Dropping Coin on two pairs of shoes as a SA

I have an internship this summer and was wondering if two pairs of quality shoes are necessary. Some people on the site were saying that its necessary because your shoes will take a beating, but I think dropping $500+ on quality shoes seems crazy for a summer....

Also, yay or nay for horsebit loafers? Looking at something like the link below. Many mixed reviews on this site. My place is business casual.

http://www.colehaan.com/colehaan/catalog/product.jsp?catId=100&productI…

Thanks

 

Personally, I would just buy a good pair of brown & black oxfords. If you don't have any nice shoes for work, then don't start with loafers since those aren't always appropriate. Plus, Cole Haans are fantastic and will last you a long time if you take care of them.

 
Best Response
watever:
I have an internship this summer and was wondering if two pairs of quality shoes are necessary. Some people on the site were saying that its necessary because your shoes will take a beating, but I think dropping $500+ on quality shoes seems crazy for a summer....

Also, yay or nay for horsebit loafers? Looking at something like the link below. Many mixed reviews on this site. My place is business casual.

http://www.colehaan.com/colehaan/catalog/product.jsp?catId=100&productI…

Thanks

watever, skip the Cole Haan and skip the loafers all together.

If you're going to buy quality shoes, fill up your wardrobe with oxfords first (plain or captoe, skip the brogueing).

Invest in a good pair of shoe trees (cedar), to keep your shoes fresh and keep them from getting wrinkles or bumps. Ideally you don't want to wear a pair of shoes on consecutive days.

Let's talk about quality. Well made shoes are going to set you back a bit, but they're worth every penny. Give the following three a shot:

Allen Edmonds (Park Avenue is a great shoe) Alden Peal & Co. (sold by Brooks Brothers)

The shoes will take care of you if you take care of them. It's worth mentioning that AE will recraft your shoes for a small fee as long as you own them, and it'll make them good as new.

If you want further advice, the guys over on styleforum would be more than happy to give you some recommendations.

 

2nd the allen edmonds - park aves are the standard on wall street.

with shoe trees you're looking at 375 per shoe which is slightly above your price point. I'd just get one pair and and ask your parents to temporarily borrow a 2nd pair of dress shoes. Then your first month into your SA buy a 2nd pair.

 

I bought a beautiful pair of GEOX dress shoes in Italy and they lasted me 4 years of part-time use and 1 year of full time use in project management. (This means i was on construction sites all the time, walking around..)

Rain, Shine, Snow.. they've seen it all.

You can get 1 good pair of shoes under $300 and they will last you a long time...

 

I highly recommend Allen Edmonds. The store usually has several sales each year on select shoes. I own these:

Park Avenues - Black... I paid the full $345 price but have seen the black ones on sale for $250 McAllister - Walnut... retail is $345 but paid $250 during sale Fifth Avenue - Walnut... retail $345 but paid $250 during sale Sedona - Tan (casual)... retail $195 but I paid $100 during sale (and AE gift card from recrafting)

The key is waiting for a sale and hoping you find a pair you like. The Park Avenues and 5th Avenue are perfect for an intern. However, def wait for a sale, otherwise each shoe is ~$370 w/ taxes. If you like loafers look out for the Westchesters... I saw them for $199 during a recent sale. On their website now I see the grey PAs are on sale for $250 but I don't like the color.

Recrafting is expensive... I paid $125 for the most expensive package but they usually give you a $35 gift card in return. You can also get AE shoetrees at Nordstroms, during sales, for half the price. The main problem with AEs is that they suck in the rain and Swims are $95. Plus you need a pair in the office and at home. I have seen Swims for $30 at Nordstroms but they were yellow.

Check out the Allen Edmonds appreciation thread on style forum. It's good to learn about future sales. You can also e-mail one of the AE stores and ask about upcoming promotions (I believe the manager's name at the Madison location is Stan... he is very helpful).

 
mb666:
I highly recommend Allen Edmonds. The store usually has several sales each year on select shoes. I own these:

Park Avenues - Black... I paid the full $345 price but have seen the black ones on sale for $250 McAllister - Walnut... retail is $345 but paid $250 during sale Fifth Avenue - Walnut... retail $345 but paid $250 during sale Sedona - Tan (casual)... retail $195 but I paid $100 during sale (and AE gift card from recrafting)

The key is waiting for a sale and hoping you find a pair you like. The Park Avenues and 5th Avenue are perfect for an intern. However, def wait for a sale, otherwise each shoe is ~$370 w/ taxes. If you like loafers look out for the Westchesters... I saw them for $199 during a recent sale. On their website now I see the grey PAs are on sale for $250 but I don't like the color.

Recrafting is expensive... I paid $125 for the most expensive package but they usually give you a $35 gift card in return. You can also get AE shoetrees at Nordstroms, during sales, for half the price. The main problem with AEs is that they suck in the rain and Swims are $95. Plus you need a pair in the office and at home. I have seen Swims for $30 at Nordstroms but they were yellow.

Check out the Allen Edmonds appreciation thread on style forum. It's good to learn about future sales. You can also e-mail one of the AE stores and ask about upcoming promotions (I believe the manager's name at the Madison location is Stan... he is very helpful).

\

Few questions for you mb...

1) What store/stores are you referring to? Nordstrom's? Others?

2) How long do your AE's actually last before showing signs of wear? I know people say 3 years without needing to do anything, but is that wearing them once/week?

3) How often do you polish and condition them?

I do have two AE wood aromatic shoe trees that I picked up.

