Proper leather shoes

Totally disagree

each to their own

Does anyone have any experience of Paraboot Michael sizing?
I’m a uk 8 in most makes, uk 7 in red wings.
Do I go for a uk 8 in these?

2 Attachments

‘Obviously there are others’.

R&B are a borderline high street shoemaker. You can get proper bench made Goodyear welted shoes for the same price.

yeah, i mean, we supply our own booze so there will be certainty no shortage of that. but i have absolutely no suitable footwear, and my partner will appreciate wearing something nice so that’s worth it to me

Was a bit tongue in cheek, of course you want to feel/look good for your wedding.

I bought and wore a pair of these for my wedding...
£495 new but snagged a little used pair on eBay for under £100

1 Attachment

Stay classic in style and one of the aforementioned manufacturers and you’ll be fine. I usually wear my black Loake polished oxfords for weddings.

I think they come up small - all my paraboots I’ve gone up half a size.

I buy mine from Dychurch in Northampton - the guy there is a great bloke and will always go the extra mile. There a fucking rock solid pair of shoes. What colour are you going for?

Brilliant- thanks for the info.
60% in favour of the marron colour at the moment but I do like the dark brown too...
Decisions, decisions!

Go marron - I think the colour wears fantastically nicer than the brown. You’ll love em

Tbh I kinda agree on not going overboard on a suit you may not fit back into.

Unless you're a really odd shape, go for an OTP suit + tailor. You can chose the OTP suit based on your budget.

On shoes I went to C&J on Jerman St. Great service. Obviously depends on your budget, but they're a good balance of quality without getting crazy on price. Also the styles tend to be more elegant than some others. If it's a country theme and you're wearing tweed then have a look at Trickers, otherwise ignore.

Bank the money buy a watch.

Good recommendation- just had a pair of size 8 UK delivered in the Marron and they are lovely!
They fit very well too :)
Can't wait to start wearing these paired with some funky socks and trousers that are too short.

Ha, exactly how they should be worn!

Had anyone had any success repairing cracks like these? The shoe is old; it’s had it’s sole repaired once or twice and has had a whole lot of wear. Value is mostly sentimental but if I could get them repaired for <£80 I’d consider it.

2 Attachments

Most people would bin those but hats off if you save them. I’ve seen a close up of Prince Charles’ shoes showing he had something like that patched! I would guess a very good cobbler could do it but it won’t be cheap.

If those were mine I’d just put it down to character, they look nicely worn in.

They are very worn in and very comfortable - being nearly ten years old. Wish I’d treated them better initially but there you go.

If they eventually split and you’re really attached to them you could get the toecaps replaced at the factory. Under £80 sounds unlikely but you might be surprised, worth asking.

they don't look too bad to me - i'd just carry on wearing them.

I've not completely given up on these yet:

For my wedding I bought some Herring oxfords. Their premium line so made by Cheany. And they are wonderful.

They were factory seconds (tiny scuff) but were a bargain.
I never wear a suit or shoes in daily life so it made sense. Plus they got scuffed dancing anway. But now I have a lovely pair of shoes that will last a life, whenever a formal occasion arises.

You need to decide on a general design and colour. Decide what you want to spend. Then go try some on - somewhere they can help you find the right size.

On reflection, I should have got rubber soles, not leather. They would have been a lot more versatile and functional - for future use.

Seems like leather soles are a holdover, an effete affectation that provides no practical benefit. I guess one could say that about many items and touches in the fashion world but this one grinds me a little, down to how delicate they are and downright dangerous in all but ideal situations.

Aesthetics are a practical benefit

Bro do you even shoe?

Leather is better to reduce static on carpet (ie office), and if worn in properly offers adequate grip on all but marble. You should have wet leather soles (ie rainy ground) collect grit and dirt from the ground to increase grip. Silky smooth polished new-looking soles are for posers only.

A leather shoe will be more repairable and thus longer lasting than its synthetic counterpart if treated properly. Further, if the leather industry were more ethical and less wasteful (think, chemicals in production, animal welfare etc), it would as was the case for centuries be less negatively impacting on the environment than synthetics.

Synthetics and microplastics are now in your food chain, leather was once a useful byproduct of said food chain.