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Recommend me some brogues

Steel Icarus

Steel Icarus

we move
I'm after some grown-up shoes as moving towards job-searching soon. Looking for semi or quarter brogues; brown but veering more towards a darker brown, and preferably something I can polish as opposed to a more plasticky finish, though this isn't a deal-breaker.

Have looked at Loakes (the cheaper end), are these good ones (as opposed to having to get into the low £200s to get fantastic ones)?

I guess £150 is about my (ahem) upper limit.

Any suggestions?

EDITED to tag Fedayn killer b Nanker Phelge discokermit - no doubt plenty of others of you know your clobber but you lot I know for sure do
 
You should be able to get some nice brogues for £150 - just a matter of shopping around. Let me have a look... what's your size?
 
Loakes are fine, good shoes - but in my view, the jump in quality from Loakes to the next tier of Northampton shoemakers - Trickers, Alfred Sargent, Cheaney, Grenson and Churches - is significant. All of them have shoes that crop up in the low £200s in the sales, and if you're diligent on ebay you could find some much cheaper.

I've had a quick dig - these Sanders look like they might fit the bill: http://www.tredders.com/sale/sanders-guildford.html

some Grensons here: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Grenson-A...t=LH_DefaultDomain_3&var=&hash=item3a90862872

Not got time for much more of a look today, but those are the kind of thing you should be looking for IMO.
 
Thanks mate, I really appreciate it. Having been at home for 6 years all I've bought is trainers apart from some pointy weddings/funerals things, I'm clueless with shoes.
 
I have two pairs of brown suede brogues for work and I love them. They were cheap though. I'm too tight/poor to spend £150 on a pair of shoes, though I've seen shoes that dear and do indeed covet them. I imagine they last a lot longer than the £50 Howick's I have. My other pair only cost £30 though and seem quite robust. I love them. They are totally me:
872133_350_A.jpg
 
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I have a lot of problems buying shoes because most places don't stock 13s.
Used to have success in Spain for some reason. Got some nice smart shoes there.
Here, next time I will probably have to risk mail order.
 
As well as brands named above, Charles Tywhitt do some nice ones. They retail for about £175 but as ever u can find em cheaper on eBay.
 
I've spent silly money on formal shoes, and aside from a few bits of design and branding, tbh none of them have altered my opinion that mens formal shoe purchasing is the sort of job that M&S were invented for. Always quality, always with value in mind, and not made to look good in the shop then crease/fall apart/need the leather (FFS :mad::mad:) sole replacing after 3 months.

If you don't know what you're looking for (there's a lot of bullshit/veblen fashion idiocy) in formal shoes, I'd stick to M&S (and maybe use a good, wooden heel as a good barometer of quality). My Autograph (or Colleziones?) suede brogues were so nice I bought another 2 pairs instantly (that still lie in their wrappers) and they nail everything else for comfort and sturdyness.

(A lot of expensive formal shoes aren't made to last - they're made to be comfortable and have a funky/soft leather, so bear that in mind)
 
Maybe look at some John Lobb or Edward Greens if the other Northampton shoemakers seem to expensive... ;)

Loakes are good shoes. They'll last, and if they're dress shoes you probably won't be wearing them every day so maybe not pushing the boat out too far is the best idea. The quality of the leather and build is better on the more expensive shoes though, put simply - they age better, and they're more durable. A pair of Trickers will see you through to your coffin - Loakes, maybe not.
 
Yeah, and something to wear either with just smart trousers or a suit depending - going to want to wear daily once I become a teacher
 
Final question (for now, I expect) shoe sensei: how fastidiously do you follow manufacturer's recommendations? F'rinstance Grenson say if your shoes get wet, put newspaper in them and don't wear them for 48 hours...
 
I dunno, I've never bought new (hence why I own several pairs of Grensons - all car boot or charity shop purchases). You should let them dry out properly before wearing them again if they get wet though, so that sounds like sound (if perhaps a bit overly cautious) advice.
 
Grensons are lovely, but every time I've tried them on I've been bemused that a shoe could fit my (seemingly abnormal) feet so badly - the aread between my toes and end of the shoe could have it's own postcode.
 
S☼I said:
Final question (for now, I expect) shoe sensei: how fastidiously do you follow manufacturer's recommendations? F'rinstance Grenson say if your shoes get wet, put newspaper in them and don't wear them for 48 hours...
Click to expand...

If they get drenched, maybe that sounds about right - certainly not for surface drops/spills

There is a school of thought that 1 pair will never do, and by having 2 and swapping them (and letting a shoe have a 'rest day') is much prefereable.
 
killer b said:
Oh, I forgot Crockett & Jones, they're worth looking out for too.
Click to expand...
My pair of Crockett & Jones brogue boots has utterly ruined all my other shoes for me. They are so beautifully made and fit so well that anything else just feels like a pair of flip flops :oops:
 
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