Proper leather shoes

I can't remember the last time I saw a pair to play with, you're probably better finding a store with the stock to handle first. I do like the few Paul Smith Italian made shirts and jackets I've had though, quality was quite okay.

Egg sucking tips along the lines of manipulating the leather with your hands and seeing what happens. It's going on your feet and on the ground, so any store that doesn't want you handling shoes like this is selling for show not for wear...

A good leather will hold its shape and resist flexing, but depending on its thickness will still move about. Shit leather will crinkle under your finger as you press into it. Press into it, and pull (like scratching an itch, but without your nail). The shoe needs to give, not fall apart.

Flex the upper along the ankle area, lacing, and vamp, don't push hard on top of the toe but give it a squeeze on the sides. Most shoes betray their quality between vamp and toe, where you always get those creases. If there's a welt pull it away from the upper a little, squeezing back the upper and make sure it's well connected.

Check the heel blocks, push your nail into them somewhere inconspicuous, ideally on the inside beside the midsole, they shouldn't feel like cheese. Pull the shoe in the motion like stepping to feel how thick the sole is. Put your thumb on the midsole and pull the shoe the wrong way like going upstairs with your heel dropped, should be limited or no flex. Bend the sole like the extent of a long stride and see how much flex there is in the upper and sole. Push your thumb bang in the middle of the largest area of the sole, where you experience the most wear and make sure there is no noticeable give.

All that takes seconds to check like you probably know. Someone else here may disagree with me, I probably made a mistake somewhere there.