business casual shoes - for teen boys?

[Sherry in OH]

Where can I find business casual shoes in large sizes for a young teen boy?  Favorite brands/styles?

Son's preferred footwear are Merrell hiking shoes.  His current pair are size 15 medium.

[prairiewindmomma]

For 15 mediums, I'd shop on zappos. They have a lot available in that size, and free returns. Here's the link to all size 15 shoes: https://www.zappos.com/size-15-shoes  There are 80 pages, so I'd assort by price range or color or style.

ETA: We like Rockports for dress shoes, johnston and murphy's for leather slip ons, and leather bodied black sneakers for more casual.  Here on the west coast, though, nice sneakers & jeans are business casual.  In the midwest, business casual was button downs, khakis, and leather slip-ons.  YMMV on needs depending on where you live.

Edited June 12, 2019 by prairiewindmomma

[Pen]

We used both a brick and mortar shoe store and Prime Wardrobe

by business casual for a teen do you have in mind something like slip on loafers, brogues, or a dressy sneaker?

 

[Arctic Bunny]

I came across black dress shoes at a clearance store that were acceptable for a 12 yr old for band. Not helpful. But it’s so hard to find something appropriate that they don’t think is stupid looking.

Edited June 12, 2019 by arctic_bunny

[Arctic Bunny]

Nm

Edited June 12, 2019 by arctic_bunny

[Pen]

Dressier or less dressy than something like this:

Rockport Men's Eureka Plus Slip On Oxford, black, 15 W US https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0716X6LLC/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_bLuaDbC3GDX1M

 

[Arcadia]

I would go to Marshall’s or Nordstrom Rack with him to try on the shoes for comfort and fit. Merrell has business casual shoes but I don’t know how formal you need the shoes to be. 

[73349]

DH wears the postal version of New Balance, but they only go up to 14. These go to 18: https://www.newbalance.com/pd/slip-resistant-626v2/MID626-V2.html?dwvar_MID626-V2_color=Black#color=Black&size=15

 

[madteaparty]

I just had to buy a pair. All black Vans slip on things. I would have preferred leather loafers but the above is what he chose.  This way he can use them for other things besides the handful of dress up occasions he has coming up. 

[Clemsondana]

If we need truly dressy we'd get something different, but my son likes these https://www.crocs.com/c/men/footwear?adid=bing_ppc_search_men_SL&s_kwcid=AL!4035!10!81776184082196!11120801005&ef_id=Wr2kDQAAAGM-7X4Z:20190612203049:s#&origin=category&srule=&start=0&sz=36&prefn1=lifestyle&prefv1=Loafers&prefn2=variationSize&prefv2=15&prefn3=refinementColor&prefv3=&prefn4=fitGuideFit&prefv4=&prefn5=refinementOccasion&prefv5=  for 'dressy casual' - they go with khakis and a polo most of the time. 

[Jaybee]

Skechers has some nicer (not sneakers) shoe models that our boys liked. They are comfy and not quite as expensive as some brands.

[Sherry in OH]

17 hours ago, prairiewindmomma said:

For 15 mediums, I'd shop on zappos. They have a lot available in that size, and free returns. Here's the link to all size 15 shoes: https://www.zappos.com/size-15-shoes  There are 80 pages, so I'd assort by price range or color or style.

ETA: We like Rockports for dress shoes, johnston and murphy's for leather slip ons, and leather bodied black sneakers for more casual.  Here on the west coast, though, nice sneakers & jeans are business casual.  In the midwest, business casual was button downs, khakis, and leather slip-ons.  YMMV on needs depending on where you live.

 

Son will be attending a charter school.  Dress code is khakis, button down or polo shirt, belt, and business casual shoes.  Boots are allowed if clean, so a new pair of Merrills kept strictly for school might be acceptable.  Provided his feet don't grow anymore - I think 15 is as large as Merrill runs.  

He will also need a pair of sneakers for P.E. 

17 hours ago, Pen said:

We used both a brick and mortar shoe store and Prime Wardrobe

by business casual for a teen do you have in mind something like slip on loafers, brogues, or a dressy sneaker?

 

 

Any of the above in brown would probably work.  They need to be comfortable and not outrageously expensive

16 hours ago, Pen said:

Dressier or less dressy than something like this:

Rockport Men's Eureka Plus Slip On Oxford, black, 15 W US https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0716X6LLC/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_bLuaDbC3GDX1M

 

 

The Rockports are probably dressier than necessary although ds might like slip ons.    

14 hours ago, ClemsonDana said:

If we need truly dressy we'd get something different, but my son likes these https://www.crocs.com/c/men/footwear?adid=bing_ppc_search_men_SL&s_kwcid=AL!4035!10!81776184082196!11120801005&ef_id=Wr2kDQAAAGM-7X4Z:20190612203049:s#&origin=category&srule=&start=0&sz=36&prefn1=lifestyle&prefv1=Loafers&prefn2=variationSize&prefv2=15&prefn3=refinementColor&prefv3=&prefn4=fitGuideFit&prefv4=&prefn5=refinementOccasion&prefv5=  for 'dressy casual' - they go with khakis and a polo most of the time. 