 

PE Investor,

I have only purchased AE shoes at their own store @ 55th & Madison or their online store. I would be careful purchasing heavily discounted AEs @ the Nordstorm Rack as I would suspect they may be seconds.

I polish every 2-4 weeks depending on how frequently I used them. I actually abuse my PAs... I wear them at least 3x a week and walk a mile a day (try to avoid the subway and enjoy walking). I had to get my PAs recrafted after only 1 year. The other AE shoes are fine. I have a 6 shoe rotation but don't have much discipline... usually wear the PAs or 5th Ave.

Shoes are an investment. Wait for a sale and get AEs for $275 w/ tax. After undergrad I would purchase $150 shoes and would have to replace them each year. I own 2 pairs of Johnston & Murphys at that price point and the back of one is coming apart... and their shoes just look inferior. Now I only use them during rainy days.

 

Get a good pair of leather shoes and they will last for many years. Not to mention, quality leather retains the shine and doesnt rinkle or get scuffed as easily. If you can afford go for a couple solid pairs. In the long run, you will actually save money because you wont have to buy shoes as often

 

I also highly recommend Allen Edmonds, I get compliments every time I wear them. I have a pair of beat up walnut Sanfords that I got for cheap used on ebay. I also have the walnut Daltons, which is basically the same thing but as a boot, again these shoes last forever and look great.

Like the other posters mentioned since this is an investment I suggest you look into getting a pair of shoe trees, keeps your shoes from smelling bad and keeps it a proper shape.

Just don't do like I did and jump into walnut which isn't the most versatile or conservative color.

 

Agree with the guys above. You don't need to break the bank to look professional. I'm a pretty big shoe snob but you can do well with a couple pairs of loafers.

[quote=Dirk Dirkenson]Shut up already. Your mindless, reflexive responses to any critical thought on this are tedious. You're also probably a woman, given the name and "xoxo" signoff, so maybe the lack of judgment is to be expected.[/quote]
 
ogofnyc:
Gilt.com look everyday dont spend money on ae's you can get so much better shit at better prices
Be careful with Gilt. A lot of the shoes you see on there are purposely made for Gilt, which means they're pretty cheap quality-wise. I've noticed that when Gilt has a sale on A. Testoni shoes, it's never A. Testoni mainline shoes that are made in Italy, but the A. Testoni Basic line of shoes made in China that you won't find at any reputable retailer selling for "retail price". Same thing with Sweeney -- it's never mainline Oliver Sweeney shoes, but the low-end Sweeney London line. MyHabit operates in a similar fashion.
 
design:
ogofnyc:
Gilt.com look everyday dont spend money on ae's you can get so much better shit at better prices
Be careful with Gilt. A lot of the shoes you see on there are purposely made for Gilt, which means they're pretty cheap quality-wise. I've noticed that when Gilt has a sale on A. Testoni shoes, it's never A. Testoni mainline shoes that are made in Italy, but the A. Testoni Basic line of shoes made in China that you won't find at any reputable retailer selling for "retail price". Same thing with Sweeney -- it's never mainline Oliver Sweeney shoes, but the low-end Sweeney London line. MyHabit operates in a similar fashion.

Made this mistake (Gilt).

"For I am a sinner in the hands of an angry God. Bloody Mary full of vodka, blessed are you among cocktails. Pray for me now and at the hour of my death, which I hope is soon. Amen."
 
design:
ogofnyc:
Gilt.com look everyday dont spend money on ae's you can get so much better shit at better prices
Be careful with Gilt. A lot of the shoes you see on there are purposely made for Gilt, which means they're pretty cheap quality-wise. I've noticed that when Gilt has a sale on A. Testoni shoes, it's never A. Testoni mainline shoes that are made in Italy, but the A. Testoni Basic line of shoes made in China that you won't find at any reputable retailer selling for "retail price". Same thing with Sweeney -- it's never mainline Oliver Sweeney shoes, but the low-end Sweeney London line. MyHabit operates in a similar fashion.

Shit man thanks for letting me know, i only bought a couple bbc shirts and a canali belt, i didnt know about the shoes. I assumed this was going to be a bargain, sounds like an online tanger outlet lol.

 

Agree with design; I bought a pair of SurfacetoAir shoes on Gilt for half off and they started falling apart very quickly (within a few months, sole falling off on the heel).

But OP, IMO spending a bunch of money on shoes is not a big deal. That is one thing that I think you should spend more money on being that you can't have the tailored to look nice in the way you can a cheap suit. Also, if you spend decent amount and take care of them, you can have a pair of 500 dollar shoes last you a good ten years or so.

"History doesn't repeat itself, but it does rhyme."
 

OP, do you have a Nordstrom Rack near you by any chance? I have done extremely well there in the past...

You can get Allen Edmonds Park Ave's/similar for under $200, with some loafers, etc. going for $120-$150.

But hey, if you are an intern, I'd say go for the Cole Haan's... Good enough for a summer internship imo.

Edit: Not Cole Haan's at full price, though... Obviously.

"That dude is so haole, he don't even have any breath left."
 

You are an intern. People that matter usually won't even look in your direction, let alone look at your shoes. You're spending too much for shoes. You just need to get a black pair of shoes that won't make you stand out too much. Something like this would work (maybe someone can post it for me, it's not allowing me to post this):

http://assets.macys(dot)com/navapp/web20/assets/script/scene7/core/imag…

Maternity is a matter of fact, paternity is a matter of opinion.
 

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