Are expensive dress shoes worth the money?

[Poiuyt]

I was reading an article on men's dress wardrobes, and the author said to never skimp on shoes and recommended Allen Edmonds. So I went to Zappos.com to see what they were like and saw that they were about $300 a pair (yikes). Has anyone here ever spent that much for a pair of shoes and are they worth it (comfort, longevity, looks, etc.). Do people actually notice what kind of shoes men are wearing?

[lildreamer316]

1. Yes.

They fit your feet better. I bought my husband a nice pair because he is on his feet in the booth eight to ten hour shifts. He commented that his feet were even less tired because of the shoes.

If you can afford 'em, get 'em. Do your research first, but it is true...most of the time, you do get what you pay for.

[Paladin]

2. Absolutely

I've got a pair of Allen Edmonds black tassel loafers that I've had for a good twenty years; they're on their third re-soling now and I still wear them. Actually, I'm thinking about honorably retiring them and buying an identical pair for Christmas this year. And yes, people do indeed notice the quality of your shoes---people who count. They're worth every penny....

[barb162]

5. I know men who do that with the resoling and the shoes last forever..

With women's shoes, the styles change so fast, it almost becomes silly to spend a lot. I did it for a few years and I was just burning money on them. I hate to tell you how many once stylish and very expensive Italian and French shoes I still have ( and I have never worn them).

[Skittles]

18. ??? I just don't understand that

why are you a slave to fashion? Couln't you just wear them because they lok good? Who the f*** said hideous shit like super pointy shoes is stylish anyways :puke:

[Kali]

26. well, they might be good for

kicking somebody's ass!:rofl:

[SeattleGirl]

3. Yep, if most of the expense goes into the quality of the shoe.

I wouldn't buy an expensive pair because they had a designer name on them, but if they were well made, with or without a designer name, I'd absolutely get them. It would be well worth it.

[barb162]

4. It depends what you mean by expensive.

I don't know Allen Edmonds mens' shoes. I have bought many pairs of expensive shoes and I always get majorly POed when I scuff them. SO now I am on a "reasonably" priced shoes kick. If you scuff them up, you don't care.

[XemaSab]

6. What do you do for a living?

Do you spend a lot of time on your feet?

Personally, I will skimp on shoes but NOT on socks. 100% merino wool socks for XemaSab keeps the feet happy. :)

[Connonym]

7. For a man's shoe I would say yes, for a woman's shoe I'd probably not

Reason being that men's styles are basically timeless and when you factor in the cost per wearing a well made and comfortable pair of shoes is a value. Women's shoes, unless a totally classic pair, tend to be more trendy and the cost per wearing generally wouldn't be worth it because women's shoes are more trendy and more dependent on properly complementing an outfit. I've never spent 300 on a pair of shoes but I willing spent considerably more than I normally would for my ultra-comfortable winter boots and my birkenstock sandals which are well made and not likely to go out of fashion thus making them a value in regard to comfort, longevity and looks.

As for whether people actually notice men's shoes? I notice only if they're glaringly clashing (brown shoes with black suit for example) or worn out and (pardon the pun) shoddy.

[Rabrrrrrr]

8. If the expense is for the shoe, and not the name - yes.

The two pairs of shoes that I spent major amounts of money on have been great shoes - comfy, long-lasting, fixable.

The cheap shoes I've bought have been shit.

Yes, spend the money and get GOOD shoes. Best bet is to have the shoes custom made, but I don't have the scratch for that.

[MilesColtrane]

9. The conventional wisdom is that women notice a man's shoes...

...more than other parts of his wardrobe.

After I read that, Florsheim, Thom McCann, and Payless were RIGHT OUT for me.

[DeepBlueC]

25. good shoes stand out

I always notice them. You can look classy even when the rest of the ensemble doesn't quite measure up.

[flvegan]

10. Spend the extra on a really nice watch.

That gets noticed more than shoes.

[Poiuyt]

22. So my Timex Ironman won't cut it?

[Richard Steele]

11. In my experience, yes. You get what you pay for in Men's shoes. nm

[mulsh]

12. Yes they are worth the money, here's why.

When you purchase a fine pair of shoes the clerk will bring out the device, measure you foot and if they know their sizing bring out a couple of pairs of shoes. It is very important to get the correct size shoes. Most shoe clerks at department stores don't seem to know how to size a person's foot. Always get your feet sized when buying shoes, if the clerk can't do that go elsewhere.

The materials in more expensive men's shoes tend to be a little better than the cheaper shoes. Since most men don't seem to wear the dress shoes constantly there's less wear. The construction is better. expensive shoes are normally hand assembled, they are sewn rather than glued together. It's easy to replace heels and souls, the parts that tend to wear out. OH yea, always get a good grade of shoe polish and polish your dress shoes before you wear them. Polish protects the leather from dirt and water.

