Yesterday I spent the day visiting men’s shoes stores on Madison and 5th Ave. I made stops at Slivano Lattanzi, Tom Ford (not a shoe store) J.M. Weston, John Lobb, Barneys, Bergdorf Goodman, and Saks 5th Ave.
Along the way I was very mindful of the shoes men were wearing on the streets. In general it was very underwhelming. Not to mention that with the exception of a few stores Lattanzi, and Weston the rest of the stores were underwhelming as well (service and merchandising I’ll write about in another post).
The typical footwear of the 20-30 year old office workers was something like this.
Older men were wearing loafers Ala John McCain. It may be age and bending over that has something to do with it.
Why is it that shoes are reduced to the lowest common denominator? Surely there are better options out there; I know this as I speak from experience. To be successful you need to look successful, business 101, It’s a credibility issue. That doesn’t mean you have to spend a fortune. A good pair of traditional, or classic shoes will boost your cred 100% not to mention the appearance of your wardrobe.
20-30 something’s would do well in a pair of Church’s Diplomat’s or Grafton’s,
While the loafer lovers would look great in the Artioli’s with their elastic laces or a Weston loafer.
Of course there are many other options to choose from, and as always I am happy to help you find the perfect shoes to fit your individual lifestyle.
4 Comments
The reason why majority of men in this country tend to wear square nosed shoes is that most men do not have too many choices. They go to the mall or worse they relegate this task to women in their life (mothers/girlfriends/wives) and the choices they see are pure crap. Remember whenever you in America you do not have the same choices that you in a few major metropolitan areas like NYC, LA, Chicago or Miami. Everywhere else people shop at Aldos and DSW Shoe Warehouse.
Younger men tend to think that Aldos sells fashionable shoes. Aldos and other shoe chains keep on selling square nosed shoes because that what they see sells. So in essence its a Catch-22. Older men prefer function and price over style thus they also buy crappy and un-stylish footwear.
But the most common denominator is that both young, old and in between aged men like to buy cheap shoes. We live in a culture that most people’s jobs require business casual or casual.
Granted, price and choice are a factor but considering that the above write-up mentions 5th and Madison Avenues, I think it comes down more to taste. Or lack thereof. These square-toed loafers look like some sort of floppy diving accessory rather than a shoe. These are so common that they’ve become a sort of pet peeve, sort of like women wearing business attire with running sneakers (remember the 90′s?).
Thanks for making me chuckle. The post was spot on.
Steve — I am curious as to what your thoughts are on Tom Ford shoes. I have been to his store many times on 71st and Madison, and believe that his shoes are as well made as the shoes you carry in your store (except that Tom Ford shoes are way over-priced). Personally, I am a huge Tom Ford fan, dating back to his time at Gucci. But, I believe that his clothing, shoes, accessoires — while very well made and incredibly well designed — are cost-prohibitive and frankly, not worth the money.
Your thoughts?
Jordan,
I can’t say I am a Tom Ford fan as far as the shoes go they are a lot of flash for a lot of cash. I believe they are produced by Sutor Mantellassi. My goal was to focus on shoe companies whose primary business is to make footwear.
Tom Ford, Gucci, Prada are all fashion companies that offer a line of shoes, to me there is a difference.
Steven