All of us living today only know the shoe industry in the manufacturing era.
However, before that, gents had to go to a cobbler to have their dress shoes made. Today, going to a cobbler is a luxury, rather than a necessity. And as with any industry revolutionized by affordability, the luxuries get more luxurious, and the cheap options get cheaper.
This is likely why I find so many guys either settling for bad shoes or dropping several zeroes for brand name or bespoke footwear.
You’re welcome to do either, but there is so much more to the formal footwear industry than those extremes. To help you out, I’ve rounded up the best dress shoe brands for every priority.
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How Did I Come Up With My List?
I consider myself a dress shoe experience expert.
I’m not a dress shoe expert in that I don’t know how to build them. However, I’ve been wearing oxfords and loafers since I was five years old and have spent over a decade in a full suit-and-tie industry that keeps me on my feet. I don’t sit at a desk — I’m on concrete and marble for hours a day.
As such, I’ve worn every kind of dress shoe there is. I’ve needed high-quality ones for board meetings, ones that are dressy but sneaker-comfortable, and once, when the airport lost my luggage, I was forced to find the best solution to my missing shoes. I know where to find fast, cheap dress shoes that are pretty decent.
And despite the fact I’ve worn hundreds of models and brands, I consulted colleagues, shoe experts, and hours worth of online reviews. After all, no two pairs of feet are alike.
My Recommendations
Beckett Simonon
Beckett Simonon is in my top three favorite footwear brands. They’re one of the market’s most high-value options right now. Leather industry veterans started the brand, and like many digital natives, they cut middlemen, allowing them to price their products below market.
What makes them special, however, is that they use this to their advantage differently. Instead of creating some quick cash-in fast fashion models, they offer well-built, full-grain leather dress shoes in classic and creative styles.
Their shoes are made to order, so admittedly, you may pay in wait time if you don’t pay in money. Still, an artisan handcrafted shoe for a fraction of the price you’d get at retail makes the wait worth it.
The Beckett Simonon Deans are full-grain leather Oxfords that boast a high level of hands-on craftsmanship. At often ~$200, these classic, slim shoes fly miles over their price point. Oh, and they’re also super comfortable, to boot.
The Beckett Simonon Dean is a classic oxford, making it versatile. You can wear it with jeans, dress pants, or chinos. You can even wear the black version with a tuxedo.
The lush leather is hand cut, the sole hand sanded, and the waxing is truly exquisite.
Moreover, despite the chic slim silhouette, this shoe is easy to walk and stand in. It’s Blake stitched, making for a short break-in, flexible wear, and resoleability when the time comes.
Thursday
Thursday Boots was founded to fill a gap in the boot market. They’re here to strike a balance between clunky, brawny work boots and good-looking fashion boots. When they got into the dress shoe game, they successfully incorporated this philosophy into each model.
All Thursday’s dress shoes arel Goodyear-welted, made with full-grain leather, and an excellent sole that combines stability with comfort. Naturally, they’ll need breaking in, but once you get there, the shoes Thursday make feel downright custom.
The Thursday Saint boasts all of the previously mentioned high-end construction features, including the balance of security and comfort. You can thank the cork midsole, steel shank, and shock-absorbing midsole.
Monk straps combine the elegance of a traditional dress shoe with the hardware-forward aesthetic of a work shoe. I rave about that effective combination in my guide to monk strap shoes.
The Thursday Saint boasts all of the previously mentioned high-end construction features, including the balance of security and comfort. You can thank the cork midsole, steel shank, and shock-absorbing midsole.
Plus, the double buckle style leans into the pragmatic look without compromising its appropriateness for wearing with a full suit.
Allen Edmonds
Allen Edmonds is a true survivor in the world of American shoemakers. Not only are they making it through the era of fast fashion and overseas manufacturing, but they’re doing it with little compromise.
Most of their shoes are still made in America, and they’re all still premium. The few American shoemakers that have survived can’t say the same.
They use European calfskin leather, Goodyear welting, and nuanced and sophisticated lasts. If you’re looking for a worthwhile investment shoe, check out AE.
The highly-respected Allen Edmonds Park Avenues are both classic yet distinct, thanks to their subtly unique details. Their all-around bench-welted construction and incomparably premium leather uppers give these shoes the potential to last a lifetime.
Arguably, the Allen Edmonds Park Avenue is their flagship design. It’s also the perfect investment shoe because of how trend-resistant and well-built it is.
As I mentioned in my round-up of the best Allen Edmonds shoes, the beauty of the Park Ave lies in its simplicity. It’s made with the narrow and long 65 last, giving it a sophisticated look. Of course, tight and strong calfskin helps with this too.
Oliver Cabell
Oliver Cabell is better known for their sneakers than their dress shoes, but they have one really cool dressy offering: their penny loafer.
