In Person – The Mike Konos Suede Oxford – $99.94 (compare at $250.00)
These’ll do nicely. And not just now, but deep into the fall too. The shape of this shoe is oddly rare. They’re not too elongated but also far from stubby. The toe has a nice tapered shape and they don’t flare out at the sides. If you’ve got a wide foot, you’re better off looking elsewhere, but otherwise… why is it so hard for designers to make shoes that look like this?
The closed lacing is dressed up, but the crepe sole is casual. The suede is a deep chocolate brown and the stitching around the outer edge is noticeable but not distracting. They’re comfortable, have some structure to them, cheap, and Italian made. They’ll also go with almost anything. Here’s just a few options for starters:
1. With Jeans: Levi’s 514, Blazer by L.L. Bean Signature, Shirt by GAP
You can wear jeans in the summer. Just wait till it cools off at night. A light colored blazer like the top half of the L.L. Bean Signature summer suit shows you still know what season it is, and a pair of well fitting jeans adds the contrast. Feel free to go sockless with the suede shoes too.
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2. With the Cheap INC Blazer: Shirt by Merona, Chinos by BR, Wool Tie from Thrift Store
Between the $30 INC blazer and the $99 Italian shoes your getup is going to look much more expensive than it actually is. Go with a deeper honey-colored chino, a bright white button up, and a wool tie for texture. Plenty comfortable for hopping on a slick bike and going for a ride.
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3. With light pants: Blazer by GAP, Pants by BR, Shirt by JACS, Pocket square by LEC
Wool blazers get stuffy in Spring and Summer, but a well tailored cotton version like this one works year round. The suede does real well with the tie-less look and the color will stand out against the super-light grey pants. That chambray pocket square is still sold out, which is too bad… it does the job perfectly.
For the first impressions of the Mike Konos Suede Oxford, click here. Know that they’ve been added to the Long Term Test pile, so we’ll get to see how they hold up over time.
Those suedes look really good! P.S. Does anyone know what happened to the whole forum idea?
The second look has too many neutrals and needs a little more color IMO, especially during spring!
The third look is sick and I’d rock the hell out of it.
I was thinking the same, on both counts.
I agree, the blazer and honey chinos are good id add a square and change the tie…
Look #1 is nice, even for an old man like me. The white jacket reminds me of my Sonny Crockett days.
Having some experience with the shoe brand (it’s a DSW house brand for those that don’t know), I want to warn potential buyers to size down. Way down. I wear a 10.5 in most shoes, and went all the way down to a 9 in these before they fit correctly. This seems to be a common thing with the way the DSW house brands (Mike Konos, Aston Grey, Mercantini Fior-something) fit; shoes by every one of those brands requires a size down of at least a size and a half, if not two sizes.
You serious? I’m usually a 10.5, and wearing a 10.5 right now. If anything, they’re a little tight on my wider than average feet. Seem to fit pretty true to me.
I’ll admit I’m a bit of a minimalist. But in case it makes a difference, that blazer isn’t solid, and does have a noticeable micro pattern in person: http://dappered.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/INCRumpledPattern.jpg
Dappered needs a whole Miami Vice retrospective week. Joe?
The third outfit is a hands down winner
Ah, tool that I am, I did not notice the gingham pattern. That does change things. I wish it were a bit bolder gingham pattern so that it could be better noticed with such dark pants, but even with such dark pants, it looks much more dapper (dapperer?) in my mind’s eye than previously.
Heh. I’ll get on that 🙂 Not actually white though, it’s close, but not quite: http://dappered.com/2011/03/l-l-bean-new-traditional-twill-suiting-review/ Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’ve gotta go find a bright teal v-neck to wear under it. Anyone got a Testarossa I can borrow?
Awesome suggestions.
I wear a 10.5 in athletic shoes and a 9 in anything dressier, so maybe something similar is happening here?
Let’s go waaaaay upstream. Navy blue linen suit. Sky blue shirt with white contrast collar. Sky blue pocket square with white hand rolled border. Dare ya!!!
Ah c’mon, no toolage whatsoever. The gingham pattern is TINY… so, no worries.
This is true for me too – I’ve been wearing dress shoes too big for far too long. Just sent back some strands for a size down. The rest of my shoes were too cheap for me to care before.
I was thinking about getting these in olive green. Any thoughts? I’d like to diversify my shoe palette beyond black, brown, and tan. Would the green significantly limit what outfits I could match to it? What about a different suede shoe in blue- what kind of outfits could I put together with that?
I completely agree about the Chambray pocket square. I’ve been kicking myself for not buying that sucker when you first posted it. I sure hope they get some more. I would consider adding it to the first outfit, which I think is a great compromise between looking put together and still being casual. The third outfit isn’t too yacht club for anybody? I’m from the midwest, so maybe I’m oversensitive– I can’t even bring myself to wear Topsiders.