Swayed by Suede

I like a good sale, but I’m not a discount shopper.  Stores like Nordstrom Rack and Saks Off 5th present a dizzying array of bargains on garments I would never wear.  Once in a while, their disorganized racks produce a few treasures, but it’s not always worth sorting through the junk to find them.    

In search of a good pair of dress shoes for my new Eidos suit, I surprised myself by scouring the shelves at Nordstrom Rack.  I looked for a suitable pair of shoes at Nordstrom during my lunch break (full disclosure: I work at Nordstrom, and they are in no way, shape or form endorsing this post) but didn’t find anything that suited my style.  Their selection of Allen Edmonds shoes was limited, and I didn’t feel like buying another pair of To Boot New Yorks after the pair I purchased two summers ago wore holes through the soles in less than six months.

I meandered over to the Rack, where luck evaded me for five minutes.  As I was ready to leave, I spotted a pair of chocolate brown Allen Edmonds suede shoes, size 9.5.  I slipped one on and it fit like a glove.  While there was a little breathing room in the toe, the arch matched the contour of my foot.  Plus, the goodyear welting means they’re resoleable and the classic style will look good in ten years - I know plenty of men who have owned Allen Edmonds shoes for twenty years, thanks to periodic resolings and proper shoe care. After learning about the Neapolitan tradition of wearing suede shoes year-round and finding a lack of good dress boots in Minnesota that I could purchase immediately, I stopped back after work and picked them up.

While I had intended to buy a pair of dress boots so I could wear them on the streets in winter,  I have wanted a pair of chocolate brown suede shoes for some time.  The problem with buying shoes in the North is that even the best stores have a limited selection.  Shops like Askov Finlayson and BlackBlue focus on heritage designs, while MartinPatrick3’s calling card is their Alden section, which tends toward the casual end of the shoe spectrum.  In many cases, shoe buying in the North involves getting a pro to measure your foot and ordering a pair of English or Italian shoes online.  Waiting for shoes to ship requires significant patience and sometimes one needs shoes quicker than 3-8 business days.  That’s where a sharp eye and knowing where to look comes in.

I can’t wait to pair them with my Eidos suit this weekend.  Stay tuned to see how the combo works together.

Shoes: Allen Edmonds, Suit: Eidos Napoli