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Identifying a Good Pair of Shoes, part 1 |
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 How much is enough for a good pair of shoes? Two hundred dollars? Five hundred dollars? It sounds like a lot of money, especially when you consider that the vast majority of shoes men will run into are glued together, use mediocre leather, have poor embellishments, and really aren’t meant to last anyway.This flood of cheap and cheaply made footwear has kept many guys from discovering that a pair of well-made and well-designed shoes shoe can do wonders for your image and for your self-esteem. Not to mention, once you've spent some time in a pair of quality shoes, your feet will feel a whole lot better after walking around all day. Unlike our female contemporaries, most men don’t need 20 pair of shoes, so when we talk about what should be in a guy’s closet, we’re talking around about four pair of shoes for most guys. So, why spend $200+? That’s where BBG comes in. We’ve boiled down what makes for a good shoe to a handful of useful reference points.
How do you define a good pair shoes?
This question came up in an online forum thread not too long ago. The poster asked about a brand of shoe he thought was nice at a price point that worked for someone like him – namely a young guy without tons of disposable income. The shoes were from a shoe maker that had a reputation for good style but inconsistent craftsmanship. The shoe patriarchs on the forum crucified the kid. “Spend more money; get a shoe that will last for 10 years,” they said. The examples of higher quality shoes they gave were of the sort that middle-aged men of a certain financial stature can justify, not Sparky fresh out of grad school. In 10 years, the kid might be able to afford that next level of shoes, but on that day, he just needed something to wear to work on Monday. To me, the biggest frustration of the whole thread as that there was no clear definition of what a “good” shoe meant for the kid or any average guy. The classic men’s footwear – cap toe oxfords, bluchers, wing tips, and loafers – are pretty much standard when it comes to form and there isn't a lot of variation. Rock the pointy-toed Pradas lace-ups? You'll still need one of the classics for the part of your life not spent at Fashion Week. After style, you've got price, construction, and brand; but which of these is most important? Unfortunately guys, we live in a disposable society. Creating a shoe that will last 25 years isn’t good for the economy. Most manufacturers want your shoes to fall apart or out of style after a year or two – it means more business for them. So, if you want to move yourself up the style food chain a notch you should invest in good quality shoes. Does that mean you can’t find a pair of affordable well-made shoes? No, but it does mean you have to know what to look for. You can get a good pair of shoes for $250 to $350; and as for those $500 “investment” shoes, you’ve got plenty of time to move in that direction. Right now, we want to give you an education in how to spot good shoes at a good price. So, let’s start with what exactly you’re paying for, the quick and dirty guide on choosing “good” dress shoes. Pieces of a shoe
For the most part, all shoes are constructed from have the same key parts that make them up. They are: - Uppers: the body of the shoe that you see and fall in love with. This includes the design, tongue, and/or laces, buckles, and straps. Some uppers are constructed in one whole piece, others are multiple pieces of leather stitched together. Uppers need to be strong and flexible, supple and damn near impregnable.
- Sole (or Outsole): the part that you walk on. Consider it the chassis of the shoe. Some are leather, some are rubber. The amount of walking you do might impact which one you choose, but for the shoe lover, it has to be leather.
- Heel: Usually wood, with either a leather or rubber layer that hits the ground. Most of the pressure on your foot hits on the heel, roughly a ton per square inch.
- Shank: it’s what forms the arch in the shoe and provides extra rigidity, which keeps the shoe from tearing apart when walking. Metal, wood, and plastic are the materials used. Some shoes are designed not to need one, like Allen-Edmonds.
- Insole: a piece of leather or other material where you foot rests. It needs to be soft enough to cushion the pounding you give your dogs, yet strong enough to last over time.
- Toe and heel cups: the interior structural pieces that hold the shape of the shoe. These should be made of leather to allow your feet can to breathe while supporting the shoe.
- Lining: it’s what separates your foot from the unfinished portion of the uppers. It has to be flexible and breathable. Good quality dress shoes are lined in calfskin, lesser quality shoes are lines with cotton duck. Some shoes will have calfskin lining in the visible back half of the shoe but cotton in the toe box area.
Next, we'll get into the major points that you need to know before purchasing your next pair of shoes. |
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