TheShoeBuff: Please introduce yourself and your website.
Jesse Thorn: Put This On is a general men’s fashion advice website.

TSB: How important is footwear to men’s fashion?
JT: Footwear is quite literally the building block of any outfit. It’s a place to show refinement, to show a little effort.

TSB: Please run down a few popular shoe styles for the common man and what he might pair them with in your opinion.
JT: Spring’s just around the corner, and in the springtime, I’m a big advocate of simple sneakers. Superga, Jack Purcells, Spring Court, that kind of thing. You can wear them with shorts and no socks, you can even wear them with more “dressed up” cotton trousers. For dressier situations, everyone’s got their own white and tan bucks this year, which go wonderfully with everything up to a casual cotton suit. It’s another shoe you can wear with or without socks (though if you go “without,” I like to wear loafer socks). And if you want to kick it up a notch, lighter brown brogues in almost any style – cap-toe, wingtip, whatever – are a lovely compliment to a warm-weather suit.

TSB: Settle the score, sneakers vs. shoes for men?
JT: I really don’t think it has to be a battle. Most men wear horrible sneakers and most men wear horrible dressier shoes, and I think we’d do better to step our games up than to start a false war. Sneakers are great for casual wear, but keep them classy and simple. Shoes are great for sophisticated wear, but stay away from gross, shiny, duck-billed Skechers-knocking-off-Kenneth-Cole monstrosities.

TSB: What are some of your favorite men’s footwear brands?
JT: For sneakers, I really like Superga and Generic Surplus. Cheap and aesthetically pleasing. Simple and classic without being cliched. On the dress side, I tend to buy used, so I buy the best I can find in my size. I like Brooks Brothers’ English-made shoes, Aldens, Grensons… whatever quality shoes I can get my hands on. And for casual dress shoes, like bucks and saddle shoes, I’m not afraid to wear Nordstrom store brand. I’m all about the Nordstrom Rack, and $40 summer shoes.

TSB: What about men’s shoe models specifically?
JT: I bought a pair of Alden “Indy” boots on eBay last year, and they’re the shoes I wear most often. They look great with jeans, and they dress up chinos without losing any ruggedness. And I desperately want some of those buckshot brogues that Gieves & Hawkes are making.

TSB: What do you wear day to day?
JT: In warm weather, I wear a lot of canvas sneakers in white and navy. White and navy is sort of the basis of my summer wardrobe, with red accents. God bless America and all that.

TSB: What are your thoughts on the recent wave of contemporary/independent brands hitting the market?
JT: I mentioned how much I like Generic Surplus. I’m looking for great quality, and affordability. I don’t want to buy mid-quality shoes at Alden prices, and if I’m buying knockaround shoes, I want them to cost $30 or $40, whether I have to buy them on discount or on eBay or whatever. My preference is for classics, so I don’t need to worry about paying a designer premium.

TSB: What can men’s footwear do to become as interesting as women’s footwear?
JT: I don’t think it needs to be “interesting.” I’m happy that men’s footwear is a place where you can buy quality and keep it.

TSB: Anything else you want to say about men’s footwear?
JT: The next episode of Put This On is about shoes. Our big field story is about Willie’s Shoe Service in Los Angeles. They’ve been making and repairing shoes there since the 50s. I hope we can help men think of their shoes as a lifelong investment, not just a passing fancy.

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