pugh-the-special-one said:Ken T M said:I don't know enough about shoe manufacture, or have enough comparable experience to express a valid opinion on whether the durability and quality of finish is better in England/India/Italy/Kathmandu, and so I am not predisposed to believe that shoes finished in India are of a lower standard.
Nevertheless, I do know that for a fraction of the cost of most English "name" shoes (Loake, Church, etc.), you can pick up shoes of a much finer grade of leather in Spain, in an excellent finish. This is largely because Spain still has over 100 tanneries, some employing hundreds of people, meaning that leather as a raw material in Spain is a lot cheaper than in England, where there are probably fewer than a dozen tanneries, judging by online presence (although short of contacting the UK Leather Foundation, I can't support this). By it's very nature, however, the finer grade means that these shoes require considerably more care to last as long, so perhaps the trade-off is not that great.
And yes, I am a regular tubthumper for most things Spanish. Except Catalunya, which can snap off and sink into the Med for all I care.
Sorry Ken I must correct you there, but English tanned leather as no challengers, it needs no introduction, just as we know the Swiss make the finest watches and Saville row make the finest suits, English leather as no equal, Spanish leather wouldn't even make it into the top 20.
Jamie.
Ken T M said:I don't know enough about shoe manufacture, or have enough comparable experience to express a valid opinion on whether the durability and quality of finish is better in England/India/Italy/Kathmandu, and so I am not predisposed to believe that shoes finished in India are of a lower standard.
Nevertheless, I do know that for a fraction of the cost of most English "name" shoes (Loake, Church, etc.), you can pick up shoes of a much finer grade of leather in Spain, in an excellent finish. This is largely because Spain still has over 100 tanneries, some employing hundreds of people, meaning that leather as a raw material in Spain is a lot cheaper than in England, where there are probably fewer than a dozen tanneries, judging by online presence (although short of contacting the UK Leather Foundation, I can't support this). By it's very nature, however, the finer grade means that these shoes require considerably more care to last as long, so perhaps the trade-off is not that great.
And yes, I am a regular tubthumper for most things Spanish. Except Catalunya, which can snap off and sink into the Med for all I care.
saddlehome said:Ken T M said:I don't know enough about shoe manufacture, or have enough comparable experience to express a valid opinion on whether the durability and quality of finish is better in England/India/Italy/Kathmandu, and so I am not predisposed to believe that shoes finished in India are of a lower standard.
Nevertheless, I do know that for a fraction of the cost of most English "name" shoes (Loake, Church, etc.), you can pick up shoes of a much finer grade of leather in Spain, in an excellent finish. This is largely because Spain still has over 100 tanneries, some employing hundreds of people, meaning that leather as a raw material in Spain is a lot cheaper than in England, where there are probably fewer than a dozen tanneries, judging by online presence (although short of contacting the UK Leather Foundation, I can't support this). By it's very nature, however, the finer grade means that these shoes require considerably more care to last as long, so perhaps the trade-off is not that great.
And yes, I am a regular tubthumper for most things Spanish. Except Catalunya, which can snap off and sink into the Med for all I care.
Hi just joined to support the excellent build quality of the Loake L1 shoe. I'm a cobbler and have to repair these bad boys on a regular basis and I have to say these shoes compare very well with churches on the bottom side, good welting, cork filler. wooden shank. Obviously the leather is coated, but the same is true of many so called top quality brands around today and really anyone can see this before they buy. With top calf Churches going at £500 plus this is a good shoe at a good price.
OrangeSport said:For a wedding, some of their cheaper shoes with high shine finishes can be quite dressy. There are a few here: http://www.loake.co.uk/web-exclusives.html
Great choice with the Chesters BTW - I love mine.
Wmmets said:On the subject of wedding shoes I was looking at loake and barkers, any other suggestions? Crockett and jones or church's maybe a little more than I want to spend unless they have good sales?
Clifford said:Wmmets said:On the subject of wedding shoes I was looking at loake and barkers, any other suggestions? Crockett and jones or church's maybe a little more than I want to spend unless they have good sales?
Loake and Barker are generally perceived to be the more 'accessible' English-made brands, while Alfred Sargent and Crockett & Jones are usually more expensive and 'desirable' - with maybe Cheaney and Sanders somewhere in between (though that's open to debate).
It's worth having a look at Herring-branded shoes, which are made for them by Loake, Cheaney and Alfred Sargent at different price points from about £150 to £400 - some of them are good value for money.
If you're willing to consider imports, have a look at Berwick (actually Spanish, not widely available in the UK) or some of the ranges sold by Pediwear. Pediwear's own brand 'Paragon' shoes are very smart, have some features typical of more expensive handmade shoes such as channeled stitching on the sole. They are, however, made in China...
OrangeSport said:
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