Bangkok: know a shoe sore w/ Alden, AE, etc.?

Have a quick layover in BKK and will head into the city. I need to grab a decent pair of dress shoes. Anyone know of a place that sells Alden or Allen Edmonds there?

Those brands are probably ridiculously expensive there, especially Alden.

Anyone else? I'm really trying to pinpoint a one-stop shop where I can grab a pair of good dress shoes. Any help is greatly appreciated.

if you're willing to pay a huge premium then buy legit in thailand... but you could just spend for a ticket to hawaii and shop directly at leather soul.

how's the postal service in thailand? reliable? what about the import taxing scheme? if its reliable/non taxed/cheap just order online from leather soul.

Originally Posted by bigbris1

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Those brands are probably ridiculously expensive there, especially Alden.

This.

You do realize that AE is ridiculously expensive overseas, right? Especially in Europe. I can't even begin to imagine what Aldens would cost.

Originally Posted by Arrogant Bastard

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This. You do realize that AE is ridiculously expensive overseas, right? Especially in Europe. I can't even begin to imagine what Aldens would cost.
Yes. Sadly I know I'm going to get screwed, but living/working in Phnom Penh doesn't afford one many options in the way of well made dress shoes. Ordinarily I'd mail order but this is urgent. Will be in Bangkok this evening - store suggestions from anyone is appreciated.

Originally Posted by Auhasardrobert

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Yes. Sadly I know I'm going to get screwed, but living/working in Phnom Penh doesn't afford one many options in the way of well made dress shoes. Ordinarily I'd mail order but this is urgent.

Will be in Bangkok this evening - store suggestions from anyone is appreciated.

I would bet good money that you can get superior English shoes at lower prices in SE Asia by way of Hong Kong. C&J, etc. Worth looking into, at least.

That depends on what size he wears. I think the biggest size there is like an 8

The OP needs to buy a shoe today in Bangkok. Please do not give him any more advice that does not involve Bangkok and today.

Beside longtimelove spots I got nothing, I wear a 13 EDIT: a quick google search turned up this http://www.bangkoksartoria.com/shoes/good-shoes/

Auhasardrobert, It is difficult to get anything done in a short period of time in Bangkok due to traffic and the size of the city. The Paragon shopping center is a luxury mall with shops like Hermes etc.. So with only a little time that would be a good start and you can go there on the Sky train so it will not be a headache to shop there. You can also ask the concierge at any of the Luxury hotels in Bangkok. Good luck with your search. Kind regards, David

I think it's worth reviving this old thread, rather than start a new one, just in case the OP still works in PP and needs another pair of shoes.

I live and work in Bangkok, I need shoes, and have large-ish feet (12 1/2 EE to 13 range depending on the manufacturer and the last). I'll post my shopping adventures here. If i decide to have shoes made rather than buy them I'll either find an appropriate thread to add to or start one.

First thing to consider in Bangkok: Most of the places you'd look for good shoes will be on the BTS Skytrain or the MRT subway. You DO NOT want to take a taxi if you can help it. taxis are cheap and plentiful, but Bangkok traffic is so plentiful that you might reach your destination faster walking.

If you need large shoes, Zen in Central World carries larger sizes. I'm not impressed with the choices available, it's mostly Rockport, Clark's,Ecco, that sort of thing. I may resort to shoe-looking-sneakers, i spend at least 5 hours a day standing. Comfy's nice. This type of shoe aren't very durable, however, especially in this climate.

Siam Paragon is walking distance from Central World. There are numerous fashion-oriented posh shops there; I've investigated none of them. However, I have seen Loake shoes in the anchor store. No idea about sizes yet as I didn't need shoes at the time.

Things worth considering for the Bangkok shoe-needy: flying to Hawaii, as suggested above, or the States, or Europe, just for shoes is too expensive. It'll be about US$1000 airfare and up, typically. Not worth it if you're not going anyway. Hong Kong and Singapore are pretty cheap airfares, short flights do-able in a weekend, and reasonably-priced hotels can be found on Agoda.

Shipping shoes from the states is typically more expensive than buying them in Bangkok. Import duty is 40 percent and shipping tends to be expensive because shoes are large and relatively heavy. If you know someone who's flying over from the States (or Europe, or wherever) have the shoes shipped to them, or have them buy them if you're sure of your size. ONLY buy shoes sight-unseen if you are confident of the brand's fit, because NO amount of measuring will give you any degree of certainty regarding fit. I'd bought New Balance running shoes online a number of times, got overconfident, measured the bejesus out of my feet, called the Newton people, had them talk me through it, and ordered a pair of Newtons. It ended badly. They'll be on eBay or Baht-Sold soon.