allaboutmusic

I've decided to get a new pair of shoes. Smart, nice ones that people (*cough* women) will notice and approve of. What's in vogue right now? Brogues? Plain leather? Oxford shoes?

Pictures would be great.

Perhaps we can make this a general style educational thread about shoes, for all the clueless men like me out there!

p/s: I know sometimes different occasions and even different countries can have different trends. I am in the UK - but if you chime in it would be cool to hear where you are from so we can see what the fashion trends are in different places.

highthief

Oxfords, flat black leather. You can never go wrong with the classic look.

My only advice when buying shoes is don't cheap out. I'd buy a cheap t-shirt or sweater, but never a cheap (flimsy, uncomfortable, tacky) pair of shoes or boots.

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Ustwo

Paging all metrosexuals.......

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Baraka_Guru

People still use that neologism? When are we going to go back to the more accurate term, dandy?

EDIT: I will benefit from this thread if we see some recommendations for shoes that are both timelessly stylish....and durable. Is there such a thing?

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Knowing that death is certain and that the time of death is uncertain, what's the most important thing?
—Bhikkhuni Pema Chödrön

Humankind cannot bear very much reality.
—From "Burnt Norton," Four Quartets (1936), T. S. Eliot

Fotzlid

Dont forget comfortable. I only wear sneakers and hiking boots because I have yet to find a pair of shoes I can live with. Clomping around on hard soles all day kills my feet and my back.

noodle

Warning : AVOID TASSELS.

Once you get that, you'll be fine.
Only men over 50 should be allowed to wear tassels.

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Plan9

Dandy. Hell-yeah. Like the Pinaud Clubman.

...

Converse All-Stars prove time and time again that you sacrifice durability and comfort for style.

If I was a rich bloke with a zillion oolahs... I would design some Converse All-Stars that were all-encompassing the-bombness. Arch support. Reinforced grommets. Kevlar/Spectra construction. Carbon rubber soles. Triple-stitching. Oh, they'd be the UberTaylors.

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Whatever you can carry.

"You should not drink... and bake."

World's King

I wear these...

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heavy is the head that wears the crown

Plan9

World's King... I knew it was you:

__________________
Whatever you can carry.

"You should not drink... and bake."

World's King

Nothing...

__________________
heavy is the head that wears the crown

Cynthetiq

a bit too mod for me, but do them come in all black?

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I don't care if you are black, white, purple, green, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, hippie, cop, bum, admin, user, English, Irish, French, Catholic, Protestant, Jewish, Buddhist, Muslim, indian, cowboy, tall, short, fat, skinny, emo, punk, mod, rocker, straight, gay, lesbian, jock, nerd, geek, Democrat, Republican, Libertarian, Independent, driver, pedestrian, or bicyclist, either you're an asshole or you're not.

World's King

Yep.

Creepers...

Although I see Crompsin in these...

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heavy is the head that wears the crown

noodle

Cromp's way off. Pee Wee had mad style, not the kitchen dude.
And WK's shoes would be something women would notice in a GOOD way.
Paired with the right attiude and outfit.

__________________

Willravel

Jealous much?


Where will you be wearing these shoes? Work? What kind of work? Formal? Casual?

Baraka_Guru

I'm gonna get me some Hooligans.

__________________
Knowing that death is certain and that the time of death is uncertain, what's the most important thing?
—Bhikkhuni Pema Chödrön

Humankind cannot bear very much reality.
—From "Burnt Norton," Four Quartets (1936), T. S. Eliot

World's King

Nice choice... they haven't made those in years. The website I posted is from a store here in Denver. (I worked there for years if you all remember.) Been doing business for over twenty years.

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heavy is the head that wears the crown

Plan9

Corcoran II paratrooper boots are pretty retro stylish good after you put about a thousand miles on 'em and keep 'em glossy and soft with a lot of Kiwi polish TLC.

US Army's Clown Boots

__________________
Whatever you can carry.

"You should not drink... and bake."

Cynthetiq

wild... I didn't think creepers still existed....

__________________
I don't care if you are black, white, purple, green, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, hippie, cop, bum, admin, user, English, Irish, French, Catholic, Protestant, Jewish, Buddhist, Muslim, indian, cowboy, tall, short, fat, skinny, emo, punk, mod, rocker, straight, gay, lesbian, jock, nerd, geek, Democrat, Republican, Libertarian, Independent, driver, pedestrian, or bicyclist, either you're an asshole or you're not.

World's King

TUK still makes them... check this out...

Creeper Sneakers...

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heavy is the head that wears the crown

Dammitall

Can something like this also be applied to men wearing loafers with no socks? As in, it should never be done... ever.

Cynthetiq

I dunno... miami vice fashion may make a comeback

__________________
I don't care if you are black, white, purple, green, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, hippie, cop, bum, admin, user, English, Irish, French, Catholic, Protestant, Jewish, Buddhist, Muslim, indian, cowboy, tall, short, fat, skinny, emo, punk, mod, rocker, straight, gay, lesbian, jock, nerd, geek, Democrat, Republican, Libertarian, Independent, driver, pedestrian, or bicyclist, either you're an asshole or you're not.

noodle

That's funny, I kinda saw Crompsin in these....


