Went up to the smoke yesterday and checked out the shoe shops. Sorry, no photos.
Vsited John Rushton (Wimpole Street) and shops on Oxford/Regent Street and Jermyn Street.
Didn't realise that C&J have opened another shop on JS, must be doing well!
Barker - Cheaney
Close examination of the shoes - reckon they are similiar in quality.
Barker, top-end "Anniversary" range, is very nice and finished well. They have clearly copied C&J's 337 Handgrade last, which I find slightly disappointing. I'd make a traditional English shoe (shorter, rounded toe). The shoes are not stand out by any means. They should be mirroring EG, not C&J, in my opinion.
Tricker - Sargent
Checked out Tricker's. Leather quality seems comparable (this is only by eye; a close examination) to AS. In fact the "C" shade gorse looks very similar to the Anton calf. The old zug grain leather is the same as AS's. Difficult to tell, but the leather on the Bourton (marron, acorn) seems to have dropped - not worth £340.
Crockett & Jones
The dog's bollocks! Lovely shoes, super posh new shop. They just looked better. Get that 'awe' feeling.
They even had an old style (Edwardian) boot in a glass cabinet. I've visited C&J since 2007 and the positive for them seems to be that, with their success, they've got better. They are not upping prices and reducing quality as they are not doubt tempted to do. It's not all marketing - you can sense the pride in the shop.
I loved the Snowdon boot - I'm tempted to get one.
The display shoes - loving attention to detail; the very best are on display.
Grenson
Didn't visit this time round (they are out East, which is a disadvantage), but the Rose line I saw were half-leather lined and looked inferior quality (leather, finishing) to the one's I saw last year. I bought pair of Alberts last year but returned them due to a fault. The quality has obviously dipped - they do cheaper lines now.
I spoke to a woman at Grenson's and she was on about about a better quality range coming out soon i.e.that the Rose stuff, made for the shop only, is ok, but not great, and watch this space. Doing a Barker.
Summary
Top tier: C&J, you've also got Green and Lobb, of course. C&J have taken the ground from the rest.
Middle tier: Tricker's, Cheaney and Barker. I would edge Tricker's slightly above the other two.
Sign of all of this is that AS have concentrated on top-end, Grenson on lower-end. The big player in the middle, which occupies middle and top end, is C&J (Handgrade) line. These days I'd buy C&J.
Just my personal view, right or wrong.
By the way Church's were just shit - they had they gaudy antique distressed shoes in the window that smacked of Italy. I overheard a customer in C&J (a Yank) talking the weakness of Church's to C&J). Interesting.
I've owned most makers of shoes and my opinion is based upon what I own now and what I'm seeing now. If you want to be safe buy C&J Handgrade for your dress shoes. EG are fabulous, but expensive.
Vsited John Rushton (Wimpole Street) and shops on Oxford/Regent Street and Jermyn Street.
Didn't realise that C&J have opened another shop on JS, must be doing well!
Barker - Cheaney
Close examination of the shoes - reckon they are similiar in quality.
Barker, top-end "Anniversary" range, is very nice and finished well. They have clearly copied C&J's 337 Handgrade last, which I find slightly disappointing. I'd make a traditional English shoe (shorter, rounded toe). The shoes are not stand out by any means. They should be mirroring EG, not C&J, in my opinion.
Tricker - Sargent
Checked out Tricker's. Leather quality seems comparable (this is only by eye; a close examination) to AS. In fact the "C" shade gorse looks very similar to the Anton calf. The old zug grain leather is the same as AS's. Difficult to tell, but the leather on the Bourton (marron, acorn) seems to have dropped - not worth £340.
Crockett & Jones
The dog's bollocks! Lovely shoes, super posh new shop. They just looked better. Get that 'awe' feeling.
They even had an old style (Edwardian) boot in a glass cabinet. I've visited C&J since 2007 and the positive for them seems to be that, with their success, they've got better. They are not upping prices and reducing quality as they are not doubt tempted to do. It's not all marketing - you can sense the pride in the shop.
I loved the Snowdon boot - I'm tempted to get one.
The display shoes - loving attention to detail; the very best are on display.
Grenson
Didn't visit this time round (they are out East, which is a disadvantage), but the Rose line I saw were half-leather lined and looked inferior quality (leather, finishing) to the one's I saw last year. I bought pair of Alberts last year but returned them due to a fault. The quality has obviously dipped - they do cheaper lines now.
I spoke to a woman at Grenson's and she was on about about a better quality range coming out soon i.e.that the Rose stuff, made for the shop only, is ok, but not great, and watch this space. Doing a Barker.
Summary
Top tier: C&J, you've also got Green and Lobb, of course. C&J have taken the ground from the rest.
Middle tier: Tricker's, Cheaney and Barker. I would edge Tricker's slightly above the other two.
Sign of all of this is that AS have concentrated on top-end, Grenson on lower-end. The big player in the middle, which occupies middle and top end, is C&J (Handgrade) line. These days I'd buy C&J.
Just my personal view, right or wrong.
By the way Church's were just shit - they had they gaudy antique distressed shoes in the window that smacked of Italy. I overheard a customer in C&J (a Yank) talking the weakness of Church's to C&J). Interesting.
I've owned most makers of shoes and my opinion is based upon what I own now and what I'm seeing now. If you want to be safe buy C&J Handgrade for your dress shoes. EG are fabulous, but expensive.
