[Blarg]

You might get lucky at a department store, but their stuff often tends to be cheap flashy stuff. You might have to go to a shoe store. I agree with TT that Italian shoes are often very nice. Not always, though; sometimes they take advantage of their rep and cheap you out.

Shoes are an item with severe quality problems, and sometimes they are extremely overpriced according to brand. For instance, even some fairly expensive shoes are glued rather than sewn, or glued in some places and sewn in others. Some you can give a tug on the heel and hear the leather already starting to separate from the heel and sole. Some are sewn noticeably unevenly onto the sole, so when looking down you can see the sole sticking out more or less than usual. Some have an incredibly thin finish, so with the merest thumbnail scrape the top colored leather starts to flake right off.

You have to really look over a shoe and make sure you're getting quality, no matter what price you're paying. Especially since shoes basically take a lot of abuse and pressure, even if you only walk with them from the curb to the carpet.