10 Brands of Men’s Dress Shoes to Avoid in 2020

As you know from this channel, we are all about quality, craftsmanship and investing in shoes that can be refurbished and worn for years and years. After years of working on shoes, we have compiled our list of 10 brands that we think you should avoid in 2020 and beyond…unless quality improves. These brands, as a whole, lack quality in materials, craftsmanship and the ability to be refurbished over and over.

Here are a few of the brands we think you should consider:
* Beckett Simonon – https://www.beckettsimonon.com/?rfsn=2997405.43d49c8&utm_source=refersion&utm_campaign=affiliate
* Apoint – https://www.apointbrand.com/collections/shoes
* Thursday Boots – https://thursdayboots.com/collections/mens-shoes
* Meermin – https://meermin.com/
* Allen Edmonds – https://allenedmonds.com
* Loake – sold through outside retailers (in-store & online)

Looking to have your shoes refurbished? Check here:
https://www.potterandsons.com

Looking for the BEST shoe creams, soaps, waxes, brushes, shoe trees…and much more? Find it all here:
https://www.potterandsons.com

INSTAGRAM:
https://www.instagram.com/potterandsons
https://www.instagram.com/southernpolished

Video edited by: Ashley Saldanha

50 Comments

  1. Dr Altman on April 11, 2020 at 11:59 pm

    This was a great episode! I was smiling on my exercise bike the whole time I was watching. Yes–I have Cole Haan–guilty! I will wear them as "one and done" type shoes, because they are comfortable and they do look great. But I get it–don’t get too attached! One question (apologies if asked/answered elsewhere): you guys are using rags all the time for your videos–do those all become trash (not good) or is there a way to clean and revitalize them? I’m about to do a bunch of stuff to a bunch of shoes, and I don’t want to single handedly wreck the environment! Stay safe with the virus everyone!

  2. Kenyo Siyaki on April 11, 2020 at 11:59 pm

    I love Timberland all day everyday … Yay

  3. Jim Sarcia on April 12, 2020 at 12:03 am

    What do you guys think of Bass shoes?

  4. Steve EAB on April 12, 2020 at 12:05 am

    My wife bought some Steve Madden boots. I looked at the sole and it’s half rubber and half some other garbage pressed fiber or something. Terrible.

  5. Crazylalalalala on April 12, 2020 at 12:05 am

    soo those are the only shoe brands i know…

  6. Javier20 .Javier20 on April 12, 2020 at 12:10 am

    I just got a pair of Magnnani ! was praying that it was not the list ….

  7. RAAZR on April 12, 2020 at 12:10 am

    Shoes to avoid because they’re hard to restore for these 2 guys*

  8. Luke Arranguez on April 12, 2020 at 12:10 am

    What are the 10 shoe brands to buy

  9. Kenneth Bishop on April 12, 2020 at 12:11 am

    I have interviews coming soon ( if the world does not end) and I looked in my dress shoe box (Oh the horror, I have 4 year old square toe Johnston & Murphy ) I bought the Beckett Simonon and I bout the polish for your company. Thank you. It’s my Birthday and as I turn 57 on the 19th, I thought that I should put my best foot forwarded. Thank you for the education.

  10. SimplyCQ on April 12, 2020 at 12:13 am

    Thank you for your video. Very informative.

  11. mike Grasdal on April 12, 2020 at 12:14 am

    I honestly didn’t know this much about shoes. I own Stacy Adam4 I wear a few times a year but thanks won’t buy those again. I haven’t heard you guys talk about hugo boss shoes. I wear their casual shoes most everyday mainly a suede show.

  12. Angel Matos on April 12, 2020 at 12:17 am

    Prada are classy, comfortable shoes.

  13. Joshua Nesbitt on April 12, 2020 at 12:17 am

    I was glad to see Doc Martens didn’t make this list

  14. Drew Hunkins on April 12, 2020 at 12:18 am

    Allen Edmonds are amazing. Made in the USA too.

  15. jonathan morand on April 12, 2020 at 12:18 am

    any advice for exotic leather shoes?
    I had a hard time finding genuine shoes. managed to pull it off once. the other one was a stamp convincing enough to fool me.

