Odd wholecut Oxfords

Greetings, first time poster long time lurker here. I would like to use my first thread (and probably last until I go back to lurk) to post about this pair of shoes I came across recently, they go by the brand Le Collezione, bought in a high end clothing store of the same name in Colombia:




You can't tell much from my lousy photos, but they are wholecut brogue oxfords. I'm not an impulsive man, but I bought these on the spot; them being 40% was an extra nudge. I've always wanted wholecut shoes and I was looking for another pair of brown shoes, so I jumped at this chance.

But now they are at my home, and I am looking more information about the brand, I can't find anything about them. The salesman told me it's the store brand, but made in Italy. The construction does seem to match that of my other alleged Italian shoes. However I'm still a bit...insecure, these are the most expensive shoes on my modest collection and I don't even know if they're any good (I know, I know).

Hence my thread, can anyone with keen sight tell me anything about the actual quality of the shoes? I'll post more pictures if anyone wants to see more details.

Thanks in advance.

I really would not worry if they are a good brand or not. If you like them then its good enough.

I don't think anyone can just look at a pair of leather shoes and tell you if it's high quality or not. (Also, what is high-quality to you?) With modern technology, it is not difficult to make bonded leather or even vinyl look like a $3000 pair of shoes to a casual observer. The difference lies in the way the shoe flexes, how it feels to the wearer, its condition after 1 year, 5 years, 10 years of regular use, the way its leather takes polish, etc. None of these factors are visible from a cursory glance (at least I'm incapable of the feat).

I understand the insecurity, and I definitely don't want you to feel worse, but what I would do--before making the purchase--is ask the salesperson some basic questions that would help me nail down the shoe on the "quality spectrum", such as

1. Is the entire shoe upper made of full-grain leather?
2. What is the construction of the shoe?
3. Is the insole a full piece of veg tanned genuine leather? How thick is it?

Then I might drill down on the leather source, tannage, and the minutiae of the shoe's construction. These facts, along with what I can observe of the quality of the stitching, of the broguing etc. help me determine if the shoe's quality is high enough to enter my collection. I try to remember that what I'm paying for is the shoe's quality in 2 years, 5 years, 20 years. So it is inherently a risky decision, and I would want to see if the manufacturer and retailer are trustworthy players.

Hadrian Nevski said:

The construction does seem to match that of my other alleged Italian shoes. However I'm still a bit...insecure, these are the most expensive shoes on my modest collection and I don't even know if they're any good (I know, I know).

Hence my thread, can anyone with keen sight tell me anything about the actual quality of the shoes? I'll post more pictures if anyone wants to see more details.

Thanks in advance.

Click to expand...

Maybe elaborate more on the underlined remarks? More pictures, and close-ups could never hurt. good luck

The size and shape of the rubber quarter heel are consistent with Italian manufacture. I can't see any external welt stitching (there is fudging but that appears to be decorative). Again, that is consistent with Italian manufacture, in which Blake stitching is more common. Is there a visible line of stitching on the insole within the front part of the shoe?