Johnston & Murphy Georgetown II (and alternative cap toe balmorals)

I'm having a hard time finding basic black plain cap toe balmorals that fit and am considering Georgetown II's. I love the Alden 907 on the Hampton - quality, look, comfort - but the heel slips way too much, unfortunately (even w/tongue pads). Can't wear the AE Park Avenue (too narrow a last, and stiff leather). Have owned and like the Alden blucher on the Aberdeen but I have been enlightened that it's a little snug, now that I have owned a Barrie-lasted shoe (LWB), plus I would like to get a balmoral to wear with suits. Tried Brooks Brothers Peal for $230 (half price from roughly $460; think it was a Loake based on the heel) and didn't like the fit or the very boxy toe. J&M G'town II seems to fit my foot pretty well after a quick try on.

So, I guess my questions are:
1. anyone who's had the Georgetown II have any opinion on it?
2. are there any discounted opportunities to get the G'town II? $375 full retail seems egregious for J&M - more than AE, more than Alden irregulars, and less than $100 below Alden full price.
3. any other good alternatives that I'm overlooking in the 300-400 price area (roughly)?

any thoughts would be appreciated

No thoughts other than paying over $200 for J&M's is absolutely ridiculous.

If anyone has any actual info about Georgetown II's that would be appreciated. I've heard all the general J&M hate but would like to know from someone who's worn them if the Gtown is better given US made, goodyear welting, etc.

Or, any other alternatives to G'town in that general price area would be great too. (aside from the ones I mentioned).

bump

I know this is an old thread, but I don't see anything newer and I do think think this shoe is worthy of some info in the forum.

I was looking for a Park Ave alternative since I'm not a great fit in the AE 65 last. There is a J&M store in the same mall as the AE store nearby, so after doing a bit of research I decided to stop in and see the Georgetown II in person. They are one of the only Made in the US shoes left from the brand, and there are not too many alternatives of equal quality that are accessible without going online.

For me, the fit was nearly perfect out of the box. My big toe seemed to rub the top of one of the shoes, but after only one or two afternoons wearing at home this went away (probably with a little breaking in of the insole).

You can immediately tell that this is a serious shoe. Extremely sturdy, well built goodyear welted oxford. The leather seems of very good quality, on par with AE and others of this price point, and a bit softer than Park Ave's right out of the box so less break-in needed potentially.


The toe is very slightly squared off looking compared to the Park Ave, but the last itself comes off more sleek then then more rounded toe PA... yet not as sleek as the English shoes i have from Loake on the Capital last. The Cap Toe itself is a bit further back then the PA as well, which means it's in a more traditional place which I like.

No discount on this model at J&M, and I haven't seen one pop up since.. so it's a $375 purchase. Retail pricing on par with others, but you can probably find a better deal with a coupon code or sale on a different brand. If all things were equal and you had to pay full price though, these would hold their own I believe... though time will tell!

Some pics (after a couple days of wear, sorry!):

Just realized where this thread was located, maybe a mod wants to move to 'classic mensware' instead...

I know this is an old thread and your reply is almost a year old but I'm wondering how your shoes are holding up? I find AEs park avenues extremely uncomfortable (tried in multiple sizes and widths and they just kill the bottom of my big toe no matter what). I'm debating between trying the georgetown iis or hyde park iis and it's hard to find good reviews on either shoe. Yours is the best I've found so far, so thank you for that.

Still holding up very well. I don't wear them that often though, as I'm only in a suit a dozen times a year more or less. I'm certainly happy with them and they seem on par with other shoes I own still. I'm standing by my initial review that these are a good option for those that don't fit in the 65 last too well.

I'd also recommend Loake Aldwych's if you can get them to the US somehow.

Thanks for the quick response. I've been hunting for some Loakes or Meermins as well but haven't had any luck with my size for used ones, maybe one day I'll pull the trigger on ordering directly from them but I am honestly terrible at getting the right size shoes when trying different brands. Glad the J&Ms are still holding up, thanks for the input I'll definitely give them a try.

Just left the J&M store actually for a new belt... they do well in this area too

It's too bad they don't manufacturer more of their shoes in the US.