Quote Originally Posted by pascs View Post
I have some beautiful pairs of shoes like those in your pics, I'm not sure about thinner=more formal. Mine have 3 layers of leather on the sole, can look formal with a suit but great with jeans and make a lovely sound on a wooden dance floor
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Quote Originally Posted by Father Bill View Post
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... and a further thought just occurred to me. At 215 lbs, I hate having thin soles. If I step on a stone, I want to crush it, not have it come up through the sole into my foot. For that reason, I'd ask for a thick sole, or even a double one. I have often taken brand new shoes straight to the cobbler and asked him to add a second sole, and then put the heel back on. It's a wonderful feeling once you get used to it and looks rather manly.
My intention for these shoes is to reserve them for dressing up, so I hope I won't have to crush any rocks with them

Personally I like a thick rubber sole for both cushion and grip. The reason I'm under the impression that a thick sole (including extra leather) would be less formal is the general aesthetic of refined elegance that goes with increasing formality. It's also a question of tradition: thick, rugged soles for outdoors and thin, smooth soles for indoors.

I'm still toying with the idea of a rubber heel for a bit of traction but maybe a partial rubber heel would be enough. And those Blakey's must make quite the sound though I'm sure they protect the shoe very well!