So I want to buy DH a pair of good dress shoes. He wears a suit to work most days and always checks the weather because the only pair of shoes he likes to wear are over a decade old and leak and cannot be resoled.
He has a wide foot so pointed toes don’t work well for him. He walks a lot at work so comfort is very important.
I am incredibly thrifty but would rather buy good shoes that will last than regularly replace crappy shoes (which is the current situation). What I don’t want to do is pay top dollar for shoes that are not comfortable or well made.
You really need to have him with you so he can try the shoes on himself. It is almost impossible to buy a correct fitting shoe without trying it on first. for example my dress shoes are from size 11.5 to size 13 depending on who makes the shoe. Size can really vary based on the manufacturer.
If he walks a lot, I highly recommend Ecco shoes. That is the only brand Mr. B will wear. Reasonably priced, too.
Here are their current dressy options:
I get work shoes (business casual) at Johnston and Murphy at the outlet mall, decent quality at a reasonable price. I have a pair of their brogues bought in 1991 and resoled once so far. My bias is partly because they fit my feet so well, narrow heels and average forefoot, though they do have wide. If I wore a suit everyday I would splurge on Allen Edmonds -$$$$.
If your husband is like my Mr Who Never Shops, I recommend ordering a bunch from Zappos, letting him try them in the comfort of your house, and shipping (free!) back the shoes that did not fit. Nordstrom is another good source. The nice thing about Nordstrom is that if your H hates the shoes, he can take them back and return even if they are slightly worn (or exchange for another pair).
My dh wears a suit for work almost every day. Business casual for him usually means a sports coat and patterned or colored shirt vs. his usual white dress shirt. He likes Allen Edmonds shoes, and I’ve found some great deals on them over the years. AE shoes can be sent back to the company for refurbishing and new soles, too, which makes the initial outlay more tolerable for me.
You may want to spend the time to read a lot of reviews on both the AE site and Amazon to get a feel for which styles may be most comfortable for your husband. So far, I’ve only returned one pair to Amazon for being too snug.
My H has feet like yours does, and also wears dress shoes to work, and we live in a rainy climate. He HATES those pointy-toe styles, though when we went looking for new shoes last week, those were all in clearance at every store, so maybe, hopefully, they are on the way out. He needs to try shoes on-I would never presume to buy them for him. Oh, and he’s not the type to want to wear the same pair for years and years, nor to spend gobs on money on something he feels is more a necessity than something he’d opt to wear if he didn’t have to.
He has worn SAS and Florsheim, both mentioned above. Also Rockport. He tends to try on quite a few pair at stores throughout our local outlet mall as well as the regular mall, before deciding on a mid-price, basic loafer most years. He’s not happy with anything he’s looked at right now.
Allen Edmonds shoes last a long time with reasonable care. DH has a pair over 10 years old that still looks good. He is careful about not wearing them out in the snow or heavy rain. He will wear another pair outside and put on AE when he gets to work.
Nordstrom Anniversary Sale is a good time to buy a pair. If you are lucky, you might be able find a pair at Nordstrom Rack in your size.
Son has Fred Flinstone feet.Ecco slip ons work great. He tried to get the Ecco lace up shoes but nothing was wide enough. He has been happy with Eccos since college, usually get a pair during Anniversary sale. They are comfortable for running around campus (he teaches now) or performing. H has narrow feet Cole Haan and Alan Edmonds, also at Nordstrom sale. The Alan Edmonds recraft is WONDERFUL, you get a new favorite shoe back for less than 1/2 price new shoe. Just send them off and they are beautiful when returned.($125) I need to send a pair back but I forget until retired H needs to wear them, they do last almost forever.
I tried a pair of Allen Edmonds from Nordstrom. They squeaked from day one. Exchanged for replacement of same pair. They also started squeaking and practically falling apart within weeks. Appalling for a high end brand. Sent those back for a pair of Johnson and Murphy. Good quality for the price, along with Florsheim Imperial, if you can find. I still wear a pair I bought 20 years ago. Replaced soles and heels a few times, still like new.
I have had good experiences with most big names like Ecco, Clarks, Cole Haan etc but for me comfort takes priority over aesthetics so you may not like their look or finish.
My H and kids like Cole Haan’s for dress shoes. One has “wider feet” and the other three have narrow feet but they alll have found Cole Haan to work. Not sure where in the gene pool the wide feet came from as I have triple A feet with high arches and my H has very narrow feet for a male.
@doschicos, I wore Cole Haan shoes for years, but I had narrow feet (until middle age and a bunion!). Cole Haans tend to run very narrow, so I’d be hesitant to recommend them to someone with wide feet.
My husband likes Sketchers dress shoes because they are very light in weight and cushy with memory foam. But I’ve always heard Cole Haan is the brand to have.
