Good Quality Italian or UK Oxford Shoes for a Suit?

georgegeorge31 on 12/07/2023 - 16:56
Last edited 12/07/2023 - 20:59

I'm having a suit made for a wedding later this year (I'm not the groom lol) and need to get some Oxford shoes as well.

Brands like Aldo have ones that are like $300 but look like $80 shoes.
So I was looking at brands like Scarosso or Crocket & Jones which run between $500 - $1000.

That's a huge investment for me as I rarely wear suits - but I do see this as an investment I can keep for basically the rest of my life.

I wondered if anyone had any suggestions or knew of any ways to get those prices down? Anyone work in the industry who would be willing to share that oh so desirable retail discount? LOL!

But seriously, any advice or guidance would be really appreciated :)

Fashion & Apparel Footwear

Comments

  • Gdsamp on 12/07/2023 - 17:01
    +10

    I'm having a suite made for a wedding later this year

    Ngl not sure construction delays, shortages and troubles have eased much. Definitely allow extra time.

    • [Deactivated] on 12/07/2023 - 17:34
      +3

      Maybe OP meant they were having some custom sweets made for the wedding, and possibly putting them in shoes in some 16th century ritual/custom?
      They could also tie an onion to their belt, as was the style at the time.

    • payless69 on 12/07/2023 - 17:35
      +2

      Who knows, a Mausoleum could be more of a bargain?

  • kerfuffle on 12/07/2023 - 17:15
    +2

    Anyone work in the industry who would be willing to share that oh so desirable retail discount?

    Christmas Casual positions are opening soon; maybe get a weekend job for that retail discount?

  • DashCam AKA Rolts on 12/07/2023 - 17:35
    +3

    Good Quality Italian or UK Oxford Shoes for a Suite?

    Flash hotel room ain't fussed 'bout footwear.

    • [Deactivated] on 12/07/2023 - 17:35
      +1

      Hotel toilet suite may well be

  • [Deactivated] on 12/07/2023 - 17:37

    That's a huge investment for me as I rarely wear suits

    Just wear them with your micro-fibre track suite to get the ROI ;)

  • Benoffie on 12/07/2023 - 17:40
    +5

    Who spends that much on Oxfords? Grab a pair from Florsheims or Windsor Smith. If you want to go 'fancy' try RMs.

    Seriously, unless you work in courts or attend a private school as a student, theyll be back in the box at the end of the night.

    • [Deactivated] on 12/07/2023 - 17:43

      It's not uncommon to see male colleagues wear oxfords in the office.

      • bobbified on 12/07/2023 - 20:45
        +1

        I wear them in the office all the time. What else to wear with suits? haha

  • onetwothreefour on 12/07/2023 - 18:22

    SUIT!

    • [Deactivated] on 12/07/2023 - 18:41

      Class Action Lawsuit against bad spellers

  • Ocker on 12/07/2023 - 18:49

    English is obviously not OP's first language

    • kerfuffle on 12/07/2023 - 19:00
      -2

      I didn't get that impression. Just someone who doesn't know the difference between suit and suite.

  • randomusername2017 on 12/07/2023 - 19:29

    Soot would be cheaper but it only comes in black…

  • georgegeorge31 on 12/07/2023 - 20:38
    -2

    Wow thanks everyone - jumping on a spelling mistake and spamming the crap out of a post.
    Love this forum - thanks great - have a good night everyone

    Admins - just delete this whole post.

    • kerfuffle on 12/07/2023 - 20:40

      Maybe you could give more to the community than you take? Member of over a decade, still yet to post a deal …

    • [Deactivated] on 12/07/2023 - 20:41

      2 spelling mistakes:

      Good Quality Italian or UK Oxford Shoes for a Suite?

      I'm having a suite ….

    • randomusername2017 on 12/07/2023 - 20:58

      Prime day is so so underwhelming this year… need food porn and typos to fill the void

  • dtc on 12/07/2023 - 20:46
    +1

    Look at Lloyds or Meermin (esp) if you want something a bit up market without being stupid

    • georgegeorge31 on 12/07/2023 - 20:57
      -1

      Thank you - Meermin looks good! Also, thank you for actually having a suggestion and seeing past a mistake :)

    • CommanderCrumbcake on 12/07/2023 - 21:22

      +1 for Meermin. I have three pairs from them. Great quality for the price and Goodyear welted.

      • georgegeorge31 on 12/07/2023 - 21:45

        Yeah they look quite interesting - a bit daunting with so many tiny variations but just will need some reading!

        How did you find accuracy for sizing?

  • Brucegonemad on 12/07/2023 - 20:57

    My mate used to call Hootsuite, Hoot Suit…what a hoot.

  • bobbified on 12/07/2023 - 21:13

    Aldos are usually my go-to for dress shoes. They are a little more expensive, but they last a while. They often have sales though.. so the $300 shoes end up being about $140-200.

  • toristo on 12/07/2023 - 21:59

    Myer - Florsheims or Aquila. Less than $200. Closer to $100 if you jag a sale.

    • bmxr on 12/07/2023 - 22:04

      Have had 4 pairs of Aquila shoes, 2 x dress shoes and 2 x boots. 3 pairs have fallen apart within months of being worn once a week. Never again.

      Have yet to have an issue with Florsheims or Julius Marlows build quality.

