Saddle Shoe Wearers, What Do You Wear? (Men)

[Captain]

I haven't had a good pair of saddle shoes in YEARS. Where do you fellas get yours?

 

[Two Types]

I have a canvas and leather pair by Cheaney. I don't know if they still make them.

 

[Mr Badger]

Most of the pairs I've had over the years have come from Ebay, they've been of variable quality. Generally, with saddle shoes, you get what you pay for – for irregular 'lightweight' use, then Bass knockoffs with a brick red rubber sole, which is usually of fairly ropey quality, are okay. I'm quite hard on my shoes, so the best Ive had were properly constructed, leather-soled saddles – a pair from Muffy's in Oregon, which have pre-requisite vintage shape, and some by Mr Hare, more Italian-looking but still very nice (I got them from TK Maxx, of all places)... the Italian company Old Woogies seem to do a very decent pair of saddles, in a range of colours, and they're pretty well constructed, by the look of it – maybe a fellow FL-er has bought a pair and can enlighten you further...

 

[Tomasso]

I had a pair by Alden in high school and college but I haven't worn them since. They're easy enough to come by as most of the better brands offer some version. Try Alden, Allen Edmonds, Brooks Brothers, Polo, Cole Haan, etc.....

 

[LoveMyHats2]

A nice element of having some saddle shoes that are well made and hopefully even with a rubber/crepe type of sole, if they have a goodyear welt, you can have them resoled and if desired, replace the soles when you are wanted to do so, with a leather sole and heel. My Husband has only one pair of saddle shoes, by Footjoy. Originally those had rubber soles, they now have leather.

 

[Claudio]

LL BEAM on ebay

 

[Edward]

My current pair are Florsheims, bought from the US via eBay. I've also seen in person and been impressed by Rocket Originals. The RO range of colours for men is poor (brown and cream or blue and cream), but as best as I can tell their women's saddle shoes are the same shoe in a bigger colour range.... If you've not got either huge feet or insecurity about gender-perceptions of clothing, they're an option. I have my eye on the green-with-white-saddle pair....

Most of what I see on them are rubber soles. I'd always buy a goodyear welt pair as they're just better constructed, though I don't know whether I'd be bothered having them resoled. At forty quid, maybe, but given most places now want more than the GBP75 or so for which a new pair can be had, it seems a false ecomony to resole.