Minimalist tendencies, wardrobe needs

[EDS]

I would have assumed you'd walked away because it invariably looks like a python who's dined on a muntjak, especially on men of smaller stature. And that you'd appreciate the rakish asymmetry of the FIH. (BTW, I have no idea what size you are, but I reckon you're not 6'4", 215, since we're on a men's eating disorder and pushbike forum.)

BTW, it isn't that rubber soled shoes lack class, it's that if you're looking for classic shoes in a sensible last which will keep for a long time, you end up with leather soles by default. I'm not suggesting that everyone needs a closet full of Alden shell cordovan, but rubber soled shoes are pretty much by definition disposable. Those JMs do look fine for rubber soled shoes, but $205 would get you a pair of AE McClain seconds from the Shoe Bank and I think that's a wiser investment. I have no issue with overshoes/galoshes, either though.

Rubber soled shoes are resoleable too, at least the ones I have had are. As a New Yorker I definitely stash the good stuff during bad weather days (and many other days just because) and am perfectly happy with the rubber soled cole haans on such occasions.

[OnTheEllipse]

More replies and thank you's later, but I just wanted to chime in and mention I had to order these at the sale price:

MacNeil - Men's wingtip lace-up dress shoes by Allen Edmonds

[Ben]

Dear Lord those are good looking. Not really dress shoes, mind you, but damn fine nonetheless.

[boundgear]

I almost bought some a few weeks ago when I happened to be in a store.
Look better in person. Def not formal shoes, but still very nice.

[OnTheEllipse]

AE's site refers to them as dress shoes. Why are they not? I couldn't wear them with slacks and sport coat?

[Bittersweet]

AE's site refers to them as dress shoes. Why are they not? I couldn't wear them with slacks and sport coat?

Yes, depending on the color of the coat/slacks. Those shoes are very casual, sort of country-weekend shoes. Brown shoes with a black suit (not gray) is tough and I wouldn't have great comfort that I could nail it. Black requires black I say. I have a fleet of Aldens in various blacks and cordovans. Spendy for your purposes I would think but you never know what you can find here, both online and in person: Alden – Alden Shoes – TheShoeMart.com

Anything in cordovan color 8 is so good looking you'll distract any naysayers and could be worn with the black suit - maybe. I'm very traditional though. Thoughts if you want cordovan:
Alden Men's Plain Toe Blucher Shell Cordovan | TheShoeMart
Alden Men's Long Wing Blucher Shell Cordovan | TheShoeMart

[OnTheEllipse]

What makes them casual compared to the Alden's in your links? The light sole color?

[Bittersweet]

What makes them casual compared to the Alden's in your links? The light sole color?

Very light colored sole, light stitching and laces creating a contrast against the dark.

[david]

Very light colored sole, light stitching and laces creating a contrast against the dark.

that shoe is nice. conservative but playfully so. the contrasting colors, the lace holes, etc. i can see them on a brooklyn hipster or a british dandy. but if you're wanting to fly under the radar, look nice but not stand out, then these might not work. these will get noticed - and with a black suit, maybe not in a way you'd want.

[boundgear]

What makes them casual compared to the Alden's in your links? The light sole color?

To my mind, the thick unfinished welting, the soft leather (these are not supposed to be shiny, glossy, high-polish, hardline shoes for drill sergeants), and the flamboyant leather work.
The peak off of the toe is a little showy, the proportions are a bit more confidently trendy vs. conventional, but mostly it's the soft leather. The leather shows more 'distressed' and hence casual.

They would be just the AE shoe for me, if this wasn't also available... Or these....

I don't remember where I saw it, but AE's designers asked their workers to make a casual shoe, and what they got was a normal AE shoe: perfect, polished, and formal. They had no internal understanding of what made a shoe casual. It's taken them a few years to get to this point, where they can make a shoe that looks slightly less formal and still to the AE standards.

[christian]

The distressed leather and natural sole edge dressing (rather than matching the color of the leather) render t a bit more casual. It's still a darn fine shoe and would look good with slim wool trousers or chinos, a shirt, and a sport coat, but not a suit. In my mind, those shoes also call for a 1 3/4" cuff on wool trousers, because they are a bit "beefier" as longings. No cuff on chinos.

Cool shoes.

[OnTheEllipse]

Welp

would anyone be interested these at a good price? I'm not cool enough to pull them off (and lack the appropriate wardrobe). I'm also in the need of straight up, uncool brown wingtips.

[Jawn P]

Welp

would anyone be interested these at a good price? I'm not cool enough to pull them off (and lack the appropriate wardrobe). I'm also in the need of straight up, uncool brown wingtips.

Ah crap what size?

[OnTheEllipse]

11 "D". I don't know what "D" means.

i think that's a 46 in SIDI

[chasea]

Thread bump. Sure, buy this guy's shoes.

I just wanted to add that I'm still 6'3'', but now south of a buck ninety.