5 MEN’S SHOE BRANDS WE ARE LOVING AT THE MOMENT

Everybody knows that old idea that women judge you by your shoes. We’re loath to rely on clichés and stereotypes, but we’d be lying if we said there isn’t some truth to it. In fact, it’s not just women judging you by your taste in footwear – it’s everyone.

Even that friend who’s so close he’s practically family isn’t going to be thrilled if you show up to his wedding in sweat-soaked gym shoes. Wearing the right shoes at the right time counts – and you can’t go wrong with these 5 dress shoe brands.

Oak Street Bootmakers

Oak Street Bootmakers founder and designer George Vlagos was destined for shoemaking glory. The son of a cobbler, he learned the tricks of the trade at an early age while apprenticing at his father’s shop. Today, he carries on the traditions of fine shoemaking learned in his childhood with thoughtfully designed and carefully crafted footwear from his own label. All Oak Street shoes and boots are handcrafted in the US to the highest standards by shoemakers with over 20 years of experience.

ETS Callatay

ETS Callatay could be your favourite footwear brand you haven’t heard of yet. It takes 25 hours of work to make a single pair of ETS Callatay shoes, which are completed by hand from start to finish – design, pattern, prototype, manufacturing – from Joachim De Callatay’s workroom in Paris. The components are all sourced in France, too. Say what you will about the French, they know how to blend traditional craftsmanship with contemporary design.

Saint Crispin’s

Based in Brasov, Romania, Saint Crispin’s employs only 22 people to produce its beautiful dress shoes. Those 22 highly trained craftsmen are responsible for only 1,500 pairs of shoes every year, each of which is practically a work of art. Because of its limited output, Saint Crispin’s works with only a few international partners, is sold only in select shops, and bases its business on single-pair orders. The company offers ready to wear, made to order and completely bespoke shoes.

Zonkey Boot

Zonkey Boot – named after the rare cross between a zebra and a donkey – was founded in 2010 in Vienna. With its business and design roots in Austria, Zonkey Boot found its production home in the Veneto province of northern Italy. There, the company’s understated but elegant shoes are carefully crafted by master engineers who complete much of the process by hand. What sets Zonkey Boot footwear apart is its design ethos – decoration is kept to a minimum, but shape and form are maximised.

Cole Haan

Trafton Cole and Eddie Haan launched their brand in Chicago, Illinois in 1928. Almost a century later, Cole Haan has perfected the art of shoemaking and become a worldwide leader in the market. Stylish and innovative, Cole Haan footwear has something for everyone. Today its collection spans many products, including gloves, sunglasses, belts, bags, hats and outerwear, but our favourites are what started it all: the dress shoes.