The Best Men’s Shoe Stores in New York City

There are hundreds of shoes stores in New York City. Maybe thousands. Most of them, unfortunately, are not great.

My goal with this guide to NYC’s best men’s shoe stores is helping you find exactly what you need in the way of quality footwear—dress oxfords, tassel loafers, American-made heritage boots, whatever—at a broad range of price points, throughout New York. It’s broken into: 1) The Brand Shops, selling one specific shoemaker, 2) The Multi-Brand Shops, which offer a wider range, and 3) The Wildcards, which are largely menswear shops, some of which only carry a single shoe brand. But that brand, and the fact that the shop carries it, is notable.

Here’s how the price-range dollar signs work: each $ is equivalent to about $200. So, $$=$400, $$$$=800, etc. I stopped the scale at 5, so $$$$$=$1000, but also anything over that price. And some of these stores will allow you to go plenty over.

All of the below are shops I’ve actually visited and felt a connection with. They sell fantastic shoes, understand how to properly size you, and would be happy to talk shoes with you—theirs, of course, but also shoes in general—for hours. I’ve done exactly that at almost all of them, and haven’t been forcibly removed once. Yet.

But there are others. Which is why I’ll continue to update this story as I visit shops I’ve been dying to get to, and new places open, and I get tipped off to stores I just don’t know about—if you have one you love, definitely shoot an email to editors@stitchdown.com. And definitely keep checking this story, as the shoe landscape across the city evolves.

For now: happy hunting.

The Brand Shops

Alden Madison: Shell Cordovan Heaven

340 Madison Ave, between 43rd and 44th

$$-$$$$

Alden Madison “probably sells more shell cordovan than anyone else in the world,” according to its co-owner of 20 years, Curtis (here’s our fantastic podcast with him). And they definitely sell more Aldens—the Manhattan institution a block away from Grand Central Terminal is the number one account for the heritage Massachusetts shoe brand that inspires as much lust and excitement as any other shoemaker.

What makes Alden an icon? A combination of timeless looks, refusal to budge on quality, and a price point that’s not exactly cheap but still just-attainable-enough. And of course that shell cordovan: the world’s most durable and some-say-perfect shoe leather, made from the rear quarters of a horse instead of the calf leather you see on most shoes. Cordovan absolutely refuses to crease, is tremendously difficult to scuff permanently, and ages into a beautiful, unique patina on every pair. Alden is famed for its burgundy Color 8 cordovan, and sources more of it from the famed Horween Leather Co. (Shoecast with Nick Horween!) than any other shoemaker.

Curtis, Aniello, and Anthony are experts at expert at sizing anyone into the range of Alden lasts, and have the stock to make good on those fits. They stock sizes 6 through 13 in medium and wide in all the styles and leathers you’re probably interested in.

Allen Edmonds: A Classic American Shoe At a Solid Price

225 Liberty Street, in Brookfield Place

551 Madison Ave, between 55th and 56th

61 W 49th St, between 5th and 6th

24 E 44th Street, between 5th and Madison

$$-$$$$

If you’ve never owned a pair of Allen Edmonds, it’s entirely possible that don’t own any shoes at all. Based in Wisconsin since 1922, AE has all the dress shoe greatest-hits styles—the Strand cap-toe oxford probably being the most famous; I’ve had mine for almost a decade—at consistently reasonable-ish prices. Also notable: shell cordovan you can get for ~$800, and a line of boots highlighted by the damn handsome Higgins Mill. They’ve got both downtown and Midtown canvassed.

Carmina: Mallorcan Style With Incredible Bang for the Buck

45 E 45th St, between Madison and Grand Central

509 Madison Ave, between 52nd & 53rd

$$-$$$$

Although the brand was launched in 1997, the family behind Carmina has been making fantastic shoes on the monumentally picturesque Spanish island of Mallorca since 1866. Despite their looks—classically handsome with little touches of distinctive European flair—and impressive quality at a great price, Carmina initally only let a trickle of their wares into the US (thank you: The Armoury, featured below).

That all ended when Carmina opened a beautiful shop in October 2018, smack in the middle of the Alden/Allen Edmonds/Crockett & Jones Midtown Shoe Geek Triangle. And THEN, they opened another even larger shop just a few blocks up on Madison (ask them about the “fancy motor-shelves”, you’ll see). Pretty much Carmina’s entire line is one or both stores, from every kind of loafer imaginable, to elegant balmoral boots, to wholecuts whose comfort will make you deeply ponder why you own all those shoes made of more than one piece of leather. Best of all? Much of it is available in shell cordovan—their volume of offerings in said godly shoe leather is probably second only to Alden itself—at a price that can only be considered reasonable.

Crockett & Jones: Timeless, Infallible British Shoes

11 E 55th St, between 5th and Madison

156 Spring St, between W. Broadway and Wooster

$$$-$$$$$

Northampton is the womb of fine British shoemakers, and it’s where Crockett & Jones has operated out of since 1879, now under the guidance of 4th-generation scion Jonathan Jones. Their museum-quality Midtown shop offers phenomenal customer service and education under the guidance of manager Kevin Hill, who’s been at the helm since the shop opened; the Soho shop has a defiantly modern design (and a fireplace!). Crockett’s Hand-Grade collection is a step up in price from something like Alden, but plenty worth the scratch, especially if you’re looking for something a bit more…well, British.

