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New shoes can get expensive fast.
At Insider Picks, we've introduced our readers to a few brands creating quality shoes for reasonable prices, and most recently, I’ve been impressed with New Republic by Mark McNairy.
I wrote about the brand shortly after it launched in the summer of 2016, and since then, I’ve gotten to wear my pair of chukkas and I am just as, if not more, impressed.
The Lukes Chukkas look and feel really solid. I think there are few shoes that look better with a pair of jeans than a quality pair of chukkas, and New Republic did not disappoint. While it's a simple shoe, the fact that this pair costs just $78 is still super impressive to me. I paid close to double that for my previous pair of chukkas.
I’m a big fan of my chukkas, and nothing about the feel of the shoe has made me think that "cost-cutting" ever even entered into the equation of its design. After a day or two of wearing in, my foot got the feel for the shoe, and I’ve since gone on some long city walks and a few bike rides with the pair without any problems at all. They’re also now one of the more attractive casual shoes I have in my closet.
In addition to the brand's chukkas, New Republic also carries several other shoe styles at extremely affordable price points — covering everything from driving loafers to brogues, none of which cost more than $100.
I think this is the real value of New Republic and other brands like it that specialize in affordable shoes. If you find a brand that you like and trust, you can stock up on a few pairs of shoes and give yourself a ton of new looks without spending ridiculous amounts of your wardrobe budget.
As creative director Mark McNairy puts it: "With these shoes, you'll have plenty leftover to buy a bunch of shit you don’t need."
You can check out all the shoes New Republic has to offer here.
This article was originally published on 10/3/2016.
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