In this product guide:
- 1. Waterproof plain-toe derby: Florsheim Forecast
- 2. Waterproof plain-toe derby: Ecco City Tray Gore-Tex
- 3. Waterproof cap-toe derby: Johnston & Murphy Branning XC4
- 4. Waterproof cap-toe derby: Johnston & Murphy Maddox XC4
- 5. Waterproof wingtip derby: Rockport Taylor Waterproof
- 6. Waterproof bike-toe derby: Johnston & Murphy Stanton lace-up
- How we selected
The aptly named Florsheim Forecast is waterproof, so you don’t have to check the weather forecast before leaving for work. This shoe is a safe styling choice that gets its footwear-101 right.
The waterproof lining aside, the Forecast is a well-built dress shoe hybrid with a comfortable fit and ride quality.
For example, the supple leather upper and the padded lining make the interiors very comfortable. The tongue even has a folded flap with soft leather lining. The waxed laces give the upper a dressy touch as well.
The removable insole is extremely comfortable. A leather footbed covers the dual-density foam insole.
The removable insole is fantastic; it could be straight out of a running shoe. The molded leather-lined footbed and EVA frame blend cushioning softness with under-arch support. The comfort levels are comparable to the Florsheim midtown.
Finally, the grippy outsole is non-marking – a feature that no other shoe in this guide has.
From the outside, it’s hard to tell the waterproof City Tray from the standard version. That said, the City Tray GTX has a half-gusseted upper with a Gore-Tex lining, so it’s a better choice for a rainy day.
The CityTray’s silhouette sticks to traditional dress shoe lines, accentuated by its heeled Polyurethane midsole/outsole. That makes it look more like an office shoe and less sneaker-like.
The midsole has plenty of ride comfort, though. The leather-lined footbed is comfortable, and so is the PU midsole. Since it lacks a welt or a rubber outsole, it’s a lighter shoe than the ST.1 Hybrid GTX.
J&M’s Branning is based on a classic Derby silhouette with a cap toe. The upper is waterproof, so the leather is a corrected/coat kind that beads water; around a week of break-in time involved.
The insides are leather-lined, down to the tongue and heel lining. The triple-stitch and perforated detail on the quarter is a nice touch, and so are the waxed laces.
The midsole and outsole design is inspired by dress shoe heels, so it doesn’t have a sneaker-like aesthetic. You do get the classic look, but with modern comfort – a well-designed block heel tapers down to the forefoot.
If you look past the dress shoe veneer, there’s plenty of comfort under the foot. The sole is rubber, not leather, so there’s both cushioning and grip for everyday commutes. The removable insole has a sheepskin lining over a memory foam base. The footbed adds a plush layer of step-in comfort.
This shoe has a ‘dual-width’ fit. If you remove the insole, you’ll find another footbed underneath. Removing the insole so will make the Branning cap toe more spacious, but you’ll lose the step-in comfort from the stock footbed.
The waterproof J&M Maddox replicates the aesthetics of a traditional derby cap toe.
There’s no clutter on the upper; just a plain toe with a couple of leather panels over the midfoot. A decorative stitch and faux brogue details add some design depth to the back.
The insides are very comfortable, thanks to the padded heel, tongue, and full interior lining. The leather-covered footbed also makes a huge difference.
Like most J&M shoes, the Maddox’s ‘dual-width’ insole is leather-lined and can be removed to create more interior space. The insole and midsole stack add plenty of ride comfort for all-day wear.
Rubber is applied selectively for durability and grip. Generally speaking, outsoles with rubber inserts grip much better than all-foam outsoles.
There’s not much to write about the Rockport Taylor Wingtip except that it’s a waterproof dress shoe with a comfortable ride.
For the upper, Rockport uses waterproof ‘Hydro-Shield’ leather in a wingtip Derby silhouette. The wingtip has brogue detail on the toe box for a dress touch. Interior comfort is provided by the foam-backed heel and tongue that also lock the foot in.
The comfortable TPR (Thermo-Plastic rubber) outsole is slip-resistant on damp pavements. The footbed is an athletic footwear kind that Rockport calls Tru-Tech; it’s a molded insole made of cushy EVA foam.
The Rockport Taylor is also sold in plain-toe and cap-toe versions as well.
The Stanton is available in several variants, one of which has a bike toe. The lace-up Stanton has all the features from Johnston & Murphy’s XC4 platform.
The XC4 package includes a waterproof leather upper, leather lining, and plush Sheepskin-lined footwear with memory foam padding.
While the midsole/outsole has a heel, it’s made of solid rubber. Unlike a traditional all-leather dress shoe, the rubber outsole offers a higher level of comfort and grip. The leather-lined footbed creates a plush feel under the foot.