I love OC because they take classic styles, like GATs and court shoes, and make them their own. They’re also known for using full-grain Italian leather, artisanal Portuguese manufacturing, and their fair pricing breakdown.
Each of their products features a breakdown of every item and labor price that goes into the shoe. Talk about confidence with purchase.
The Oliver Cabell Penny Loafer is a sneaky dress shoe with a non-dress rubber outsole. It’s not something people will notice, honestly, especially with the monochrome options.
The Oliver Cabell Penny Loafer is a sneaky dress shoe with a non-dress rubber outsole. It’s not something people will notice, honestly, especially with the monochrome options.
And boy, is it comfortable. You can stand and walk in this loafer for hours at a time.
The full-grain leather is beautifully pebbled. It even comes as a horsebit loafer if you want that jet-setter look.
KOIO
Koio is similar to Oliver Cabell in that it’s mainly known for its sneakers, sustainable craftsmanship, and high value. However, it’s a touch more expensive but also a touch higher in quality in some ways.
For one thing, everything is made in Italy. The full grain-leather, the soles, and even the shoe boxes are sourced in and around Marche.
Again, they’re more expensive than competitor brands but still far more affordable than comparable big names like Common Projects.
The Koio Trento is so minimal and slick that it’s both dressy and versatile. The minimalism screams understate quality, and this is backed up by the materials and the construction. I love that all its components are made in Italy. The full grain-leather, the soles, and even the shoe boxes are sourced in and around Marche.
While most of Koio’s range is casual, they have some brawny loafers that can be styled like a dress shoe and some excellent boots. Today, I’m highlighting the latter, since the Koio Trento is so minimal and slick, that it’s both dressy and versatile.
The stacked leather outsole, which is Blake-stitched for flexibility, matches the class of the full-grain leather upper.
Did I mention that this boot is handmade in Tuscany?
Cole Haan
Cole Haan is another traditional heritage brand, like Allen Edmonds.
Today, they’re known for premium footwear. However, unlike AE, which is a go-to for traditionally made dress shoes, Cole Haan is a forward thinking fashion brand that mixes old with new.
They experiment with interesting function technologies and chic and bold designs. The Grand Laser Wingtip is a perfect example.
Cole Haan combines traditional craft with contemporary technology in the form of the Washington Grand Laser Wingtips. The proprietary cushioning system on this sleek dress shoe provides comfort, arch support, and mimics the natural movement of your feet.
The Cole Haan Grand Laser Oxford is unique, appealing to the fashion-forward and the classicists. It’s why I added it to my round-up of the best wingtip shoes.
The wingtip is executed via light perforations. This makes it a lot less topographical and far sleeker than the average wingtip.
Meanwhile, the in-house comfort technology moves with your foot’s natural motion, providing support from your heel to your toe. It’s an anatomic design meticulously engineered to give comfort and arch support.
Wolf and Shepherd
Wolf and Shepherd is the athlete’s dress shoe brand. It was founded by a track and field athlete, after all.
As such, all of their shoes are easy to stand and walk in for long periods. Some are unlined for a less stiff experience, while others feature proprietary memory foam footbeds that accommodate your foot.
Plus, Wolf and Shepherd’s performance-forward shoes are made with a special calfskin. The leather tanning process makes it incredibly soft, making for a short break-in period.
With their buttery suede uppers and slicker-than-usual penny loafer design, the Wolf & Shepherd Monacos can be worn practically anywhere. Even more, the memory foam footbeds and unlined interiors provide comfort, even when you’re standing and walking for long periods of time.
The Wolf & Shepherd Monaco Loafer is one of their unlined designs, so there’s no barrier between your foot and that cushy memory foam. It also has a cooling effect, pairing excellently with or without socks.
The design takes a classic American penny loafer but gives it a luxurious European twist. It’s slender but not pointy and can be worn with jeans, a suit, and even shorts.
TAFT
Want a striking and fashionable dress shoe? Look into TAFT. From floral patterns to double tones, this brand takes a bold approach to classic silhouettes—and yes, I’m referring to their shoes as well as their clothes.
On top of that, the footwear is undoubtedly premium, each handmade with excellent finishing and attention to detail. Partnering with factories in Spain and Portugal, they focus heavily on ethically made products all around.
It’s no surprise that TAFT is a favorite among celebrities and pro sports players.
The TAFT Lucca Monk, specifically in the Honey colorway, is an excellent example of how the brand does eye-catching remixes of traditional templates. I love the floral embossing on the middle of the vamp, as little details like this make the design distinctive without making it overly loud.
The TAFT Lucca Monk, specifically in the Honey colorway, is an excellent example of how the brand does eye-catching remixes to traditional templates.
The floral embossing is isolated to the middle of the vamp, making it distinct but not overly loud. It’s a less intimidating model compared to some of TAFT’s more fashion-forward offerings.
