Formal Shoe suggestions in the $200 range?
I’m thinking of getting some oxfords and or other formal shoes but don’t know any good brands that are in that price range
55 Replies
These’ll all probably be a smidge above, but:
Beckett Simonon, Meermin, Skolyx, Yanko, Bridlen
are you willing to buy second-hand? $200 is not a lot of money for a decent dress shoe
you might catch a deal with allen edmonds shoe bank but it depends on the time and shoe
I’ll give it a try
What brands should I look out for second hand?
as someone brand agnostic i generally use the saved eBay search from putthison - https://www.ebay.com/sch/Mens-Shoes-/93427/i.html?_from=R40&_nkw=%28peal%2C+%22brooks+brothers%22%2C+alden%2C+lobb%2C+vass%2C+edmonds%2C+mcafee%2C+crispin%2C+zegna%2C+santoni%2C+sutor%2C+%22shell+cordovan%22%2C+%22purple+label%22%2C+trickers%2C+grenson%2C+crockett%2C+tramezza%2C+sargent%2C+weston%2C+heschung%2C+scafora%2C+%22paul+stuart%22%2C+sander%2C+carmina%2C+albaladejo%2C+martegani%2C+cheaney%2C+cleverly%2C+gaziano%2C+loake%29&_sop=10&mkcid=1&mkrid=711-53200-19255-0&siteid=0&campid=5336852872&toolid=11800&mkevt=1
if buying secondhand check the pictures to ensure the soles are in good condition and that there's no major wear on the upper or body of the shoe
Thanks so much
There are a lot of choices also is it normal for the bottom part of the shoe to be like brown?
What I mean is that in the heal there is this like black layer to it? And the rest of the shoe is just brown
does it resemble this? if so the heel has likely been re-soled
No ok so like the heel has that black layer right? But the rest of it doesn’t have that black layer
Idk to me it looks like that layer got removed?
the bottom of a dress shoe is typically brown (leather) to start, then gets resoled with once it wears out.
a picture of the shoe would help confirm it but it's very likely the heel was resoled; it's not an immediate red flag provided the rest of the shoe is in good condition
Yeah it's very common to have a rubber heel on a leather sole
Yes it looks exactly like that also it looks a bit messy on the sole but it’s fine right? I mean u do step on it so it doesn’t rlly matter
Why not just send a picture?
I decided to just get a pair of bridlen shoes, now the thing is that idk which oxford I should choose? what do u recomend? I like the look of the wholecut oxford
lost it
sorry
Ah, makes more sense. Difficult to give a visual assessment without a visual
yeahhhhh
Imo wholecuts are best when done from makers with better lasts. I would take a cap toe over a wholecut from Bridlen
oh is bridlen not that good with wholecuts?
It’s an okay enough maker, but I can’t say low budget + wholecut is a combo that I’ve seen people get a lot of wear from over time.
If you wanted something sleeker from them, my suggestion would be these:
https://bridlen.com/products/melbourne-sensei-line?variant=33128950038631
Bridlen
Melbourne - Dark Brown - Deus Last - Founders6 UK / No Toe Taps
Specifications Upper leather : Annonay Vegano Box calf Lining leather : Drum dyed crust Outsole : J&FJ Baker Oak bark tanned leather with a barrel waist Insole : Flexible 5 mm channeled vegetable tanned leather, made in Tuscany, Italy by traditional slow chestnut pit tanning method Last : Deus Construction : 360° c
are those oxfords/
Yes, that’s an Adelaide Oxford
ooof kinda expensive at 300 bucks
also these arent made to wear?
like they woould take a few months to make it right?
Allegedly they make them when you order, yes. Their quoted time is 3-4 weeks for delivery
They have 2 other tiers of shoes as well
Bridlen
Punch Cap Oxford - Brown - Blake LineUK 6
Specifications Upper leather // Full grain box calf Lining // Drum dyed crust leather Bottom // Vegetable Tanned Leather Sole Last // Rui Construction // Blake
Doesn’t get cheaper than this tbh
But don’t expect it to be bangin’
what about the Ready to wear oxford that isnt wholecut
Bridlen
Straight Tip Oxford - Black - Zip Last - RTW7 UK / Leather
The RTW shoes are delivered in the same week. If any RTW shoes are out of stock, they can be purchased from the Main Line made to order. Specifications Upper leather : Annonay Vegano box calf Lining leather : Drum dyed crust Insole : Flexible 5 mm channeled vegetable tanned leather Outsole : Closed channeled flexible
Bridlen
Punch Cap Oxford - Black - Rui Last - RTW6.5 UK / Leather
The RTW shoes are delivered in the same week. If any RTW shoes are out of stock, they can be purchased from the Main Line made to order. Specifications Upper leather : Annonay Vegano box calf Lining leather : Drum dyed crust Insole : Flexible 5 mm channeled vegetable tanned leather Outsole : Closed channeled flexible
Those’ll do fine! I just figured you may not want only black oxfords
oh well they are my first pair and I need smthn black also thanksss
Hi, are these a no go the ebay listing says stitching blemish on these Allen Edmond Siennas? Bridlen wouldnt take my credit card so im just back on ebay
does the listing make mention of if the stitching blemish was fixed in some way (glued, fixed by AE or a cobbler)?
imo it should be fine - the allen edmonds siena is a handcrafted shoe and 'stitching blemishes' tend to be one-offs for AE.
if you're planning on wearing only a few times a year then i think they're good
I dont think so..??
if you're super unsure you can message the seller asking
i -personally- would not see that as enough of a red flag, especially if it's only going to be worn a few times
there are also these from SALVATORE FERRAGAMO there seems to be no dmage maybe apart from the bottom?
ok thanks
Hi sorry for the sudden ping but what are ure thoughts on these shoes? They are Salvatore Ferragamo and I heard they are good second hand but not retail
I exist to be pinged about shoes!
I can’t say I know anything about ferragamo specifically, tho. “Good second hand” is also entirely price specific. They look fine enough wear-wise, but I couldn’t make any sort of assessment of value or quality
Ah ok what about the sole tho it looks messed up is it supposed to look like that used?
yes
It’s a leather sole. They look like that literally the instant you walk on pavement
also as jarmul said "good second hand" to me implies 'it's overpriced at full retail price'
they are
its like 1k+
but this one is less than 300 bucks
i am not well versed enough in ferragamo's men's footwear but if it's analogus to its womenswear it's probably a decent build that is more expensive due to name recognition
oh also i forgot to mention its the tramezza line
which is like more quality from the forum research I did
if all three of these are photos of the shoes being sold then they're probably fine.
ok thanks its like 283
you could probably spend less money by spending more time searching but at some point if you need shoes you'll need to actually buy something.
yeahhhh I mean there are bridlens but im having bank issues
idk if bridlens are better quality necesarily
part of their quality is going to come down to how you take care of them
yeah fair ill keep that in mind
whatever your price ceiling is, maybe knock off like $50 for a couple of wooden shoe trees and polish
what do shoe trees even do? is it just to break it in? also what are some polish suggestions?
wooden (get wooden ones) shoe trees preserve the shape of the shoe and reduce moisture, extending the life of the shoe
ok thanks