Proper dress shoes

Pointy shoes are just a fad... just like brown shoes are common for people in sales (currently) Don't ask me why they are just seems that way to me. I've only bought 1 pair of dress shoes in Tokyo and still have them, admittedly they are getting a little worn, otherwise, I prefer to buy shoes at a nice little shop in Florence, Italy while on holiday... sadly tho, the leather soles seem to be getting thinner and thinner.. or maybe I'm getting heavier which makes it seem like the soles don't last as long... hmmm... Chelsea boots are ok, but too Closter phobic for my dogs... they need some air... Synthetic soles are blasphemous... but I've succumb to getting the leather soles replaced with synthetic... in Thailand, Vietnam, and Philippines (much cheaper). I certainly keep them polished and ready.... learned from my grandfather... He always told me you can tell a lot by a man based on the condition of his shoes... I think some may say it doesn't matter... but to me, it still does... One should take pride in their appearance. It's amazing how the airlines treat you if you have a suit on... I know I've been bumped to 1st class on several occasions.... Like if a woman wears a hat on flight (no not a beenie ) If you take the time to dress well and you throw on a beat up tired looking shoe, then what's the point... IMO.... Have a polishing kit in my closet for black, brown, blue , oxblood and clear... Mink oil for the soft leather as it helps on those rainy days... and a suede brush for the well... suede... even old shoes look better if they have a fresh shine to them again IMO... Ain't no school like Old School.... except maybe the school of Hard Knocks.. or is Knox ? ?
Actually I like suede over leather but you have to keep a special spray to waterproof them at all times. They have a cute smart casual look that I prefer :)
 
Actually I like suede over leather but you have to keep a special spray to waterproof them at all times. They have a cute smart casual look that I prefer :)
They make a brass brush for suede shoes if the "nap" of the suede starts to become matted... I know about the spray... Silicon I believe :), but don't spray on breasts won't do any good :p
Yes Suede shoes look nice for casual - I think they step up the casual look a bit..:rolleyes:
 
If the foo shits, wear it.

For those who don't get this one, it's from an old joke.

Long ago, there was a renowned hunter who roamed far and wide, going on expediton after expediton, hunting down and shooting for sport every manner of wildlife. His den was huge and was decorated fabulously, though some felt grotesquely, with the heads, skins, horns and in some cases whole bodies of the animals he succeeded in bringing down.

His collection was rumored to be the most complete in the world, but he was still unsatisfied because he had been unsuccessful in his quest to bring home the most difficult species of bird to find, let alone kill - the immortal foo bird.

The foo bird was huge, said to exceed even the size of the roc, the legendary avian giant that could carry off elephants. The hunter was determined that he should be the first in the world to have a foo bird in his den.

But there was great danger in hunting the foo bird, for it was said that the bird was incredibly quick and, when spotted, would take flight and defecate on all in close range. Once defecated upon, legend had it that one could not wash off the excrement, because if one did, instant death would result.

Undeterred, the hunter undertook another great expedition to the South Seas islands in his ever present quest to locate and bring home the immortal foo bird. No expense was spared on this expedition, with the finest weaponry, the most experienced scouts, and the finest and most extensive provisions, so that the hunter could have many weeks available for locating the foo bird.

At last, one late afternoon while exploring one of the larger islands, one of the hunter's scouts whispered that a foo bird was in the next clearing. The hunter hurried to shoulder his rifle and, taking quick aim, shot and killed the gigantic bird. Alas, the bird, true to the legend, was able to defecate on the hunter just before being hit.

But, the hunter figured that he had his prey. No one else in the world had ever bagged a foo bird and, by thunder, he would take it home, have it stuffed, and show the world that he was, indeed, the hunter. He honored the legend and left the excrement on him to ensure that he would enjoy his prize trophy.

Sadly, the hunter's odiferous state was such that no one would visit him to see his rare foo bird. He could not enjoy his moment being alone. Depressed, he fell to drink and despondency, bemoaning the fact that he could not bask in the glory of the moment.

Finally, he decided that there was no use in going on. If he couldn't show is foo bird to others and see their reaction, he might as well be dead. He realized that there was no longer any point in honoring the legend of the excrement. One night, when he could no longer stand the irony, he ran to the shower and washed off all the foo bird excrement - and fell dead instantly.

The moral of the story?





If the foo shits, wear it.











Many people have never heard the epilogue to this sad tale.

A follow-up expedition was nearing the island by boat when a sudden storm capsized one of the ships, and the passengers and crew had to swim to shore. The leader of the expedition, a renowned naturalist, and his assistant found themselves swimming amongst a pod of seals. The naturalist watched while his assistant, following one seal, accidentally swam into the seal's excrement.

Unfortunately, when they got to shore and the assistant wiped the feces from his suit, he died on the spot.

