When I think of my what I want from a shoe, I think about two things, style and comfort. And I’d say that Benjamin Lovell Shoes nails them both.
Today’s post features Benjamin Lovell Shoes, In The Spotlight. BLShoes is a popular specialty store local to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania with locations in Rittenhouse and Old City.
A NEW LOCATION
They’ve been around since 1991, founded in Delaware by none other than a man named Benjamin Lovell. He actually sold the company a few years ago, but still hangs around. In fact, I had the pleasure of meeting him the other night at their new Chestnut Street location for a friends and family launch party. It was great meeting the staff over some good eats, beer and wine.
The new space is beautiful with a more modern look than the previous store which I initially visited back in September.
BENJAMIN LOVELL SHOES EXPERIENCE
As a man of style, you know the importance of wearing clothes that fits. But what about when it comes to footwear? Seeing how we’re on our feet half the time, proper shoe fit is paramount, yet we often neglect our feet.
At Benjamin Lovell Shoes, they’re all about finding the right shoes for your feet, and it all comes down to the nailing the fit.
During my consultation with Dave Cassamassa, the Director of Operations/Store Manager of both Philly locations, he told me that most men aren’t wearing shoes that fit. That’s because they get locked into one size all of their adult lives, and think that it’s their size across all brands, but of course every brand is different.
Most guys are wearing shoes one size too big or too small. And just as the rest of our bodies are not asymmetrical, our feet aren’t either.
We started things off by measuring my feet the traditional way. We discovered that my left foot is a good half inch longer than my right. Dave mentioned that you always want to fit your feet according to your longer foot and then make tweaks to nail the fit on your shorter foot.
After measuring my feet, we decided that 8-8.5 would be best for me (normally I’m 7.5). Dave even recommended 9s, which I felt were a bit roomy. I tried on about 8 different pairs of shoes. My favorites were the Pikolinos boots (the most comfortable boots I now own) which I featured in my guide on how to wear a denim jacket and more recently in my summer to fall transition lookbook, Cloud On-Running sneakers, Birkenstocks, a pair of loafers with removable soles, and the Baabuk wool sneakers.
All in all, I had a fun time trying on all the footwear Dave recommended and learning about achieving a proper shoe fit.
WHERE STYLE MEETS COMFORT
What can I say, Benjamin Lovell Shoes has a great selection of comfortable, yet stylish shoes. You’ll find many comfort brands from Fitflop to UGG, Hunger, Fly London, Timberland, and Clark’s. Many are premium European brands. They carry everything from casual shoes to athletic sneakers, and dressier options with a focus on comfort.
I saw dress shoes with Vibram soles, which personally I’m not a huge fan of because I’m of the thought that dressy should be dressy and not have a bulky Vibram sole. There are some questionable styles that I’m not all that excited about, but there are plenty of stylish options to choose from.
Ultimately, I like that the Benjamin Lovell Shoe experience is one of learning and finding what’s best for you and your feet. From the one-on-one attention on each individual customer, to the initial foot measurement, and the Aetrex iStep foot scanning, it’s an experience that makes you feel welcome and lets you know that you are in good hands with friendly footwear specialists.
MY FALL/WINTER 2017 BENJAMIN LOVELL SHOE PICKS
While I tried on a myriad of shoe styles during my consultation, they offer even more styles online. And so here are 6 of my Benjamin Lovell shoe picks for this fall/winter.
1) Kingsley Chelseas By Vionic
What’s great about a leather Chelsea boot is that it lends itself to being dressed up or dressed down. It’s a versatile piece of footwear that looks great with everything from a suit to t-shirt and jeans.
2) Galen Bomber Jacket Chukkas By UGG
Recently I was asked if I would wear UGG boots. I said, not the ones that women wear. But a pair like this one, most definitely. I love the suede upper with the captoe giving it more of a work boot appeal. A suede chukka in a versatile brown shade is the perfect fall boot.
3) Leighton Stout Desert Boots By UGG
This pair of UGG boots has a full grain leather and suede upper combination. The crepe sole is reminiscent of Clark’s Desert Boots, which BLShoes also carries. It’s a fine alternative to the captoe chukkas.
4) Cloud Sneakers By On-Running
Talk about comfort, these Cloud sneakers by On-Running are one of my favorites in their entire lineup, from an aesthetics standpoint and comfort. If you’re an avid runner, I highly recommend you check out these lightweight sneaks.
5) Urban Wooler Sneakers By Baabuk
What I liked about the Urban Wooler was the breatheable wool fabric. Similar to Allbirds, Baabuk carries ultra-comfortable sneakers with an all wool upper. I also really dig the contrast laces.
6) Dewey Slipper Moccasin By Vionic
If you just wanna lounge around all day, these slippers are a good choice. As for the color, brown in town for me.
IN THE END
If you’re in the Philly area, definitely visit the store to experience Benjamin Lovell Shoes for yourself. They really know their stuff and the customer service is on point.
BLShoes carries both men’s and women’s footwear. If you’re not remotely near Philly, you can check out what they’ve got online at BLShoes.com. With free 2-3 day priority shipping and free returns, it’s surely worth checking out.
If you’ve checked out Benjamin Lovell Shoes, how was your experience?
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