And now, I'll slide out of the testosterone footwear thread.

__________________

World's King

How about these for Crompsin?

__________________
heavy is the head that wears the crown

Plan9

Nice, WK... are those springs inside those Spice Girl monsters?

How will I do cool karate moves? How will I shift on my bike?

I think I'll be safe if I stick with these retro beauties:



They're expensive but I get the feeling they'll never wear out.

__________________
Whatever you can carry.

"You should not drink... and bake."

World's King

Trust me. I sold these shoes for almost seven years.

Might I suggest any of these...

__________________
heavy is the head that wears the crown

Ustwo

I said metrosexual.

__________________
Agents of the enemies who hold office in our own government, who attempt to eliminate our "freedoms" and our "right to know" are posting among us, I fear.....on this very forum. - host

Obama - Know a Man by the friends he keeps.

Plan9

Hey, I'm definitely liking these.

__________________
Whatever you can carry.

"You should not drink... and bake."

World's King

__________________
heavy is the head that wears the crown

Charlatan

for a basic shoe the oxford is a safe bet, however, if you are going for the trend you need to pay attention to things like the shape of the toe.

You can get squared off toes (out of fashion now), rounded, tapered or pointy.

Definitely NO tassels.

And it all comes down to what you are wearing. If you are wearing a relatively conservative suit or clothes, nothing WK has suggested will really work (unless you have the attitude to pull it off).

__________________
"My hands are on fire. Hands are on fire. Ain't got no more time for all you charlatans and liars."
- Old Man Luedecke

allaboutmusic

I am a musician, but I occasionally teach in schools. I'm looking for something fairly smart that I could wear equally well with a suit or with smart casual clothes like going out for a drink at an upmarket bar.

Charlatan, which toe shapes are in?

World's King

Pointed toes are always in...

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heavy is the head that wears the crown

Willravel

Aldo white leather sport shoes. Comfortable, capable of movement, fairly trendy appearance.
Wear with jeans or un-ironed khakis, but not with a suit unless it's extremely casual and you're wearing a printed t-shirt or something.

Kenneth Cole black leather dress shoes. Comfortable, but you're not going to want to move around too much in them.
Wear with a decent suit, ironed khakis, or very nice jeans.

Kenneth Cole black leather casual shoes. Comfortable, easier to move around in, but not athletic.
This is generally the shoe that you might want. You can wear it with jeans or with a casual suit. I've got a pair similar to this but older that I wear often to work or around.

shesus

Here are some men's shoes that I like. I have 2 favorite shoe stores for me, so I just browsed their men's selection.

Here are some Steve Maddens:





Aldo has good dress shoes and casual shoes, too.

I also love Dr. Marten's.

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Whatever did happen to your soul?
I heard you sold it

Choose Heaven for the weather and Hell for the company

highthief

Dockers make good shoes that A) look good, B) are comfortable, c) are well made and will last.

__________________
Si vis pacem parabellum.

World's King

Shesus wants these...

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heavy is the head that wears the crown

snowy

Wow...those are the coolest shoes I have ever seen. I must have them.

One thing to consider when purchasing men's shoes is body size. Your shoes should balance the rest of your body out. It looks odd when a large man wears shoes that are cut small, and a smaller man in large shoes looks like a clown.

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Martian

If you want a good all-around shoe that you can wear to work, to shows, and out around the town, something like this :



is a good workhorse shoe. You could wear it with a nice pair of slacks or chinos, or with jeans. It's not really dressy enough to go with a suit but it looks comfortable enough for long-term wear.

Whatever you do end up buying, make sure that you do it in a brick and mortar store. You want to check fit and comfort. And definitely listen to highthief. A pair of good shoes will cost you a bit more initially, but they'll pay for themselves in the long run.

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I wake up in the morning more tired than before I slept
I get through cryin' and I'm sadder than before I wept
I get through thinkin' now, and the thoughts have left my head
I get through speakin' and I can't remember, not a word that I said

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shesus

haha...I said I wanted the green ones, but...
King, PM me for shipping information. Thanks.

__________________
Whatever did happen to your soul?
I heard you sold it

Choose Heaven for the weather and Hell for the company

World's King

Here you go snowy...

And Shesus...

I don't remember what shipping is... I think it's around $10. But don't quote me on that.

__________________
heavy is the head that wears the crown

Charlatan

I have a pair of Doc Marten Smith 4 ties that I wear just about everyday. They also come in a 5 tie boot version.



Square toes are definitely out right now but this sort of tapered to a square are still in.

The cross between a trainer and a dress shoe that others have posted above are great too. It all depends on what your style is.

You can wear pretty much anything these days but you need to have the attitude to pull it off. Like dogs can smell fear... people can sense when you are not comfortable in your clothes.

__________________
"My hands are on fire. Hands are on fire. Ain't got no more time for all you charlatans and liars."
- Old Man Luedecke