The padded heel and tongue make the interiors comfortable and secure.
How we selected: What to look for
There are only three ways to keep your dress shoes dry when it rains. The first method is the easiest – negotiate a permanent work-from-home arrangement with the boss person. That way, if you stop commuting to work, your office shoes stay home and dry.
The second is somewhat of a middle ground, as it involves buying a pair of Galoshes to cover the shoe. However, this won’t prevent the water from entering from the top. Also, thin Galoshes aren’t very durable and they also dilute performance areas like the outsole traction.
If you want to go the Galoshes route, then we recommend the Swims Galosh. Or any other Galosh you can find at your local shoe store. As long as it’s not made of PVC, the brand and price don’t matter.
We prefer the third way, which is to buy a pair of waterproof office shoes. Ok, calling them ‘office shoes’ may not be accurate since they tend to fall into the dress-hybrid category. Like the products featured in our comfortable dress shoe guide, these dress-sneaker hybrids use a non-leather sole.
However, these products outperform traditional office footwear during rainy weather, and we say this for a few reasons:
Non-waterproof leather uppers are prone to damage from moisture
When a high-quality dress shoe without a waterproof upper absorbs water, the leather turns brittle. The natural oils within the fibers bind to the moisture and make the leather dry and stiff.
Ironically, the better the leather, the more prone it is to moisture damage. High-grade Aniline leather lacks a corrective coating on top, thus absorbing water rather easily.
Deerskin is somewhat of an exception as it doesn’t turn brittle after getting wet. But Deerskin is less commonly used in dress shoes because of its unique texture and hand feel. For example, it is nearly impossible to achieve a perfect dress shoe polish on deerskin.
So even with a fancy waterproof Galosh, it’s best to leave behind your pricey Edward Green, Paolo Scafora, or Santoni dress shoes at home instead of taking them to work.
Sure, dress sneakers have highly-corrected leather of a lower grade, but that’s the understandable trade-off for waterproofing.
Protective sprays are ineffective and damage the leather
One of our pet peeves is a store associate trying to upsell a ‘protective waterproof spray’ with your leather shoe. Never, ever buy those sprays. Here’s why.
If you’re already buying a waterproof leather shoe, what good is the spray?
On the other hand, if you’re planning to buy a regular leather shoe and make it water-resistant by using the said spray, then that doesn’t make sense either.
A spray does not make a regular leather upper waterproof. Shoes get their waterproofing properties from a membrane or laminate like Gore-Tex, and not because of surface treatment.
As a side note, surface finishes like DWR work well on garments. But again, such apparel is merely water-repellent and not waterproof.
Waterproof sprays will ruin high-quality leather uppers, as the chemicals block the ‘grains’ on the surface. Not only does this affect the breathability, but also makes it more difficult for the leather to absorb the essential oils from conditioning creams.
So the next time you’re offered such a spray in a shoe store, politely decline.
Synthetic outsoles have better traction on wet surfaces than dress shoe outsoles
Most conventional shoes for the office use leather soles with rubber inserts under the heel and forefoot. A lot of high-end leather shoes will use no rubber at all. This makes the soles and upper susceptible to water entry – even with a fancy-sounding construction like ‘Storm Welt’.
A Storm Welt is nothing more than a variation of Goodyear Welting. As you can see in the picture above, the raised welt forms a ‘cup’ around the leather upper. However, a storm welt alone does not make the shoe waterproof. On the other hand, a rubber or foam outsole doesn’t absorb moisture.
A rubber sole also provides superior traction. A grippy outsole is extremely important for walking on rained-on walking surfaces, and that’s where a dress sneaker will outperform a leather sole.
Dress sneaker hybrids are more comfortable
Last year, we wrote a buyer’s guide that made the case for dress-athleisure shoes.
By combining traditional dress shoe styling with elements from athletic footwear design, these contemporary products offer a higher degree of comfort than conventionally constructed footwear.
Features like foam-lined footbeds and cushioned midsoles significantly elevate the level of fit comfort.
Gore-Tex is the gold standard of waterproof yet breathable membranes.
Based on our wear-testing and research, two brands sell shoes with reliable waterproofing. Ecco relies on proven Gore-Tex technology to make their shoes waterproof, and they perform as advertised. Our review of the Ecco ST.1 Hybrid GTX attests to that.
Our other preferred brand is Johnston & Murphy.
Even though their shoes do not use Gore-Tex, their proprietary XC4 waterproofing is very effective.
While there are exceptions, we’ve deliberately featured uppers with a plain toe design. Those are easier to wipe clean when compared to brogue wingtips or cap-toes.
Lastly, if you want a weatherproof shoe that’s closer to a true dress shoe than a dress sneaker, then we recommend weatherproof shoes from Allen Edmonds.