Red Wing Shoes brought back their wingtip Oxford!
http://www.redwingshoes.com/red-wing-shoe/8701-red-wing-shoes/8701-red-wing-mens-oxford-blackI have extremely wide feet. 4E is barely enough. The Red Wing "H" width work boots (4E equivalent, I think) are the ONLY commercially-made footwear I'm able to wear comfortably right out of the box.
Dress shoes? Fuggeddaboudit. Dress shoe makers seem pathologically incapable of thinking beyond a C width. Even Rockport's much ballyhood "wide" width is far too narrow, fitting me about like a traditional D or E width. I tried a couple pair. Neither lasted past six months befoe I blew out the sides. Several good makers of custom dress shoes would gladly help, but at $1k+ a pop it ain't gonna happen unless someone else is footing the bill.
Enter Red Wing. Their wingtip Oxford, made ostensibly as a wareouse/heavy service shoe, was a godsend. At a max EEE width it's still not quite wide enough, but it's true EEE width rather than a loosely stitched C re-labeled as a "wide". It's damn sight better than anything else I've found and, being tyoical Red Wing warehouse-duty tough, they last forever. Yes they are expensive, but the long life gives a lower net amortized cost. I have a pair that I wore 8-10 hours a day, six days a week, for the better part of ten years. They are still serviceable and, with a good polish, are perfectly presentable for everyday professional footwear. The steel support shank, heavy
real leather uppers, and shock cushioned sole make them as comfortable as they are durable.
Red Wing discontinued them about five years back. It was a bad day. Since then I've searched unsuccessfully for a suitable replacment. Until today. Red Wing brought them back! Oh joy, adulation, and wonderful happiness for me!
If you have wide feet and need durable everyday dress shoes do yourself a favor and give Red Wing a try.
Brad
