Most men understand that it is far more cost effective to own a few high quality pairs of dress shoes than to waste money on more shoes of inferior quality. Men's dress shoes are generally made to last and to stand up to daily wear.

As mentioned in my opening statement, most dress shoes for men are constructed of high quality leather and one should be aware of what determines whether a leather is of high quality. In the leather industry, pieces of leather are given a grade of one to five to denote the quality of the leather, the lower the number the higher the quality. Don't bother looking for these numbers on your men's dress shoes, you won't find them.

Most quality men's shoes are made of calfskin because of the fine grain and its ability to maintain a high shine. Lambskin is also used because of the same qualities. Almost all leather has natural scars and blemishes, the younger calves and lambs have less and therefore make for much higher quality leather products. The key is to choose shoes with the smallest amount of imperfections so that you don't have to rely on sealants to cover them up.

Unless you are an expert in the industry, it is nearly impossible to be able to ascertain the quality of leather that is used in the construction of a particular shoe. One way to check out the quality of the shoe as well as identify anything that has been concealed is to look at the inside of the shoe.

Starting with the insole, check to see if the insole is made of leather or cardboard. Men? dress shoes of a higher quality are made with layers of leather which allow the feet to breathe and lessens perspiration and foot odor.

The lining of shoe should also be made of high quality leather such as calf skin in high quality men's dress shoes. Run your finger inside the shoe and feel the seams and edges, they should be smooth. This not only indicates better workmanship but also lessens the likelihood of blisters.

The soles of men's dress shoes should be of very high quality as well. If one works inside then a high quality leather sole will be desired. It is suggested that if you have a job that requires you to be outside a bit, such as a car salesman, you may want to opt for a shoe with an artificial sole like Vibram, for example to allow for more durability.