Sturdy pair of shoes reccomendations

[Chestrockwell]

I bought this pair of Cheaney shoes from TK Max for £150. I couldn't believe the quality so I searched up the RRP and it turns out they cost £495 new and I couldn't believe the bargain I got.

I got so many compliments at work, and I properly looked after them by waxing and polishing them.

I bought them in October 2025 and this is what they look like now after 10 months or so.

Granted, I am a car salesman, and I do a lot of walking as we have two sites 100 metres away from eachother. I am walking up and down multiple times. I do a lot of driving, so the shoes I wear do get hard use; however I expected a pair of shoes costing that much to be more durable.


Can anyone recommend a sturdy pair of brogues or oxfords that will last longer than a year. Yes I am aware you can have the soles redone however it doesn't explain the leather crack/creases or the inside of the shoe.

I have scoured the internet for shoes, I am happy to pay a premium but why should I when the shoes I have now cost a premium but didn't last 1 year

Any recommendations?

Kind regards

[Chestrockwell]

[url]|https://forums-images.pistonheads.com/244859/202608177850075[/url

[Essel]

Personally, I'm a fan of clarks. I'm just retiring a pair of plain black waterproof lace ups which have done a good 2 years of daily dog walks, plus solid wearing around. Still waterproof, leather still good, even with infrequent polishing. Soles have pretty much worn through though. Buy online on sale or at an outlet. Sizings right for me as well.

[Mr Penguin]

Did you use a shoe tree?

[craigjm]

clearly didnt use shoe trees and also worn them every day so no time to relax. Any quality shoe will also die like that if you dont treat them right, No shoes are designed to be worn daily without breaks and shoe care is far more than polishing and waxing. You need to help them maintain their shape and that clearly hasnt happened here. Even if you just stuffed them with old newspaper it would have been better. Those are not beyond rescuing.

You may also be expecting too much assuming they are the £500 shoes that you linked. Often Cheaneys make specific shoes for shops that are not their own and these are made with much cheaper leather and construction even though they may look like the ones you buy for their stores direct.

Edited by craigjm on Monday 17th August 23:44

[AndrewCrown]

Chestrockwell

My dear chap, you need a change of shoe strategy.
The key word here is rotation.
No matter how good the brand, they will not 'last' in continuous use.

Rotate between 3 & 4 pairs.. always use shoe trees as they wick the moisture and keep the shape.
If you have 3 or 4 in play there is always time to have one pair being resoled or reconditioned.
Your rather sad looking pair will be like brand new if you send to an outfit like Kokos.. look them up.

My best shoes are 1. Churchs and 2. Geox... Two brands at wildly different price points.

Little trick... you can recreate your bargain find by keeping an eye on 'Vinted' you will be amazed at what you can find in terms of premium footwear.
often hardly worn or unworn.

[JQ]

As above, the key is not wearing them every day and using a good quality shoe tree. I’m a huge fan of Loake and my shoes last +15 years. Currently have 3 pairs on rotation with most recent pair bought 5 years ago and they look like new. If you get Loake to resole them they refurbish the leather at the same time.

[TheDrownedApe]

I walk a lot and get through at least 2 pairs of trail running shoes/boots every season. It's sn expensive clothing item but the most important.

Don't buy "posh" for daily; buy quality. Get your feet and gait analysed and buy that type (pronation/strike etc)or at least an insole to help. As others have said Clarkes, Ecco, or Cole hann.

[dontlookdown]

If you want to continue wearing decent leather shoes at work, then as others have said you need to get a few pairs on the go, and invest in - and use - some shoe trees.

There is upfront cost involved, but in the long term it nets out because well cared for they will last for years. It's also a good feeling to have a decent pair of shoes on your feet

The alternative is just to get a regular pair of Clarks or whatever, wear them till they collapse and repeat.

[5pen]

If convenient, I’d be inclined to take those to a Cheaney shop and see what they say. You might be able to secure a bit of goodwill towards the cost of a factory refurbishment, though the upper may be too far gone. Be aware that the standard price is about what you paid for the new pair too.

I have a couple of pairs of Cheaney shoes and one pair have been worn enough to have been re-soled once, but the rest of the shoe doesn’t look anything like your pictures. As others have said, shoes do benefit from “rest” and trees to help them keep their shape.

It may just be your usage is like 5 years of another person’s and that the level of wear and tear is inevitable. Good luck.

[Huzzah]

When I was doing your job I'd wear Barkers, toe cap Oxfords. Several pairs on the go and at the 1st resole I'd have rubber fitted. Fek leather soles outside in the winter.

I seem to remember I'd buy one pair every 12-18 months or so.

[gotoPzero]

I used to use the shoe conditioner / protector products from Bickmore. They were very good and would extend the life of the shoes I used for work by a good 50%. I still have some Bickmore #4 somewhere for the wifes handbags!

[Mr Penguin]

Also the inside of those look horrific even for a year of heavy daily wear with no trees. Do you have problems with your feet or is the camera making it look worse than it really is?

[Lotobear]

I've always worn Loakes though it's true to say they are not what they once were since the cutting was outsourced to India. Occasionally used pairs can be found for a very reasonable price on Ebay.

I've always fancied treating myself to a pair of Trickers but they only seem to do brogues, a style that unfortunately I'm not keen on.

[Stu78]

I have a couple of pairs from Lanx. Had them longer than I can remember and both still look good.

[Magnum 475]

I've got two "go to" brands that work for me, they fit my feet well, and are comfortable:

1. Jeffrey West
2. Oliver Sweeney

When not being worn, they have shoe trees. They are *never* worn more than two days in a row. I work away from home a lot, carrying multiple pairs can be inconvenient but is worth it to preserve them. Same with suits, they benefit from not being worn 5 days a week, every week.

Jeffrey West have an ebay outlet - you can see from the name of the vendor when you search.

[ConnectionError]

Trickers

Church’s

R M Williams- but their quality has dropped

[craigjm]

Magnum 475 said:

Jeffrey West have an ebay outlet - you can see from the name of the vendor when you search.

Again you need to be careful what you are actually buying. As I said above with Cheaney for stuff they sell outside of their own boutique shops they are specifically made cheaper spec shoes. JW are the same and produce a "cheaper" range for non-branded shops. They sometimes look like the expensive stuff but are not the same by some margin

With all of the Northampton brands it is buyer beware when buying from 3rd parties because you might not be buying what you think you are and they may not be the big bargain you thought

[Regbuser]

Lotobear said:

I've always fancied treating myself to a pair of Trickers but they only seem to do brogues, a style that unfortunately I'm not keen on.

Look at Sanders > https://www.sanders-uk.com/

Good quality, range of styles and last fittings

[g3org3y]

craigjm said:

clearly didnt use shoe trees and also worn them every day so no time to relax. Any quality shoe will also die like that if you dont treat them right, No shoes are designed to be worn daily without breaks and shoe care is far more than polishing and waxing. You need to help them maintain their shape and that clearly hasnt happened here. Even if you just stuffed them with old newspaper it would have been better. Those are not beyond rescuing.

You may also be expecting too much assuming they are the £500 shoes that you linked. Often Cheaneys make specific shoes for shops that are not their own and these are made with much cheaper leather and construction even though they may look like the ones you buy for their stores direct.

This.

Shoe tress + never wear the same pair two days in a row. Also polish them with good quality stuff (Saphir cream polish for example).

I've got many pairs from Cheaney/Loake/Barker/JW etc and follow the above advice. They've all worn very well.