Be Excellent To Each Other

Today I went shopping for (among other things) shoes.

Ordinarily of course, shoe shopping as a man is reassuringly easy - you simply go to the same shop you went to 18 months ago and say "I'll have the usual, please". However, as I haven't bought shoes here for years, I had to go shopping around.

Couldn't find any that fit and didn't look a bit crap. I don't get why the expensive ones all have that weird witch of the west pointy-toed thing going on, either, but it's not a big deal as most of the ones in my price range avoid that. I'd be willing to splash out, but shoes are only slightly above lampshades on the list of things to give a toss about. Hmph.

Disappointing. Also one pair would have been perfect, but for a big reinforced band of stitching srtetching horizontally over the front, to ensure that an otherwise great fit would rub awkwardly along the top of your toes. Idiots.

Still, it's less depressing than clothes shopping at least. Most of them just aren't to my taste, rather than being genuinely horrible.

I hate this trend.

did you get to keep the polo shirts?

I normally buy the cheapest shoes I can get my hands on, but thought as I sopend a considerable amont of timein my work shoes, I shall splash out a litte and bought some more expensive shoes. they were some german soundng make which I forget*, but they fell apart in < 6 months by the sole splitting in two, on both shoes. I now just buy Clarks - these also break but are cheaper to replace.

*edit Joseph Seibel.

1 pair black brouges
1 pair brown brogues
1 pair Vans slip ons

Too much with your pointy hat?

18 months? What the hell! I buy one new pair of DMs every 5 years and I think that's extravagant, it's not like they wear out

I wear the heels out on my shoes. However, a decent pair of shoes re soled every few years is cheaper than a shut pair every year. Although I'm painfully aware I'm probably stuck in the 1940s when it comes to chic.

Also, you'll always be first assessed on your shoes, fingernails and cuffs. Get them up to scratch, and you can pull off a cheaper suit. Forty minutes spent polishing shoes does well for a first impression.

Borrow Mali As brogues. I want a pair of high heeled girlie brogues, Mary Jane style.

(that was @ SA, by the way. I approve of the Mali A old man stylings )

Very true, assessed by wankers though, so you don't need to worry what they think. Unless you are in a formal situation then people who judge me by the shininess of my shoes and how expensive my cufflinks are, can piss right off.

Note for any city boys lurking, work isn't a formal situation...

I have two pairs of shoes. One are my everyday work shoes, purchased from the likes of Next or M&S. They cost sub-50 quid and I leave them in the office, before changing into tatty trainers to walk home. The other pair are my wedding shoes, which were from Jones the bootmaker peoples, are veh posh and were around 100 quid. I only wear them to formal occasions, but they're reet nice.

Since I changed my shoe wearing habits from wearing them to and from the house, I need to replace them far less frequently. I guess 40 minutes + of walking on pavements does indeed wear out shoe leather!

I do a lot of walking

It's only in the last couple of years that I've started (ie: been able to afford) to buy new ones when the old ones look rough as fuck, rather than when they've completely disintegrated.

Nobody ever notices shoes. I am suspicious of anyone who does. Mali.

That said, as with clothes, I buy shoes that I can wear to work or the pub or restaurant or theatre or whatever, and occasionally a cheap pair of plimsolly things for mooching about at home or going up the shop or whatever.

There are few things more annoying than buying shoes that seem to be perfect, then when you get home, they suddenly start blistering the crap out of your feet

Outted.



[really hopes someone gets the reference but doubts it]

Lowest button of a waistcoat or jacket should always be left undone.

Is it Terry from Minder?

It's Tim Pigot Smith. Don't get the reference though. Maybe a goodies skit?

[weeps]



Stick with it for Patrick Moore in some quite surprising clothes.

I wonder, if I was a man, would I only have 2 pairs of shoes? I don't think I would, Ramsea has 3 or 4 and pair of trainers. I'm sure I'd have more than that.

I don't know how many pairs of shoes I have but I know I have 5 pairs of trainers. Maybe I should count the rest, I never thought I had many shoes, for a woman.

I was looking at my shoes the other day and noticed that apart from my wellies every single pair of shoes I own are fabric.

Every single pair of boots, shoes or pumps/trainers.

These were my messiest shoes:



These are my faves, though:


They are actually two sizes too big for me, but one of the Etsy girls fixed them so I could wear them. They were in the sale and I just loved them tooo much. I just need a tall person to accompany me wearing them. I have only been able to wear them around the house thus far.

[vote: flis]

I'll walk with you Mimi. It'll give me a good excuse to wear my white stilletos.

I don't think I should wear them when I am likely to drink to much.

I fear around Flis I would drink too much!

Zardoz, will you also wear your boob tube?

Well, I have two pairs of shoes, one pair of football boots, one pair of turf boots, one pair of running shoes, one pair of golf shoes, and three pairs of trainers.

I have one pair of trainers and one pair of shoes. Then I have cycling shoes, running shoes, motorbike boots, and hiking boots.

I have a left shoe and a right shoe. It's an effective system.

I also have shoes.

Shoes.

One pair black brogues, three pairs Vans, one pair hiking boots, two pair motorbike boots, one pair cycling shoes, one pair climbing boots.

