The perfect shoe!

[Drewhunz]

Thanks for that info my19, I'm going to head out to Culwell and Son this weekend. I haven't been there since I was probably 14 (they used to sell Boy Scout uniforms), but their location is now a Pep Boys. I'll have to see where they are at now.

Mike

Right behind SMU on Hillcrest.

[Stubblefield]

I'm an Alden fan. It started from B&B. I get a lot of wear from both the brwn captoe plain and cap toe with brouge. Some ideas:
http://www.alden-of-carmel.com/index.cfm/shoes.htm

OR specifically these: http://www.leathersoulhawaii.com/200...-punch-oxford/

Once you figure out your size, you can search for deals and sales.

+1 for Alden and Alden of Carmel. I purchased a pair of kudu Indy's from them recently and received exceptional service from Adam.

The Alden Cognac Wingtip may have just won, that is a very smart looking shoe! I'm always scared to order a shoe that I have not tried on. I've had two pairs of Church shoes, and they are very nice, but the varience in their different lasts means that I would have to try them on before purchasing. Of course I am going to have to talk to Leffot before I commit to the shoe, I've always wanted a custom made pair of shoes.

Mike

Would have to agree. Having tried many a shoe, Alden is the only shoe that I will wear.

[duotone]

Planning on getting a blue suit in the next couple of months for a wedding and I have been looking at these guys http://www.barker-shoes.co.uk/ Click "Barkerflex" and have a read, that range caught my attention.

http://pediwear.co.uk/barker/ranges/198.php - The "Heywood" model immediately caught my eye but I intend to go to their shop & try some pairs on.

£155 doesnt seem too badly priced either.

[gaseousclay]

Planning on getting a blue suit in the next couple of months for a wedding and I have been looking at these guys http://www.barker-shoes.co.uk/ Click "Barkerflex" and have a read, that range caught my attention.

http://pediwear.co.uk/barker/ranges/198.php - The "Heywood" model immediately caught my eye but I intend to go to their shop & try some pairs on.

£155 doesnt seem too badly priced either.

those look pretty nice and they should go perfectly with a blue suit

[duotone]

Cheers Gaseous ^

Comfort is king though, if they disappoint, I will see what other styles they have.

Wouldnt it be great if you could wear a pair for a day and just see how comfortable they really are. A couple minutes in a shop and walking 20 steps isnt enough.

[gaseousclay]

you could also look into a balmoral shoe as well. don't get me wrong, I love bluchers but a balmoral cap-toe is a good all around formal shoe

[GlobalGentleman]

Don't forget to place a lot of consideration on fit, even more so than style to begin with. There's so many curved facets to the foot, add in required support for the bones, and not to mention all the nerve endings and pressure we put on our feet! yikes! Get the fit right, and then decide if you're happy with the style! For example, have a wide foot? consider a Derby. Have a narrow foot? look toward Oxfords. That's what I'm getting at....happy hunting!

[binowatch]

With a dark blue suit for more formal or business use I'd suggest a Black Captoe from Alden as first choice, Allen Edmonds a close follower. The captoe is the most formal style of those you mentioned but can easily dress down to any occasion. Wingtips/longwings/gunboats are felt to be more casual by some. Plain toe somewhere in between and very versatile. While brown or cordovan will go well with blue most conservative look is with black.

[Paris]

Nieman Marcus carries Lobb - at least on line.
J. Weston makes a great shoe - I think NYC is their only American store.
Check BlueFly for a good price on higher end shoes - I have always been happy with the shoes I have bought there.
I recently bought a pair of suede shoes that can go with a blue suit.
Also check out Ben Silver - they carry a few great shoe lines.

Congratulation on your purchase - very cool suit.

[Captain Pete]

It begins and ends with Allen Edmonds. American made starting at $295.

[gaseousclay]

It begins and ends with Allen Edmonds. American made starting at $295.

I don't know why but I still dislike the look of AE shoes. I think Alden is a step up from AE, albeit, a tad more expensive. it's weird to me that no US shoe company has managed to mimic the styles of our European brethren.

[Doc4]

Planning on getting a blue suit in the next couple of months for a wedding and I have been looking at these guys http://www.barker-shoes.co.uk/ Click "Barkerflex" and have a read, that range caught my attention.

http://pediwear.co.uk/barker/ranges/198.php - The "Heywood" model immediately caught my eye but I intend to go to their shop & try some pairs on.

£155 doesnt seem too badly priced either.

That looks really nice. The one suggestion I'd make is get the "Jardine" model instead ... an Oxford style rather than a Derby style ... which will be a bit more formal and better suited to a suit.

I just bought a Ralph Lauren Black Label suit. It's a single breast, blue with pinstripes, and will be out of the tailor's after being altered tomorrow... so I now want a pair of brown (cognac or similar patina) shoes.

Here's my thoughts, I definitely want a Blucher style, but should I go wingtip, cap-toe, or split-toe. If you have a specific brand/model to recommend please do so!

Mike

I would suggest (as mentioned above) going with the Oxford style rather than the Derby (aka Blucher) style, as being more formal and suited to a suit. But 95% of the population won't notice/know/care so it's not too big a deal if you really really have to have a Blucher.

