Your favorite Oxfords?

[shamelin]

Gentlemen:

I've owned a pair of Rockport cap toe oxfords for about 10 years- they've been awesome, but the soles are now starting to crack and separate from the leather uppers. I'm looking to pick up a new pair of oxfords, but in something a little more high-end. My current favorite is the Ferragamo Fantino, but I bet some of you have a pair of shoes or two that you'd never leave home without.

So tell me, what types of cap toe oxfords do you swear by? My only criteria is that they have to be black without ornamentation, since I'll be wearing them with a military uniform.

 

[john parker]

Your uniform regulations allow cap toes?

 

[wsteineker]

I'm a HUGE fan of the Alden Cap Toe Balmorals. They're crazy expensive, but one pair should be enough to last you a lifetime if you properly care for them.

 

[shamelin]

Your uniform regulations allow cap toes?

From AFI 36-2903, Table 2.1 line 6:

Footwear (low quaters): Oxford; lace-up style with a plain rounded toe or a plain rounded capped toe; with or
without seam and; without perforation or design; sole will not exceed 1/2 inch in thickness and the heel will not exceed 1 inch in height
(measured from the inside front of the heel); may have low wedge heel; smooth or scotch-grained leather or manmade
material; high gloss or patent finish optional.

I don't mean to offend by quoting military regulation. I've encountered several people who were unaware of the cap-toe policy, and thought it might be good to post it for reference since we've got a few Active Duty on this forum. I think the AF may have made this change around 10 years ago or so; I certainly didn't remember it when I entered the service. I don't know what the policy is for the other branches.

Thanks for the suggestion wsteineker. That's exactly the kind of thing I'm looking for. A good pair of shoes are almost priceless to me- shoemakers like Crockett and Jones, John Lobb, Alden and Edward Green are all in contention at this point. The Ferragamos are easier to get, since almost every Nordstrom's carries them, but I am concerned about the quality for the price. At $500, you can find some handgrade oxfords instead of the more benchgrade that SF makes.

 

[john parker]

I don't mean to offend by quoting military regulation. I've encountered several people who were unaware of the cap-toe policy, and thought it might be good to post it for reference since we've got a few Active Duty on this forum. I think the AF may have made this change around 10 years ago or so; I certainly didn't remember it when I entered the service. I don't know what the policy is for the other branches.[/FONT]

Appreciate the citation. I am ex-Navy but served my last five years at Offutt AFB in a joint command. Never saw any service members of any service wearing cap toes, so I was skeptical when you mentioned them. I guess I am very much out of date!!! Thanks for the info!

 

[jkingrph]

When I was active duty AF, Last century, I think the rule was plain toe. During that time the best I had were shoes labeled Stetson, and the only place I found them was in a BX in Izmir, Turkey. Later I wore Allen Edmonds. We could also get by in dress uniforms with black roper boots.