EG Recraft: Dealing with Rejection

Got an email from the Jermyn Street store this morning that they would not be able to recraft the EG Windsors that I sent in because they no longer have the 201 last. I was a little surprised to hear that, as I understood that the 201 was the precursor to the 202, but I didnt think that meant that the 201 was just tossed in the trash when it became obsolete.

They offered to send the shoes to their cobbler for "standard servicing." I'm not sure what that entails really.

It is what it is, I'm just mildly irritated that this information took almost 30 days to be relayed to me. My initial email indicated the size/last information - I assume it should have been obvious at that point that a recraft was not possible on the 201. The time and expense of sending my shoes to the UK shop, which then forwarded the shoes to the factory, sounds like it could have been avoided altogether.

That is odd that they wouldn't be able to recraft them for you. How old are your shoes? Are they country shoes -- I think the only 201's I've seen (in photos) have been double-soled country shoes. Perhaps this is part of EG's way to save on costs. It's also odd and annoying that it took them such a roundabout way of telling you they couldn't do it -- you'd think re-crafting emails should be answered by a knowledgeable person.

By the way, after seeing the great job Sky Shoes in DC does with with re-crafting shoes -- soles-leather-restitching-insoles-toeplates-topys-etc. -- I'm not inclined to send mine off to Lobb or EG anymore.

Originally Posted by PhiloVance

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Got an email from the Jermyn Street store this morning that they would not be able to recraft the EG Windsors that I sent in because they no longer have the 201 last. I was a little surprised to hear that, as I understood that the 201 was the precursor to the 202, but I didnt think that meant that the 201 was just tossed in the trash when it became obsolete.

That is truly odd as I received mine back a few months ago and I just re-checked after reading your post and they are, indeed, on the 201 last. So by "no longer have the 201 last" I assume then that they threw it away after doing my pair? Maybe that is why it seems like I was charged so much more than everyone else? This does seem very odd to me.

Originally Posted by kabert

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That is odd that they wouldn't be able to recraft them for you. How old are your shoes? Are they country shoes -- I think the only 201's I've seen (in photos) have been double-soled country shoes. Perhaps this is part of EG's way to save on costs. It's also odd and annoying that it took them such a roundabout way of telling you they couldn't do it -- you'd think re-crafting emails should be answered by a knowledgeable person.

By the way, after seeing the great job Sky Shoes in DC does with with re-crafting shoes -- soles-leather-restitching-insoles-toeplates-topys-etc. -- I'm not inclined to send mine off to Lobb or EG anymore.

I think they are mid-eighties for Nordstrom.

Is there somewhere where I could see the work done by (I assume you meant) Sky Valet?

Originally Posted by LatinStyleLover

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That is truly odd as I received mine back a few months ago and I just re-checked after reading your post and they are, indeed, on the 201 last. So by "no longer have the 201 last" I assume then that they threw it away after doing my pair? Maybe that is why it seems like I was charged so much more than everyone else? This does seem very odd to me.



The only thing that I could think of is my shoes are a narrow width on the 201 last, but I still think its a bit strange.

Edit: Got a call back - basically, you're shoes could not have been re-lasted on the 201 in the last few months Obviously I'm not doubting you, its just funny because that is what I was told. As it was explained to me, they would remember having seen a 201 recently because its been a really long time - - I'm baffled at this point.

Dated February 11, 2011. Maybe, in their mind, that is a long time ago? Or, maybe they did it because it had come all the way from the US and they did not want to alienate a customer who had just spent $60 to ship it to them and would have to pay another $60 to get it back? It does seem like I paid more than most have stated without getting any of the bells and whistles others asked for and maybe, now, I know the reason? It certainly cannot be that they like me better than you, as I am universally recognized as a "flagrant douche." Something is off here.

And here is the label on the box:



Game. Set. Match.

Originally Posted by PhiloVance

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Got an email from the Jermyn Street store this morning that they would not be able to recraft the EG Windsors that I sent in because they no longer have the 201 last. I was a little surprised to hear that, as I understood that the 201 was the precursor to the 202, but I didnt think that meant that the 201 was just tossed in the trash when it became obsolete. They offered to send the shoes to their cobbler for "standard servicing." I'm not sure what that entails really. It is what it is, I'm just mildly irritated that this information took almost 30 days to be relayed to me. My initial email indicated the size/last information - I assume it should have been obvious at that point that a recraft was not possible on the 201. The time and expense of sending my shoes to the UK shop, which then forwarded the shoes to the factory, sounds like it could have been avoided altogether.
This level of service is consistent with my recent experience, as well.

