Dapper Or Crapper: Mark Nason Shoes
24 Comments Published by Alex March 27th, 2007 in Clothes. Share This
While casually reading through a certain major men’s magazine this morning, I happened upon this ad for Mark Nason shoes and became immediately transfixed by the style and craftsmanship evident in the given samples. Covet, covet, covet. I think these are spiffy as all hell, and I want ‘em.
Of course, in my advancing years, I am growing concerned that I may be holding on to my youth a little too tightly if I pick ‘em up. I’m a blogger, not a rock star, but then again, these are for sale at Nordstrom, for hell’s sake. What self-respecting rock star actually shops there? Answer: None; Nordstrom is for normal people, right?
Nevertheless, I haven’t been this interested in a men’s shoe designer since John Fluevog came out with those awesome swordfish shoes about twenty years ago. Then again, Fluevog still sells his kicks at semi-reasonable prices, whereas the boots seen here are selling for just under $500. Maybe they’re for rock stars after all. What do you think, should I bite it and just get ‘em?
They’re awesome. But if you can afford $500 boots, I’m cutting your pay.
If you can swing those from blogging, all I have to say is – Joel, need another pen?
CRAPPER. It looks like something a nouveau-riche Mexican would rock.
they are amazing. get them.
They are definitely awesome – possibly even worth some odd jobs.
From the looks of those shoes Nordstom’s is for pimps. Crapper, but they’re your feet, shod then as you see fit.
No. No. No. Oh man no. Sorry. No. Um, no.
I can’t give reasons without insulting an entire continent (South America). Where they try to be forward thinking and hip (aka European) but are really 1 1/2 years behind and shop at outlet malls in the summer (their winter) looking for bargains to take home.
It’s like the guy that wears TOO much cologne.
Are those studs on the shoes? And suede?
The shape is awesome though. Just take off a few layers of fluff.
I think I may have lived my whole life in the hapless attempt to look like a nouveau-riche Mexican pimp. But I think I’m going to have to find the knock-offs in Chinatown; my birthday ain’t until July.
Is that a cross on the zipper? The next design will have a skull and then they will really be 12 months behind in fashion.
loafers=pimp
boots=not so much
Crapper, dude. sorry. unless you’re wearing a whole lot of makeup. Then maybe they could work. Can’t deny the craftsmanship– but to what end?
Of course, though, like Jason said, they’re your feet.
There’s just entirely too much going on with those things, I feel myself getting a headache just looking at them, they’d probably hum as you walked.
I’m a whore for Fluevog, and I dig these a lot (I see nothing wrong with the nouveau-riche Mexican pimp thang), but that’s just too much scrilla for a set of paw covers, imho.
Go try ‘em on. Then decide. I was a bit taken aback by the photo at first, but most of the shoe will be covered by your pant leg, and that will go a long way toward toning them down and making them look reasonable. But be prepared to shell out extra $$ for an appropriate belt.
Have any of you naysayers seen the pictures that alex has put up of himself? If you have and you’re still saying no, you need to put down the crack pipe. Seriously.
True, they are funky in a cool way, and feel free to call me a cheap-ass, but, I wouldn’t pay $500 for a pair of shoes if my feet were on fire!
They have some lower key designs, its really hard to find cool designer mens shoes. It always seems if you want to pay $200-300 for shoes they think your some lame old 60 year old man ;)
There’s something truly magical about the moment when you see a pair of shoes and you realize that you and those babies were just meant to be together. Who cares if they’re fugly or pimpdaddy or whatever?!? If YOU love them, that’s all that matters. Wear em with pride!
Heh, I see those same ads in certain popular men’s magazines, along with their style recommendations, etc. Gaudy shoes, jeans with f-ing murals plastered on them, button down shirts that cost 700 bucks. Where the hell is the clothes that normal people wear?
Maybe things are different out on the coasts (does it matter which?), but here in the Midwest if you showed up wearing goofy ass boot-shoes with jeans that had a dragon running from the ass down the leg, you’d get laughed out of the place by your friends. Do people actually buy and wear the things in those mags??
I say crapper. I’m all for some interesting detailing on shoes, but I think that having it done to this level limits their wearability with some stuff. But if it’s just for pairing with jeans and you’re going to a bbq at Rob Zombie’s house, I can’t think of a better pair of kicks to splurge on. I just like my shoes to be slightly more versatile.
Incidentally, zappos.com carries Mark Nason, and they have a ton of his other boots (in less spastic styles) in the $300 range. Can’t argue with free shipping either.
Very crapper! But if you really want them wait a few months, they are so fugly and expensive Nordys will have them marked down in no time. $500=crazy!
Crapper for me, but it’s all about personal style.
If you want shoes that scream “HEY LOOK AT MY FANCY SHOES!!!!” then these should do it. At least with Fluevog you have the benefit of something quirky and unique looking, these just look like cheese.
BTW, you should check the sales/clearance section of zappos.com. They often have discounted Mark Nason shoes and boots in there (although not especially cheap even on sale, you won’t be paying full retail).
Dapper and Crapper.
I have a couple pairs of his boots. They are amazing. If you are worried about them being to over the top he also has other styles that are more casual. I tend to do the more casual styles myself. It’s all about what you think you can pull off well
I’d say DAPPER. Not my style, but I could see them working on someone else. Do they sell them at Lord & Taylor? There’s an online coupon floating around that would give you 25% those boots, if they sell them:
http://www.lordandtaylor.com/common/vip_coupon.jsp?cm_mmc=Message%20Board-_-0-_-12%3a00%3a00%20AM-_-12%3a00%3a00%20AM