I’ve been looking for some dress shoes for work with a wide toe box and minimal heel to toe drop. I’m struggling to find anything that isn’t too casual for my office (typically dress pants and a dress shirt) or isn’t insanely expensive ($300 primal professional). Seems like it shouldn’t be something that’s too hard to make or find, but after several months I’m still striking out. Any suggestions?
Have you looked at Dunham shoes? Come in 4E’s.
So I’m a bit nutty about shoes…and like you I have difficult feet (super narrow, high arches).
For dress shoes, you can’t go wrong with Allen Edmonds…made in Wisconsin, beautiful craftsmanship, you can send them back every 10 years and they make them like new…I could go on!
There are few products in life that will stick with you forever, but these are them. But best of all, they use over a dozen different lasts on which to build a shoe AND they can them make that shoe in widths from AAA to EEE. Find them here: http://www.allenedmonds.com/aeonline/AllAboutLastsView?catalogId=40000000001&langId=-1&storeId=1
So for me, I have 2 lasts that work perfectly for my foot in a B width…so from the website you can filter by last, filter by width and then see what models are stock in that combo (they also make custom but very expensive).
In the end you are out $195-295 for a pair, but they will last you 25 years (like a SILCA pump…shameless plug!). They also have stores around the country that will fit you to both a last and a width…trust me it’s worth the time!
Finally, because they actually make all of these for stock and not just custom, once you know the models size/width that fits you, you can very often find what you need at their clearance website (http://www.allenedmonds.com/aeonline/cati2_Clearance_1_40000000001_-1_1_image_0_N_127607_127607_130263_subcategory__#facet=&sId=130263&sort=5&ps=12&bi=0 ), like many items associated with fashion, they go ‘out of style’ which I find awesomely comical as they seem to also stay very stylish for the 25+ years that you own them.
Some things in life are worth the $$$ and good shoes are certainly one of them.
Best of luck
These have a nice wide toe box, probably more heel drop than you want.
I wear these Altra’s at the office and catch no grief.
http://www.altrarunning.com/fitness/en/Altra/mens-shoes/instinct-everyday
I wear these Altra’s at the office and catch no grief.
http://www.altrarunning.com/...es/instinct-everyday
This^
I wear these Altra’s at the office and catch no grief.
http://www.altrarunning.com/...es/instinct-everyday
But they are extraordinarily fugly and are definitely no dress shoes, which are what the OP wants. There is no way you could wear these shoes e.g. with a suit.
Spend money on good shoes. Leather upper, leather sole. I just passed 10 years on my black cap toes, worn regularly. They are on their 3rd set of soles, and due to my obsessive maintenance have developed an awesome patina. They look awesome
+1 to the Allen Edmonds… Consider them the p2 of shoes, not high end but very well made and serviceable. If you go that route, seek out the shoes with the the 5 “last” is naturally wider.
I wear these. True Linkswear Gent. Zero Drop with a round toebox. Not quite as good as an Altra toebox but real close. $150. The one caveat is they are technically spikeless golf shoes and they have white nubs on the bottom. The positive is the the white wears off fairly quick.
The 5 last is long and narrow, not good for a wide toe. They have a comparison chart on their website, though the descriptions are pure crap.
Yeah I don’t think the Altra’s would work for me at my office, those are a little too casual. I would need something that I could wear with a suit from time to time.
The Allen Edmonds look very nice. Obviously very high quality and definitely nice enough for office wear. They would be more of an “investment” in a good shoe that I would hopefully have for a long time and love wearing. Are there any lasts that you’d recommend with a wider toe box? I’m not really just looking to get a wide shoe as I don’t think I have a wide foot but I would just like some room for my toes and not get them squished in the end of a shoe all day. Looks like maybe Last 6 would be the best option there? How big would you say the heel is on these?
I’d love to go to one of their stores, but the nearest one is 2 hours away. Could be worse, but a lot of effort to try on some shoes.
Yeah, you’re absolutely right. My fingers must be as fat as my feet… lol
I fail to see how this relates to triathlon, but I’m always willing to help out another fat footed brother!
