After best value dress shoes for work (office)?
Currently wear Florishams and they seem like decent vale but I am wearing them out pretty quickly still. After doing some research I think I need to get 2 pairs and rotate them apparently if you want them to last. So I will start trying to do that as I currently wear the same ones every day and generally last around a year before some part fails.
I would prefer to spend more if it means they will last many years. However the ones I can find that people say will last a decade or more are $600 plus.
Are Florishams one of the best vale for reasonable quality before jumping to ridiculous amounts?
Recommendations woud be great.
Also anyone that has just bitten the bullet and spent ridiculous amounts and found it to be better value in the long run.
Cheers
Long Lasting Men's Leather Shoes (Best Value)
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Provided you spend hundreds maintaining them
There's also the risk factor of somethng going wrong that can't be easily repaired. With a cheaper pair, this isn't a problem.
Thanks mate, I've never even considered that before. In looking at that graphic I tend to go for the Oxfords but have had some brogues before (as I was told the brouges can last longer… Though not sure if that's true)
Provided you spend hundreds maintaining them. They always seem to leave that part out
THIS…
is why I don’t want to consider those at all… Its hard to find repair shops these days and the ones you find costs hundreds for repairs 🤷♂️. As much as I’d like to repair and reuse, those days are long gone sadly for most consumer appliances and everyday items.
Supposedly we are a "service economy", but the service is terribly. So many items get thrown into landfill simply because you can purchase a new item for the same price. Even regular maintenance is prohibitively expensive. 100 years ago, and almost everything was repaired. Despite all the current proselytizing about sustainability, we are much worse now than previous generations at minimizing waste.
in my experience Florishams has been rubbish. its wears of very quick.
bared footwear has been decent if you can pick up when they have a sale!
Find one that you can resole and you like.
Florishams has been rubbish.
Chinese fakes?
I prefer Panaphonic myself.
I can confirm this, I had a pair replaced 4 times under warranty because they would wearout within 3 months. They politely told me to (profanity) off when i tried to replace them a 5th time (They were 8 days out of warranty at that point to be fair though) They kept splitting at the seam where the sole met the leather upper portion.
This was at the florsheim shop in Chadstone, so genuine shoes.
Let me say as a fellow Ozbargainer, it's a mark of respect when a store tell you to piss off and throw you out. Respect.
I agree, mine died very quickly, I was going to the office 5 days a week and wearing them every weekday.
I’ve just replaced the heel blocks on my Florsheims at a cobbler for $40, and with a polish they’re good as new. Currently about 12 months old, expect this will give them another 12 months and then I’ll do the same if the leather is still going alright.
Florsheim were bought in the early 2000s and since then the quality has been shit.
Florsheims will still only give you 1-1.5 years of daily wear.
Just cop the hit and buy some RM's
Save yourself the headache and get some of the comfiest shoes on the market. I've had mine for 5 years and have only had to replace the heel block for $50Thanks, do their shoes last as long as the boots?
Yes, the reason a shoe will last long is the quality of the leather upper and the repairability of the sole. RMs are constructed with good-year welts as opposed to cementing construction (in summary, the sole is sewn on rather than glued on). That means that if you take care of the leather, when the sole wears out you can get a cobbler to replace the sole and sew it back on.
Bit of a simplification but perhaps helps you understand why RMs are quality
Can also vouch for RM !
I bought mine in 2017 and they are still holding perfectly well.Try 3 months of daily (5 days a week) wear for the florsheims, average of ~12k steps per day. They would split where the upper joins to the sole.
I paid $17 to have my heelblocks replaced at the local cobbler and he had genuine RMW heelblocks.
Nooo way
That would barely cover the labour
Yeah, I feel bad for the bloke. I even asked him why he was so cheap. It’s because it’s located in a low SES area. Hence people would not want to pay more.
Oh man mine are so uncomfortable. You want to buy a spare pair?
What size/style? I've always wanted a pair but a big up front cost.
