The first thing other men notice. The thing most men spend the least on. The reckoning.
I've been writing about menswear for nine years, and the single most consistent observation I've made is this: the men who look most put-together at any age, in any context, are the men who spent the most on their shoes.
Not on watches. Not on suits. Not on coats. Shoes.
Why shoes specifically
Three reasons.
First, shoes are the longest-life piece of menswear. A pair of well-made dress shoes, properly cared for, lasts twenty years. A pair of cheap shoes lasts two. Spreading the cost over the lifespan of the product, the well-made shoes are cheaper per wear, by a wide margin.
Second, the visible quality gradient is steeper in shoes than in any other category. The difference between a $200 shoe and a $600 shoe is enormous and visible at ten feet. The difference between a $200 shirt and a $600 shirt is mostly invisible to anyone who isn't a tailor.
Third, shoes age in a specific way. Good leather develops a patina; cheap leather just deteriorates. The five-year-old well-made shoe looks better than the new one. The five-year-old cheap shoe looks like trash.
What to buy
If you own one pair of dress shoes, make it a black cap-toe Oxford. If you own two, add a brown wholecut or wingtip. If you own three, add a chocolate suede chukka.
The brands that make shoes worth this conversation: Allen Edmonds (American, $400 range), Meermin (Spanish, $300 range), Crockett & Jones (English, $700 range), Edward Green (English, $1500+ range). Every one of these has shoes that will outlast the rest of your wardrobe.
For casual: Common Projects in white leather, period. The most replicated minimal sneaker on earth, and the original is still the best.
The maintenance
Cedar shoe trees. Always. The day the shoes come off, the trees go in. This single habit doubles the lifespan of any shoe.
Polish quarterly. Resole when the welt allows. Rotate pairs so no shoe is worn two days in a row. The men who do these things have shoes their grandsons will inherit.
