Absolutely. Desert Boots are great and if you like the look of them, but are looking for something cheaper, their Bushacre 2's are nice, just take some breaking in. I wouldn't say that any Clark's shoes are as comfortable as sneakers though (Wallabies have really cushioned soles, but lack stability. Desert Boots are less comfortable, but really solid, stable shoes).

That said, neither of those options are really "dress" shoes. There are "dressier" shoes that you could wear to church or to parties, but aren't meant to be worn in place of black dress shoes. Clarks sells some dress shoes, but they aren't particularly known for them and I have no experience with them. I personally like Cole Haans like many people here have said. I own this pair that are good for what I need them for (summer internship and interviews during the year) and are pretty comfortable after a bit of breaking in. Not sure what line of work you're in, but if its somewhere where you'll be working up the corporate ladder and wearing a suit most of your life, they're good starter shoes. Oh, and I think I paid ~$120-130 for them when they were on sale at a Nordstrom, so you can definitely get a better price if you're willing to wait.

Surprised you found this from 2 months ago haha.
Don't have a video tutorial but I can try to give you a quick type up of the best instructions possible.


Things you need:
The shoes (obviously)
Some Blue painters tape
Angelus Royal 1 paint https://angelusdirect.com/products/collector-edition-royal
Angelus Flat Black Paint https://angelusdirect.com/products/angelus-flat-black-paint
Matte Acrylic Finisher https://angelusdirect.com/products/matte-acrylic-finisher
Paint Duller https://angelusdirect.com/products/duller
Any fine tip paint brushes either from an Arts and Crafts store or from Angelus, for example the set I bought https://angelusdirect.com/products/angelus-paint-brush-set
Any set of Paint pots https://www.amazon.com/d/Art-Paints/DecoArt-Empty-Paint-Pkg-1-Ounce/B005FPDC3M
Nail polish remover with Acetone and some cotton balls

1. To start, you want to tape of corners of any areas you want to avoid getting paint off. Once you tape off areas you want to leave untouched, take your cotton balls/swabs and dip it into the acetone. Wipe at the areas you want to paint over, as this will remove the existing paint. (Use as many cotton swabs you need) Once the areas you wipe are very faded in color let the shoe sit for 20 minutes (you can work on the other shoe within this time!)
   
   
   
2. Now that the original coat of paint is removed and the shoe is ready for paint, take the Royal 1 paint and fill it to the brim of a Paint pot. This part is VERY IMPORTANT and you don't want to fuck it up. After filling the pot to the brim the blue paint, shake the duller bottle up and pour 1-2 DROPS ONLY in the Royal 1 paint. once the drops sink in, shake the Paint up and the blue paint is ready to go. (For any additional help this is a good reference video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cmxq9sZCk_A)
   
   
   
3. For the black paint, you simply need to shake the bottle and pour it in one of the paint pots, as the black paint already has finisher duller in it.
   
   
   
4. Now for the painting, the fun part. For small crevices and areas use the small fine tip brush, if you're painting large areas like the toebox, a larger brush is okay. Probably stating the obvious, but don't mix the paints, wash your brush before or use a different brush. In order for the paint to stay apply 4-5 coats of paint while letting it dry in 10 minute intervals.
   
   
5. Once you've finished applying the paint coats let it dry for 20-30 minutes. Then you can fill one of the paint pots with the Angelus Matte Finisher (give it a shake too!) and apply 1 coats to the areas you painted. This serves to protect the areas you painted and make the shoe less "shiny".
   
   
   6.Once the shoe is all dry you can remove the painters tape and bask in glory of your amazing work of art.
   
   Anyways, I hope this helps, I will try uploading pictures later of my before and after to help.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   

My favorite shoe cleaning supplies

Angelus Water and Stain Repellant, Clear


Kiwi 209-000 Suede and Nubuck Care Kit


Shacke Suede & Nubuck 4-Way Leather Brush Cleaner



E6000 230010 Craft Adhesive, 3.7 Fluid Ounces

Saphir Renomat 100ml

B&E LIFE 5 Pairs Practical Plastic Adjustable Length Men Shoe Tree Stretcher Boot Holder Organizers 5 Pairs Black

You could get shoe trees for much cheaper, from Ikea for example but I just wanted to link something.

