There is something really great about a pair of brown suede shoes. Perhaps it is their sheer awesomeness. Whatever it is, I think there is always room in a man’s wardrobe for a nice pair of brown suede shoes. The problem may be in limiting yourself to just one pair.
Here are a few possibilities, at various prices:
Florsheim Haviland
I used to think of Florsheim as old-man shoes. I’m not sure if the Florsheim brand has changed, if prevailing styles are different, or if perhaps I have turned into an old man. Whatever the reason, I think these shoes look pretty cool.
Grenson Tom
I have a pair of Grenson Tylers, a smooth brown leather shoe that has a similar shape to the Tom. I like the cap toe on this one, and the brown is rich and dark.
J.Crew Allerton wing tip
This is a recent offering from J.Crew. Apparently it was popular enough to sell out before Christmas. It’s back in stock now (returns, maybe?) but with only a few sizes to choose from.
Alden Wallace Plain Toe Walker from Unionmade
Finally, there is this nice offering from Unionmade’s selection of Alden shoes. The most expensive of the bunch, but I’m sure you can find many guys who will tell you how great Alden is. Whether or not it’s worth it to you, I cannot say.
I was thinking about those same Florsheims, but in the brown leather. If you end up getting those let me know how they are. I have a pair of black leather Florsheims and like them a lot. In case you haven’t seen this, Ryan Plett form YHBTI got those Aldens and seems to like them, and they look really great, but of course will cost at least twice as much
http://youhavebrokentheinternet.blogspot.com/2011/11/wearing-well-alden-ptbs.html
I will let you know if I follow through on the Florsheims. They are the ones I’m most drawn to, for both the long wing detail, and the price. The Aldens are beautiful but dropping close to $500 on shoes is not in my best interest right now.