  16. Hayden Martin on April 12, 2020 at 12:19 am

    I like the looks of Stacy Adam’s, but the quality is horrible. They are comfortable, and they do look good, but it’s not worth the attempt at repairing them.

  17. pranay sharma on April 12, 2020 at 12:19 am

    How do you rate To Boot New York ?

  18. Weavus1 on April 12, 2020 at 12:20 am

    After getting sucked into watching a ton of your videos. I’m embarrassed to wear my shoes.

  19. Unboxing Technologist on April 12, 2020 at 12:21 am

    Plz Do a Review on H&M leather shoes

  20. OLEH Kuzo on April 12, 2020 at 12:22 am

    Each country has to kick out Chinese from business, don’t buy anything from China. Move your business back to your country, all manufacturers has to move back to own country and restore business!!!

  21. Yank Chef on April 12, 2020 at 12:23 am

    Thanks to you guys I now have a collection including Allen edmonds, ariat, magnanni and di bianco. Keep it up!

  22. fingurl ECG on April 12, 2020 at 12:24 am

    I only buy Italian. Unless I want cheap.

  23. Raymond Ray on April 12, 2020 at 12:26 am

    How about dress shoes from sketchers?

  24. MH0709 on April 12, 2020 at 12:28 am

    I am based in Europe. I have never heard of any of these shoe brands. This might be because they are rubbish.

  25. Charles Goldberg on April 12, 2020 at 12:30 am

    So basically you won’t accept shoes pricing under $200? The construction is necessary to bring the price point down on some of these brands. People don’t want a shoe you can resole anymore, so why pay the price tag for an allen edmonds goodyear welted shoe. Pay attention to Florsheim’s Foundry Collection and Imperials, it’s still being made like it was in the 50s and 60s. Disappointed by the inequity of this rating.

  26. rdc5470 on April 12, 2020 at 12:32 am

    Agree with each of the brand on your list. Having used many of these brands like J&M, Aldo, Stacy Adams, Kenneth Cole, etc. I agree that they are just not well put together shoes. Was a little surprised with the inclusion of Joseph Aboud, but not having used their shoes, I was perhaps swayed by the impression I had of the brand from their clothing line.

  27. Peter Crowe on April 12, 2020 at 12:33 am

    Appreciate the information, but a few of these makers on your list still make narrow men’s shoes, while many high end companies like Church’s of England stopped doing narrows almost twenty years ago. What would you recommend especially for those of us who need narrower fitting shoes?

  28. K V on April 12, 2020 at 12:35 am

    Clark’s ore Ecco

    Witch one is better?

  29. ora et labora on April 12, 2020 at 12:35 am

    The New Balance 990, nothing else is as comfortable or as versatile, the SUV of footwear. If your wearing them in our billion dollar Co in your interview your hired (our old boss wore them).

  30. Justin on April 12, 2020 at 12:37 am

    I’ve owned a couple pairs of Bostonians and they’re the worst shoe for the cost of them. I find the sole on them is simply garbage as they wear through very very rapidly due to how paper thin they are. By the time you break in the shoe, theres nothing left of the sole. I find the buckles are also quick to fall off

  31. Wardude on April 12, 2020 at 12:37 am

    What about Clarks? are they good?

  32. Brisdad53 on April 12, 2020 at 12:39 am

    I’m surprised you included Stacy Adams simply because everybody KNOWS how ‘inexpensive" they are to begin with. I remember when they were considered the "better shoes" within MY price range, but I never pretended they were anything special. But now that I’m older and wiser (and less poor") I like my Allen Edmonds for times when I can’t get away with Adidas or Tony Lamas. They’re not John Lobb, but then I’m not John Travolta.

  33. CableKnitter on April 12, 2020 at 12:41 am

    Could you list some of the better women’s shoe makers? Or brands? Thank you.

    Live in NYC where we WALK everywhere.. would love to be able to actually walk in my shoes for at least a block or two, instead of having to switch out to sneakers due to pain & stability issues with most women’s shoes.

  34. Robert M on April 12, 2020 at 12:41 am

    I own mostly AE but I have picked up a few pairs of Steve Maddens Chukka boots when they have their sales. For $40, I can’t really complain.

  35. Free your mind on April 12, 2020 at 12:41 am

    Still own my 3 pairs of BALLYS shoes. Soft leather are easy on my feet.