Angelus Easy Cleaner 8 Oz.


These brushes are the absolute best if you know better brushes let me know


Angelus Sole Bright 4 Oz Salon care 40 works too



IRIS USA, Inc. CNL-5 Storage Box, 5 Quart, Clear, 20 Pack


Dr. Scholl's WORK Massaging Gel Advanced Insoles (Men's 8-14) // All-Day Shock Absorption and Cushioning for Hard Surfaces (Packaging May Vary), 1 Count

EB Kicks,


If you know of any better products please let me know I don't believe I missed anything

This video is stupid helpful for white sneakers

Get Jordan 1 Glitter outta your shoes

So, obviously shoes can go on sale anywhere. But Ultraboosts are a high demand sneaker, so if you see them on sale, it is likely a less popular colorway. Not ugly per se, just nothing limited or crazy expensive. But if it's your first pair, it's perfect for you - they're the most comfortable shoe ever, and many will agree. As I was saying, any store can have sales. Recently, I saw this link to Amazon with some colors as low as $120 in certain sizes, but now the lowest price seems to be like $150, and the rest are retail. Caliroots.com is my 2nd go to. I'm signed up for their email lists because they often have 40% off ALL boost shoes, but they go quick.

If you want style, I'd say Iniki or NMD. Personally I love Inikis, but NMDs are very popular, widely loved, and have hundreds of colorways to suit your taste. Ultimately if you just want style it all comes down to your choice and preference, but the general public will say NMD.

If you decide you want comfort, PureBoosts are the way to go. They're much more functional, a step down from Ultraboosts.

Couldnt resist the sns sale on this pair for about $130. and i knew id be blacking out that boost before i bought. (sorry dont see it available any longer, but its on goat and stockx for 120-160ish depending on size.) i wanted to try the full angelus method since heskicks said it lasted on youtube, and it took me 3 days on and off this weekend.

full photo album progress here with comparison pix in different steps of the method and against "OEM" black adidas boost https://imgur.com/a/5RE2d

STEPS

Day 1 – deglaze and dye. Deglazed before dinner, painted dye layer 1, wait 10 mins then dye layer 2. Let dry overnight.

Day 2 – Dye reducer. Feelgoodkicks on youtube said this was important to eliminate cracking and that purpleish sharpie-like tint, so I tried it. Make sure to very lightly roll a Q-tip over your dye work, otherwise else you can completely remove all your work. Later that day I painted with the flat black paint. Waited 10 mins then did a 2nd layer.

Day 3 – Acrylic Paint. Wait 10 mins and do a 2nd layer. Still looked too glossy to me, so I masked the upper and sprayed with krylon later that day. And a 2nd layer a few mins after as the instructions state to get my finished product. Also added alternate laces and gunmetal grey aglets. Didnt end up using the mink oil since Im worried the boost will gloss up, but I still might try some later.


OVERALL TIPS

With any painting, take your time and do LIGHT layers to prevent chipping/cracking as much as possible.

I didnt mask the upper when painting since i went slowly, but paint brushes are actually easier to use very close to the primeknit than the sharpies were. I normally painted that upper edge first, then used a larger brush to paint the main part of the boost.

Krylon spray was a must. Album has a comparison photo with just angelus finish and its super glossy compared to the krylon finish. Using krylon finish alone, however, the paint rubbed off the boost whenever i touched it. so gotta do both

PREVIOUS POST (sharpie method)

https://www.reddit.com/r/Sneakers/comments/7thl9p/iniki_boost_blackout_oil_based_sharpie_matte/

Since the previous sharpie method rubbed off a bit on my fingers, I retouched with the anglus acrylic finish and then krylon again to get it more matte. Seemed to do the job.