 

Crocs are explicitly forbidden.  As are sandals and flipflops. 

Thanks for the ideas.  I will show them to ds to see what appeals.  

 

[Pen]

1 hour ago, Sherry in OH said:

 

Son will be attending a charter school.  Dress code is khakis, button down or polo shirt, belt, and business casual shoes.  Boots are allowed if clean, so a new pair of Merrills kept strictly for school might be acceptable.  Provided his feet don't grow anymore - I think 15 is as large as Merrill runs.  

He will also need a pair of sneakers for P.E. 

 

Any of the above in brown would probably work.  They need to be comfortable and not outrageously expensive

 

The Rockports are probably dressier than necessary although ds might like slip ons.    

 

Crocs are explicitly forbidden.  As are sandals and flipflops. 

Thanks for the ideas.  I will show them to ds to see what appeals.  

 

 

If you type “business casual men’s 15” into an Amazon search bar you’ll get a bunch of options most of which are arguably “business casual” and usually accurately will be available in size 15.   

Possibly you could add word “brown” to search 

And possibly you can similarly narrow down  aZappos search.

Like Rockport, Thorogood, Deer Stag, Jungle Mocs might all have comfortable shoes in slip on styles, with latter probably being less expensive.  The 1st 2 will have lace-ups.  I don’t know about sizing for last two. Thorogood makes shoes suitable for military parade use, thus almost certainly large enough ones at least in some styles,  and that can be comfortable on feet for extended time — even when dressy looking (tend to have toe space instead of narrow fashion look, and good padding, for example )  

But there would probably be more Thorogood and maybe other brand too, style options in black.  Does he have to have brown shoes? 

my son used to wear LLBean suede slip ons for school—but was in boys sizes then .  I don’t know if they go up to 15 or how much more $ men’s are

If he likes boots, a Chukka I think they’re called (ankle high) might interest him.

[Guest]

My ds19 wears all-black Vans to his job at a country club. That seems to strike well in the middle between dress shoes and casual shoes. 

[Pen]

Lace ups (I like this sort of plain style for versatility, but laces make them slower in morning and for gym changes)

Deer Stags Men's Times, Brown, 15 M (D) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000FVZXTC/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_PdLaDbTPTXXY2

(Seem to be lots of customer comments that DeerStag not as durable as used to be...maybe no longer durable at all but if he’s mostly just in class with them could be fine at decent price) 

Thorogood has well padded Chukkas but look to be more expensive   Here’s a not so expensive pair

Bruno Marc Men's Francisco-High Tan Suede Leather Chukka Desert Oxford Ankle Boots - 15 M US https://www.amazon.com/dp/B06XN5FM1Q/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_m8KaDbFDSXB9E

(no idea about company)

Edited June 13, 2019 by Pen

[Arcadia]

Merrell jungle moc slip-on shoes are comfortable. It’s abit pricy but I have the luxury of waiting for sales as I wear a men 7 or Youth 4/5. https://www.amazon.com/Merrell-Mens-Jungle-Slip-Shoe/dp/B00D7IDIP6

We found many Nike Air Monarch sneakers for $24 at Nordstrom Rack last week. My husband bought a black pair as they are comfortable. He wears size 11.5

https://www.amazon.com/Nike-Mens-Monarch-Cross-Trainer/dp/B07JQKM2SP

[Reefgazer]

My DS wears a size 16 shoe, so I feel your pain.  We can find even those at Zappos; they have nearly everything shoe-related.  However, you won't get off cheap with a DS with big feet.  I've had some luck with large and wide shoes at Shoe Dept. , if you have one of those in a mall near you., and have found soccer cleats in this size at Amazon.

Edited June 13, 2019 by Reefgazer

[Pen]

50 minutes ago, Arcadia said:

Merrell jungle moc slip-on shoes are comfortable. It’s abit pricy but I have the luxury of waiting for sales as I wear a men 7 or Youth 4/5. https://www.amazon.com/Merrell-Mens-Jungle-Slip-Shoe/dp/B00D7IDIP6

We found many Nike Air Monarch sneakers for $24 at Nordstrom Rack last week. My husband bought a black pair as they are comfortable. He wears size 11.5

https://www.amazon.com/Nike-Mens-Monarch-Cross-Trainer/dp/B07JQKM2SP

 

I also think Jungle Moc could be good option for someone who already likes Merrill

they may need to pay full price as finding “unusual “ sizes is already hit or miss.  There’s only one at Amazon left at all size 15:

https://www.amazon.com/Merrell-Mens-Jungle-Slip-Shoe/dp/B00D7IDIP6

[John83]

Holy heck how tall are these boys wearing 15 and 16?