Size 8, Sydney boot I think
RM's are a great investment if you look after them. I had a pair last over ten years, still incredibly comfortable. When I used to work in a shoe repair shop we would often service them, some were decades old! Easy to work on and just a solid shoe all round, hence I bought myself a pair to wear to work everyday.
some people will say Rossi.
Had a number of pairs of RMs, been great. Finding a good shoe repair shop to replace worn heels and soles, is a great way to extend their life, along with regular cleaning and polishing (not the cheap Liquid Quick shine/polish).
I've also found ecco shoes excellent. Well made, comfortable and seem to be long lasting. Their outlet stores often have older models/styles well discounted. Once you know your size, it's safe to buy them online, as I've found their sizing to be very consistent. Currently have them in Plain Toe Derby and Oxfords (brown & black).
I like my Eccos - but there's no way I am getting 10 years out of them.
I agree. I bought a $300 pair of Ecco boots for a job where I walked a loot. They were comfy but only lasted me just over a year. That was 3x longer than other shoes but I was still disappointed.
Will have a look at the outlets for RM as haven't looked at their shoes before and will check our the Eccos.
I’ve had several Ecco shoes over the years. They were good. But not anymore. Returned a pair recently which I tried to like but the quality was terrible so I couldn’t justify the cost.
I have an older well maintained Florsheims and can say it is pretty good. Not sure about newer models as I haven’t tried any. Just look see.
What is "Florishams"?
How much do they cost you?
What is your expectation for how long shoes should last (if wearing every work day)?So if the ones cost $200 lasts a year, and the $600 ones lasts 5 years with the same care and maintenance level as the cheaper ones, and likely to be more comfy as well, then the $600 ones is much better value than the $200 ones.
But the question then, does such shoes actually exists?
I've heard/read good things about mongrel riding boots. Has anyone here got a pair? What's your experience?
i just grabbed a pair from an ebay seller in NSW for $85. Only got them delivered today so haven't had the chance to wear them out yet, but i will say that i'm a US9 in sneakers, and got an US8.5 in Mongrel, and they feel a tad tight. I know they may stretch out a bit, but just FYI
FYI you purchased shoes half a size smaller than your normal shoe size and are surprised they feel a tad tight?
Would recommend Loake shoes.
+1.
I wouldn't Loake anywhere else.
I haven't heard of them but will have a look
Your much better off importing shoes from uk like loake
As long as you’re buying the european or UK made version of the shoe.
Goodyear welted sole etc
https://www.herringshoes.co.uk/?gclid=EAIaIQobChMIiOqlt_zr_w…Get them direct from the UK, works out to be cheaper.
You get what you pay for, these would last a long time. When the soles gets worn out you just resole them.
Aren't they around the $500 mark?
what about leather shoes for short lasting men?
ok, i'll see myself out
I stop reading at men.
F … for a friend
'leather shoes for short lasting men?'
uh - that should buff out if you don't leave it on for too long …
Hush puppies have been a real win for me. Had always thought of them as chunky and ugly but that must be the old days. Comfy and long lasting.
I leave my shoes under my desk and wear them in the office only. Commute in sneakers. Better for walking and best thing ive done to save on wear.
I've got a pair of Hush Puppies a pimp gave me 10 years ago and they still look great. They mark my socks red for some reason though.
Agree with Hush Puppies very comfy and very good value. I’ve got two pairs of the Chelsea boots ( Black and Brown) and after couple years still as good as new
Clarks and Hush Puppies for me. They seem to last forever. The bottom of the shoes eventually wore out for me but the top still looks nice considering most of the time they are 2-3.5 years old.
I do use cheap Woolies shoe roll on shine every few months to keep the leather looking new.
Don't get shoes that make that high heel sound when walking on hard floors, unless you want people to hear you coming.
Haha. I love those but they don’t last.
'unless you want people to hear you coming.'
that happened even when I wasn't wearing any shoes (late night beach, etc.)
Wear something comfortable to and from work when you can and keep your work shoes at work. Since I started doing this I found they lasted way longer in an office job
I usually ride or drive
I second this - ride my bike to work in sneakers, change into work shoes from my locker in the office. I even switch back to sneakers for my lunchtime walks.