I wear 10.5 4E shoes, so I feel your pain. I hate shopping for dress shoes because every style I fall in love with never comes in wide, and all of the Italian designers all fit skinny ass bird feet. I used to have a cap of about $150 on a pair of dress shoes because I wear them out so fast. I eschewed Allen Edmonds because of their $300+ price tag, but one day they ran a sale & I got a pair for $150. I was in love in an instant. I now own 5 pair of AEs and my wife just bought me a pair of casual driving mocs for our 10th anniversary. I will say this, wait until there is a sale. Much like Xterra wetsuits, only fools pay full price. AE is almost always running a sale and they are really good prices. Plus, they have a really good recrafting service when you wear them out. For a small fee, they make the shoe like new. I know people who have had the same pair of AEs for decades.
I know you said that the closest store to you is 2 hours away, but make a trip out of it because just like running shoes, getting a proper AE fit is key. I actually wear a 10 3E in AE shoes, despite wearing a 10.5 4E in others. They have about a dozen different lasts, so find the ones that work for you.
BTW…to link this to triathlon, go check out Lake bike shoes. They are based in The Netherlands & only have a few US distributors, but they make a wide width tri specific bike shoe that will fit your fat foot.
Hello roacher78 and All,
Wear your running shoes:
Excerpt:
When Christopher Tennant, the editor of the magazine Man of the World, met up with his future in-laws a few months ago at JoJo, an Upper East Side restaurant, he wore a navy blazer from Barneys New York, olive slacks and — what else? — a pair of sneakers by Common Projects.
“I always wear sneakers,” he said.
When Jian DeLeon, the deputy style editor at Complex magazine, went to the ballet last month, he paired a plaid suit with white sneakers by the Amsterdam brand ETQ, which he said feel “just as luxe as a pair of oxfords, and are 10 times more comfortable.”
And when Tyler Thoreson, the head of men’s editorial for Gilt Groupe, appeared recently on NBC’s “Today” to talk fashion, he wore a custom blue suit, a white dress shirt and navy blue sneakers, also by Common Projects. His wardrobe has become so sneaker-centric, he said, that “when I put a suit on, I have to think twice: ‘Oh, maybe I’ll mix it up and throw on my wingtips today.’ ”
Related Coverage
Tips From Fashion Insiders on How to Wear Sneakers With a SuitJUNE 11, 2014
Sneakers: Where Can’t They Go?MAY 28, 2014
From Humble Sneaker to Luxury IconMAY 26, 2014
video
Video: Bill Cunningham | On the Right FootAPRIL 25, 2014
The once ungentlemanly sneaker, it seems, has undergone a fashion baptism. The distinction between dress and athletic shoes is on the verge of collapse for fashion-forward men, as the humble gym shoe has outgrown its youth-culture/streetwear origins to become a fashion accessory, as well as a staple on runways, red carpets and in the workplace, where it is no longer considered the height of quirk to wear them with a suit.
Cheers,
Neal
+1 mph Faster
I use Vivobarefoot Ra. It’s plain black leather, Oxford lace-up style, with zero heel to toe drop, a very minimalist sole, and a very wide, anatomical forefoot. It’s a legit dress shoe, but also works great for yoga or cross-fit type workouts. Rather pricey at $130, but is a high quality shoe that holds up well if the leather treated when needed.
I agree with the Ecco’s and the Allen Edmonds. The Edmonds ain’t cheap but they have sales every once in a while. They will last forever all you need to do is resole them when you wear them out. Make sure to get cedar trees (help keeps the shape, stops shrinkage, and allegedly dries them out) for them and never wear the same shoes two days in a row.
I agree with the Ecco’s and the Allen Edmonds. The Edmonds ain’t cheap but they have sales every once in a while. They will last forever all you need to do is resole them when you wear them out. Make sure to get cedar trees (help keeps the shape, stops shrinkage, and allegedly dries them out) for them and never wear the same shoes two days in a row.
+1 for the Allen Edmonds. Some of the Allen Edmonds are included in Nordstrom’s Men’s Semiannual sale that is going on right now. Some pairs can be had for $200ish rather than $335+ at retail.