Keep it simple. In the business world, there are some ground rules for dress shoes. To be “taken seriously,” wear shoes that lace up and are some shade of black or brown. Durable materials, such as calfskin, are best—there’s no need for shoes made from oil-cured “Russian reindeer hides” (yes, these do exist).
Do a test run. Walk around the store, making sure your toes have “three-eighths to half an inch” of wiggle room. Eliminate any shoes that feel painful or abrasive; they’re not worth breaking in. Your feet endure “hundreds of tons of force” each day, so you want a shoe that can cushion the blow.
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