Avoid the split-toe. You thought only women could suffer from the unsightly camel-toe? Wrong!

Avoid the split-toe.

Cap-toe is more 'formal' than wingtip. Since these will be your brown shoes, why not wing it? Get a black captoe pair for funerals and court appearances, and evenings out with the wife, and ues the brown for daytime everything else.

If you have a Brooks Bros. nearby, go try on the Peal & Co brand shoes there ... they are made in England by Alfred Sargent and Crockey & Jones, two great shoemakers. On sale, they are a good value. (Avoid full price if you can. )

If you are sold on the blucher idea, check out the Peal pebble-grain chukkas. http://www.brooksbrothers.com/IWCatP...tionsize=#null The burgundy isn't as dark as in the photo, and if you polish it with clear or light-reddish-brown polish it will only get better.

[duotone]

That looks really nice. The one suggestion I'd make is get the "Jardine" model instead ... an Oxford style rather than a Derby style ... which will be a bit more formal and better suited to a suit.

I appreciate the advice Doc4.

Another beautiful shoe & part of the Barkerflex collection which I am determined to own a pair from

[duotone]

Went to their shop today. I'm not 100% sure what model from below I tried on but it was made of soft leater and was a G width fitting and was too wide for my feet. If I was guessing I think it might have been the top pic the "Warren". Would wearing a thicker sock solve the problem? or is it better to find a pair that feel more snug?

I was surprised that they dont make every style in all the different widths. Otherwise as I found out, it really limits the buyer & reduces the range available to them or in this case ME!

I figured that a darker pair of shoes would be worn more often by me, so I turned my attentions away from the tans.

My friend was getting a bit impatient in the shop, but I think next time I will go back on my own and get a pair, when I have more time. I dont want to rush buying a pair of £150+ shoes.

WARREN


EALING



JAMES

[Salty O'Rourke]

AE are carried at finer department stores, so finding and trying on their shoes won't be a problem. AE offers styles in different lasts, so it's important to determine which last suits you best. I have a pair of AE MacNeil wingtip bluchers that fit like a glove; I have a pair of Park Avenue cap toe balmorals that aren't nearly as comfortable because they are made on a different last. Same with Aldens.

Now let me climb into my asbestos suit.....okay - you might want to look into Johnston and Murphy's Custom Select program (not the shoes they sell in the stores - even though their top line is still US made, they only come in black in the stores). They custom fit you in the store, so if one foot is a half-size larger than the other you don't have to put up with one ill-fitting shoe. They are bench made in the US, and you get the shoes, cedar shoe trees, bags, and polish for $425.00. The styles are traditional, but to my way of thinking that's not a bad thing. Shoes at this price point will last for years with proper care; I have US-made Florsheims and J&Ms that are 15+ years old. What looks stylish and trendy today will look outdated and clownish in just a couple of years - like those square-toed Pilgrim-looking monstrosities that were all the rage five years ago, or the Nehru jackets of my youth. Traditional never goes out of style.

[Doc4]

... G width fitting and was too wide for my feet. ... Would wearing a thicker sock solve the problem? or is it better to find a pair that feel more snug?

I dont want to rush buying a pair of £150+ shoes.

Don't rush buying shoes, and don't compromise on fit, either.

I've done that a few times, to my regret. You are spending good money, so get shoes that fit properly. The rationalisation of "I'll wear thicker socks" may sound good, but that means that not only will you always have to wear (thicker) a type of sock that does not look as good with that shoe and the suit &c you'll be wearing it with ("hey, he's well-dressed ... oh, except for those ugly socks ... forget I said anything about him being well-dressed") but you are also stuck with having to maintain two sets of socks ... the regular ones and the thick ones ... for your suits and you have to know whether to pull on the thick ones or the thin ones when you get dressed ... what a bother.

You are spending a lot of money on something that will last for a long time ... you have the right to get a proper fit.

[duotone]

Its just hard when your heart says "thats the ones I want, they look great & the leather feels the softest" Then you get around to trying them on and they are just too wide.

"Don't rush buying shoes, and don't compromise on fit, either.
I've done that a few times, to my regret."

Cheers Doc, yet again sound advice.

[duotone]

These look quite nice for spring/summer wear.Also, available in Navy, Light Blue & Red.

http://www.kurtgeiger.com/online-shop/202995-kg-bleeker

[duotone]

Finally went and bought a pair of decent shoes. I went into Crockett and Jones and tried on 8 or so pairs until I found ones which felt the most comfortable. In the end I went with their Bradford black calf leather shoe. http://www.crockettandjones.com/Prod...k#.UOtjT3wgGSO

[Cuttingboard]

I don't know why but I still dislike the look of AE shoes. I think Alden is a step up from AE, albeit, a tad more expensive. it's weird to me that no US shoe company has managed to mimic the styles of our European brethren.

Agree!!

This Carmina's would look great with a blue suit. May have to buy a pair for spring in a lighter brown (tan) to go with my navy suits.



I like to wear my Carmina Austerity Brogue in Snuff Suede with a blue suit in fall/winter.