The Crockett & Jones range swings from chiseled oxfords, to wingtip double monks, to some truly exceptional country boots, to one of my personal favorites: the plain toe derby in a wonderfully pebbled Scotch grain leather. Meanwhile, their black or navy velvet house slippers are customizable with embroidery ranging from skulls and crossbones to the most distinguished T-Rex that Sam Neill could possibly imagine. And basically anything you’re capable of dreaming up, Crockett can create through their special order program after a fitting and consultation at the shop. Even if you dream in crocodile.

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John Lobb: Revered Quality—Especially if You Go Bespoke

700 Madison Ave, between 62nd and 63rd

$$$$$

For over a century, the only way to treat your feet to a pair of John Lobb shoes was through their bespoke service: working with a master bootmaker for up to a year to create a last that followed the exact contours of your feet, from which a masterpiece was made to your exact specifications. In 1982, the brand finally became accessible to more men with the introduction of a ready-to-wear line that carried over the brand’s exacting quality standards. In 2000, Lobb’s first Madison Avenue shop opened, allowing New Yorkers and countless shoe fanatics slipping away from family vacations to purchase ready-to-wear classics like the Lopez loafer and its double monk-strap William and William II.

Of course the bespoke tradition continues, carried on in the States by master bootmaker Paul Wilson, who creates his art every day above the New York shop when he’s not flying to spend time with Lobb clients around the country. Wilson has designed and hand-made hundreds of John Lobb shoes throughout his storied career, and few people are more knowledgable about the process—or are more enjoyable to spend hours with, just talking shoes. Are any John Lobbs, even the ready-to-wear collection, um, “affordable”? No! But when you end up with style icons that can last decades if you take care of them properly, they absolutely shouldn’t be.

J.M. Weston: Shoe-Gri-La — NOW SADLY CLOSED

600 Madison Ave, between 57th and 58th

$$$$-$$$$$

If you revere shoes, you simply must go to J.M. Weston. The moment you walk in, the New York full of chaos, street meat, and people who don’t even realize they’re wearing terrible shoes melts away, as Bob and Tony take you through the brand’s storied history crafting astounding footwear since 1891—and repeatedly prove that they care more about shoes than most humans are capable of caring about anything.

J.M. Weston is probably most famous for their Mocassin 180 loafer, a perfectly balanced, split-toe, supreme achievement of design. It’s available in leathers ranging from the necessary black, brown, and burgundy, to lizard, alligator, and more, and comes in literally every single width you could ever need. But perhaps their greatest achievement, and one of the most unique and astonishing ready-to-wear shoes anywhere in the world, is the truly hand-made Hunt derby. Originally designed to be unshakable and waterproof while duck hunting, the impenetrable Norwegian welt is a thing of distinctive beauty, and its heft will assure you that this shoe will last, essentially, forever. It’s a tank in Bugatti clothing. I beg you: go see it for yourself.

Meermin: One of the Best Shoe-Bangs for the Buck Out There

123 Mercer St, between Price and Spring 

$-$$

An upstart shoemaker from the Spanish island of Mallorca, Meermin has a major differentiator: price. The bulk of their deep line costs right around $200, and even their upscale Linea Maestro line built with higher-quality leathers comes in below $350. How do they do it? A direct-to-consumer model that sells only through their website, a shop in Madrid, and this space in Soho around the corner from shops selling pairs of boxer shorts for the same price.

They certainly deliver on the “these are pretty darn handsome” front via a range of classic styles that stay right within the sweet spot of delivering looks without trying too hard: cap toe brogue oxfords, loafers of all ilk, chukkas and Chelseas, longwings, Norwegian split toes, the whole deal.

Red Wing Heritage: Americana, In Boot Form

11 Pennsylvania Plaza, Suite B (right near 31st & 7th) 

$-$$

Red Wing has hundreds of stores across the country, including one in Alaska…and two in Hawaii! So of course there must be one in New York. The old, sadly closed Tribeca store offered the entire Red Wing Heritage line—this one is more of a classic Red Wing retail operation with a healthy hybrid of true work and heritage boots, and some really fantastic How They’re Made-type displays

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R.M. Williams: The Ultimate Chelsea Boot

152 Spring St, between W. Broadway and Wooster

$$-$$$$

Chelsea boots are an incredibly versatile wardrobe staple, and heritage Aussie brand R.M. Williams may just make the best version for the price of anyone out there. Their spacious, well-adorned shop—which includes a door from the very shed in which the late Reginald Murray Williams himself started making his first boots—carries a few other handsome boots and sneakers, too. But you come here for the dozens upon dozens of distinctively red-soled Craftsman Chelseas. Starting at just over $500, they’re available in leathers ranging from various colors of calf, to incredibly supple kangaroo, to the exotics you’d expect from a company founded by a man who spent serious portions of his life traversing the Australian outback.

