"Samuel Windsor" Shoes??

Last time I was home in The UK, I noticed an advert for these in a magazine (I forget which) and it caught my attention - 2 pairs of reputedly goodyear welted shoes for £100... unfortunately, I was on my way to the airport at the time so couldn't order any.

Just found that they have now created a website:

http://www.samuel-windsor.co.uk/Index_SamuelWindsor.cfm

Has anyone here tried them?? How did they hold up??

They don't deliver abroad, so I may have to get some when next back home if they are any good...

Thanks!

I saw an insert ad for these a couple of weeks back. Superficially, they seem OK, if unremarkably styled. Not sure what quality leather they use. I suspect corrected grain (and likely poor quality CG at that price point), but don't know for sure at all.

This weekend the Saturday edition of The Times also had their special offer of two pairs of 'handmade leather' shoes for £99.95. It seemed too good to be true and made me suspicious. I've often looked at their website, but something doesn't quite fit ... They also offer free trees (plastic), horn and bags. Please inform if anyone out there has any experience of the quality.

ts

If I was talking to the guys at work I would say go for it. They seem to be on permanent offer at 2 for £100. They are in traditional styles, and have leather welted soles. A big improvement on plastic soled, turned up toe trainer combos.

This however is the Style Forum, and the level of expectation here is much greater, so I would say avoid like the plague. They are made in the Third World, using dubious quality materials, are of bookbinder/shiny/corrected grain, whatever you want to call it finish, and the welting looks like I did it.

They are very comfortable, but this is due to their insubstantial construction rather than any commendable reason.

I bought a pair on ebay for £26, and while I do wear them (they have a modicum of cheap charm, and I can't get my money back) they are in a MUCH lower league than any of my other shoes, including the generally perceived a lesser lines, such as Loake 1880 and Alfred Sargent (which I think offer very good value indeed) and I personally think they will fall apart in a year.

When Church's get criticism here for using inferior leather and not being as well made as they have been, trust me you do not want to try these!

I would take my £60-90 and get one pair of Loake 1880 seconds from Herring shoes instead, or go to the Crockett & Jones factory shop and get a pair of theirs for the same.

Basically my advice is don't do it! If you are used to Church's, C&J, Loake 1880 Alfred Sargent, Grenson or Barkers you will be VERY disappointed.

You can do much better for around the same money.

That " English " shoes selling for GBP50 a pop would come from a country where people do their laundry by the river is a given.

They might be decent for rain/slush/snow shoes.

They might be decent for rain/slush/snow shoes.

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Only during the next nice age.

Trust me, I have a pair, they are rubbish, there is a lot better out there for the same or a similar price.

I believe that "Samuel Windsor" shoes are offered by a retailed called "Clifford James". I have bought directly from Clifford James - a pair of Oxfords, code GOK... I note that the code is actually different and so the spec may well be markedly better. However, my experience with my shoes is very much the same as Nonk's with his, especially about the welting! I also found mine run very large. My 8 1/2's fit like landing barges. They are now only worn as shoes for snow and slush, with very thick socks. If we are talking cheap shoes I would put mine slightly below Richleighs, a south-African made shoe one sometimes sees advertised in the same sorts of places, and which seems to be on permanent sale at Stead and Simpson here in the UK, for about £30. I would definitely agree with Nonk's recommendation of Loake 1880s or Sargents. Also woth noting that Herring Shoes are offering some Loake 1880s for £49.99 in their summer sale.

Talking of shoes for slush, rain, snow and generally horrid weather conditions, I'm a Brit (hold off with your jokes about our weather for just a minute! ) and I'm working and living in Russia at the moment - land of bears, $2 a bottle vodka, corrupt officials, stunningly-attractive women and, UNBELIEVABLY harsh winters (this one coming will be my 5th ).

In previous years here, my job allowed me to dress causually all the time, so I just picked up some similarly casual shoes with chunky soles and a decent lining to get me by (and still managed to fall over in the street 5 times during my second winter!).

That's changed now with a new job that sees me in a suit Mon - Fri. Any recommendations from you learned, sartorial fonts of knowledge for some "dress" shoes that would look good with suits, but, that are also well-lined and have soles with very good grips??

Must be some of you in Canada or the parts of America where you get piles of snow and -30C temperatures??

Thanks!

(And sorry for meandering off thread - what's the punishment for doing such? Wearing an odd, unpolished, scruffed pair of these Windsor shoes into Lobb's showroom?!)

Why don't you get some rubber galoshes?


They probably look even better than Samuel Windsor shoes.

I bought two pairs for £100 (buy one get one free) and agree with the other contributors that they are poor quality and likely to fall to bits after five minutes. They are not worth reinforcing with rubber oversoles and I will wear them very occassionally. They are a good fit, but definitely not worth the money. A fair price would be £35/45, after all two pairs of leather shoes for £100 doesn't add up if we are being realistic. I would pay £100 plus for Loake, Grenson etc. but definitely not for SWs which can be treated as a standby if nothing else.

I have the Samuel Windsor chukka boots and semi brogues in tan. Upper leather is good on the chukka in particular.

I did check them and try them both on before I bought them at the retail shop in Ripley.

Even better value are the black Clifford James Oxfords - £25 for two pairs, when I bought them. Corrected grain leather of course. They last well and look pretty good to me. I also have Crockett & Jones handgrades and Trickers but Clifford James make an acceptable shoe in a classic style. Certainly better than anything in Marks and Spencer.

Originally Posted by Kingstonian

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I have the Samuel Windsor chukka boots and semi brogues in tan. Upper leather is good on the chukka in particular.

I did check them and try them both on before I bought them at the retail shop in Ripley.

Even better value are the black Clifford James Oxfords - £25 for two pairs, when I bought them. Corrected grain leather of course. They last well and look pretty good to me. I also have Crockett & Jones handgrades and Trickers but Clifford James make an acceptable shoe in a classic style. Certainly better than anything in Marks and Spencer.

It appears quality can vary - the one's I've seen have been awful. Poor stitching, thin leather soles and uppers that look spray painted with plastic.

I bought a pair of tan chukkas and they are OK. COmfortable enough, but i dont know how durable they would be? The leather goes weird in the rain though and the rain gets into the shoe easily.
So basically they feel ok on the feet, but function wise not much to talk about really.

Originally Posted by VictorC

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I bought a pair of tan chukkas and they are OK. COmfortable enough, but i dont know how durable they would be? The leather goes weird in the rain though and the rain gets into the shoe easily.
So basically they feel ok on the feet, but function wise not much to talk about really.

I cannot say I have found that. Where does the rain come in ? Leather does take a while to dry after rain. I assume you are talking about the soles ( the uppers are very impressive for the price). You could possibly apply some Woolworths' rubber stick-on soles. They offer good protection and can be easily removed when they are worn out by heating with a hairdryer and peeling them off.