Thread inspired by the fact I need to go buy some shoes and, in general, I abhor buying clothes. So I'm thinking about what my approach to my shoe collection should be so that I can own the minimum number of shoes necessary. My strategy used to be 2 pairs -- dress shoes and sneakers -- but that works less well as I age. So here it is: 1. Pair of classic black oxfords for when I need to dress up. 2. Pair of comfortable but nice every day brown leather shoes for going to the office. I like slip-ons. 3. Pair of dress-down casual shoes I can wear with shorts, like maybe some Vans or similar. 4. Pair of running shoes for running. (Bonus: I'll keep my old sneakers for mowing the grass, painting, and anything else I don't want to ruin shoes with.) Wondering if anyone has a philosophy on how to assemble a shoe collection. I'm sure there are both sneakerheads and conspicuous consumers who don't understand why I want to own a minimal number of shoes, and that's cool too. I kinda wish I had the patience for fashion.
My philosophy apparently very similar to yours. It's similar to my philosophy on cars - I don't need fancy bells or whistles, I just need them to get me from one place to the other. I buy all of my shoes on Amazon. I currently own 1 pair of: nice black dress shoes (wear only with a suit or tux for formal events) often-used black dress shoes (wear for my gigs because I don't care about scuffs, scratches, etc.) brown leather shoes (wear with khakis, non-black slacks or jeans if I'm work casual) tennis shoes (wear for exercise or physical activities) I work remotely so 99% of the time I leave the house, I'm wearing flips. I actually own more flips than shoes.
Ok, strap in. After going down this rabbit hole during the rise of Private equity and realizing that the shoes we came to love 2 decades ago are overpriced cardboard glued piece of ****, I only purchase welted, well crafted stuff (quality built to last and retain quality) Beckett Simonon has great deals for new customers, their boots and dress shoes/boots are amazing, more for formal wear. Only downside is they are made to order and 3 months in advance. I have a couple of pairs that are better than 500$ shoes purchased in a store https://www.beckettsimonon.com/ Thursday boots makes great boots, and shoes, though I think their non-dressy stuff is where they excel. Their return policy is amazing, buy 10 pairs, try them all out and return them if you want. https://thursdayboots.com/ J&M used to be good, their shooes look great but they are low quality garbage that fall apart
I'm very much like you wrt shopping for clothes and such. 1. Nice pair of black "suit shoes" 2. Nice pair of browns that can be worn with suit/pants/even jeans 3. Casual brown slipons (when 1 pair starts looking a bit ratty they become outdoor shoes and I buy another for public occasions). These are the most fomfotable shoes I have: https://www.duluthtrading.com/s/DTC/mens-wild-boar-leather-mocs-49521.html?color=DBR 4. Brown Redwing boots for occasions where you need/want boots 5. Flip flops 6. Tevas for aquatic activities 7. New balance running shoes for gym-type stuff I wear 3 & 5 90+% of the time
I have a hole in my shoe collection. I have a few pairs of dress shoes (brown/black), running/gym shoes, a nice pair of tennis shoes for going out (which I feel look silly), various smelly sandals, some hiking boots that should've been retired years ago, boat shoes, and chukkas for the colder months. But I need a sharp pair of casual shoes that are comfortable and well cushioned (something like an oxford that doesn't look too office-ish). And said "sharp" shoes need to be wide. Any suggestions? (I'm talking EEE and EEEE.)
Square-toe brown ostrich-skin cowboy boots that are 17 years old. Time for their nth resole. They’ve replaced my ‘dress’ shoes for all occasions. Yankees think they’re shoes until I pull my pant-leg up. New Balance 860 (wide) Running shoes Flip-flops from Murdoch’s on the Seawall in Galveston. Surprisingly durable for $15. Old running shoes for yardwork Steel-toe workboots for heavier projects. ~130ish pairs of Converse All-Stars, high and low tops for whenever I need casual shoes. Mix and match. Two pairs of special edition Rockets chucks for going to games. Custom gold leather with my name on them. Chinese New Year editions. Japanese imported chucks with a potato chip print. Floral prints. Dungeons and Dragons prints. Fire prints. Animal prints. Graffiti prints. Every color of solid low tops. The list goes on and on and on.
Nice. I always load up on flips and sunglasses when I'm in Murdoch's. Two things I refuse to spend more than $20 on. Last time I was there, I found some flips that had a bottle opener as part of the strap. They've saved me on numerous occasions.
The 2-3 pairs i have from 3-4 years prior still look brand new. And when the outsole wears out you can get it resoled for like 50$…essentially can last 10+ yrs
I love shoes. Grew up a basketball fan during Jordan early years so sneakers were goals. Gun to my head and I had to downsize to 10 pairs, I would keep... Brown Lucchese Boots Black Cole Haan Oxfords Jordan 3 White Cement Jordan 3 Black Cement K-Swiss Classic Air Max 95 Neon Air Max 1 Slides Jordan 1 Low Shadow Golf New Balance Turf Rubber Boots for floods/ditch mowing That would be so boring.
Yeah Murdoch’s is surprisingly affordable for a tourist trap. I guess their business model is quantity.
