Recommendations for rare dress shoe wearer?
Hello all,
I have a couple of formal weddings coming up this year and am thinking of buying some oxfords, but I do not see myself wearing them outside of two to four events every year going forward. I know Allen Edmonds' Park Avenue are a standard yet the price seems a little high for such infrequent use. I also have some concerns about how they might hold up if I get caught in the rain and if having high arches would cause problems. Would Saunders, Orban's, or Bridlen be better options?
Thank you in advance for any advice.
4 Replies
eBay. I got a pretty baller pair of Trickers Oxfords second hand for like, 200nzd. High arches... I don't know if I can help you there though. Maybe something that you could fit one of those foam insoles in?
With regards to leather soles in the rain: they are slippery, there is a reason why rubber is the gold standard for everything except dancing.
Park aves are easy to find secondhand on ebay for significantly less than retail as long as you know your size.
I agree secondhand is a good option if you know your size and are willing to invest some effort. For new shoes, I have a pair of Oxfords from Meermin that were about $200 and are totally decent. I don't wear mine much either, but that's about the lowest price point for reasonable quality, apart from sales.
I ended up getting some Factory Seconds from Allen Edmonds with a discount code. The fit seems a little off though and I'm not sure if it's just me being unfamiliar with this kind of shoe. There seems to be a lot of extra room to the side but the shoes otherwise feel snug on my foot. My everyday shoes are running shoes with a wider toebox. The put a little bit of pressure on my big toe. Should I really have this much room on the side though?
