Style
Men’s Leather Shoes: Let’s Talk.
Men’s leather shoes: friend or foe?
So you’re at the shoe store, because it’s time to buy new shoes. But you’re starting to get a little flustered. There are so many pairs of shoes to choose from—synthetic shoes, suede shoes, canvas shoes, rubber shoes. (Wait, rubber shoes?).
Your eye finally falls onto a pair of fancy-pants oxfords made of leather. What about those? You can wear those anywhere, and the price isn’t all that unreasonable, either. But you still hesitate. They’re not expensive for leather shoes, but they still cost a pretty penny. And besides, you’ve never been swayed by the supposed “spectacular quality” of leather shoes per se.
Well, I’m here today to let you know that you should definitely consider buying men’s leather shoes. With their incredible versatility, reliable construction, and sturdy design, these shoes are perfect for almost every occasion. But if you’re still not convinced, let’s first have a look at the many advantages of buying leather.
Why purchase leather shoes?
Leather shoes are an ideal part of every man’s wardrobe. There are several advantages associated with purchasing a pair. First of all, they’re very versatile. You can wear them in almost any type of environment: at the office, when you’re hanging out with friends, or even to upscale events like weddings and fancy parties. They look great with everything—even just a pair of plain blue jeans.
Another reason you should consider buying men’s leather shoes is because they’re typically of very high quality. Leather is an excellent material for building not only shoes, but also every kind of accessory you can imagine—belts, messenger bags, backpacks, and even clothes. As a general rule, leather is fairly durable, and it does not stain easily.
Giorgio Brutini
Slip-On’s
Also, because leather goods tend to be of luxury quality in general—what with leather being much harder to obtain than synthetic plastics and all—cobblers create them with solid binding and stitches, assembling them so precisely and finely that everything stays in place—and will continue to do so, throughout the years and decades. Plus, who can forget that iconic smell?
When you have goods made out of leather, not only will you yourself know that they’re of high quality—their strong yet flexible, well-crafted construction will take care of that—but there’s also no mistaking merchandise made out of leather.
The sturdy construction—combined with the solid stitching, airtight binding, and that unforgettable smell—all come together to ensure that the shoe will be a perfect option for years and years, no matter how often you wear them.
Florsheim Loafer
A third reason to buy men’s leather shoes is that—despite their slightly stiff-looking appearance—they’re quite comfortable. This is because of the terrific skills of the cobblers who make them by hand. All this being said, it may take some time for you to adjust to leather shoes, so keep that in mind if you’re looking to buy some.
There are also different types of leather shoes to suit different tastes. Classic loafers, oxfords, and derby shoes tend to be classy and casual enough so that you can wear them anywhere. As for brogues, Doc Martens, and saddle shoes, these are more fun styles of shoes and boots that you can use to express your personal style.
6 tips to care for your men’s leather shoes.
There are a few rules to adhere to if you want to properly care for your men’s leather shoes. If you follow them, not only will you get your money’s worth from the shoes, but you will also be able to continue using the shoes for years and years.
1- Don’t store your shoes in the box they came in.
If you store leather goods in boxes, this will damage the materials, on account of the humidity. In lieu of this, keep your shoes on a rack.
2- Put them on with a shoehorn.
Shoehorn
If you keep trying to shove them onto your feet by hand, it goes without saying that you’ll damage them. Dancing on the spot while trying to put them on is bad for the heels as well. Get a shoehorn.
3- When your shoes get wet, put newspapers in them and keep them inside the house.
The newspapers will help them retain their shape, while making sure they don’t leave your house will protect them from the direct heat of sunlight. Direct heat can cause leather to dry out too fast, which causes cracks and creases.
4- Don’t wear them every day.
As you can guess, doing so causes your shoes to gather a lot of wear and tear. To spare them, wear them a few days in a row, tops. Your shoes need time to aerate themselves and to breathe.
5 – Protect your shoes with cedar trees.
Cedar tree
These devices will not only make sure that your shoes retain their shape, but they’ll also reduce the incidence of cracks and creases and absorb both moisture and strange smells. You definitely need these trees if you’re going to be a leather shoe owner.
6- Protect the bottom of your shoes with taps.
Taps
These inexpensive accessories serve as buffers, absorbing the shock whenever your heel hits the ground. Be sure you only start using taps after you’ve had your shoes for a year or a year and a half, since the shoes won’t be properly adjusted to your feet before this time.
6 tips on what to look for when choosing leather shoes.
1- Go for full-grain leather, not corrected-grain leather.
You’ll want to avoid shoes made from corrected-grain leather, in which imperfections in the hide—like scars, marks, and small deformities—are sanded away so that the leather does not have any visible errors. Next, they create a chemical layer to place on top of the sanded hide. This is not a great solution: instead, only the best parts of the hide ought to be used.
As a result, corrected-grain leather is not a great fabric for making shoes from. It looks bad, for one thing: this material resembles plastic. For another, it tends to get more severe creases, is not well-aerated, and looks worse and worse as time goes on.
On the contrary, full-grain leather is a great material to make shoes out of. When you touch full-grain leather, it feels like leather—exactly, in other words, like you’d expect it to. The colour is deeper and more vibrant. You can wear these shoes for many years at a time.
2- Are the shoes comfortable?
More than anything, you’ll want your shoes to be comfortable—what’s the point of a nice pair of shoes if you can’t even wear them? Before they’re broken in, shoes are painful because they’re tight and can cause blisters on your toes and heels.
Calvin Klein Loafers
To account for comfort, the most obvious thing you need to do is try them on for several minutes while you’re at the shop. Don’t buy the choose unless you’re absolutely positive you’ll wear them.
Remember: it can take up to 24 hours of wear before the shoe starts to feel more comfortable.
3- Where can you wear the shoes?
Although leather shoes are usually stylish, this doesn’t mean they’re suited for every purpose. For example, they’re decidedly not a good idea to bring to a construction site. Moreover, you may not want to buy leather shoes if you do a lot of working and shopping in the less clean parts of town.
4- Do they look good?
Not all leather shoes look great. Some look terrible, even if they’re made of premium materials. Some look fine, but they feature patterns and designs that you feel will be out of style within a year or two. And you wouldn’t be wrong: many leather shoes have “trendy” features, like elaborate designs and disproportionately high heels.
Nunn Bush Loafers
Invest in a classic, timeless pair that you know will hold its own throughout the years.
5- Get shoes that are compatible with the structure of your feet.
Calvin Klein Slip-On’s
No two feet are alike, even if they belong to the same person. Perhaps you have a high arch, a wide instep, or an exceptionally flat sole. Whatever the case may be, you’ll want to purchase shoes that cushion your foot instead of causing cramps. Any shoes you get must offer enough support to protect the arches of your feet, without putting too much pressure on your knees and joints if you do a lot of walking with them.
6- Look for shoes by reputable companies and artisans.
Not to generalise but places like Kmart are probably not where you should be looking for men’s leather shoes. Go to a local cobbler or shoemaker if you want something more personal and homey. If you prefer getting shoes from a place that has many options, however, check out this spot – you can actually find some great deals here. Just be sure to read through purchaser reviews to make sure you’re actually getting what you’re paying for.
Buying Men’s Leather Shoes: A Great Investment.
If you’re still on the fence about whether or not you should buy men’s leather shoes, you might want to carefully consider the facts we’ve presented to you. Not only are leather shoes of premium quality, appropriate for a great many occasions, and stylishly made, but they’re also quite durable. You simply must think about getting yourself a lovely pair. After all, you deserve to look great. If you haven’t owned leather before, take a chance and look even more amazing than you usually do. Go on – you know you want to! 🙂