  36. Lawrence Charles on April 12, 2020 at 12:42 am

    I can’t help but laugh at this video! I see guys wearing nice suites w/these shoes all the time here in DC! It cracks me up everytime because they are usually always acting like big shots. They are the best people to go to lunch w/because women will almost always turn their attention to the guy w/the truly nice shoes.

  37. Ariel Zarate on April 12, 2020 at 12:42 am

    OH SH*t I didn’t know you guys are two different people! 😮

  38. Tevez Kelez on April 12, 2020 at 12:43 am

    You bros always look dapper and sleek!
    I think it’s a way to charge high 😄😂😂. Just kidding!!
    As my friend said, people judge you by the way you look.

  39. Josh Bixby on April 12, 2020 at 12:45 am

    come on guys you are american and should not even buy american shoes ! invest and buy european Fratelli Rosetti, Churchs , Ferragamo, John Lobb, Taft, Gucci, Todds a majority of the shoes you are talking about are licensed out not even design by the brand itself … ugh Americans have no style and Nashville ? really LOL and your southern accent? you guys are better off in cowboy boots LOL

  40. JAMES J. JEFFERS on April 12, 2020 at 12:46 am

    1 Man Trash is another Man’s Treasure… Just sayin! I am a firm believer in buy what you like not for anything more than You Like Them. Good Information Tho Thanks Guys! It’s Helpful to know who is screwing us for the money…

  41. Ima Doll on April 12, 2020 at 12:46 am

    I have a pair of Italian cole haans and they are fantastic. Bought them about 10 years ago.

  42. Steve Clarke on April 12, 2020 at 12:48 am

    Love the channel keep up the great videos

  43. Calvin Haskins on April 12, 2020 at 12:50 am

    Great video

  44. Green Plasticbag on April 12, 2020 at 12:50 am

    You are right about Aldo. They make crap now.

  45. Wamuu chan on April 12, 2020 at 12:51 am

    In 2020 you should avoid… human contact

  46. Darrell Hart on April 12, 2020 at 12:52 am

    Around 1993 when I was a freshman in high school I decided I wanted some banker shoes to wear to school dances and what not. I asked my banker friend, who was a few years older than my dad, what shoes those were. He said Florsheim Imperials. And I got a pair of loafers from them. Unfortunately they were lost in a house fire in 1999.

    Fast forward to 2014 and I had returned to college and was then putting together a professional wardrobe. I went back to the Florsheim Imperial. They didn’t fit right and so I found and tried on Allen Edmonds. I can say there is no comparison between the two brands in terms of quality. Simply trying on the Florsheims practically destroyed the leather and left massive wear creases across the toe. The shoes instantly looked ratty and worn. It was disappointing. The Allen Edmonds hold up so much better. Yes the AEs develop the same creases, but they are not near as pronounced. I don’t know the technical aspects but the Florsheim leather has to be cheap. Not just cheaper, but cheap. The end result is I bought seven pair of AEs and am pretty pleased with them.

    I hate this about Florsheim. I like a lot of the styles I see on their website. But it’s like forbidden fruit for me.

  47. J Hemphill on April 12, 2020 at 12:53 am

    T&H lost a bit of credibility when they nearly failed to recognize the purpose of the steel plate in that railway worker’s boots. Yes boys, it’s for puncture resistance so a spike won’t go through your foot. And glancing at the offerings of the recommended shoemakers, their idea of a "work" boot is something the CEO would wear to walk on carpet. To show you’re not just a pair of fops, have you got any recommendations for a working man’s boot with a crush-resistant toe and a puncture-resistant sole?

  48. 67L48 on April 12, 2020 at 12:56 am

    Yep, a $50 madden and a $90 J&M shoe isn’t nearly as good as a $400 Allen Edmunds shoe. Who knew? My go-to shoes are both J&M oxfords (not the premium versions they mentioned) … probably 4-6 years old and I still get complements on them. I’m sure they’ll wear out faster than the $400+ shoes, though. I’m not suggesting my J&M are anywhere near as good as AE … but neither is their price.

  49. huskyjerk on April 12, 2020 at 12:57 am

    How do you rate shoes by Polo / Ralph Lauren ?

  50. TNapster on April 12, 2020 at 12:58 am

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