I have the following footwear

1) Pair of nice shoes that I wear for interviews, formal stuff etc, perhaps worn a dozen times and I've had them about a decade, cost about £100 I think from next. Not very comfortable.
2) Pair of black comfortable Clarkes shoes that may as well be trainers (they have an air cushion ffs!) cost about £50 had them about 3 years, last pair lasted about 7 years. I wear every day to work, and through the winter, early spring and late autumn and if I need to wear long trousers
3) Pair of sandals (also Clarkes) black leather, with magnetic clasp, had for about 11 years, wear them extensively in the summer, late spring, early autumn, probably need a new pair soon, cost about £40 I think
4) Pair of walking boots (berghaus I think) wear them in winter and wet weather when going on the moors (wear the sandals on the moors in the summer) cost about £150 over 12 years ago, need replacing soon as the sole is coming away and other signs of wear and tear.

To be honest, I wouldn't mind replacing them all, as well as getting 2 pairs of trainers (one for sporty stuff and one for every day stuff) but if I had £400-£500 I could spend that on far more exciting stuff!

Malc

I have Dr Martins shoes. These are the only shoes I have worn since the age of 13, aside from a brief dalliance with a pair of expensive shoes from Jones's which didn't prove sturdy enough. DM's have strength, good grip and are sturdy enough to kick any urchins who get under my feet.

Namely these:



Visiting building sites, factories, places with large piece of equipment that could chop a man in half, etc, I also need to have some safety shoes in the boot of my car. Happily DM's make a version of the shoe pictured above with a huge steel toecap in it. This made me very happy as I can now wear the same style shoes in any occasion. Yes, from my wedding day through to forges and building sites, I can wear the same style shoes no matter what without fear of a nasty industrial accident.

And on one occasion where I went to a meeting but realised I still had trainers on, changed into my safety shoes in the car park (which were in my boot as normal) and nobody was any the wiser.

I have over a dozen shoes of various varieties. Mainly through the fact that they are all dumped in the bottom of the wardrobe so I have no idea what I have, and they have been collected over the past 20 years or so.

I only actually wear one pair of multipurpose black merrells, that I wear with everything, and just buy another pair of those when they wear out though. The other shoes are completely redundant.

You shouldn't wear the same shoes all of the time, it is bad for your feet.

Quite possibly, not had any feet problems though! It's not like they are hard, or a strange shape, or anything like that, just bog standard merrells.

It's more that they'll not get a chance to properly dry out so your shoes become a breeding ground for bacteria & fungus. Merrell's are more breathable than most though.

Do you not burn through the soles helluva fast walking around on concrete & asphalt with them, they're pretty soft/sticky so they grip rocks better?

Not that fast, I get a new pair every 18 months or so. Once the nobbly grippy bits have worn down, they still have loads of life in them and are equally as grippy as any other smooth soled shoe.

Two pairs of shoes that you swap is more for leather upper and soled shoes, to keep them fresh and in good condition, I have a few of those types of shoes that I wear if I need to wear a suit, but other than that the merrells do me fine and go with anything. They aren't the ones with all the bits all over them and a billion laces etc. Just plain comfy black pull-on shoes that are equally good with jeans or trousers.

No wonder he's angry.

SHhhhhoes

Set us a course for the Shoes Thread, Mr Davpaz.

I came late in life to the cult of DMs, as a younger man I always thought that they were too expensive for what they are. However having bought a pair of the normal shoes I am a convert...super comfy and durable. Wearing the bovver boots also has the benefit of making you feel like a big hard man.

My shoes: sandals for warm weather, Chucks for everyday, Animal sneakers for dog walking, Base dress shoes, ratty old Reeboks for DIY.

Objection: Sneakers!

Whatever happened to shoes?

Wow as discussion on shoes....

I have loads, including

a) 2 Formal pairs work shoes brown and black (for my suits brown and black)
b) Informal work shoes (some doc boots but more like desert boots) for when I wear jeans at work
c) a few smart shoes for going out in
d) Walking boots
e) Rugby boots 2 pairs (studs and moulded)
f) Everyday trainers 4 pairs ish
g) Smarter trainers (sketchers) 2 pairs
h) Animal Flipflops
i) Dress shoes (for a tux) I hate renting shoes..
j) Steel toe boots for when I visit sites that need ppa (?)
k) prob forgot a few


I am sure I am a bloke!!

Fucking hell, Kov!

We should have an intervention! For the record I have 4 pairs: Work, Winter Work, Walking and Trainers.

When I next change work shoes, I'm having some of those DM shoes.

What, is that not normal?

I have smart shoes, trainers, walking shoes, and digging the garden shoes.

And one 'decent' pair of trainers.

I suspect that, like a lot of chaps, I don't throw my old shoes away until they are completely destroyed; thus I have 3 or 4 old pairs of trainers that I only ever use when I'm doing some DIY that might cause me to get paint, oil or other crap on them. I also have a pair of army boots my son bought for me about 15 years ago and still have at least 1/4" tread on them and are therefore useful in snow or muddy conditions and which I wore when I competed in the Kielder Challenge about 15 years ago. I also have a pair of 'proper' cycling shoes that I used when I was still cycling to work every day, which means they must be about 20 years old. Finally I have a pair of these type of thing (but not Timberland) hidden away in a cupboard somewhere. Must have had them for about 15 years too, and only worn them half a dozen times.

Correction to my earlier statement. I used to wear DMs. I stopped when they started making them in China or wherever and the first pair I tried after that felt very cheap and nasty.
Now I wear an identical looking non-leather version, with solovair sole, made in England, which is actually better wearing - I'm still on my first pair - and cheaper than proper DMs, which are now just trading on their name.

Can't remember the make but I'll have a look for the box if anyone is interested.

oh I forgot my CAT boots....


( I think I have a problem)