I would buy RM Williams but I don’t want to be called an eshay.
are they de rigeur in Boganville ?
RM's
Ecco shoes are amazing value and quality
No I'm not affiliatedEcco are amazing! I don’t wear anything else (also not affiliated)
I don’t wear anything else
Just the shoes then?
😂 💯
3 years into wearing my Ecco vitrus ii for daily office work. The leather is perfect still but the rubber sole has come apart about 6 months ago. Shoe goo fixed it for now and still going strong, but the sole seems the weak point (although also why it’s so comfortable)
Best business shoes are those that are made with a thick stitched leather sole, top grain leather and not made to a price point. I’ve had a pair of Prada for almost 20 years and they get the full topi sole every 5 years and are as good as new. Loake are good and Church’s are the best. If you don’t mind second hand and get the correct size, you can get them for around $100-$200 and with proper care will last a lifetime. Good shoes will feel like putting a pair of socks on and never require breaking in.
This is by far the best advice on this thread so far
If you want shoes that will last a lifetime get a Goodyear welted shoe (I prefer English shoes over Italian because they’re built tougher, Italian shoes are prettier). Second hand is the cheapest way of getting a pair.
The best value shoes I’ve owned have been Herring’s own branded shoes (the made in UK, Spain and Portugal ones). Typically they could be bought for around the $200 mark but they’ve upped the price in recent years. I’ve used mine through a lot and they’re still in great condition).
The best pair of dress shoes I own are probably my Crockett and Jones. Very, very Honorable mentions are Church’s, Jeffery West and Bally Scribe (not their regular line, big difference in build quality between ascribe line and the regular line).
Other great brands I have are Barker, Loake and Wildsmith. I rate my RM Williams after all of these brands as an FYI.
In terms of outright quality, all of these are brands are better than The Herring shoes line. However when you factor value for money, I rate the Herrings better
Most overrated brand of shoes I’ve had are Aquila and Floresheim (in that order). Stay away from Aquila’s expensive shoes (the $300 mark). They are truly overpriced garbage
Agree Aquila are very disappointing. Very poor quality for the price.
Do you know if the herring india origins are any good?
No idea sorry, from previous experience I haven't been impressed with the build quality of Indian made shoes so have stayed away from them.
For what it's worth, a friend of mine owns a few pairs of English and Indian made Loakes and he says that the quality of the Indian made ones are very good (but the English ones are better).
Thanks mate, that's what I've opted for just bought a pair of Loake shoes second hand and pair of Allen Edmonds both under $100. Both are Goodyear welt so I'll see how they go. Will try the rotation option at the same time. This option made the most sense as I can see if the higher quality ones live up the the hype without the initial overhead.
Both great great buys there (AE are an excellent brand, they would have made by above recommendations but I honestly forgot I owned some - I’ve got a lot of shoes).
Definitely rotate your shoes and if they re leather soled try not to wear them in the rain. Yes they can handle the rain but from experience leather soled shoes, regardless of brand, will wear faster in the rain. If you get them wet turn them on the sides and let them dry (it makes a huge difference to how the soles dry). My rule is if it’s going to rain then I’ll use a rubber soled shoe
Don't forget to use shoe trees. I've got my leathers in some cedar shoe trees (I think I got mine for about $25-$30 a pair). I put my shoes trees in straight after I take off my Loakes and they help maintain the shape of the shoe, with minimal creasing and help wick away sweat. My Loakes are over 5 years old and have been the best shoe investment ever! I bought them new but on sale (clearance) at the time. Have just bought my first pair of RMW when they were on 30% sale from the Iconic the other day. Based on the reviews I am hoping they will last also.
Side note - I would not recommend the cemented Aquilas. Bought one a few years ago (before I discovered Loakes) for $180 and after about a year the sole was starting to come off.
