Armani, A. Testoni, Cole Haan, or Hermes are your best bang for the buck, while Bally, Sperry, Bottega Veneta, or Tod's. Â I guess that's where the "I suggest you spend a few more hours reading the forum" will come in handy, right? As for the second question, "which model from which manufacturer?" ...well, I hadn't decided. Â Something nice enough for the office, but with a pair of jeans. Â I wear a pair of roughed up Nike boots (from my pre-care-about-style days) right now cuz that's why I have. Â They're pretty much a tan leather boot with a black sole. Â I enjoy the comfort, but they're wearing down. Â Time to go with something classier and maybe less "rugged". Â What's your favorite? Â I'll go research it to death and find some ideas, I'm sure. Thanks for your help.

 

[Alias]

I'd be perfectly happy with a pair of decently-priced, hard-wearing shoes.

Sure, C&J Handgrades are awesome, and I'd love a pair of Greens, but those are at the end of the quality scale where things become, as jcusey puts it, more superlative. It's just a question of whether you'd want to pay $300 to upgrade from REALLY GOOD to REALLY REALLY GOOD.

And since you'll be wearing these things on your feet, Bad Things ™ may happen to them, like dogs, rain, food, dirt, curbs, and maybe fire.

 

[LA Guy]

Depends how casual you want to go, and what you are comfortable with. Personally, I feel that anything more formal that Chukkas (desert boot style) or casual Chelsea boots with jeans is overkill, and would just look uncomfortable and overdressed. So I have a couple of dozen pairs of sneakers, and swtich them up depending on my mood and the rest of my outfit. I've seen others wear laceup Lattanzi's and look just fine. INHO, sneakers are sneakers - and the difference between a pair of Hogans and a pair of Nikes is not great enough to warrant the $300+ price differential, especially since I think that sneakers should be worn to death and replaced frequently. On the other hand, there are considerable differences between a pair of Lattanzis and a pair of Ferragamos. Whether these differences warrant the $2000+ price difference depends on your finances and your priorities.

 

[STYLESTUDENT]

I differentiate between work casual with a jacket (I'll wear Aldens), work in a suit (C&J Handgrade) or just wearing blue jeans to the grocery store. I'll wear Timberlands (Gianni Agnelli wore these with jeans too, if we want to invoke a style icon). On the other hand, Timeless Rider, a stylish member of the forum, wears Vass "Alt Wien" cordovan shoes (over $1,000) or cordovan Grenson Masterpiece with his jeans. It's really up to you.

 

[dorian]

Gianni Agnelli wore Timberlands? Timberland's classic tan leather work boots?


I almost always wear EGs or C&Js with jeans. The exception is, of course, when I am driving and when I am really and truly running around the corner for something.

 

[faustian bargain]

this graph may have relevance:

also, as has been pointed out before on this forum, agnelli was a singularity and as such represents the archetype of the Ideosyncratic Dandy. imitators tread carefully. /andrew

 

[STYLESTUDENT]

Gianni Agnelli wore Timberlands? Timberland's classic tan leather work boots?

He did. I recall this from an article from "Manton" (a/k/a Nicholas Antongiovanni). Before Timberland was made in China or wherever. But I don't know if they were the workboots (I assume so).

(From DeTomaso News)
No businessman matches Gianni Agnelli's hold over
Italy. With a single appearance, he has sparked fashions in
Italy ranging from wearing Timberland boots to leaving
button-down shirt collars unbuttoned, to strapping watches
outside the cuff. Journalists hound his every appearance.

 

[raley]

What's the difference between a dress and a casual, as one of you said, chelsea boot? I guess I have been sort of looking for a nice shoe to dress up jeans and to pass with dress pants/khakis. Other than sneakers, all I have are a brown pair of doc martens.

Any suggestions in the lower price ranges (pref. under 200$, but lower the better). I guess I could say I prefer chelsea boots to chukka, but I'm not totally sure.