In Part I, we laid out the idea of what a good shoe means and its various parts. Now, we'll look at the factors that cost you money, so you know what to look for, or at least what to ask when you go to buy your next pair of quality shoes. The three factors that determine how much you'll pay for a good pair of shoes are construction, quality of the leather, and the brand. If you know a bit about the first two, you can begin to dismiss the imposters in the third factor. Don't mean to put you to sleep, but knowing this sort of stuff can potentially save you hundreds upon hundreds of dollars on shoes in the future. Think of how many shots tequila or plane tickets to places to get shots of tequila that is!
Construction
How the shoe is put together will have the biggest impact on how long it lasts and ultimately how much it costs. There are several ways to build a shoe and footwear types. Shoe aficionados tend to prefer the Goodyear welt, Blake, or Bologna methods as the preferred types of construction.
Generally speaking, all the major pieces should be sewn together, not glued. Most of the better quality shoes, like Alden and Churchill, have soles that are stitched together using a special cord-like thread made of 12 strands of hemp fibers, rubbed with pitch to strengthen the cord while still maintaining its flexibility. Well-known manufactures like Johnston and Murphy, Salvatore Ferragamo, and Bostonian also make cemented shoes, meaning the soles are glued to the shoe body with a cement-like compound. Depending on where you are in life, these shoes may be fine for you and, in most cases, the shoes are still very well constructed. Here are some of the better methods of construction you want to look for:
Goodyear welt stitches the uppers, lining, and insole to a welt strip running along the outer edge of the outsole, which is then sewn to the outsole, making for a more durable water-tight shoe. It’s supposed to make the shoe easier to repair. If they remind you of your great-grandaddy’s shoes, well that’s because this was how you built a good shoe back then. They can have a chunkier look to them, which works well with heavier weight wools and fuller-cut pants and suits. Handmade shoes are almost always constructed using the Goodyear welt method as are many better commercially-made shoes, like Alden, Allen-Edmonds, Vass, and Edward Green. Blake construction has the uppers, lining, and insole stitched directly to the outsole. The construction is much simpler than the Goodyear welt, with the upper, insole, and outsole connected with one row of stitching. Blake construction makes possible for a close cut sole, which is preferable for some guys, and of greater comfort. More flexible than Goodyear welt shoes, they are probably the baseline on the good shoe meter. Blake-rapid construction is a combination of Blake and Goodyear welt, with a midsole that connects the uppers and insole to the outsole. It makes the shoe more water-resistant and longer-wearing than with Blake construction alone, but aren’t nearly as comfortable. Martegani is usually considered a premiere manufacturer of this style, but most of the Italian-shoe makers make a version of a Blake-rapid. - Bologna construction is similar to Blake, but even slimmer. The insole is sewn directly through to the outer sole with no midsole in between. The leather upper is pulled tightly over the last (shoe form), going all the way around the shoe for a snug, almost slipper–like fit. Aesthetically, it makes for a beautiful shoe that’s very flexible. The main drawback is that it’s not as durable as the other construction methods. Many of those Italian shoes that shoe whores lust over use Bologna construction. Cole-Haan uses this style for loafers, particularly with their Nike Air technology shoes. A. Testoni and Santoni are some of the better known practitioners of this construction method.
These are not the only types of shoe construction out there, but are the ones most guys will encounter in their search for a new pair of dress shoes. It’s good to remember that many designers do not actually manufacture their own shoe lines; rather they contract out to some the makers noted above of these manufacturers. In general, Goodyear welt costs the most.
Quality Leather
Shoe leather has to be tough, but it also needs to accommodate your foot while you’re walking and be somewhat resilient. There are all types of skins used to make shoes, from alligator and ostrich, to stingray and reindeer (no, not Rudolph...but Blitzen? Sure). For everyday wear, calfskin, shell cordovan, and kid leather are best. Full grain (unaltered prior to dyeing, other than hair removal) is preferable to corrected grain (with blemishes and scars removed). Corrected grain is undetectable to most people’s eyes and does no structural damage to the hide.
Stay far away from shoes made with split leather uppers. This is a process that literally splits a piece of hide in half creating two very thin and ultimately fragile uppers. The maker gets two pair of shoes for the price of one and you get junk that won’t last a year. No matter what type of leather it is, if you don’t regularly condition your shoes with a cream polish or leather conditioner, they’ll crack and fall apart. Better yet, treat your feet to a professional shine every now and then.
Brands
I grew up with brands like Johnston and Murphy, Floreshiem, and Bass representing good (read: boring and adult) shoes. Bally’s, Gucci, or whatever Slick Rick and Douggie Fresh were rapping about were the “fly” things to have, all style. The brand name told you about the quality of shoe you were getting, with the thinking was that you get what you pay for. For many reasons, mostly having to do with revenue, many of the shoes that you buy aren’t made by the company on the label. Many well-known brands aren’t even well-made, and the name embossed on the insole will probably tells you more about how much you’ll pay than about the quality of the shoes.
Once you find out that the same shoe from the same manufacturer can cost hundreds of dollars more, depending on which label it’s sold under, you’ll get an appreciation for the power of brand recognition on the price of goods. But before you pick up your baseball bat and go after the retailer, know that this works in your favor. All of the time, shoe manufacturers who make shoes for designers often have their own lines sold on the cheap at discount retailers like Orvis, DSW, and the like. It doesn’t hurt to be aware of who actually builds the shoes you’re coveting too - Converse makes shoes for John Varvatos; want a pair of Edward Greens but can’t afford them? The company also makes shoes for Ralph Lauren, which is, relatively speaking less, expensive. The mark up has everything to do with the brand. Here’s a good resource on brands, with helpful descriptions. Either way, just know that the name is what usually pushes that price up. Sure, some name brands are well known for their shoes, but take a little time and look around. Pick the shoes up, examine how they’re made and the quality of the leather; look at the linings and the check out the sole. These tips will help you determine if you are getting a good pair of shoes, but ultimately, you decide what its worth is to you. Can you find $550 shoes for $150? It may be a long look, but you can. Most every major shoe brand has an outlet somewhere, and since shoe styles don't change as frequently for guys, you can wait on a better made pair to show up at the suburban-hell complex nearest you. Fashion guys will pay for a style and a name over construction and reputation, and that's cool. But, we've given you the tools to find shoes you need to ensure you get comfortability, reliability, and durability in a shoe. Be kind to your feet, don't go cheap on them. This article was written with the assistance of Chris Hogan for OffTheCuffDC. |
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