"Dated February 11, 2011. Maybe, in their mind, that is a long time ago? Or, maybe they did it because it had come all the way from the US and they did not want to alienate a customer who had just spent $60 to ship it to them and would have to pay another $60 to get it back?"

I have no clue. I shipped from NYC so I'm about to get hit with $120 in shipping fees regardless, it seems. Again, I'm sort of bemused at the whole thing right now - my only irritation comes from the fact that my first letter (of many emails and instruction letters) said the shoe was on the 201 last. That should have been enough for EG to say, "It can't be done." Why did I need to ship the shoes to the shop, who in turn shipped them to the factory, who in turn then notified the shop that it couldnt be done?

In any event, I responded to EG that if you don't have the last, you don't have the last. But as far as not having done any work on the 201, I did indicate that I had only become interested in the recrafting service after hearing from someone who sent in a pair of shoes on the 201 (again, many thanks for the invoice info LatinStyleLover). I don't think that will help me with the recrafting, but clearly the statement that they hadnt seen a shoe on the 201 in god knows when was off.

I'm not sure if the real issue is that LSL's shoes are 10D on the 201 and mine are 10.5 with a narrower width on the 201, but I was simply told that they "do not have the last anymore."

EG needs someone to revamp and modernize their operations. It's pathetic for a luxury retailer to provide sub-par service. As far as I see it, the service is one of the things you get for the high prices.

I am completely flummoxed! A "forgotten" British "can't" word, which seems entirely appropriate here.

flummox
1837, cant word, origin uncertain, probably from some forgotten British dialect. Candidates cluster in Herefordshire, Gloucestershire, southern Cheshire and also in Sheffield. "The formation seems to be onomatopoeic, expressive of the notion of throwing down roughly and untidily." Never let it be said that the OED editors lacked imagination. Related: Flummoxed

I'd be tempted to send them off with a note to the effect of 're-craft on the 201 last, as agreed'. Let them do the racing around. "Confusion on my part, what are you talking about?". I'd bet they'd find the last.

Originally Posted by LatinStyleLover

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I am completely flummoxed! A "forgotten" British "can't" word, which seems entirely appropriate here. flummox 1837, cant word, origin uncertain, probably from some forgotten British dialect. Candidates cluster in Herefordshire, Gloucestershire, southern Cheshire and also in Sheffield. "The formation seems to be onomatopoeic, expressive of the notion of throwing down roughly and untidily." Never let it be said that the OED editors lacked imagination. Related: Flummoxed
As a Brit, you could said they've made a 'cock and balls' of it, or you're 'stumped', or 'baffled', or 'up the garden path', or 'peeved to be sure'. Lot of good words.

Originally Posted by rebel222

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EG needs someone to revamp and modernize their operations. It's pathetic for a luxury retailer to provide sub-par service. As far as I see it, the service is one of the things you get for the high prices.

Unrelated to the actual issue raised in this thread, I imagine EG is much more focused on the face-to-face service they provide than what they do over the phone/internet.

Most 'well-heeled' customers (pun fully intended) would probably drop off or have their shoes dropped off at the stores where such issues could be discussed.

I wonder what percentage of their sales come from overseas....

I thought the whole point of the high end shoe market and their re-craft service was that they kept the lasts for a lifetime so that whenever and if ever you decided to get the re-craft they would have it...

Originally Posted by Ich_Dien

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I thought the whole point of the high end shoe market and their re-craft service was that they kept the lasts for a lifetime so that whenever and if ever you decided to get the re-craft they would have it...

Well, that is what I thought also. But perhaps I should have seen this coming - the reason I wanted to have the shoes recrafted in the first place was because it seems EG no longer makes the Windsor with the intricate broguing patterns (the crossed golf clubs and shield) on the toe box and back quarters. There are also little broguing triangles along the side of the shoe. I had seen an earlier discussion on London Lounge where the group ordered limited edition windsors from EG for the members, but they were minus the excessive broguing. Apparently at the time Tony Gaziano told them that EG no longer had the tools to do that. And RJMan posted an MTO pair he had made in cordovan that was also without the additional broguing.

Maybe EG tossed those tools in the same trash with the 201 last.

Its just strange because they seem quite proud of their shoe-making history and tradition on the one hand, but then you hear these things which kind of make you scratch your head . . .