My grandfather and father were both shoe sales me. Since I'm the same size and our feet were similar I inherited a couple of bespoke * custom made) shoes from my grandfather. These shoes are 70-80 years old and still in style. they're like walking bare foot they're so comfy.

[Scooter24]

13. Yes.

Quality and craftsmanship are paramount in a good shoe. I favor dress shoes made by Gucci and can run anywhere from $400-$1000 depending on design.

A few quality dress shoes will be a good compliment to your wardrobe.

[madrchsod]

14. yes but you have to try them on

expensive shoes properly maintained will last for years..thankfully mens shoes do not change style every year

[Shine]

15. I've never paid quite that much, but I don't skimp on nice shoes

think about how much time you spend on your feet and it's a no-brainer. :D heheh.

:hi:

[madrchsod]

16. i worked at a shoe factory

i cut the insoles on a machine that was over 70 years old and i used the fixtures that were in quarter inch increments. you`ll won`t find that level craftmanship of shoe in anything imported from china

[GrpCaptMandrake]

17. Definitely

Allen Edmonds are a good bet, as are Cole-Haan.

It's especially important if you're a tough-to-fit size. PayLess, Thom McKann, etc. will eat your feet alive and you'll know it with every step.

A good quality dress shoe should be an enhancement to being barefooted; the difference should be minimal.

[Manifestor_of_Light]

19. Yes. Ferragamo and Bally and Bruno Magli (men & women both)

Advice from a woman: Italian shoes are the best. Salvatore Ferragamo was the first shoemaker to apply custom fit ideas to mass produced shoes.

Expensive shoes are made better, they fit better, and they are softer. If you notice, cheap shoes have soles that are stiff. Your feet bend with every step you take. Plastic shoes don't breathe like leather does.

I have spent a lot of money on Ferragamos and Bruno Maglis and it's worth it for womens' shoes too. I wear flat, plain, classic shoes. I cannot wear heels, the pain is too much, so I don't worry about styles changing. I get them resoled and re-heeled too. I have pointy feet, so I don't mind pointy toes, but can't wear heels(they're not safe either).

Also, I am a very narrow width, and you can't buy cheap shoes in narrow widths. Quadruple A is the narrowest shoe they make in womens', and I'm usually a triple A or even a quad. If it doesn't come up over the top of my foot it won't stay on, IOW I can't wear a normal low cut pump, I'll come out of the heels. SO I wear ghillies (those things with a leather ruffle on the front) or a high cut loafer or even an ugly laceup. I inherited my bony feet from dad who wore Ballys. He also wore a triple-A but much larger than mine (his was a 13)!!!

The only cheap shoes I buy are sneakers and even then it takes a while to find some that I can lace tightly enough that I don't walk out of them, even with socks on.

I thought I'd died and gone to heaven when I found a pair of black suede Ferragamo sneakers with red stitching at Neiman's!

I'm not rich, but I'll spend a lot more on shoes that fit than on clothes. Shoes are one of those things where spending more money makes a big difference. Some things are worth extra money and some things aren't.

[sam sarrha]

20. go to yellow pages and find a local company, tell them what you want, i dont think anything would be

a better fit than a pair of 'Diabetic' custom made shoes, in soft oil tan leather.. they are designed to prevent injury to delicate blood vessels and tissues of feet with poor circulation.

just a thought... and you can 'buy local'

[sam sarrha]

21. anybody run into anything in a 16B...... let me know

[GOPisEvil]

23. Not so much for other people, but for yourself. Well made shoes are more comfortable.

I have a pair of Cole Haan dress shoes that I bought for a wedding. I lasted ALL DAY. I love these shoes. It's ALMOST too bad I don't have to dress up daily. Almost.

Also, I found these shoes at Marshall's for $100.

[ThomCat]

24. Yes!!! Absolutely!!!

I would love to be able to wear non-leather shoes. As a vegan I hate having to buy anything made from leather.

But, I have chronic pain in my feet, legs, knees and back. I have definite trouble walking. I wear Mephisto brand shoes that cost me $350 per pair. They're absolutely worth every penny. I can stand longer and walk further in these shoes than in anything else I've ever been able to find.

So, don't pay a lot of money just to pay a lot of money. Buy damned good shoes. Invest in your feet! It's worth it.

[Xithras]

27. Wearing Ferragamo's right now. Worth every penny.

I just bought this pair recently, but I have a black dress shoe that I wear once or twice a week, that I've owned for about five years now. They are incredibly comfortable.

The prices for quality mens shoes are really deceptive. They seem expensive, but they last forever. My wife pointed out once that I used to go through one pair of $90 JC Penney black dressers a year, and that one $400 purchase has now more than paid for itself. So long as you don't beat them and destroy the side leather, they'll last practically forever.