Comfortable shoes...

I don't work at a BB, but that doesn't really apply to my comments:

$1000 for a suit is definitely on the inexpensive to cheap side of things. An average Brioni/Kiton/Oxxford suit can go for well over $4000.

Clearly you've never worn expensive dress shoes because they are really comfortable. When you're paying $500+ for a pair of shoes, you're paying for the softest, most flexible leather and the most seamless construction, all leading to a very nice, comfortable fit. I have a pair of Santonis and they're great.

To answer your question, though, you can get a lot of great shoes for cheap prices on eBay, Nordstrom's Rack, or sales at places like Barney's/Saks/Neiman. I'm talking getting a pair of $400 Canali or Ralph Lauren shoes for $200 or less. Last week I was at a high-end Canadian dept. store that was having a sale and saw a pair of $450 Canalis for $185.

That's probably a better bet than going to Bostonian or Ecco or Kenneth Cole or whatever.

Ecco shoes are very comfortable and durable.

Spending more than $200 seems a little crazy to me --- but then again I am a tightwad :o)

I still don't undertand why anyone would consider buying an OTR Brioni when a nice MTM can be had for around 2k. There comes a point at around 2k when you aren't paying for fabric and labor, but rather a brand name.

It is not necessary to pay more than $150 or $200 for a pair of shoes. Hell, you don't even needs suits that cost more than a few hundred bucks. If you have the money to spare then yes, buy expensive clothes, but do it because you like the clothing and not because you think it is required or because anyone cares.

brisbane: $1000 for a suit is not on the inexpensive to cheap side of things. $1000 is pricey, $4000 is reserved for the rich. Then there are the super rich who can spend tens of thousands.

Yes, In a lot of professions $1,000 is a lot to pay for a suit. However, for all the people who are actually bankers and got paid what we did this year, your seniors will look at you like a dumbass if you wear cheaper stuff than that. $1,000 gets you a full priced Brooks suit and thats as low as you should go. Shoes, it's all about preference. Personally I like Bruno Maglis and Ferragamo, but as long as they fit well and are comfortable get what you like. Get stuff at an outlet if you like, but make sure it was decent in the first place.

get shoes from macy's. that's more than good enough.

suits- best way to go is custom made - for up to $1000 you can get one done. you will need to wait about a month for that. otherwise get a designer suit from macy's again and go get it fitted at men's wearhouse.

a high quality and professional looking pair of J&Ms can be had for $160...

^^ This is why its good to be from a foreign country....custom made suits tailored to perfection by good designers, amazing fabrics...and all that for like 500 bucks....

Rockport's "Dressports" are by far the most comfortable shoes. They are the lightest shoes I have ever worn. Seriously, they weigh less than a blackberry...

Really though, see if you can find Dressports by Rockport. I think Zappos.com has them.

cole haan's aren't overly expensive and they are quality

Edward Green

I can vouch for these as well.

Ya, Rockports are the best if you want comfort.

Let me just say that a nice pair of dress shoes can go a long way. I'm talking spending 300+. Beyond just being much more comfortable and lasting a long time, they also look nicer (for the most part). Cheaper dress shoes (ie. Kenneth Cole) tend to look very bulky, particularly when it comes to the sole.

That being said, it really isn't THAT important. Just don't go in wearing some patent leather Jordan IX's and you should be ok.

Amazon just started a shoe site called endless.com. I bought a pair of Mezlans there a few weeks ago that were $250 at Nordstroms for a little over $100.

Allen Edmonds makes fantastic shoes. They'll re-sole them and re-build them for a nominal fee once they wear out, too. Classic and conservative.

The AE store on Madison Ave. has some discontinued models on sale. You can pick up some discontinued AE "Niles" for 230 or so, and "Park Avenues" for a bit over 300, less on sale. They're both captoe oxfords.

Ecco and Kenneth Cole are absolute crap. AE's will pretty much last forerver if you take care of them and have them re-furbished when needed.

let me add confirmation to how shitty kenneth cole's are. they didn't even last me one year.

