For guys who’d rather enjoy a Saturday afternoon cheering on their favorite team than shopping with their significant other for a new pair of shoes, help has arrived.
A group of entrepreneurs is going up against the footwear establishment — offering shoes direct to consumers via their own websites. This business model allows men to shop anytime, anywhere — and save money, since the process cuts out the middleman.
The offering is wide ranging, from office-appropriate classics such as wingtips and monk straps to vintage work-inspired boots.
With the dressing-up trend still strong, Pauldrish.com has you covered. The company, founded by Arveena Ahluwalia, taps her family’s shoe company in India to produce the collection of traditional styles that retail from $225 to $395. For those who prefer the personal shopping experience, Ahluwalia has opened a showroom in New York where customers can be fitted for a pair that’s then shipped to their homes.
Like Paul Drish, Jack Erwin, operates Jackerwin.com, as well as the Fitting Room Tribeca in New York, a companion brick-and-mortar location where shoppers can get fitted, with shoes then delivered to their door. The classic looks include driving mocs at $95 to $220 for a wingtip boot.
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For those customers committed to supporting domestic manufacturing, there’s Brooklynboot.com featuring sturdy boots and oxfords produced in Martinsburg, Penn. Since domestically made goods are typically more expensive than their overseas counterparts, the company has managed to keep prices within reach by cutting out the middleman. The collection retails in the $150 range.
