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Church's Shoes

post #1 of 82
12/5/07 at 1:48am
Thread Starter 
Since the consensus around here seems to be that Church's went all to hell when Prada took over, I'd like to know when that was and whether the shoes made prior to the takeover are still worth buying when they come up. That assumes, of course, that they're in good condition.
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post #2 of 82
12/5/07 at 3:36am
Quote:
Originally Posted by tonylumpkin View Post
Since the consensus around here seems to be that Church's went all to hell when Prada took over, I'd like to know when that was and whether the shoes made prior to the takeover are still worth buying when they come up. That assumes, of course, that they're in good condition.

They're just as good as many other English shoes, provided they're not bookbinder leather, just more expensive than similarly quality competitors.
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post #3 of 82
12/5/07 at 3:49am
I've had extremely good luck with my Church shoes. I've owned at least 6 pairs over the years, and use two pairs of Church loafers on a regular basis. Haven't purchased anything in the last few years, though.
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post #4 of 82
12/5/07 at 4:16am
I haven't bought a pre-Prada Church's, but the pair I bought recently is imho very well made- and I bought them because a fellow shoe fran swears by their quality.
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post #5 of 82
12/5/07 at 6:24am
I've got some Custom Grades from the pre-Prada period, which have held up very well.
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post #6 of 82
12/5/07 at 6:38am
I presume these are Church's, correct me if I am wrong. How old do you think they are? from the 90s?

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...m=130176751747
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post #7 of 82
12/5/07 at 9:45am
I've bought 2 pairs of Church's in the past 5 months and enjoy them.
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post #8 of 82
12/5/07 at 9:53am
Thread Starter 
Well, so much for that consensus.
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post #9 of 82
12/5/07 at 10:13am
The consensus is not that they are "bad" shoes, but that they (post-Prada Churches shoes) are not good values.

The bookbinder leather is corrected grain, to some this is a major no-no, but others are convinced that the ones Churches uses are pretty good. For comparison purposes, the Churches Custom Grade is about the same as the C&J benchgrade, for about $200 more.
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post #10 of 82
12/5/07 at 10:30am
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by lee_44106 View Post
The consensus is not that they are "bad" shoes, but that they (post-Prada Churches shoes) are not good values.

The bookbinder leather is corrected grain, to some this is a major no-no, but others are convinced that the ones Churches uses are pretty good. For comparison purposes, the Churches Custom Grade is about the same as the C&J benchgrade, for about $200 more.

So the quality is still there, the bang for the buck is what Prada took away?

That is the distinction I didn't pick up on. Thanks.
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post #11 of 82
12/5/07 at 10:33am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Tarmac View Post
I presume these are Church's, correct me if I am wrong. How old do you think they are? from the 90s?

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...m=130176751747

I think Peal & Co craft Brooks Brothers shoes.
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post #12 of 82
12/5/07 at 10:39am
Quote:
Originally Posted by satorstyle View Post
I think Peal & Co craft Brooks Brothers shoes.
Peal is just a brand name. In recent years, C&J and later Sargent have manufactured Peals for Brooks.
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post #13 of 82
12/5/07 at 10:45am
Quote:
Originally Posted by satorstyle View Post
I think Peal & Co craft Brooks Brothers shoes.
Peal & Co. was a bespoke shoemaker which went out of business in the early 1960s. Through Brooks Brothers, it sold ready to wear under the "Peal" name made by Edward Green. When Peal went out of business, Brooks Brothers bought the rights to the name. There is conflicting information about whether Brooks also bought Peal's lasts, since another bespoke maker, Foster & Son, says that it did so.

In any case, by the late 1980s or early 1990s, Brooks Brothers stopped using Edward Green to make Peal brand shoes and began using Crockett & Jones, and has used Alfred Sargent and C&J to make Peal shoes since then.

Brooks has for a long time sold a line of shoes called "Brooks English" which are made in England but not branded Peal. At least some of these shoes were made by Church's.
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post #14 of 82
12/5/07 at 2:14pm
Rjamn ,you're a doctor es Shoelogy...I can picture you on Masterminds with shoes as a specialist subject...

I'm still waiting for my dark green Delos...
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post #15 of 82
12/5/07 at 3:01pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by lasbar View Post
I'm still waiting for my dark green Delos...
Where has le paysan ruse got to? I think I had something promised for November!! Let's go to Saumur and hunt him down...
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