Best Affordable Style of 2021 – The Shoes

The end of the year means it’s time to hand out some awards. No, there aren’t any little statues to pass along, but over the next few days we’ll still highlight some of the best in affordable men’s style from this past year. Feel free to send in additional nominations to joe@dappered.com.

 

Mahogany Allen Edmonds Strands or Park Avenues – $395

There was a bizarre hole in the Allen Edmonds color lineup for the longest time. There was Black on one end of the spectrum, there was Walnut on the other, and then the only “in-between” shades were either Dark Chili or Oxblood. Both of which are terrific in their own right, but both lean pretty red. Which can be a little flashy depending on the occasion. There just wasn’t a true brown to speak of. Sure they experimented with “Cigar” and “Coffee” here and there, but those shades seem to have been made in limited runs. And neither invoked any of the red-hue retina-grabbing deliciousness that both Oxblood and Chili brought to the party.

And then in early 2021… Mahogany came strutting into the room.

These are deep brown shoes, with a perfect underlying base of subtle dark red depending on the light. Terrific with both blue and gray suits and trousers (yes, gray too). They are timeless and conservative, and somehow they’re also stylish and eye-catching. Which happens to be the perfect mid-point between a true-brown like Cigar, and the bolder reds of Chili and Oxblood.

Mahogany. It’s both.

They’ll even go on sale every so often. During the Rediscover America sale, Strands and Parks dropped to $276.50. And more recently, some Fifth Avenues in Mahogany were down to $224.

Still Goodyear welted.

Still hand-crafted in Port Washington Wisconsin.

Still a deal when they go on sale.

 

Also Receiving Votes: J. Crew’s Chelseas in Horween CXL #8, Nordstrom’s $99 “Dane” Cap Toe Dress Shoes, The Allen Edmonds WEATHERPROOF Park Avenue, The new Clark’s Bushacre 3 Desert Boot, Grant Stone’s Fairfield Oxfords, J. Crew’s leather Court sneakers, Rothy’s RS01 Sneaker, The Naglev Combat WP weird/technical/kevlar boot, White’s new line of “Lifestyle” boots, the Rhodes “Caliber” Chelseas, Chukkas, and Moc Toes, the OBRA Canvas Low Top Wrap Toe, Rancourt’s Made in the USA Bennett Court Sneakers, Nike’s Air Max Pre-Day LX, Greys Outdoor Slipper Boots, and whatever incarnation of the adidas UltraBoost is being rolled out at any given time. Especially if they’re somehow on sale. Full review of the 22 coming up later this month on Dappered.