People say HW is so much more durable, but tell me, where are you going to find a cobbler to resole your HW shoe to original specifications? Are you going to send it back to the manufacturer each time and potentially wait months? Pay hundreds to have another cobbler do it? Or are you going to do what most people do and have it resoled by machine, at which point the HW construction becomes a mute point.I'll concede that hand lasting doesn't effect the quality but it does effect the shapes you can use for the last, so if you want a more exaggerated shape to the shoe hand lasting is the way to go.
I think handwelting is really underappreciated, the chances that a handwelt will fail is almost zero in comparison to Goodyear welt with gemming that has a surprisingly high failure rate(according to a few cobblers I know) + handwelt doesn't produce the huge cavity that the gemming creates in Goodyear welt, which effect the long term comfort of the shoe (the loose cork used in Goodyear welted shoes almost always scatter in parts of the shoe)
(You can get these qualities from Italian/Indonesian/Chinese makers for carmina/alden pricing so I don't see a reason to not go for them unless you really really like a specific last/pattern from a Goodyear maker)
Wish this brand made larger sizes, I visited their Tokyo store but they had nothing past US 9 or 10 I think. I'm right at the cut off where smaller Japanese brands stop offering my size, same deal with Wheel Robe.
I hate that term, "dress shoes". It implies exactly what Ton mentioned, some kind of footwear that you wear only at a certain occasions. It is a maliciously misleading term that doesn't describe anything in particular & implies that looking like a slob is normal and acceptable.
I mean, George Costanza turned his Timberland boots into perfectly passable "dress shoes" by spray-paining them black.
Good lace-up shoe is a basic foundation of ones style and general self respect. It shows you care for yourself and what represents you enough to not wrap your feet in 18 layers of plastic polymer, rubber and PVC gunk.
Tlb mallorca (spanish) has some nice chisel on some of thir lasts.I was looking for a men's dress shoe, admittedly I'm not very knowledgeable about that kind of shoe. I already have boots, its shoes I'm looking for. As for lace or slip on, I wasn't sure, I'd assume lace. I'm generally thinking of "gentleman" style shoes, if that makes sense, but with a sharper toe as opposed to a round or blunt shaped one. Hopefully that helps.
People say HW is so much more durable, but tell me, where are you going to find a cobbler to resole your HW shoe to original specifications? Are you going to send it back to the manufacturer each time and potentially wait months? Pay hundreds to have another cobbler do it? Or are you going to do what most people do and have it resoled by machine, at which point the HW construction becomes a mute point.
Cork can easily be replaced. A full resole should always come with fresh cork. How many more times can a HW shoe be resoled? Does it actually matter? The upper will wear out before you reach the end of life on most GYW shoes in practice. Theory is one thing, reality another. Its simply not practical for most people. If you pay a couple grand for a shoe maybe its worth the cost of a properly done HW resole, but not for a shoe costing a few hundred. Not for most people.
I’ll second Grant stone. Have two pairs. Really like them. Sold my Alden 405s.Grant Stone.
Best value in a quality shoe.
US company, shoes made in China in a quality factory.
I have six pair
If you care for a more refined European look, check out Cobbler Union. They are made in Spain
Agreed. The 'sharper toe' recommendations is why I showed my TLB Mallorca oxfords, and not my Beckett Simonons. Their prices are as good a value as any. Comfy as any round toe as well. Spanish site, but good descriptions on each shoe. These might be my favorite, with the little emblem broguing. (Second pic of them, I know )The OP asked for shoes with a sleek last and very pointed toe, I do not know why people are recommending Grant Stone or Allen Edmonds, which are brands not known for sleek and pointed lasts. Grant Stone isn't known for Oxfords at all, although they do make some. Neither does John lobb, G&G or EG fit the bill since all of these fall far outside of OPs stated price range.
GS. I see a sharp noseThe OP asked for shoes with a sleek last and very pointed toe, I do not know why people are recommending Grant Stone or Allen Edmonds, which are brands not known for sleek and pointed lasts. Grant Stone isn't known for Oxfords at all, although they do make some. Neither does John lobb, G&G or EG fit the bill since all of these fall far outside of OPs stated price range.