The legend of Williams himself—bushman, gold miner, author, and plenty more—is too deep and rich to recount here, but I strongly recommend giving this short but thick bio about his very long life a read. Once you do, I imagine you’ll see Williams’ Chelsea boots very differently—and understand why nearly every type of man in Australia, from farmers to heads of state, wears them every single day.

RRL: The Line is Small, And Not Cheap! But It Is Nice.

381 W. Broadway between Spring and Broome

85 N. 3rd St, between Berry and Wythe (Brooklyn)

$$$-$$$$

While not exclusively a boot brand by any stretch (I personally have serious tunnel vision that leads me to see it as a shawl-collar cardigan brand), Ralph Lauren’s upticked heritage label does peddle a small handful of highly worth shoes and boots.

Thursday Boots: One of the Ongoing Best Values in Good Boots

Showroom (also does sales, and you can walk right in): 48 W. 21st St, 2nd Floor

$-$$

Firmly planting itself right in the middle of the (mostly) $250-and-under scene, Thursday continues to craft handsomely straightforward, classically styled footwear at that aforementioned seriously reasonable price. While they also make a wingtip, loafer, and even a double monk (who doesn’t these days?), most of their work has been carving out a legitimate space in the crowded boot market with Chelseas, a moc-toe wedge sole workboot, and most prominently, a broad spectrum of cap- and round-toe service-type boots.

The Multi-Brand Shops

The Armoury: Endlessly Tasteful Menswear, With the Shoes To Match

168 Duane St, near Hudson  

$$-$$$$$

Possibly New York’s most impressive menswear store overall, this Tribeca spawn of the Hong Kong original features a loft that’s basically a treehouse for shoe-mad grownups, with Sour Patch Kids and comics and replaced by loafers and cap-toes. Owner Mark Cho has a rich history of identifying shoemakers that are under-appreciated or even unknown in the States: he was the first to convince Carmina they needed to sell in the US a half-decade ago, and is also the only stateside shop selling the otherworldly ready-to-wear line from Japanese bespoke maestro Yohei Fukuda. Other stuff you really just can’t try on elsewhere: Baudoin & Lange loafers, Bowhill & Elliot velvet slippers, and the Armoury namesake line of oxfords and derbies, which allow you to experience the majesty of Fukuda (who co-designed the line along with Cho) for just over $500. And of course, there are Aldens.

Drake’s: The Best Way to Make Casual Classy

327 Canal St, between Greene and Mercer

$-$$$

Brit-brand Drake’s does its trademark relaxed elegance as well as anyone, via ties, knitwear, blazers, and more. The same could definitely be said about the Soho shop’s tightly curated footwear offerings—which often change (ahh, Paraboot where have you gone!) but tend to include a tight range of Drake’s own Italian-made desert boots (a distinct step-up in materials and construction from the Clark’s classic) and deliciously comfortable moc-toe suede chukkas, plus periodic collaborations with Sebago, Yuketen, Aurora Shoe Co., and more.

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Nepenthes: Street Style Meets Country Shoes & More

307 W 38th St, between 8th and 9th Ave

$-$$$

Nobly keeping the ever-changing Garment District full of garments in its own little way, Nepenthes is owned by Japanese workwear dons Engineered Garments, whose stamp you’ll see on a lot of Nepenthes’ shoes’ footbeds—especially their endless collaborations with Tricker’s. The British maker consistently pulls off the rare trick of melding timeless style with some of the more bomb-proof shoes you’ll ever wear. Nepenthes pushes the style portion of that special sauce to more aggressive, often street-ier places than Tricker’s would themselves, while always keeping things within the right bounds. Not necessarily quite as reserved are collaborations with brands like Timberland and Dr. Marten’s. And unsurprisingly they’ve also got a tight selection of White’s, Paraboot, EasyMoc, Sebago, and Alden, because this is an important shoe store that sells important shoes, damnit.

The Wildcards

Hatchet Outdoor Supply Co.: Red Wings (and Ice Axes) in Brooklyn

77 Atlantic St, between Hicks and Henry (Brooklyn)

$$-$$$

The name is no lie: this speciality shop at the end of Atlantic/the earth will absolutely supply you with hatchets. Nice ones, too! A nice portion of their footwear is similarly outdoors-technical, but they also stock a nicely robust line of Red Wings, some stray Paraboots and Hender Schemes, and some boundary-pushing Dr. Martens.

Self Edge: The Only Place You’ll Find Boots From Japan’s The Flat Head

157 Orchard St, between Stanton and Ludlow

$$$-$$$$$

If you often feel the desire to drown yourself in denim, you probably already know about Self Edge, one of the harbingers of the current—and warranted—mania around selvedge (a term that stems from the fabric’s characteristic “self-edge”). But the LES shop also has a history of stocking deeply interesting boots you’d have a helluva time finding elsewhere—specifically, they’re one of a very small handful of shops to carry the exceedingly rare engineer boots from The Flat Head.

Love a New York shoe shop that isn’t on this list? Shoot us an email at editors@stitchdown.com, or DM us on Instagram at @stitchdown