Which shoes as a First Time purchase?

[fusherino]

i understand that more than a few members here like AEs, but the one pair i tried, park avenues, I absolutely hated. Ordered them online, and was horrified to see them in person. Thought they looked very sloppy, and also seemed as tho they would take years to break in. Just something to consider.

 

[The_Foxx]

clearly, allen edmonds are a great choice-- very well made, very conservative shoes. however, if you're looking for a younger, sleeker style you might also consider the shoes at Barneys, under their house brand. nice toe-shapes, etc. and they look good in the newest spring catalogue! unfortunately, about $50 above your budget.....but something to consider.




http://www.barneys.com/b/browse/prod...egoryId=332011

http://www.barneys.com/b/browse/prod...egoryId=332011

http://www.barneys.com/b/browse/prod...egoryId=332011

 

[cvac]

Sounds like you got a bad pair of seconds. I hope you were able to return them.

Any new pair of shoes should be conditioned with leather conditioner prior to the first wearing. Virtually every pair of decent welt-constructed shoes I've seen would require some break-in time. After a few wearings they should be fine.

Originally Posted by fusherino

i understand that more than a few members here like AEs, but the one pair i tried, park avenues, I absolutely hated. Ordered them online, and was horrified to see them in person. Thought they looked very sloppy, and also seemed as tho they would take years to break in. Just something to consider.

 

[cvac]

Who makes the Barney's house brand? Just curious. They don't look bad at all, but the prices are a bit high for a first time dress shoe purchase.

As far as AEs being "too conservative" looking, well, that's the point. Some models are slightly more fashion forward but still conservative enough to be appropriate for interviews, work, etc. Here is a pic of the "dryden" model I have, which I think illustrates the point pretty well. I'm a little bit older than the OP but still pretty young and I don't think they are "old man" shoes or anything like that.

I'd wager that the people you are making presentations to are a bit older than you and probably aren't going to respond as well to someone who looks like they are trying to follow GQ versus someone who dresses pretty close to "classic business dress".

If you're making a first time shoe purchase, you probably want your shoes to be as versatile as possible. Therefore, I'd definitely consider getting a pair of black lace ups before even thinking about a brown pair with an "antiqued" finish. Nothing wrong with the latter per se, but not a good idea for a first purchase.

If you are going to be wearing the shoes often, you should definitely get a second pair as wearing the same pair everyday will wear any pair of shoes out a lot faster than if you rotate them.

 

[tehbry]

I agree with what you are saying. You made some good, accurate assumptions. The clients I have to meet with are generally much older than myself. I guess they could be my parents, haha!

A conservative look is something I will need most of the time. A strong pair of black dress shoes is what I am looking for for the first shoe. My #1 choice at the moment are the AE Park Avenues. I do like the shoes you linked as well. I know there are a lot of shoes that meet what I need in a basic black shoe so I guess price might be a decent determinant for the first purchase.

Originally Posted by cvac

Who makes the Barney's house brand? Just curious. They don't look bad at all, but the prices are a bit high for a first time dress shoe purchase.

As far as AEs being "too conservative" looking, well, that's the point. Some models are slightly more fashion forward but still conservative enough to be appropriate for interviews, work, etc. Here is a pic of the "dryden" model I have, which I think illustrates the point pretty well. I'm a little bit older than the OP but still pretty young and I don't think they are "old man" shoes or anything like that.

I'd wager that the people you are making presentations to are a bit older than you and probably aren't going to respond as well to someone who looks like they are trying to follow GQ versus someone who dresses pretty close to "classic business dress".

If you're making a first time shoe purchase, you probably want your shoes to be as versatile as possible. Therefore, I'd definitely consider getting a pair of black lace ups before even thinking about a brown pair with an "antiqued" finish. Nothing wrong with the latter per se, but not a good idea for a first purchase.

If you are going to be wearing the shoes often, you should definitely get a second pair as wearing the same pair everyday will wear any pair of shoes out a lot faster than if you rotate them.

 

[cvac]

If you call the AE Shoe Bank in Wisconsin, you can get the shoes I linked for $129, because they're a discontinued model. AE can still resole or recraft the shoes when you wear them down even though they are discontinued.