Purchasing Expensive clothing serves multiple purposes:

1) Allows you to express your individuality and separate yourself from others.
2) Increases general comfort levels while working for extended periods of time.
3) Increases self confidence and levels of recognition by peers.
4) Makes others respect you b/c in a world where men regularly don't know to match their belt to their shoes, a well folded handkerchief can go a long way to ensuring your remembrance.

Clothing is an investment - The higher the quality, the greater the potential return. You never know who you may run into on the street or get pulled into a meeting with.

Every little bit counts.

GateBreaker

Ok, the first sentence says it all - you have been at a BB for a month. When you figure out how things wreally work, you will see that coughing up for a good suit and shoes is worth it. Most of the guys who will be deciding your bonus (i.e. your group head, by pushing for you at the compensation meeting, or not) will form their impression based on what your reviewers say AND whether you look like a banker. They probably don't even know your name, so that's where you can make a difference by being that kid who "looks like a real ibanker" and that "geek that works for me".

Don't go overboard, but if you wanna be a banker:

1. learn how to put up with dress shoes
2. invest in your appearence - this is the sole attribute that most ibankers actually have, so we all get judged by it as a result

good luck!

"Living the dream 24/7 on http://theallnighter.blogspot.com"

what about bags? I need a nice black leather bag to carry stuff in and match my suit / biz/cas getup. Any suggestions? Shoes seem to get all the attention around here.

Don't mean to threadjack, if I get no reponses here I'll start a new thread.

Btw, I like Kenneth Coles.

Cole Haan makes nice and reasonable dress shoes, and they have a partnership with nike to make some dress shoes with invisible nike insoles= super comfortable and only like $150

Their styling is *ok*, but I second the guy who said the quality is total crap. Not only was the leather so stiff that it cut the back of my ankles, but the shoe started to come apart after a about a year.

Just my $0.02: $150 buys you a rubber-soled, corrected-grain steerhide shoe that will label you as ignorant, apathetic, slobbish, or just plain poor to anyone with an eye for quality. While I'm currently in Big 4 where sloppy dressers abound, the few iBanker's I've met have generally had such eye for quality - and your shoes are among the first things they'll notice about you.

My advice (which I follow) would be to buy at least two pairs (never wear the same pair on consecutive days) of REAL dress shoes - having leather soles and uncorrected grain calfskin. Decent shoes cost $300-500 a pair, but you can often find good sales. A few brands to consider are Ferragamo, Allen Edmonds, and Churchs. There may be a break-in period, but after that the shoes will mold to your feet, which will result in the most comfortable, best-looking shoes you've ever had. (oh, and get some shoe trees to keep the shoes in good form)

I work at a BB and have worn sneakers to work. Still got top bucket. Nice clothes compensate for poor performance.

The most comfortable dress shoes ive ever worn were a pair of florsheims. I believe the model was called Riva. A pair runs you about $100. They are ridiculously comfortable...they feel as if you are wearing slippers.

I can say that this shoe is more comfortable when compared to other expensive dress shoes ive had which include ferragamos, guccis, canalis, bruno maglis, etc.

i wear rockports all the time. good shoes. i also like gucci's.

Check out Gordan Rush or Kenneth Coles. I found some at Nordstroms for around $120 on sale and have been wearing them for a year day in day out....Looking for comfort and style, stay the course with those brands for your buck.

Although I don't work in NY (I currently work in the Middle East in the i-banking industry) and have to agree with some of the forum members that the way you dress is important in an industry which places a lot of emphasis on "packaging". Everyone may have a different price point but better quality suits (MTM from a tailor on or off Savile Row in London is often a better proposition than RTW Armani, Brioni, etc.) and in particular shoes (think Edward Green, JM Weston, G&G, etc.) are "expensive". Regardless of what everyone says, our clients (and bosses) do give sufficient importance to our appearance and I, for one, believe that one should think quality rather than quantity when it comes to building a basic wardrobe.

