Best of Boston

Ideal for men who refuse to be pigeonholed, Nordstrom’s vast, easy-to-navigate department doesn’t arrange according to type: Here, we’re all preppy European bankers who skateboard down Mount Washington on the weekends. The 50-plus lines of shoes comprise Mephisto sandals, Converse Jack Purcells, Santoni dress shoes, and Bruno Magli moccasins (like the kind John-John used to wear). Major twice-yearly sales make it easy to snag a classic pair of Ferragamos for under $200, while the store’s famously unfailing customer service lets us return any pair that gives us blisters, or otherwise rubs us the wrong way.