      OP if you're after something flash with a reasonable price tag look in to Lloyd's. I have a pair of Lloyd's that were discounted from $400 down to $120 at Myer and they are the best dress shoes I've ever owned.

  • tiedtyper on 12/07/2023 - 22:06

    I’m a reasonably experienced ‘shoe guy’. If you want advice about higher-end shoes, consider joining and asking on the Welted Shoes Australia Facebook page.

    I personally wouldn’t recommend Meermin for a first Goodyear welted shoe - especially oxfords, which can be tricky to fit if you have higher arches. Meermin gives a lot of shoe for the money, but they can be difficult to ‘break in’, and if you get the sizing wrong exchanges are messy and expensive. I speak from experience re: fit, although some people have a very good experience (as on this thread). I have a subsequent pair that I won with a limerick (really!) and they fit better, but not great.

    My advice would be to either stick to shoes stocked in Australia (this will depend where you’re based - happy to provide suggestions), or to go with a retailer with excellent fitting advice and returns policy (e.g. Herring shoes in the UK). Herring is having a sale at the moment, and there are also 15-20% off codes floating around (full-price only).

    Hope that helps!

    • jv on 12/07/2023 - 22:11

      I’m a reasonably experienced ‘shoe guy’.

      How many years have you been wearing them?

      • tiedtyper on 12/07/2023 - 22:18
        +1

        Ooo a reply from jv, I’m honoured! Most of the pairs in my rotation are 3-6 years old. I gave the first pair of Meermins away after a year of increasingly infrequent use as they broke me before I could break them in.

        I say experienced in the sense that I’ve owned shoes from quite a few English brands, as per the title of the original post. Nothing like the Lobbs you linked to, mind, but Crockett and Jones, Cheaney, Alfred Sargent, Trickers etc. Less so with Italian shoes.

    • georgegeorge31 on 15/07/2023 - 09:41

      Thanks! I’m in Melbourne if you have any recommendations. I have been told about Double Monk in Fitzroy but their most affordable ate $795. Not totally undoable but also it’s a lot for shoes I might only wear once a year.

      I’m in a bit of a paradox - I don’t want to spend crazy amount but also don’t want something that I’ll want to get rid of in a year. I’m trying to be mindful in my purchase if that makes sense.

      • tiedtyper on 15/07/2023 - 10:19

        If you want to try on in person, you could also consider McCloud’s or Manfred’s shoe lounge (mostly repairs but also sell some models of Loake and Barker).

        McCloud’s carry Barker and Loake (both entry-level English shoes), along with Carlos Santos (Portuguese) and Berwick (Spanish). All are solid shoes, with Berwick starting at <$500 so maybe a better bet for your first pair of welted shoes that jumping straight into Crockett and Jones. Loake is overpriced in Australia, IMO, and only a few models (1880 and export grade, I believe) are actually made in England. All those brands can be found cheaper online, but I’d really encourage you to buy from a brick and mortar store in the first instance.

        The other option might be the Thomas George Collection, which is an Australian company partnering with Fugashin (Japanese Vietnamese shoemaker). I’ve got a pair and they’re great for the price ($350). Only issue is they seem to have very few modes available atm - might be worth emailing them to see if/when they’ll be restocking. I have a pair of the Barossa brogues, but you may want their cap toe oxford - called the Wordsworth, I believe.

        If you want shoes to last, you’ll also need to keep them in good repair: keep on top of any wear with a cobbler, keep the leather conditioned, and use shoe trees to avoid undue creasing and moisture. Get a pair from Trimly.

        • georgegeorge31 on 15/07/2023 - 13:42

          Thank you SO much. I just stepped out of McClouds with a pair of Berwicks and could not be happier. They fit just a bit better than the Loakes.

          The guy who helped me was so knowledgeable and helpful - and I wouldn’t have thought Ben known about this store if it wasn’t for your help! So truly, THANK YOU!!

          • tiedtyper on 15/07/2023 - 14:45
            +1

            @georgegeorge31: Great to hear! Berwick makes a solid shoe, and definitely worth buying in person. As I said, order yourself some shoe trees off Trimly to keep them looking swish :)

  • Tomcruise on 12/07/2023 - 22:36

    https://bespokeunit.com/shoes/english/

    Kirby Alison on YouTube has some good vids.

    This is a great watch: https://youtu.be/NBNLxJM3fNo

    • georgegeorge31 on 15/07/2023 - 09:37

      Oh thanks! I’ll go through the list! The hard part is finding them physically in Melbourne to try on.

  • dpark88 on 13/07/2023 - 08:42
    +2

    If you want a pair that will quite literally last you a lifetime, go with Loakes.

  • thrifty mum on 13/07/2023 - 13:56

    I only have this to add, Italian leather is shite, I know this after working in shoe repairs for several years. Also, if you want to make a quality pair of shoes last and they have leather soles, get "Topy" soles fitted to them to protect the leather, only after several wears, and don't get this done by a Mister Minit kiosk, as most (not all) of these guys are hacks.
    My preference for dress shoes/boots is a nice pair of RM Williams, mine are 22 years old and were at one time worn almost every day for several years.

    • georgegeorge31 on 15/07/2023 - 09:36
      -1

      Oh this is great advice.
      Sadly RMs just don’t fit me. I tried for 8mths working with them to get SOMETHING that fit. Multiple sizing, stretching, etc but they just aren’t made for my feet.

      Interesting about the Italian leather tho! I’ll do some research.

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