I thought this might interest a few people. I was in a vintage clothing store this afternoon and they had a pair of NOS Church's. I only managed to take one blurry photo of the soles before the staff told me photography wasn't allowed, but you can see the following features;
- Channelled sole
- Bevelled waist
- Fully-nailed heel
The shoes were just marked internally as per Church's mainline (i.e. nothing special). I'm not making the comment specifically about Church's, but I think it shows how the quality of mass-produced benchmade shoes has declined over time. Indeed, last weekend I saw a similar-quality pair of Crockett & Jones boots...
- Channelled sole
- Bevelled waist
- Fully-nailed heel
The shoes were just marked internally as per Church's mainline (i.e. nothing special). I'm not making the comment specifically about Church's, but I think it shows how the quality of mass-produced benchmade shoes has declined over time. Indeed, last weekend I saw a similar-quality pair of Crockett & Jones boots...
Channelled soles does not mean the sole is more robust, it is a nice feature to have but nothing more. Tricker shoes have channelled soles that wear down quickly. Bevelled waist make for a nicer fit; however, the Church's mentioned in the original post do not have a bevelled waist.
