Browns Online Shoe Store - Canada

I don't shop at Browns for shoes and have not been there in a while but it seems they have launched an online store. Looking at the selection of men's shoes that they sell on-line, I don't get it. I just don't understand the market they are going after. Some of the shoes they classify as dress shoes are truley horrible. Who buys this stuff? I think there is one pair of dress shoes that I would actually wear to work with a suit and 1 pair that I would consider for Fridays. Other than that... there is nothing

http://www.brownsshoes.com

Bloody hell. Is there any good online shoe store based in Canada? I'm tired of paying duty and outrageous shipping charges for foreign orders.

Originally Posted by gj555

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Looking at the selection of men's shoes that they sell on-line, I don't get it. I just don't understand the market they are going after. Some of the shoes they classify as dress shoes are truley horrible. Who buys this stuff?
It's Steve Madden, Kenneth Cole, Jo Ghost, etc. MC is not the target audience. The audience is Streetwear-type guys who have more aspiration than taste. If you didn't know anything about good shoes, you'd mistake this for one: And it's fair: how would anyone in Canada know anything about good shoes considering how rare they are here? I was this close to buying a pair of KCs before I found this forum...the one place that sold AEs in town didn't even bother showing them to me.

That dress shoe page is scary only two bals out of 80+ "dress" shoes!!
http://www.brownsshoes.com/eng/store...rd=N&viewall=Y

Browns has been irrelevant for dress shoes for a while now. Unfortunately, they sell a lot of those monstrosities to guys who believe they are buying top notch shoes. I wince when I see them on the feet of guys in suits on Bay St.

Originally Posted by EL72

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That dress shoe page is scary

only two bals out of 80+ "dress" shoes!!
Beats Aldos.

Originally Posted by EL72

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That dress shoe page is scary

only two bals out of 80+ "dress" shoes!!

I think there are 3 bals. But that is irrelevant..
This is the only pair I would wear to work or anywhere for that matter (presuming that it is a standard black shoe and that there is nothing funny with the leather):
http://www.brownsshoes.com/eng/store...&var=d&ckey=CA

Originally Posted by Jared

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Beats Aldos.

Yes but Also's are in a lower price bracket. I don't expect them to have proper dress shoes.

FYI, the Allen Edmonds trunk show is currently touring Harry Rosens around the country. It's in Vancouver right now. Nice to see something a little nicer in person.

Originally Posted by Jared

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And it's fair: how would anyone in Canada know anything about good shoes considering how rare they are here? I was this close to buying a pair of KCs before I found this forum...the one place that sold AEs in town didn't even bother showing them to me.
Ah Ingledew's (British Importers has one or two pairs as well). Ingledews is ridiculous. Last time I was there, predominately to pick up AE shoe cream, they actually insulted; the first shot I took with a good retort, the second I walked out. I still haven't gotten around to getting the shoe cream even though it is the only store to carry the product locally, but walking out made me feel better . I really wanted to comment that the Byron's had recently gone on closeout and shouldn't be priced at $410, and the Fairfax's were at least a year old, but only marked down about $150. The rest of their stock is laughable with massive markups. Sadly, those stores typify the Canadian marketplace. EDIT: The above story all happened while I was wearing a pair of AE, which I was to colour-match. If one works in a shoe store, she should really look at ones feet to determine whether the customer is just looking out of his price range, before treating him as an idiot.

Originally Posted by gj555

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Yes but Aldo's are in a lower price bracket. I don't expect them to have proper dress shoes.
It looks like Browns stock is basically just flashier than Aldo's. I'm sure their target audience is kids who used to buy at Aldo's but now have jobs. Which, considering Aldo's ubiquity, is not a bad business model... Also consider fashion-aspirational 20-somethings. We'd advise them to buy CA$500+ pairs of Italian shoes, except that they're not carried anywhere in the whole country. So instead they get these CA$200 shoes (which is more than most Canadians spend on shoes) and feel special enough.

Are you guys blind!?!?!?! Check out these bad boys!!
http://www.brownsshoes.com/eng/store...911TR&ckey=CA&

Gotta love the picture in the bottom right corner with the models wearing light brown shoes with black suits. Hopefully, when Harry's finish their renovation, they will have a much better selection of shoes. Also, Barker Black's are available now at Holt Renfrew and JM Weston at Rego Clothiers in Toronto.

Originally Posted by nmoraitis

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Gotta love the picture in the bottom right corner with the models wearing light brown shoes with black suits. Hopefully, when Harry's finish their renovation, they will have a much better selection of shoes. Also, Barker Black's are available now at Holt Renfrew and JM Weston at Rego Clothiers in Toronto.

The Canali shoes at Harrys are nice though expensive.
The JM Weston at Rego are also very expensive.
Most of the Cheneys at Dacks, while well made, are double sole bluchers or very boring styling.

Our shoe situation is so depressing, no?

Originally Posted by nmoraitis

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Hopefully, when Harry's finish their renovation, they will have a much better selection of shoes.

No, I honestly don't think that they ever will. Shoes are not a big line for them and there are so few Canadians that can make the mental leap past $400 for shoes that the market would never be deep enough. Holt's is starting to do a bit better but not enough to earn my business, then again I already have enough shoes...

Originally Posted by tattersall

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No, I honestly don't think that they ever will. Shoes are not a big line for them and there are so few Canadians that can make the mental leap past $400 for shoes that the market would never be deep enough. Holt's is starting to do a bit better but not enough to earn my business, then again I already have enough shoes...

Well of they priced AEs based on the actual exchange rate, they could sell a reasonable shoe for under the $400 mark. Instead, they mark the prices up as though the Canadian dollar is still worth 62 cents

The shoes at Harry in the financial district in Toronto are not all that bad. They carry 3 brands I would wear - Canali, Testoni and AE. Big problem with them is that they are over priced for what they are. $550 for basic Canali shoes, $650 for the Canali goodyear welted.