Tell me about office shoes

In my experience, cheap shoes around the £50 range wear out after 3 or 4 months.
I spent £100 on some Dr Martens shoes (current employers dress code is office smart wear, no tie), mega comfy and will last longer than 2 pairs of £50 shoes.
If I go back to wearing a suit for office wear I'll be checking out them Loakes that get so highly recommended.
This isn't about the impression shoes give, it's about investing in decent shoes that last longer than multiple pairs of cheap ones.
As the saying goes - always have good shoes, a good sofa and a good bed, because if you're not in one you're in the other.
 
I like to look good for myself, but also buy value for money. I usually spend up to 60 quid for a proper pair of brown leather shoes.

Usually replace them once every year, year and a half.

Oh, and they always look nice and clean!
 
benskia said:
Hey everyone,

So - usually when buying shoes for the office to wear with a suit, I stick to slip-ons (just too lazy to work them laces every morning) and buy something around the £40ish price range.

Is this too cheap skate an approach? How much should I be dropping on buying a decent pair of shoes. And what is the benefit of purchasing a higher class of footwear?

Thanks
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It's worth bearing in mind that price does not equate to quality. You might be paying more for higher quality or you might be paying more for fashion and branding.

If you're paying more for higher quality, the benefits are better comfort, better protection from medical problems caused by being on your feet (which probably won't be an issue for you as you probably have enough status to be allowed to sit down often enough) and reduced cost over time (which probably won't be an issue either as shoes are relatively cheap nowadays).

If you're paying more for fashion and licensing the "privilege" of being a walking advert for a currently fashionable business, the benefit is that it will help you impress people who are impressed by such things. It might be the case at some point that someone in a position to affect your career might be someone who's impressed by people who pay a premium for licensing the "privilege" of being a walking advert for a currently fashionable business. Who you know and what they think of you can matter, often at least as much as what you know.

I generally spend between £60 and £100 on a pair of shoes solely on the basis of comfort, but bear in mind that I'm a minimum wage flunkey. A large part of the reason I spend a relatively large amount on shoes is that my inferior status results in me being forced to stand for hours on end even when using equipment designed to be used while seated. The resulting pain and chronic circulatory and musculo-skeletal problems serve as a constant reminder to me of my inferior status, which is of course the whole point of the custom. That probably doesn't apply to you.
 
I normally buy my work shoes from M&S, their Airflex range is pretty good, nice and comfortable.

This weekend I bought these Hush Puppies. I've never bought Hush Puppies before, what struck me was how nice these looked on display, very nice finish and they feel like slippers, near enough as comfortable as trainers.

£65.

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Any tips for avoiding/removing scuffs? I'm pretty good and scuffing shoes.

I really need to read up on shoe care.
 
**** me. Really?

Spec me a pair of shoes? How hard is it?

Walk into a shoe shop and try some on. Buy some that fit and look good.

If you want some that look good with a suit and you've got no imagination, wear the suit to the shop.

Like anything. Buy the best you can afford. Or don't and wish you had.
 
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I just wear a pair of Es Koston 7s. They're comfy as anything and can be easily slipped on/off without undoing the laces. I've never owned a pair of 'real' shoes and doubt I ever will.
 
Just buy a couple of decent pairs of Loake or better, rotate them and maintain them. Have them re-soled when they're wearing thin. Reassess in five years.

The people who matter will notice them.
 
amigafan2003 said:
Or it just make you look like a pretentious ****.



So if you want to be the chief office **** licker, buy nice shoes?
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Not at all. My opinion is to dress well for yourself and take pride in your appearance (and that doesn't necessarily mean suited and booted either). It has nothing to do with being an **** licker and everything to do with being the best, most comfortable and confident person for yourself. Others may not see it that way and may only see it as licking up to someone but that's missing the point.
 
Hades said:
Not at all. My opinion is to dress well for yourself and take pride in your appearance (and that doesn't necessarily mean suited and booted either). It has nothing to do with being an **** licker and everything to do with being the best, most comfortable and confident person for yourself. Others may not see it that way and may only see it as licking up to someone but that's missing the point.
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so if theres a pair of shoes that feel amazingly comfortable for you but look a bit shabby and unfashionable and a pair of shoes that's less comfortable but look very stylish and presentable.

which do you pick?
 
My dad bought a couple of pairs of Loake shoes, end of line from a cobblers when I was a wee nipper (I'm 43), he had them resoled about 5 times and finally retired them about about 5 years ago.
 
Tefal said:
so if theres a pair of shoes that feel amazingly comfortable for you but look a bit shabby and unfashionable and a pair of shoes that's less comfortable but look very stylish and presentable.

which do you pick?
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But why would that situation ever arise? Just buy a pair of shoes that ticks both boxes?
 
Tefal said:
so if theres a pair of shoes that feel amazingly comfortable for you but look a bit shabby and unfashionable and a pair of shoes that's less comfortable but look very stylish and presentable.

which do you pick?
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Neither. I find a pair that is comfortable, good quality and good value, works with everything else I'm wearing and makes me feel good.
 
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