Rich guys and their pricey shoes

By Dian Vujovich

Women with plenty to spend aren’t the only ones who have a love of high-priced shoes—when guys make it big they shop for shoes, too. One staggering difference between the two is that it’s pricy stilettos that typically cost the ladies the most. For guys, it’s sneakers.

Palm Beach guys have always had a sense of style with respect to their footwear. They also expect to pay up for it in a couple of ways. Along with price, an absolute no-no is to even consider wearing socks when donning a pair of their Gucci loafers or tasselled Berlins.

But outside of this hamlet, the guy shoe thing is a little different. So if one’s goal is to find out where men stand on the Wall Street ladder of success, instead of checking out their home address or preferred mode of transportation, all it takes is a look down at the shoes they are wearing.

According to Turney Duff, a former hedge fund trader and author of a CNBC.com piece titled, “Wall Street guide to shoes: From $650 to shoe porn”, the shoe brands men need to adorn their feet with as they step up the money ladder goes like this: “Starter set: Salvatore Ferragamo ($650); After your first bonus: Prada, Gucci ($700-$1,000): Shoe porn: Hermes ($1,125); and finally, “Total baller: John Lobb ($1,500-$3,000).”

While that’s a good list, it doesn’t tell the entire story.

According to MostExpensiveList.com, the two most expensive men’s shoes in their piece, “Top 10 Most Expensive Shoes For Men 2015-2016”, published in 2014,were a pair of Nike’s and Air Jordan’s.

Nike’s Air Force 1 sneakers with their diamond and gold touches will run you $50,000. However, if you really want to upstage your peers step out in a pair of Air Jordan Silver Shoes. Price tag: $60,000. Apparently it’s their silver color that’s said to set this sports shoe apart from the others along with their go-anywhere ability. From that story these sneaks are supposed to be “perfect for those who want a glamorous accessory in the wardrobe to wear all the time.”

I’m not so sure that you’ll spot a pair walking down Worth Avenue anytime soon even though plenty of town folk can afford them. Plus, there price isn’t all that impressive.

Any I-have-arrived woman knows that spending five-figures on a pair of shoes is no big deal. After all, Stuart Weitzman has been designing million-dollar stiletto shoes for successful women for years.

And from that perspective, when it comes to price tags and shoes, men come up short.You could even say they’ve got a long way to go.