Footwear recommendations
College student looking for a new pair of shoes with the following properties, any help would be greatly appreciated.
- walkable: my walk to campus is about a mile, and typically walk 3 miles on school days.
- wearable daily: currently don't have any good shoes so I want a pair I can wear most days. This is from weather-resistance, durability, and dress-level perspectives. There's no snow where I live so no worries there. For formal-ness, looking for something I can wear to class but also business casual (if that exists).
- not too casual: I'm going to Paris after Christmas and don't want to look like a slobbish American (this also plays into the walkability part)
- budget: honestly don't know how much decent shoes cost; I've always tried to buy them as cheap as possible. I think I'm willing to spend up to $150 if they're going to last a long time (no idea if I am over/underestimating the cost of shoes).
- Other things in the post guide: Size 9.5, live in continental US, timeframe is within a month
Thanks for the help in advance!
5 Replies
NB 574s or 996s
You can't reallly do one pair of shoes that you can wear casually for walking a lot that will also do smarter "business casual" occasions
But those NBs will do with chinos and a button collar shirt if needed for very casual office wear, or with jeans or sweats for everyday life
Best bet is buying some separate 2nd hand leather derbies if you need something affordable for actual business-casual
Thanks for the help! Follow up questions are derbies significantly more comfortable than oxfords?
No, derbies and oxfords are generally built the same. That is, there's a ton of variation in how they are built, but the same company will use the same last to build what is mostly the same shoe, and then change the design and cutting of the leather to make it into a derby or oxford. But you'd get the same exact last, sole, midsole, welt, stitching, etc, generally, the same type of leather, lining, laces, overall shape, etc.
That is, a derby from company A and an oxford from company B are not the same, just like how an oxford from each isn't the same.
A derby from company A with one last and one material, and an oxford from the same company but on a different last, different sole, different material, etc, will be different.
But one company that makes a derby will probably also make an oxford, and vice versa, using effectively identical construction except for the details that differentiate the two. So that is what I mean by saying that they are effectively the same in terms of construction.
For example, if you look at the Alden Hampton last, you will find derbies and oxfords that from the bottom and back look identical, you only see differences in the vamp / quarters / lacing etc because that differentiates the style of shoes. Otherwise, same stackup, leather, construction, etc
Definitely don’t wear one pair of shoes most days, especially if they are leather. Leather needs at least a day to breathe between wears.
Also whatever you get, invest in unfinished cedar shoe trees to keep them dry, odor free, and in shape.
Something like a pair of chelsea boots could work
Solovair dealers or doc martens both tread the line between formal and casual, easy to dress up or down