Amberjack
For comfort lovers seeking a solid, smart casual dress shoe, look no further than Amberjack. They have a proprietary sole system that perfectly combines comfort with support.
Their insole is well cushioned in the heel area, designed to cup your heel like a work boot, but it’s much softer. It then tapers towards the toe, where it’s as flexible as a sneaker. Meanwhile, the lithe TPU outsole matches this format. It features athletic springiness in the front and hiking boot material by the heel.
Moreover, Amberjack builds sustainability directly into their business model. They’re like an Allbirds but for dress shoes. Amberjack is the first dress shoe company to be completely carbon neutral.
The Amberjack Original Dress Shoe provides boot-like support and sneaker-like comfort, making it remarkably effective for walking and standing. Additionally, this Derby-sneaker hybrid will conform to your exact foot shape.
As Amberjack’s inaugural shoe, The Original is the perfect representation of the brand. The derby upper is classy with a casual cool factor since subtle perforation matches the aesthetic of the two-tone outsole.
Amberjack uses fill-grain leather from Mexico, using American cowhides sourced from an ISO-certified tannery that uses solar power.
This shoe also boasts heat activated arch support that conforms to your exact foot shape.
Velasca
Sometimes, with style, you have to choose between traditional classics that may be seen as musty or super stylish, sleek options that may or may not go out of style. With their Milanese mentality, Velasca combines both tradition and sleek fashion-forward design.
The brand offers chic dress shoes with leveled up takes on the footwear your grandfather might have worn to work. All of their shoes are made in Italy, using premium full-grain leather and stylish European sensibilities.
This is perfectly seen in their elegant tassel loafer.
With its sleek Italian silhouette, Velasca ups the class with their Cadregatt tassel loafer. Whether you go for the dressy leather outsole or the rubber one, the brushed calfskin upper feels delicate but is as tough as nails.
The Velasca Cadregatt is a cosmopolitan and dressy take on the usually smart casual tassel loafer.
The silhouette is refined, looking more like a sleek Italian loafer with its sharpened toe instead of a house moccasin. The brushed calf leather has extra fine grains, allowing it to take to the oil impeccably.
You can also choose between a leather outsole or a rubber one, giving you a level of customization. Who doesn’t love choices?
Carmina
Based in Mallorca, Spain, Carmina comprises fourth-generation shoemakers that stick to the classics, build them to the highest standards, and offer a wide range of colors per model. I’m talking blues and greens, as well as the classic blacks, browns, and burgundies.
And here’s how you know they’re truly a high-end luxury brand. They specialize in shell cordovan leather.
Shell cordovan is a rare equine leather made from the fibrous tissue beneath the rump. It’s strong, attractive, and ripples instead of cracking or creasing. Overall, it’s easier to maintain.
A true piece of luxury, the Carmina Shell Cordovan Wholecut Oxford is as formal as a dress shoe can get. Its construction is brawny and strong, though the last design ensures there’s a perfect balance of stability and flexibility once it's broken in. Even more, there’s a ton of great colorways to choose from.
The Carmina Wholecut Oxford is, of course, made of cordovan leather. It’s extra supple, and no matter which of the several colors you go far, it shows up vividly on the well-oiled surface.
Carmina’s ‘Rain’ last is visually slim, contributing to its classy look. However, the toe is subtly square, providing more room for your foot than you can see. Between that and the roomy instep, this shoe is more comfortable than your average wholecut—after break-in, that is.
Florsheim
Florsheim started all the way back in the late 1800s, which makes it a true heritage brand. Here’s the thing about Florsheim, though.
I often talk about brands like Allen Edmonds, who came out of the fast fashion revolution unscathed compared to “other brands” that have turned to cost-cutting approaches. These other brands include Florsheim.
However, they have a place in the market, and I’m glad they’re still around.
Unlike non-heritage fast fashion brands, Florsheim has an archive of good, solid designs. Their shoes look so much better than the price tag might have you assume.
I think Florsheim is the perfect budget brand for times when you need a pair of shoes quickly and cheaply.
The Florsheim Tux Cap Toe is a high-shine oxford that’s elegantly slim. With its impressive leather lining, this shoe is comfortable right out of the box and a real bang-for-buck option.
The Florsheim Tux Cap Toe Oxford is a good example of a shoe that looks more expensive than it is. The high-shine surface is immaculately polished, and the silhouette is dapper and classic.
It even has a solid leather lining. Like so many Florsheim shoes, this comfortable oxford needs absolutely zero break-in time.
Conclusion
There you go. Now you don’t have to jump into the market’s unending rabbit hole of dress shoe brands.
Especially today, in the age of the internet, with zero guidance, you’d be thumbing through hundreds of shoemakers.
Whether you need a good budget shoe from Florsheim or an investment shoe from Carmina, I hope you can find a go-to brand from this list.
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