The naturalist immediately had signs posted to prohibit swimming off the island....















as any seal can plainly foo.
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: rob040188 and MikeH
You are correct... but it started with black, and has progressed into brown... another decade to go....:D
 
I’m also in the market for some new dress shoes. Any shop recommendations and how much should I expect to spend for a decent pair?
 
My impression is that people go for pointy shoes with skinny fit suits, but I may be wrong.

Daiki shoeshop in Kanda looks interesting. I will try it out during my next visit to Japan.
 
My impression is that people go for pointy shoes with skinny fit suits, but I may be wrong.


That's exactly the reason! In my opinion, (sorry if I'm sounding a bit American Psycho here) if you're wearing slim or tailored fit suits, round toe shoes like oxfords would kind of cut the line you're creating and look a bit out of place.
 
skinny fit suits

Another abomination... I was just recently at a business leaders' presentation for my industry, and it was a very stark difference.

Not one single executive or senior manager had a skinny fit suit. The few that we did see were on junior hotel staff.
 
  • Like
Reactions: tigerlily
Another abomination... I was just recently at a business leaders' presentation for my industry, and it was a very stark difference.

Not one single executive or senior manager had a skinny fit suit. The few that we did see were on junior hotel staff.

Haha! I'll admit that they dont look good on everyone, but I think for some it looks nice. The cut doesnt make too much of a difference I guess, as long as it fits well!
 
Haha! I'll admit that they dont look good on everyone, but I think for some it looks nice. The cut doesnt make too much of a difference I guess, as long as it fits well!

Honestly, they're fine for moderately dressy social wear or in a business casual office. Just not for anything formal or serious.
 
  • Like
Reactions: tigerlily
Suits, shoes are just like any other clothes. There is style. And there is fashion. Anything extreme is likely a fashion fad. So too pointy, too tight, too short etc. is a fashion fad and it's time is limited. Having said that, I used to wear some double breasted suits. They were pretty standard about 25 years ago. Hugo Boss and a great SanFrancisco-based Italian maker called Wilkes Bashford. Barneys in Shinjuku always had a good selection and they had long sizes too. I thought that they would stand the test of time. I guess I was wrong. You wear one of those now and people laugh at you.
 
  • Like
Reactions: MikeH
I'm glad to hear that you like Hugo Boss too. Did you know that he designed the black uniforms for the Nazi SS?

Hey, what are you doing checking the labels in my closet?
 
I'm glad to hear that you like Hugo Boss too. Did you know that he designed the black uniforms for the Nazi SS?
Yea I knew that. Boss still makes great Lederhosen and other Bavarian traditional garb for rich people to wear to Octoberfest. I only see it in Germany though. There are all kinds of great designs, inventions and other good things that came from the Nazis and other otherwise despicable groups of people. I have an IWC pilots watch based on a WWII Nazi design. And a Panerai dive watch that was designed by Italians during Mussolini. The Volkswagon beetle, later a symbol of hippie pacifism, was also essentially a Nazi design, I think. I don't worry about that kind of trivial shit. Seperate the art from the artist otherwise we cant watch House of Cards. Those Hugo Boss suits were classic though. Really well made; good fit and good materials. Now its all made in China like everything else.
 
Last edited:
Suits, shoes are just like any other clothes. There is style. And there is fashion. Anything extreme is likely a fashion fad. So too pointy, too tight, too short etc. is a fashion fad and it's time is limited. Having said that, I used to wear some double breasted suits. They were pretty standard about 25 years ago. Hugo Boss and a great SanFrancisco-based Italian maker called Wilkes Bashford. Barneys in Shinjuku always had a good selection and they had long sizes too. I thought that they would stand the test of time. I guess I was wrong. You wear one of those now and people laugh at you.
Not if you have the pimp hat and sceptre :D
 
  • Like
Reactions: Sudsy
I'm glad to hear that you like Hugo Boss too. Did you know that he designed the black uniforms for the Nazi SS?

But that is definitely not the only reason I like them. That I don't have a black full length leather coat tailored to that style is only because I live in Tokyo and would never have the chance to use it without melting down.

For almost two decades all my suits were Hugo Boss. I normally bought one or two every year when I visited Europe because they fit well, were fast to buy and didn't break the bank.

However some years ago I noticed the quality started to go down. I am guessing their new batch of slaves weren't strong enough or something. So I switched to getting my suits tailored every time I visited Bangkok. Obviously the switch with finding the right tailor and all was way more work than I am happy to do for clothes but now it's done.
 
  • Like
Reactions: AliceInWonderland
I have a vague memory of seeing some shoe polish sometime in my youth..

father was in the military so we had shoe polish in the house, but I was never taught how to use it. I very rarely wear dress shoes since I work at home and even before I worked at home I always wore sneakers. Dress shoes were for weddings, funerals and very special dates.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Wwanderer
Honestly, they're fine for moderately dressy social wear or in a business casual office. Just not for anything formal or serious.
The average American in a suit looks like he's wearing a sack of potatoes so a slim cut suit would certainly look out of place.