I think for the sharpie method id have to add deglazer and angelus finish. so a total of 4 purchases would be good (deglazer, sharpie, angelus acrylic finish, krylon matte finish)



PRODUCT LINKS

Angelus Leather Preparer & Deglazer 4 Oz - $6.60
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00EU322DQ

Angelus Brand Leather Dye W/applicator - 3 Oz ''Jet Black'' - $6.75
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B016QV7XIS

Angelus Acrylic 4 Ounce Paint (Flat Black) - $8.49
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00MPXF6XG

Angelus Brand Acrylic Leather Paint Matte Finisher No. 620 - 4oz - $7.59
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00B5W4LX4

Krylon Matte Finish - $3.47
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B005ENZ8CS

Heartybay Nylon Paint Brush Set - $5.98
https://www.amazon.com/Heartybay-10Pieces-Round-Pointed-Nylon/dp/B00V4EG6D6

Haha, thank you but I'm not much of a writer! However I do love 'Design The Life You Love' by Ayse Birsel. If you are or want to work in design it should be on the top of your 'Must Read' list.

Fabric glue may help prevent further fraying, though I'm not sure it would be strong enough to stop long term damage.

Fabri-tac on Amazon has 4/5 stars out of 672 reviews. At a brief glance, it looks like people successfully used it to patch shirts and stuff like that. Description says it doesn't soak or stain the fabric, so primeknit might be safe (I'd still do a tiny test area first just in case). I've seen this glue at Michaels and hobby lobby.

This list seems more focused on repairing soles, but may have something more durable than fabric glue.

I wonder if you could find thread in a close color and sew a little patch on the inside where the holes are starting. Might reinforce it a bit.

Good luck and please update if you find something that works.


edit: freying -> fraying

I prefer slightly thick ones with arch support. I don't like them insanely thick like wool or watever but I also don't like them thin either. The saucony ones are my favorite. They look badass too ha for when u take ur shoes off.

Edit: link
Saucony Men's 6 Pair Performance Comfort Fit No-Show, Grey, 10-13 Sock/6-12 Shoe https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01CUI7CPK/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_viuJzb8RE56WM

I have the same rack! Very sleek and good quality for the price, and portable for moving to and from college.
link to buy: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07BN959SN/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apip_kp9mswSdacilI

I want to get these as Halloween is coming up:

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https://www.amazon.com/Skeleton-Bones-Punk-Socks-Black/dp/B06Y3JZSK4

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But sadly, I'm struggling to find any in my size. I wear men's US 13. I was lucky enough to pick up the Knicks colorway and absolutely love them!

they are listed as "watermelons"

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AJ1285-100

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https://sneakerbardetroit.com/nike-air-max-90-watermelon-aj1285-100/

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They have them on Amazon in select sizes, otherwise GOAT/StockX has them, as well as eBay

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07BSZBX2X?tag=amz-mkt-chr-us-20&ascsubtag=1ba00-01000-a0049-win70-other-nomod-us000-pcomp-feature-scomp-wm-5&ref=aa_scomp

Is this what you're referring to
https://smile.amazon.com/KRYLON-DIVERSIFIED-BRANDS-K01311007-Aerosol/dp/B005ENZ8CS/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1522899001&sr=8-1&keywords=Krylon+Matte+Finisher

B&E Life 5 Pairs Practical Plastic Adjustable Length Men Shoe Tree Stretcher Boot Holder Organizers (5 Pairs Black) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01F768TZY/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_fJqiDb6SFBQR7

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01F768TZY/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_NY3xDbW8MHB4X couldn’t tell if you wanted the link or not so here it is anyways.

try using a shoe tree https://www.amazon.com/Life-Practical-Adjustable-Stretcher-Organizers-x/dp/B01F768TZY/ref=sr_1_13?s=apparel&ie=UTF8&qid=1541991331&sr=1-13&nodeID=9616100011&psd=1&keywords=shoe+tree