Monday, May 19, 2008

The Cheap Chick, Now Taking Requests


Tip Of The Day: Where to go to get great MEN’S shoes. Because men deserve to be well-shod, too, darn it!

Tip For Tomorrow: Stop by to see the companion piece for my Fox 9 News at 5 PM segment – fun and inexpensive graduation gifts for your dorm-bound seniors. Creativity meets frugality, folks. With very little crafting skills required.

Further Elucidation Of My Cheap Deal: This weekend, El Jefe and Larue called with a request – where could he find inexpensive new shoes, both dressy and casual. Now, I love being asked for advice, especially as it pertains to shoes. Oh heck, let’s face it; I love being asked for advice about ANYTHING. I do so love to give out my opinion to the world.

Thus, this blog. And the weekly TV segment. And the weekly radio segment. And just WAIT until I start work on the book… But I digress.

Anyway, I gave El Jefe a variety of shops to choose from:

1. Steve and Barry’s. Most people know they carry a HUGE line of cool, inexpensive sneaks, but they also have professional-looking dress shoes for men. Warning, they aren’t made of the very best leather (or, actual leather at all), so they can get a bit uncomfortable.
However, if you are one of those guys that only wears dress shoes 2 or 3 times a year, this is an AWESOME option for you. Why blow a wad on something you only put on when your wife/mom/girlfriend demands you clean up for once?
The other awesome thing about Steve and Barry’s is their $8.98 Sale. A few times a year, everything, and I mean EVERYTHING, in the store is only $8.98. Jeans, shoes, wool winter coats – it doesn’t matter, it’s $8.98. Call your local store to see if the sale is on right now. It very well could be.
For more information, go here:
http://www.steveandbarrys.com/default.aspx.

2. Payless Shoe Source. You know they carry cute and trendy shoes for less for woman, but Payless has lovely dress shoes for your menfolk, too. Best of all? NONE of them have tassels. I loathe, despise, HATE, WISH ILL UPON men’s dress shoes with tassels.
I love the 80’s as much as the next gal, but come on. Some trends must DIE.
Go here to view all the cuteness for boys:
http://www.payless.com/Catalog/SLCategory.aspx?TLC=Mens&SLC=MensDress&viewAll=true.

3. Famous Footwear. If you wear dress shoes on a regular basis, and you’re okay with spending a tiny bit more on them, Famous Footwear is an excellent option for you. Their shoes are a higher quality, and therefore, more comfy. As comfy as wearing sneaks? No. But hey, I don’t see you guys wearing 5 inch heels, so quit your whining.
Famous Footwear is also having a sale RIGHT NOW. So you can stock up on shoes for less! And spend the money you save on gifts for your sweetie! Like something sparkly! What an AWESOME idea!
To get the lowdown on the sale, go here:
http://www.famousfootwear.com/.

4. Marshalls. How can you not LOVE a store that offers designer shoes for up to 50% off department and shoe store prices? Answer – you can’t. You simply MUST give your love to Marshalls Shoe Megashop.
Their website doesn’t show a lot of the actual shoes for sale (it’s more of a promotional site than shopping site), so you’ll have to actually go to the store to see what they offer.
And while you’re there, perhaps you can pick up a pair of flat-front dress pants. Because pleated pants are evil and look weirdly poufy. Seriously, do you REALLY need all that room up front? I’m thinking no, no you don’t.
Their website does have a store locator, so here you go:
http://www.marshallsonline.com/megashoe.asp.

Now go forth and have happy, cute feet. In a totally masculine, butch way, of course.

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

Actually, the Payless over by the Hub didn't have any men's shoes. El Jefe found some lovely shoes at Famous Footwear.

He was very funny. He came up to me and said, "Who is the expert on where to find shoes?" And I laughed and laughed and laughed...

Anonymous said...

True, thanks for the advice.

El Jefe

Anonymous said...

I don't understand why anyone even makes pleated pants.

Michelle said...

Pleated pants are horrible! Ugh. They don't look good on anyone.

JC Penney's always has a good selection of men's shoes--and good sales, too. The Rosedale store has a pretty good selection of clearance for men and women.

Ben said...

When it comes to clothing, I believe in going cheap if you can find a deal. When it comes to shoes, I don't believe in buying a cheap pair. Inexpensive shoes tend to mean less quality. Less quality means less comfort. If you are a guy and are wearing said shoes everyday (because guys stereotypically only have a few pairs of shoes), they will wear out on you quickly. A quality pair of shoes will last longer and be more inexpensive in the long run. I have a pair of Merrell slip ons that I have been wearing at least three times a week for almost five years and they are hardly worn down. I paid $65 for them then, so that breaks down to $13 a year right now.

As well, I would never buy a cheap pair of dress shoes. People can spot a cheap dress shoe like a cheap rug. A well-maintained, quality dress shoe will last for years and years. I have a pair that I shine every time before I wear them and they are close to ten years old. I always get compliments on them whenever I wear them because they are a quality piece of shiny leather!

Max D said...

I like Marshalls because they occasionally have some oddball stuff. One of the local stores had several pairs of Dooney & Bourke topsiders by Paraboot, made in France for around $30. I didn't get any because they were in weird colors.

For dress shoes I like to go to golflocker.com. They have Foot Joy factory rejects for about $80. I have several pairs, even tassels, and I can't find the flaws. I think Allen-Edmonds has a similar method for clearing out their factory seconds but I don't know much about that. If you call an Allen Edmonds store they can tell you. (Both Allen-Edmonds and Foot Joy are made in USA, which is very rare these days).

The Cheap Chick said...

You'd be amazed, Ben, how nice and non-cheap the Steve and Barry shoes look. I was pleasantly surprised.