The Best Shoe Store In America

Its rare these days that you find a store that sells strictly men's shoes, especially one that revolves mostly around dressier shoes. This is the case, however, for Leffot in Manhattan, NY. (On the website it claims to also carry women's shoes, as of 2009, yet I have never seen any on the website's blog nor when I went in?) Having opened in May of 2008, Mr. Steven Taffel, the owner, wanted to create a store that offered a classic range of men's shoe styles that encompassed the meaning of quality, comfort and value. This he did! Carrying some of the finest shoes to come out of England, the States and France, Leffot is definitely "the" place to go to find the more elegant and exquisite shoe options offered for sale in America. While I do believe this to be the best place to find great shoes my only objection is the lack of Italian shoe options. Not that I believe that Italian shoes are the best but I do think that it would fill the void that I see, yet having worked with Italian shoemakers in my life I know that it can be difficult to find yourself on the same page with them, especially when it comes to business, which just might be the case for Mr. Taffel.

Shoe Brands Carried At Leffot:

-Alden
-Aubercy
-Carreducker
-Church's
-Edward Green
-Gaziano & Girling
-J.M. Weston
-Pierre Corthay
-Quoddy
-Rider Boot Co.
-Wolverine


(Shoe Insert: Gaziano & Girling shoes, picture from Leffot website)

So if you are ever in NY and are looking for a great shoe selection to peruse through, take yourself on down to Leffot's in the West Village of Manhattan where you will find some of the most exclusive and beautiful shoes offered in the States!

Some Runner Up's (in no particular order):

Wilkes Bashford
-Located in San Francisco, Wilkes Bashford, who was apparently just bought out and hopefully will keep the same selection, carries the likes of John Lobb, Bontoni and Gravati as well as others.(Shoes by John Lobb)

Leather Soul
-Located in Honolulu, Hawaii, Leather Soul is another great shoe store that only carries men's dress shoes offering styles from brands such as John Lobb, Alden, Edward Green, Gaziano & Girling and George Cleverley. Leather Soul also plans to open a new store in Beverly Hills in the very near future.(Shoes by Edward Green)

Marios
-Located in 3 different locations: Seattle, WA; Portland, OR; Tigard, OR. Mario's is a little bit more mainstream, carrying a large selection of not only suits but also casual clothes as well, they offer shoes from the likes of designer brands Prada, Dolce & Gabbana, Paul Smith, Tom Ford, John Varvatos as well as less know brands such Bontoni, Gravati and my favorite of the bunch, Sutor Mantellassi.(Shoe by Bontoni)

Nordstrom Store #1
-The Downtown Seattle Nordstrom shoe floor is an amazing site to see. Having the largest shoe selection that I have ever seen, (and I have been to many shoe floors) you get everything from Vans to Gucci. What most people may not know though are the exclusive rights that Nordstrom has to several brands such as Silvano Sassetti and Santoni. While you can find Santoni's at most Nordstroms you can only find their "Fatte A Mano" and "Goodyear Welt" lines at select Nordstrom stores around the country, DT Seattle being one of them. Silvano Sassetti is also a gem in the rough, being a small factory in the Marche region of Italy and making shoes for the likes of Tom Ford, Ralph Lauren's Purple or Black Label, Dolce & Gabbana as well as several others. They make a beautiful shoe and can be found at a great price there at the DT Seattle Nordstrom.
(Shoes by Santoni)

Armed with this knowledge, the next time you are in need of great shoes and are somewhere in one of these cities that host these stores, take yourself there and experience the greatness!