Entry - Mid level Goodyear Welted English RTW Shoes

[Seriate Sartorialist]

Hi all, long time lurker first time poster. Glad to finally be a member.

Long story short, I'm looking for a replacement for my black cap toe oxfords (a veritable staple of a classic men's wardrobe) and without the budget to enter the mid-upper tier of good men's footwear I remain looking at the entry-mid level.

The shoes I'm replacing are a pair of Loake 1880 Rothschilds. They've lasted me 5 years but have a hole in the upper so can't really be salvaged I fear. The hole is my fault due to a poor fit (rectified in later pairs).
I've also got a pair of Cheaney black wingtip brogues, Barker brown wingtip brogues (also with a hole in the uppers, due to the same mistake as they were bought at the same time), and a pair of brown Loake 1880 captoe oxfords, the Rothschilds as well I believe.

I've been putting together my list of English (sorry Europe/America, at this point with my collection so small I need to be able to try them on and want to start with English styling) RTW shoemakers and thought I'd share it with you guys. I'd appreciate thoughts/inputs/comments etc.

This list is only focused on calf leather (not corrected grain, as far as I can tell full-grain), goodyear welted, UK made shoes. The prices are for a pair of black captoe oxfords. As above, I don't own shoes from most of these makers so am interested in the experiences of those of you who do.


Didn't make the list

Barker (Calf): £200 - £250 (£350 for "handcrafted" range)
Grenson One/London ranges: £385 - £400
----- Neither of these brands made my list. I don't rate my Barkers as highly as my Loake 1880's and the Grensons seem overpriced comparatively.

Entry level

Loake 1880/Legacy/Export: £245/£270/£360 - The latter two ranges are new since I last looked but IMO the original 1880's were great value.
Sanders Ambassador/Diplomat: £220/£305 - Can't find too much online about Sanders, especially the difference between these two ranges.
Cheaney: £300 - £380 - The leather on my Cheaneys seem thicker than my 1880s and the detail is good but they are less comfortable.
Church's: £410-£530 - There's a lot of questions around Church's and their owners, so perhaps equal in level to Cheaney.
Crockett & Jones: £445 (benchgrade) - We're getting into the mid level here, a pair of C&J's are on my wishlist but they cost double the 1880s.
Alfred Sargent: £470 - They seem to sell a small range of high quality shoes, although I haven't ever seen a pair in the flesh.
Tricker's: £395 - £415 - I've lusted after a pair of their Stow's for a couple of years but haven't bitten the bullet yet. Look very well made.

Mid level

Are there any other brands I should be looking at?
What are your thoughts on the list and it's ordering?

My thoughts were to stay closer to the entry level for these shoes and then move up the list for my next pair. What do you think?

 

[Wrenkin]

Church’s are fine, and the Prada thing is overblown. The only issues with the owners are that Church’s now produce a lot of additional models in unusual leathers, and the price went up. The flip side is they have wide distribution, and are often on sale. Stick to the standard, made in England models and they’re ok.

 

[zippyh]

Regarding Tricker's, it's not difficult to find Stows for under 300GBP (including VAT). Check out the Tricker's Outlet where Stows are 295 and they often have 20% sales.

It's coming up on sale season and with current world weirdness you can probably score better than usual deals. Tricker's do a lot of seasonal make-ups for retailers and they get marked down a lot. It's perhaps more difficult to find standard models like an Acorn Stow on sale but far from impossible. Tricker's dress models are quite good too and get marked down a lot as well.

 

[Braid]

Hi all, long time lurker first time poster. Glad to finally be a member.

Long story short, I'm looking for a replacement for my black cap toe oxfords (a veritable staple of a classic men's wardrobe) and without the budget to enter the mid-upper tier of good men's footwear I remain looking at the entry-mid level.

The shoes I'm replacing are a pair of Loake 1880 Rothschilds. They've lasted me 5 years but have a hole in the upper so can't really be salvaged I fear. The hole is my fault due to a poor fit (rectified in later pairs).
I've also got a pair of Cheaney black wingtip brogues, Barker brown wingtip brogues (also with a hole in the uppers, due to the same mistake as they were bought at the same time), and a pair of brown Loake 1880 captoe oxfords, the Rothschilds as well I believe.

I've been putting together my list of English (sorry Europe/America, at this point with my collection so small I need to be able to try them on and want to start with English styling) RTW shoemakers and thought I'd share it with you guys. I'd appreciate thoughts/inputs/comments etc.

This list is only focused on calf leather (not corrected grain, as far as I can tell full-grain), goodyear welted, UK made shoes. The prices are for a pair of black captoe oxfords. As above, I don't own shoes from most of these makers so am interested in the experiences of those of you who do.


Didn't make the list

Barker (Calf): £200 - £250 (£350 for "handcrafted" range)
Grenson One/London ranges: £385 - £400
----- Neither of these brands made my list. I don't rate my Barkers as highly as my Loake 1880's and the Grensons seem overpriced comparatively.

