Tis the season. And by now you’ve probably been walloped over the head by 82,000 gift guides. So what’s a few more? Instead of doing a highly generalized, throw-everything-against-the-digital-wall gift guide, we’ll be breaking it up by category. Gifts for the guy who likes watches. Or the rugged type. Or the guy who’s always in a suit. Etc.
Allen Edmonds Horsehair Dauber – $6 ($7.50)
Most of us can get by with either applying shoe creme with an old sock, or, two daubers (one for black, one for brown… even with washing them after, you never know). But if the guy on your list is a true shoe hog, having more than a couple daubers on hand can be super convenient. The horsehair on the dauber makes for much easier, more even application of the cream, than compared to when it’s applied with a sock or rag. They will wear out after a while, and once that starts to happen, stray hairs start to muck up your polishing process. Good stocking stuffers. Nice and cheap. Solid quality from AE. Doesn’t ship free on it’s own. AE freebie shipping kicks in at $50. You could always pick this pair from Amazon for ten bucks. Currently shipping free with Prime, but could sell out.
Whitmor 5 Section Closet Hanging Shelves – $6.67
Perfect for storing shoes. I keep my sneakers in there. Gets them up off the floor where I’d otherwise kick them around and it’d be a mess. On a side note, I have a crap ton of pants I never wear. Also, I can’t tell you where all the hangers came from. They just appear. I know some came from the dry cleaner, but I don’t dry clean stuff THAT much.
Saphir Renovateur – $11.00
Widely regarded as the best all-around shoe leather care product on the market. Remember those “liquid gold” mac and cheese commercials that end with “eat like that guy you know” as the tag line? Right. This stuff. This is the real liquid gold. For your shoes. Shine (or, more accurately in this case, clean & condition)… like that guy you know.
100% Cotton Made in the USA Shoe Bags – $14.99
Like garment bags… for footwear. Helps keep the dust off, and the soft all cotton fabric protects the shoes from any accidental drops, dings, pet claws, locust invasions, etc., while at home or on the road. And being that they’re all cotton and not synthetic, your shoes can breathe. Which is good.
A portable, packable Leather Shoe Horn – $17.70 ($29.95)
Perfect for the guys who travel a lot and/or the types who change shoes when they get to work in the morning (say, post commute or post trip to the gym). Sold by Banana Republic, so, always on sale. Want something to ship fast via Amazon’s prime service? Those are available too.
Shoe Shine Gift Certificates
Got a cobbler in your city? Drop in and see if they offer gift certificates for shoe shines. Sure, plenty of guys actually like the process of shining their own shoes, but every so often it’s nice to just hand them over to the pros. They might come back looking better than ever.
Personalized Shoe Trees – $29.95
Laser engraved with either his initials, name, or even an image. (Which could get… weird?) Plus, Woodlore’s shoe trees uses nice cedar, and smooth acting springs. Not like super cheap shoe trees that can stick and bind after a while.
Cashmere Socks – Nordstrom – $49.95
File this under the category of things most people will never, ever consider buying for themselves, but if someone gets a pair for them, they’ll be eternally grateful. If he loves his shoe collection, then he pays attention to his feet. And nothing says appreciating feet quite like cashmere socks.
Armorlux Made in France Wool Slippers – $85 – $95
Going for soft, laid back, and indoors here. And these are anything but crummy faux-suede/faux-shearling throwaways from the clearance basket at your local discount store. These are the real deal. All wool uppers that breathe (so, no funky foot deep into a lazy morning at home). Lightweight crepe soles. Made in France. I believe solids are only currently available at Best Made Co? Massdrop has done shockingly cheap ($39) drops for these before, but they’re currently inactive. Fair Isle pattern is cheaper, and exclusive to Huckberry.
A nice Shine Box (on its own, or, stocked with goods – $96 w/ ENJOY25) – $89 – $159
You want something sturdy. Something that doesn’t wiggle or wobble. Something that you can put pressure on as you buff out a shoe over and over and over again. Just… be careful who you gift one of these things to (NSFW language).
Huckberry Exclusive Duck Boots – $180
Just because the weather is crap doesn’t mean his footwear has to look/feel awful. I know these get lots of play on this site, but they really are something. A do anything duck boot that’s been updated for the 21st century. Fully waterproof, breathable, full grain leather uppers and fully waterproof suede. They’re claiming sneaker like comfort too. They even look pretty slick.
A pair of high quality Leather, Classic Sneakers
Many a brand is taking classic court shapes, and making them out of high quality materials. And the end result are shoes that have that great, classic athletic look, but last longer and feel far superior to basic Chucks or Jack Purcells. You could spend a fortune on these things, or, you could spend not quite as much. Also, there’s always the cheap but still oddly good quality Stan Smith.
An upgraded version of his favorite style of shoe – $250+
Just make sure you keep receipts for returns in case they don’t fit. Say he’s got a cheap pair of suede chukkas that he loves. Search out a nicer quality pair. Same goes for, say, wingtip boots and chelseas. This obviously works best if his current pair has more than a few miles on it. Doesn’t make sense to upgrade to a new pair if he just bought em’. But if an old, tired looking pair (that he still loves) is ready to give up the ghost, it could be one hell of a treat to go from that entry level pair to a little bit of luxury.