Tip of the week: How to find a serious men’s shoe
Keep it simple; Do a test run; Find a good sole
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.
Find a good sole. Rubber offers more “traction on slick surfaces” than leather soles. While thin soles look fashionable, they’re flimsy and impractical if you “walk 10 blocks every day.”
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Source: Los Angeles Times
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
Slovenia is ready for its moment in the travel spotlight
The Week Recommends Mountains, lakes, caves and coastline await
-
Trump seeks to cut drug prices via executive order
speed read The president's order tells pharmaceutical companies to lower prescription drug prices, but it will likely be thrown out by the courts
-
'Haiti's crisis is a complex problem that defies solution'
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day