'If you don’t mind second hand and get the correct size, you can get them for around $100-$200 and with proper care will last a lifetime'
may I ask where you can buy mens' shoes like Prada, Loake or Church's second hand in Australia ?
https://baxterfootwear.com.au/mens-dress-boots/
when only the best will do…
I've had these boots for about 7 years, re sole this year, worn Baxters for 40 yrs plus for work no problems….The patrol bootsGeez they look a half convincing RM williams knock off!
Were made in Australia, don't seem to be anymore
Are they as good as RM?
Wild Rhino is a great brand, very durable and have had shoes that last for years.
I have had ECCO shoes for years, quality stuff!
Rockport Allander if you can still find them. I'm larger than normal, and find these last around 2 years.
They used to have adidas soles a while back and were amazingly comfy. Not sure, if they still do.
Clark’s and Hush Puppies have both lasted a long time for me. My Clark’s are going on 8 years (granted they were not used much during Covid). Had the soles repaired in Europe when I was there before Covid so probably lasted a good 4 years before I had to repair the soles.
+1 for me as well.
Consider Xero or Groundies. Barefoot feel shoes and very comfortable.
Camper shoes. I bought two pairs (back and brown) in 2012, wore a couple of years daily and then occasionally they are still in good condition.
Is it the leather upper wearing out or the sole wearing through/splitting? If it's the uppers regularly waxing/shining them will extend their life a bit.
It has been both but generally uppers that fail for me. I think the rotation of the 2 pairs with a bit more maintenance (wax/leather conditioner) will add a lot more life for me from what people have said.
If you want decent products, Saphir polishes are so much better than anything else it's not funny. They are expensive though but worth it. The Creme 1925 is excellent fi you have multiple colours or different coloured stitching on your shoes, use the clear one (I actually use the clear one for pretty much everything but have some colours)
Depending on how you use them you need to polish your shoes far less that you think you do. Often a brush down will actually get them back to looking great and activate the polishing ingredients (beware of over polishing them because then they look gross when you have layers and layers of polish on them)
Have a read of these guides:
https://saphir.com/pages/how-to-guidesand this is a great video (I've linked this specific one because the quality of the shoes you bought are on par with this brand):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MVREgGxu5ks
Florishams and HushP use to be good. i bought a pair of Florishhams casual shoes and i will struggle to get a year out of them.Hush Pupies have also gone downhill in quality. i usually get several years out of Merrell and Ecco shoes.
I like RMs. Mine has lasted 10 years now. replace the heel stack twice for $50 each so my cost has been $380 + $50 + 50 = $480 / 10 years = $48 a year. For a comfortable shoes that I wear 5 days a week, that's pretty cheap IMO. That said, I've been lazy and now it has worn into the wood in the heel so will need to replace the heel stack, pretty hefty price for that :-/
Mate said Baxter or Blundstone lasts just as long but personally I haven't bought them so can't recommend.
Baxter and Blundstone may have lasted just as long when they were made here but I couldn't say now.
Baxter maybe but they moved about five years ago, I don't know if their current stuff is Goodyear welted or Blake stitched.
Blundstone , now way, it's all vulcanised or glued.
A few things to consider:
- Always buy shoes on sale.
- As you get older, less fit or more heavy setted, you tend to wear your shoes out quicker. How you walk in shoes and how heavy you are matters to longevity.
- Maintenance is important, cheaper shoes will only last so many thunderstorm soakings if you don't care for them.
- The more expensive shoes are often properly repairable. Which seems annoying and expensive when you are going through the process, but is cheaper in the long run. Plus keeps crap out of landfill and YOU in comfy, worn in shoes.
Hush Puppies Leather
Look ugly, but are comfortable and need additional gel sole as their sole is very hard.
I buy them on sale and last around 2-3 years. I wear them 5 days.
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Provided you spend hundreds maintaining them. They always seem to leave that part out.
It might help to know what kind of work shoe is your preference. 'Leather shoes' could mean anything from oxfords to dress boots to brogues etc.
Examples: https://www.bows-n-ties.com/mens-fashion-tips/wp-content/upl…