I recently came into some money (Christmas ;)) and I could use a new pair of dress shoes. I was thinking about getting patent leather, for that mirror shine look without spending hours polishing. What are your recommendations, based on durability, comfort, look, cost*, etc.?
*I'm willing to pay anything under $100
Thanks! :D
Bates. Can't go wrong. If it works for the government it works for me.
Bates high-gloss oxfords from any uniform source will fit your bill, but I would not waste the money. They lok nice but are ruined easily
(especially for active cadets), and you can't really wear them anywhere else.
(http://ak.buy.com/PI/0/350/220075150.jpg)
Get a nice pair of dress shoes and spend the rest on something else.
http://compare.ebay.com/like/230459921105?var=lv<yp=AllFixedPriceItemTypes&var=sbar&_lwgsi=y&cbt=y (http://compare.ebay.com/like/230459921105?var=lv<yp=AllFixedPriceItemTypes&var=sbar&_lwgsi=y&cbt=y)
If these are for CAP wear, get leather shoes. They are a bit more expensive, but are much more comfortable and durable.
Quote from: SarDragon on January 07, 2012, 09:56:28 PM
If these are for CAP wear, get leather shoes. They are a bit more expensive, but are much more comfortable and durable.
The thing is, I wouldn't be wearing them for extended periods or very frequently, so I think I'd be willing to sacrifice some comfort and durability. Plus I wouldn't have to shine them for hours before I can wear them with any pride- and time is one thing I don't have too much of these days. (Gotta love junior year...)
Quote from: Eclipse on January 07, 2012, 09:44:25 PM
you can't really wear them anywhere else.
Au contraire, Sir. I have to wear dress clothes to school, not to mention I have prom coming up. ;D
Although I probably won't wear them all too often anyways, to keep them from getting damaged.
All the more reason to avoid the plastic shoes. They will degrade over time, and they never really 'break in'.
As for the hours of shining, unless you're doing color/honor guard, they don't need to shine like mirrors. A nice, even shine does just fine. It's not the shoes, it's who's inside them.
Quote from: SarDragon on January 07, 2012, 11:23:13 PM
It's not the shoes, it's who's inside them.
Good point, Sir.
Might as well go with the plastic shoes. Everybody in the military wears them pretty much. So you'd be in good company.
As long as your other pair of shoes are serviceable, why not get the opposite type? It'd allow versitility.
Quote from: Darkside1 on January 07, 2012, 11:30:53 PM
Might as well go with the plastic shoes. Everybody in the military wears them pretty much. So you'd be in good company.
They issue what's cheaper. I don't know what the intended service life of the issue shoes is, but my leather shoes always outlasted my Corfams. They don't mar as easily, and are easier to 'fix' when when that does happen. In addition, leather shoes can be resoled more easily than Corfams, especially if they have leather soles.
I've worn military low quarter shoes, in one form or another, since I was 15. This included 21 yrs on AD. My leather shoes were always better, except for formal inspections. Those were so infrequent that it didn't matter. Many of my shipmates wore leather shoes for their entire careers and never had issues with how shiny their shoes were.
For a cadet, leather is better.
Quote from: SarDragon on January 08, 2012, 12:03:12 AM
They don't mar as easily, and are easier to 'fix' when when that does happen
That's my one major problem with patent leather shoes. If you scuff them, you're done for; whereas with leather you can buff/shine the scuff out.
I bought a pair of Corframs WIWAC. When I enlisted we were issued the regular leather shoes at boot camp. With a ton of polishing you can get them really shiny and after that its easy to keep them shiny, unless you walk through dry grass. After I got out of boot camp I switched to the Corframs from my cadet days. They are exponentially more comfortable, which is really something you should consider if you have to wear them all day. I'm sure you can get a nice leather shoe that is comfortable too, but if you are not planning on wearing it often and can be careful, go with the Corframs. JMHO and YMMV
The corfam shoes are about worthless if you ask me. I got issues a pair of Bates when I joined the Army. I wore them to my BCT graduation, one uniform inspection at AIT, AIT graduation, a dining out, and two uniform inspections. After I got out of the Army I (about a year later) I wore them for a wedding. They started cracking where the laces started. After the wedding we were changing to give our tuxes to a guy who was going to return them for us. I threw them in the trash and have never wanted a pair again.
Now I got issued a set of leather low quarters when I started as a Plebe at Marine Military Academy. That was 1995 and I still have them, wear them with my CAP uniform, and can shine them to a finish that I think looks way better than the patent leather shoes. Mine are the Florshiem brand by the way. Not sure they even make them anymore. They've been re-soled twice.
By the way you insist you won't be using them much but then you went on to say that you can wear them to school and to prom. Your school doesn't have crowded hallways where some kid might accidently step on your shoe while running to class? Is your prom date an expert dancer who will never in a million years step on your shoes?
You don't need to spend hours by the way. I can polish my boots or shoes to a shine better than patent leather and it takes me about 20 mins.
Corfam shoes are just like anything else. You buy cheap shoes and you get just that, cheap shoes.
I've had a pair of Bates Lites for about 10 years now that still look good.
A little window cleaner to keep the uppers clean and some edge dressing on the edge of the soles and they're good to go.
Yeah they cost $55 at the MCSS, but they've been worth it.
Let me add here that Corfams, and similar poromeric shoes, are NOT the same as patent leather. Patent leather is real leather, specially processed to achieve a very smooth, and shiny, surface. They are usually worn with very dressy apparel (tuxes, mess dress, etc.), and are not suitable for everyday wear.
Corfam (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Corfam#Poromeric_imitation_leather)
Patent leather (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Patent_leather)
Quote from: Darkside1 on January 07, 2012, 11:30:53 PM
Might as well go with the plastic shoes. Everybody in the military wears them pretty much. So you'd be in good company.
We are not in Canada. 8)