Dack's Shoes: Bankrupt

[deveandepot1]

IIRC Dacks shoes were about $100 more than Allen Edmonds.

 

[holymadness]

Originally Posted by robdpittman

That said, in general, the Canadian penchant for mediocrity is not an illusion, as is clearly displayed in our politics, infrastructure, media, banking, business and public attitudes. Furthermore, it's clearly present in the Canadian "spirit". Our culture is one of merely being satisfied. "Peace, Order and Good Government" is the national motto, as opposed to "Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness".

Apologies for my digressions.
This is true. They also don't like to kick up a fuss when they get a raw deal, which is why they keep getting them.

 

[Doctor Damage]

I miss Dack's shoes. I wore them, my dad wore them, and my grandfather wore them.

I found the biggest problem in the last couple years of the company's existance was they never had enough stock in the stores so I couldn't get my size. I don't live in Toronto, so it wasn't possible to just run back in a couple days later when they got my size. The people who bought the brand from Prada couldn't have run it any worse than they did. I remember having a long telephone conversation with the new general manager, giving him with a number of suggestions and even recommended he contact Tom Park (since Dack's and Leathersoul weren't competitors), but he ignored them, including my suggestion to start selling online (internet? what's that?). I later learned he wasn't from the retail shoe business at all but was just some management hack they hired. Incidentally, their top-end line in the last few years was made by Cheaney and was far better than AE.

I would like to get the brand and revive it someday, but I imagine the current owners will sit on the brand and refuse to sell it except for a high price, even though they own 100% of nothing.

 

[yeungjai]

I actually spent a few months working in their head office during their attempted turn-around when the 'management hack' came in. Their systems were outdated as all hell with an embarassingly low-tech POS system, but their shoes' qualities were definitely up there, whether you're talking about the Cheaneys, the ones from the Church's factory, or the old ones from New Brunswick.

I think their biggest problem though, was that they had too many locations selling a shoe at a pricepoint that you'd only find in Harrys/Holts/boutiques, but with very little cachet behind their name (in the general public's mind).

On a side note though - they were selling their old stock at about $50/pair from their factory store (right next to their head office) for a period of time. Rock solid gunboats above AE quality for $50 bucks.

Originally Posted by Doctor Damage

I miss Dack's shoes. I wore them, my dad wore them, and my grandfather wore them.

I found the biggest problem in the last couple years of the company's existance was they never had enough stock in the stores so I couldn't get my size. I don't live in Toronto, so it wasn't possible to just run back in a couple days later when they got my size. The people who bought the brand from Prada couldn't have run it any worse than they did. I remember having a long telephone conversation with the new general manager, giving him with a number of suggestions and even recommended he contact Tom Park (since Dack's and Leathersoul weren't competitors), but he ignored them, including my suggestion to start selling online (internet? what's that?). I later learned he wasn't from the retail shoe business at all but was just some management hack they hired. Incidentally, their top-end line in the last few years was made by Cheaney and was far better than AE.

I would like to get the brand and revive it someday, but I imagine the current owners will sit on the brand and refuse to sell it except for a high price, even though they own 100% of nothing.

 

[Doctor Damage]



I actually spent a few months working in their head office during their attempted turn-around when the 'management hack' came in. Their systems were outdated as all hell with an embarassingly low-tech POS system, but their shoes' qualities were definitely up there, whether you're talking about the Cheaneys, the ones from the Church's factory, or the old ones from New Brunswick.

It's a good example, I think, of how no matter how good your products are, if you don't reach your customers or your potential customers then you're screwed. Which seems completely obvious, when I re-read that sentence, but so many companies don't seem to get it. Dack's was one of those.

 

[Ranjeev]

Where is their head office?

 

[suitforcourt]

I joined the workforce in the summer of 2008. I was buying my dress shoes from Rockport, Florsheim, Ecco and others whenever they were on sale.

Finally a colleague introduced me to Dacks. I managed to snag 3 pairs at a final liquidation in Oakville for about $150 a pair. The sizes are a little big and the width is tight, but they are the best shoes I have. I am on my feet all day, and my feet don't feel tired at the end of the day. The shine of the leather has not faded, and my maintenance is minimal.

I've been told I should only have them re-crafted by a shoemaker called Alfonse who works in downtown TO.

Anyways, all this to say - it's so sad to see a Canadian icon go down this way. Too bad a company like Harren Rosen or Holt Renfrew didn't pick them up.

 

[eg1]

My brother used to swear by these -- somebody is trying to revive them: http://www.matthewdack.com/

 

[fwiffo]

Hmm, where are they made now for $450? Too bad there are no E widths. I remember in the dying days they were selling Made in Mexico ones for $299 or $250 or something.

 

[MyOtherLife]



My brother used to swear by these -- somebody is trying to revive them: http://www.matthewdack.com/

That would be Matthew Dack, a member of the Dack family and who also has recently joined Styleforum.

Hmm, where are they made now for $450? Too bad there are no E widths. I remember in the dying days they were selling Made in Mexico ones for $299 or $250 or something.

They are made in England by, I believe Cheaney, and are of very good quality, well worth the money. The biggest problem is that they are for the present, only availabe through Matthews website so one had better know his size and the product before ordering. They should be true to size.