After doing a bunch of reading and researching over the last month or so, I think that I now have a basic understanding of dress shoes. I was typing some of this in response to someone's question, but thought about posting this as a general introduction.
Obviously, feel free to correct anything inaccurate, or add anything useful.
My understanding of dress shoes is that there are corrected grain/synthetic soled shoes, full grain/synthetic soled shoes, and full grain/leather soled shoes. I haven't seen corrected grain/leather soled shoes, although that doesn't mean that they don't exist.
Corrected grain leather is flawed leather that has been sanded and then coated with wax/polymer to hide the imperfections. As such, it is of lower quality and will not last. Full thickness leather is better than corrected grain, but within that definition comes in various grades of quality. Shoes that do not specify full grain leather are probably corrected grain. Full grain leather, if of good quality, can last for decades.
Synthetic soles may or may not be more comfortable than leather soles. Leather shoes with synthetic soles are (always?) glued to the sole, so they are generally not re-soleable. Leather soled shoes can be resoled. Examples of leather being stitched to soles would be Goodyear and Blake (and there are probably more).
To buy a pair of full grain, leather soled shoes (especially higher quality full grain leather) means either buying shoes over $200ish at least, buying factory seconds at Allen Edmonds, buying used shoes, or buying shoes from one of a few newer merchants who are trying to produce "full grain leather soled shoes" at a lower price point.
The "lower price point" vendors include Jack Erwin, John Doe, Beckett Simonon, and Just a Men Shoe. Shoes range from roughly $100-200. The quality, and customer service, from these vendors is variable from what I've read. My understanding is that you aren't going to get an Allen Edmonds quality shoe at half the price, but they are an option.
In short, my understanding of different price points for (new) shoes -
< $100 - corrected grain, synthetic sole shoes from various vendors. Think of them as "disposable" shoes.
$100-200 - a mishmash of full grain and corrected grain shoes with synthetic and leather soles. The above "lower price point" vendors would be options, an Allen Edmonds second from Shoebank on a deep discount, or vendors selling corrected grain or synthetic soled shoes. Manufacturers who have outsourced manufacturing may also fall here. I'd think that people more knowledgeable than I would generally recommend Allen Edmonds seconds, used shoes, or saving up for the next tier. I'm personally experimenting with a pair of Jack Erwins which are in the mail as we speak.
> $200 - If you're spending this much, I'd think that you darn well better be getting a full grain, leather soled, high quality shoe. There are a bunch of options (Allen Edmonds, Alden, Church's, Moreschi, . . . since most of these are out of my price range I'll really just stick with Allen Edmonds as I know nothing about the other names other than that some people highly recommend them) from the $200's up to really ridiculous prices.
I hope that this is helpful. Enjoy!
Obviously, feel free to correct anything inaccurate, or add anything useful.
My understanding of dress shoes is that there are corrected grain/synthetic soled shoes, full grain/synthetic soled shoes, and full grain/leather soled shoes. I haven't seen corrected grain/leather soled shoes, although that doesn't mean that they don't exist.
Corrected grain leather is flawed leather that has been sanded and then coated with wax/polymer to hide the imperfections. As such, it is of lower quality and will not last. Full thickness leather is better than corrected grain, but within that definition comes in various grades of quality. Shoes that do not specify full grain leather are probably corrected grain. Full grain leather, if of good quality, can last for decades.
Synthetic soles may or may not be more comfortable than leather soles. Leather shoes with synthetic soles are (always?) glued to the sole, so they are generally not re-soleable. Leather soled shoes can be resoled. Examples of leather being stitched to soles would be Goodyear and Blake (and there are probably more).
To buy a pair of full grain, leather soled shoes (especially higher quality full grain leather) means either buying shoes over $200ish at least, buying factory seconds at Allen Edmonds, buying used shoes, or buying shoes from one of a few newer merchants who are trying to produce "full grain leather soled shoes" at a lower price point.
The "lower price point" vendors include Jack Erwin, John Doe, Beckett Simonon, and Just a Men Shoe. Shoes range from roughly $100-200. The quality, and customer service, from these vendors is variable from what I've read. My understanding is that you aren't going to get an Allen Edmonds quality shoe at half the price, but they are an option.
In short, my understanding of different price points for (new) shoes -
< $100 - corrected grain, synthetic sole shoes from various vendors. Think of them as "disposable" shoes.
$100-200 - a mishmash of full grain and corrected grain shoes with synthetic and leather soles. The above "lower price point" vendors would be options, an Allen Edmonds second from Shoebank on a deep discount, or vendors selling corrected grain or synthetic soled shoes. Manufacturers who have outsourced manufacturing may also fall here. I'd think that people more knowledgeable than I would generally recommend Allen Edmonds seconds, used shoes, or saving up for the next tier. I'm personally experimenting with a pair of Jack Erwins which are in the mail as we speak.
> $200 - If you're spending this much, I'd think that you darn well better be getting a full grain, leather soled, high quality shoe. There are a bunch of options (Allen Edmonds, Alden, Church's, Moreschi, . . . since most of these are out of my price range I'll really just stick with Allen Edmonds as I know nothing about the other names other than that some people highly recommend them) from the $200's up to really ridiculous prices.
I hope that this is helpful. Enjoy!
