Recommend me some shoes

[Ginger Yellow]

So, I need to get some new shoes. Specifically some dress shoes and some non-dress, non-trainer shoes that I could, say, wear to a posh restaurant.

Anyone got any tips for particularly good brands of either? I'm mainly looking for comfort on both them. My current dress shoes are a real pain as the soles don't provide any cushioning.

[Fussbudget]

Recommend me some shoes

What's your budget?

[Toby Gymshorts]

Recommend me some shoes

I have some Clarks brogues for work and they're very comfortable and well cushioned. They don't have a full leather sole though, if that's a consideration.

[MsD]

Recommend me some shoes

Unfortunately, I have to go out so can't give you my full attention.

[Ginger Yellow]

Recommend me some shoes

Fussbudget wrote: What's your budget?

I don't have one as such. I'm not really money constrained on this but I'm not going to be spending £500 on them either because I don't pay much for any clothing other than suits and specialist gear. Recommend me the best you know and I'll decide whether or not I think it's worth it when I try it on.

[Fussbudget]

Recommend me some shoes

If you insist. By far the best and most comfortable leather shoes I've ever worn are Joseph Cheaney shoes, their styles are usually quite conservative but a few of the models are really nice. I pretty much own no uncomfortable shoes anyway, but these are so supple and fit so well that there's just no comparison, they genuinely feel nicer to wear than my slippers.

They're made in Northamptonshire and have a price tag to match though. If you want shoes that you're going to wear a lot and keep for 20+ years then I'd say it's worth it, but I understand a lot of people blanch at the notion of spending £300 on shoes.

[ursus arctos]

Recommend me some shoes

I find shoes to be very personal, in that you need to find a brand whose last works for your feet.

That said, Clark's is a brand that has worked for a lot of people I know for this kind of situation.

[Eggchaser]

Recommend me some shoes

Loakes for the formal shoes, they last forever.

[andrew7610]

Recommend me some shoes

I was just typing a reply waxing lyrical about Loakes but was beaten to it by Eggchaser. They do feel like they'll be with me forever.

[Benjm]

Recommend me some shoes

Padmore & Barnes are good for non-formal wallabee/weaver style shoes. They used to supply Clarks until Clarks moved production to Vietnam. They're slightly more expensive than Clarks Originals (say £100 rather than £80), but are still produced in Ireland and just feel like something extra has gone into making them. They can be difficult to track down though.

[Amor de Cosmos]

Recommend me some shoes

Clark's are a good bet. If you want something a little more individual you might pay a visit to Tricker's, off Piccadilly.

[Stumpy Pepys]

Recommend me some shoes

Tommy Ball's, Hart St, Blackburn*

^{*May no longer be there}

[evilC]

Recommend me some shoes

I'll tell you what - those 'Airseal' (vegetarian DMs) that I was recommended on here are great ...and they *do* breathe. They're available from this place, in Brighton:

http://www.vegetarian-shoes.co.uk/