The Key Features That Will Make Your Shoe Feel Amazing
I used to not own a pair of high quality men’s shoes. I went years without really knowing what it was like to have high quality shoes. After a friend nudged me in the right direction I finally caved and bought a nice pair to replace my old, broken down shoes. They still looked fine but they were killing my feet! Now I’m not the type to jump right in, I want to know the why and how something is better. Let me share what I found with you to help you on your shoe buying journey.
The Upper
Now what is an upper? On a shoe it is anything above the outsole. Now you can find that uppers are made out of a lot of different materials. Plastic, lower grade leather, or paper thin suede, are common but are not very good materials! They may look okay for a few weeks, but with daily wear you will quickly realize why they are cheap. They will not age well and quickly show their flaws. Not all materials are created equal, leather comes in several different grades.
Stitched or Glued?
There are two main ways shoes are put together, they are either stitched or they are glued. High quality men’s shoes are stitched together, it is a longer lasting connection and it can be repaired if needed. Glued shoes are a lot harder to repair and often not worth it. Soles are naturally worn down by walking, and a high quality pair of shoes can last years. It is much better to have the option to replace the sole when needed down the line rather than be forced to buy a new pair of shoes for what was otherwise a good pair. When it is glued, the shoe can be destroyed when trying to repair it, so it is better to just go with stitches to start with! With high quality dress shoes you can get years out of a pair, but may need to have the sole replaced at some point to keep wearing them.
Production
We live in a world that is constantly turning out products. Millions of products get made every single day on factory lines, but your higher quality products are often still largely done by hand. This means there is a high level of focus given to it by a craftsman versus going by as fast as it can on a factory line where several people do a small step all day.
Avoid Falling For These Dress Shoe Traps
High quality men’s shoes does not mean $900 shoes. Now yes they are almost definitely good quality shoes, but they are likely comparable to much cheaper counterparts. Don’t get caught up in buying a brand name, instead focus on buying for features you want or need. Things like orthopedic shoes offer unique benefits, check out our article on Men's Orthopedic Dress Shoes and pay attention to the details mentioned above like stitched soles, production, and leather type.
Now you know a few things to keep an eye out for when shopping for high quality men’s shoes and can now make educated choices on what to buy. What was the most surprising quality you learned today? Check out our collection to see these qualities in action for an affordable price!