A good number of my bosses wear suits from men's wharehouse.

Shaving and looking presentable is important. Very few bankers have facial hair or long hair.

ok, it all makes sense now. at first i thought i had sensitive ankles or something. i wore kenneth coles in college because they were inexpensive and i wouldn't really worry about them getting banged around too much. they look ok, but it's true that they're not that comfortable (in fact, i find them to be way too stiff and chunky, and they don't offer enough width sizes to have a good fit)

more seriously, though, for a real pair of dress shoes (at a reasonable price), i highly recommend the captoes by allen edmonds and alden. you can get a very attractive and comfortable pair for $400 or less and it will be suitable for just about every formal event or interview. plus, both companies offer the shoes in multiple lengths, widths, and lasts, and if you get the right size for yourself, they'll fit almost like a sock. not literally, but that's how comfortable they feel.

The Rockports are a good choice, and if you need to walk some distance in your shoes, a very good choice.

Even better are the Allen Edmonds wingtips can be had with a Vibram lug sole for year-round wear.

@Gatebreaker: Increases general comfort levels while working for extended periods of time.

A mark of distinction.

Some slobs are too uncomfortable or self conscious to stay properly dressed; or are too worried about spilling
something while 'in costume' and as soon as the client meeting is over, dress down.

You need to be presentable in any job. But you don't need to be extravagant as an analyst. Packaging is not so important when you're in the office 95% of the time.

I recently bought a black pair of Brunomagli's at Nordstrom on sale for $240, marked down from $350. By far the most comfortable dress shoes I have owned. I also own a brown pair of Allen Edmunds, which ran me about $220. Both get complimented often, and both have felt great from the first time I tried them on.

I think the key is to keep them well polished, and conditioned. Use a shoe tree, and always put them on using a shoe horn. This will ensure your shoe investment is one that provides the same great returns for your to come!

Generally, as you get better quality shoes (from J&M-> Allen Edmonds-> Edward Green, Alden -> John Lobb, Crockett and jones), generally, the comfort level really rises. El.Toro is dead on- shiny shoes and a pair of shoes trees will keep your shoes looking great for a long time.

Aldens captoes are awesome. Like $300 for non-cordovan ones but a great investment. My father has had a pair for over 20 years, resoled them 4 times and still loves them. Bad shoes will wear out but great shoes can be worn forever.

Do people care if you wear dress shoes that aren't lace-ups? My bank is biz-casual, if that makes a difference. Found a pair of Calvin Klein's that I like on sale for <$100 and seem pretty comfortable. Anyone think these are too cheap and since they aren't lace-ups not appropriate?

Personally I wear dress loafers to work most of the time. I love Reaction by Kenneth Cole. The Reaction line is the 'sport' line that has ultra confortable soles and still look very presentable. As far as ultra-dressy shoes, I just look for shoes with a leather sole, not wooden ones. Many of the italian made shoes with leather soles retail for 350+ so I generally wait until they go on sale for 200 dollar range.

what kind of shoes should a rising sophomore wear for a summer internship at a business casual firm (BlackRock)? How much should I spend and how many pairs should I buy if the internship is supposed to continue till the fall semester?

Most of the brands listed in this thread do not make dress shoes.

Conservative shoes with excellent construction can be had at around ~$300 from Allen Edmonds, Alden, and Crockett & Jones (my personal favorite).

I just picked up a pair of Mezlans as well. Any idea why they're so cheap on the site?

+23423 Allen Edmonds and Alden (and for John Lobb et al. if you can afford it).

I agree Rockports are comfortable shoes, but they are also some of the ugliest dress shoes ever made

I just picked up a pair of CJ Handgrades online that I CANNOT wait to get in.

Salvatore Ferragamo 'Rugby' Oxford

http://shopping.aol.com/clothing-accessories/mens-clothing/mens-shoes/me...