Okay, if you haven’t notice by now, I have become quite the dress shoe guy. On reading this blog over the years, I would comment that dress shoes were “dorky.”

Well, I have grown up.

Some dress shoes actually look quite nice. Especially with a suit, or jeans, or leather. I wear shoes with all of that.

Why the change?

In 2017, I bought my first pair of dress shoes when I found myself in an Allen Edmonds store looking for dress boots. They didn’t have the boots I was looking for in my size. The sales guy suggested that I try on a pair of discontinued dress shoes that were quite a bargain.

I bought them, and after a while, I realized they weren’t so bad after all.

They were comfortable and again, like my boots, no one noticed. I was the only one who seemed to have a hang-up.

Thus I slowly began to build a dress shoe collection.

I became fascinated with the different styles and colors. Wingtips, cap toes, wholecuts, brogues — I found I liked oxfords over other styles (derbies, for example), and later developed a preference for leather soles (instead of Dainite) so I could hear myself walking in them.

In 2021, I applied dress shoe retail therapy while grieving the loss of my husband. My dress shoe collection expanded enormously that year.

Also in 2021, I got a well-fitted tailored suit since I needed one for a dressy event that I had to attend, and did not own any suits anymore. Subsequently, my suit wardrobe has grown a bit too.

As of the date of this post, I have bought, worn, and enjoyed over 144 pairs of dress shoes, and the collection continues to expand as I learn about other quality shoemakers and get myself more shoes to try out and enjoy with my suits or just wear when I am not on my Harley.

My preferences? While Allen Edmonds shoes compose about half of my dress shoe collection, I also have shoes from many other makers.

I like formal, dressy, English shoes from Barker, Charles Tyrwhitt, and Loake. These are super-well-made and comfortable.

I have found shoes by Paul Evans to be among the most classy (and sexy!)

Paul Evans shoes are made in Italy, so I also have bought other quality shoes made there, too.

Who friggin’ cares if I’ve become a shoe guy?

This post is a “coming out of the closet” message — where the closet was my reticence to admit: I like dress shoes too!

Life is short: enjoy living with new interests to complement your lifestyle and preferences.