Park Avenues are a good choice, but since wearing the same shoes everyday is not a good idea, I'd rather have 2 pairs for under $300 than one pair of PAs for $320. If you must have the PAs, search around for an online coupon. Recently shoebuy.com was was giving 30% off to first time buyers who used a 20% online coupon. That would bring the price down on the PAs noticeably.

Whatever shoes you get, take of them. Polish/shoe cream, shoe trees, overshoes in the rain, etc.

Originally Posted by tehbry

I do like the shoes you linked as well. I know there are a lot of shoes that meet what I need in a basic black shoe so I guess price might be a decent determinant for the first purchase.

 

[tehbry]

Is there a good site where I can see different discontinued AE models? That way I can get them cheaper from places like the Shoe Bank?

 

[lee_44106]

As far as I know no such site exist. However, most of the AE shoes on Ebay tend to be discontinued models. Look at those, and you can look at the official AE website to see what's the latest models.

 

[cvac]

No. There is no one stop online shop to view discontinued models.

What I do is just call the Shoe Bank and then google the names of the shoes that are on sale. Usually a picture comes up on a website somewhere where you can see them.

Also, you can just browse ebay for pictures, then buy from the Shoe Bank In WI over the phone.

Originally Posted by tehbry

Is there a good site where I can see different discontinued AE models? That way I can get them cheaper from places like the Shoe Bank?

 

[tehbry]

Very good. I'll definitely spend some more time searching Ebay and shoe threads to find some attractive/clearance models.

Does the Shoe Bank have a good return policy for shoes of the wrong size? I'm still unfamiliar which lasts fit my foot the best, so I can see myself running into the sizing problem here and there.

 

[JLibourel]

I suggest you might also consider the A-E Niles in black. It's maybe just a tad more "youthful" than the Park Avenue (five eyelets vs. six for the PA), and it's on closeout status, so you should be able to get it from one of the A-E outlets for a fraction of the cost of the Park Avenue. Be aware, however, that it is on a very different last from the Park Avenue, being on the "new" #8 last whereas the Park Avenue is on the #5 last (A-E's narrowest). The Niles is not a good fit on my foot; the PA is. However, this is immaterial to you, as I am sure your feet are not identical to mine.

 

[cvac]

Go to an AE store or an AE retailer and figure out your size before ordering from the Shoe Bank. In my experience AEs run big compared to casual sneakers and running shoes. For example, I need 1/2 a size smaller in AEs compared to the Brooks running shoes I wear to the gym. If you order from the Shoe Bank, do not wear the shoes outside until you are sure you want to keep them. They will accept returns if you return the shoes in brand new condition. You have to pay shipping unless they screw something up, in which case you would have to request a UPS shipping label from them.

Originally Posted by tehbry

Very good. I'll definitely spend some more time searching Ebay and shoe threads to find some attractive/clearance models. Does the Shoe Bank have a good return policy for shoes of the wrong size? I'm still unfamiliar which lasts fit my foot the best, so I can see myself running into the sizing problem here and there.

 

[tehbry]

I ended up going to Nordstrom today and tried on a few different shoes from AE. I tried on the Park Avenues and the Weybridge. Both of which I liked. I actually knew the salesman from waaaaaay back in high school. So, I was upfront with him about me being there trying to find my size and do some research. He said he figured I was doing something like that and agreed that this was probably the best way to do it. He also showed me some other high end shoes that they carry.

I like the AE shoes overall, but damn, the leather seemed stiff. At least compared to a few of the calfskin shoes I took a look at.

Anyway, I told him I wasn't interested in paying retail right now and I was going to go take a look at the Rack before I came back. Again he agreed with that decision. So upon getting to the Rack, which had a massive shipment of Canali, Zegna, and Hickey Freeman suits and blazers in, I looked through the shoe section and found a pair of AE Delray for $70. They were Worn and Refinished, which I figured meant they were resouled through a cheaper way than AE, but I was overall very happy about buying a pair of AEs in my size for $70.

There is a small crease that has started on the shoe. What type of shoe care can I do to the shoe to possibly bring the leather back into better shape?

Either way, I'm happy that I was able to pick up my first decent pair of shoes for only $70. By the way, after trying on a few brown models of various shades, I think brown looks superior to black

.

Thanks to everyone who posted in this thread and helped me work toward my purchase.

Bryan

 

[hossoso]

Don't forget the cedar shoe trees.

 

[tehbry]

Aye, picked those up for $8, as well!