Entry level

Loake 1880/Legacy/Export: £245/£270/£360 - The latter two ranges are new since I last looked but IMO the original 1880's were great value.
Sanders Ambassador/Diplomat: £220/£305 - Can't find too much online about Sanders, especially the difference between these two ranges.
Cheaney: £300 - £380 - The leather on my Cheaneys seem thicker than my 1880s and the detail is good but they are less comfortable.
Church's: £410-£530 - There's a lot of questions around Church's and their owners, so perhaps equal in level to Cheaney.
Crockett & Jones: £445 (benchgrade) - We're getting into the mid level here, a pair of C&J's are on my wishlist but they cost double the 1880s.
Alfred Sargent: £470 - They seem to sell a small range of high quality shoes, although I haven't ever seen a pair in the flesh.
Tricker's: £395 - £415 - I've lusted after a pair of their Stow's for a couple of years but haven't bitten the bullet yet. Look very well made.

Mid level

Are there any other brands I should be looking at?
What are your thoughts on the list and it's ordering?

My thoughts were to stay closer to the entry level for these shoes and then move up the list for my next pair. What do you think?

As you are focused on English makers I guess you live in UK. In this case I recommend a trip to Northampton.

If you are looking into buying your first CJ a visit to the factory shop is well worth it. You can buy seconds with minor aesthetics defects at half the price.

 

[Camerashy]

Cheaney have a sale on at the moment

 

[Phileas Fogg]

Herring shoes is a good place to start. They also carry a private label shoe which is English made and quite reasonably priced, especially on sale.

Herring Shoes

Herring Shoes - purveyors of finest quality shoes, clothing and luggage. Worldwide delivery.

www.herringshoes.co.uk

 

[dauster]

Not english but I would say Carmina on sale and meermin is worth a look. I find it hard to believe that if one looks for a bit that you can't find CJ shoes on sale, especially when going to Northhampton...

 

[wurger]

Hi all, long time lurker first time poster. Glad to finally be a member.

Long story short, I'm looking for a replacement for my black cap toe oxfords (a veritable staple of a classic men's wardrobe) and without the budget to enter the mid-upper tier of good men's footwear I remain looking at the entry-mid level.

The shoes I'm replacing are a pair of Loake 1880 Rothschilds. They've lasted me 5 years but have a hole in the upper so can't really be salvaged I fear. The hole is my fault due to a poor fit (rectified in later pairs).
I've also got a pair of Cheaney black wingtip brogues, Barker brown wingtip brogues (also with a hole in the uppers, due to the same mistake as they were bought at the same time), and a pair of brown Loake 1880 captoe oxfords, the Rothschilds as well I believe.

I've been putting together my list of English (sorry Europe/America, at this point with my collection so small I need to be able to try them on and want to start with English styling) RTW shoemakers and thought I'd share it with you guys. I'd appreciate thoughts/inputs/comments etc.

This list is only focused on calf leather (not corrected grain, as far as I can tell full-grain), goodyear welted, UK made shoes. The prices are for a pair of black captoe oxfords. As above, I don't own shoes from most of these makers so am interested in the experiences of those of you who do.


Didn't make the list

Barker (Calf): £200 - £250 (£350 for "handcrafted" range)
Grenson One/London ranges: £385 - £400
----- Neither of these brands made my list. I don't rate my Barkers as highly as my Loake 1880's and the Grensons seem overpriced comparatively.

Entry level

Loake 1880/Legacy/Export: £245/£270/£360 - The latter two ranges are new since I last looked but IMO the original 1880's were great value.
Sanders Ambassador/Diplomat: £220/£305 - Can't find too much online about Sanders, especially the difference between these two ranges.
Cheaney: £300 - £380 - The leather on my Cheaneys seem thicker than my 1880s and the detail is good but they are less comfortable.
Church's: £410-£530 - There's a lot of questions around Church's and their owners, so perhaps equal in level to Cheaney.
Crockett & Jones: £445 (benchgrade) - We're getting into the mid level here, a pair of C&J's are on my wishlist but they cost double the 1880s.
Alfred Sargent: £470 - They seem to sell a small range of high quality shoes, although I haven't ever seen a pair in the flesh.
Tricker's: £395 - £415 - I've lusted after a pair of their Stow's for a couple of years but haven't bitten the bullet yet. Look very well made.

Mid level

Are there any other brands I should be looking at?
What are your thoughts on the list and it's ordering?

My thoughts were to stay closer to the entry level for these shoes and then move up the list for my next pair. What do you think?

have a read of those 2 threads, they should answer all of your questions.

The Quintessential Dress Shoe: Black Cap Toe Oxford

No man should be without a pair of black dress shoes in his wardrobe; if there is room only for one pair, it would be the quintessential black cap toe oxford. It is one of the most versatile shoes a man can own, suitable for nearly all formal occasions from office to weddings. While dark brown...

www.styleforum.net

english shoes quality heirachy

This is a very interesting thread. Started back in 2010. It would be good to see how people still rate the various English shoemaking companies. If anybody has changed their minds in the last 8 years, please let us know which brands have decreased in terms of quality, which have maintained their...

www.styleforum.net