A newbie would like to buy some grensons

[Frank123]

Hi, I have been lurking for awhile and have learned a lot from you all. I have bougth a suit (Canali) and shoes based on all your recomendations. Thank you. Â For quality shoes I have only black laceups- AE Park Ave and Hillcrest. I was thinking about a black Radley and one or two others in something other than black. Another Radley in another color? How about 15 18 or 27? Would some be appropiate for a suit and others not? Something that I wear dress/casual would be OK. What do you think of 21 or 22? I was thinking before of waiting for a Brooks Brothes sale for gettting some brown shoes. Do you think I would get better value here? l am between jobs right now, but any job should be at least business casual. I wear 10.5D Your help will be very appreciated. My size at Bennies

 

[drizzt3117]

For quality shoes I have only black laceups- AE Park Ave and Hillcrest. I was thinking about a black Radley and one or two others in something other than black. Another Radley in another color? How about 15 18 or 27? Would some be appropiate for a suit and others not? Something that I wear dress/casual would be OK.

I would wear my Radleys with a suit, I think the only issue is color matching, it's a dress loafer so it should be formal enough for most situations with a suit.

What do you think of 21 or 22? I was thinking before of waiting for a Brooks Brothes sale for gettting some brown shoes. Do you think I would get better value here?

I think you will definitely get more value with the Grensons over Brooks Brothers. I ordered #22 in that exact color/size (Rugby) I think it would be a great shoe with Navy and even potentially Charcoal suits, as well as working great with both jeans and khakis as well. You may also want to consider something in burgundy as well, since you only have black. I was in a similar situation, I have only a couple pairs of brown/burgundy shoes in my wardrobe, so went with a couple pairs (Eton, Rugby) of cognac and burgundy shoes.

 

[jerrysfriend]

I was thinking about a black Radley and one or two others in something other than black. Another Radley in another color? How about 15 18 or 27? Would some be appropiate for a suit and others not? Something that I wear dress/casual would be OK. My size at Bennies

To my eye nos. 15 and 27 are the same. I bought that color Radley (as well as in Burgundy calfskin) in size 10D. They are great. These are not just plain-old penny loafers. These are very high quality dress shoes. There is a big difference between an English dress slip-on and the American Bass Weejun penny loafer, which is just a [poor quality] mocassin. I tried on no. 18, I think; it had a double sole (and was too big for me, unfortunately). I wrote about it previously. It is a shell cordovan. I saw it last Christmas in Brussels for 750 Euros. I think Bennie's may have already sold it; if not, they probably want more for it, as it really is worth $200-$250 more than the calfskin models.

 

[Frank123]

Well I purchased 15,17,18 and 21-WOW what a lot of money, but I figure they should last me a long time. The Burgundy are shell cordovans. Now I can cross shoes off my list for awhile. Thank you for your help.

 

[drizzt3117]

That's a good haul of shoes, and a great price. You just got 4 pairs of shoes for approximately the retail price of 1... I'd say that was a good deal.

 

[faustian bargain]

Now I can cross shoes off my list for awhile.

we shall see, grasshopper...we shall see.

 

[MilanoStyle]

I like http://www.benniesshoes.com/grenson8.5.htm model #6 but i need in size 10D

 

[faustian bargain]

wow...yeah. what is that, is it laced up the side, or is there some other means of attachment?

 

[jerrysfriend]

I like http://www.benniesshoes.com/grenson8.5.htm model #6 but i need in size 10D

I am also a 10D and have a distance advantage over you (Bennie's is 3 miles away from me). However, on that page I like nos. 12 and 16. No. 6 looks very exotic, as if it has built-in spats. I would like other views of it.

 

[jerrysfriend]

After having looked at a couple of dozen Grensons live at Bennie's, it appears to me that picture has the most accurate colors and best views, especially of the Stowe (#4), is the one for size 13: http://benniesshoes.com/grenson13.htm I think no. 8 in size 13 is smashing too, but how many do I need? Nos. 1 and 7 are the beautiful "penny loafer with short saddle and Italian style toe cap," as P**l S****t calls it, but in cognac. I bought it in antiqued tan, the color of no. 8 here: http://benniesshoes.com/grenson11.htm

 

[kidkim2]

jerrysfriend--

Do you know why Bennie's does not specify widths for the size 13 Grensons?

And can you help me translate "fitting" (e.g., D,E,F)--as found, for example, on the Pediwear site--into American? I'm lusting for some British shoes.

My size is 13AA (occasionally 12 1/2 A).

I realize that some of this information has been covered before, but my searches here and (especially) at AA got me nothing but five o'clock shadow.

Grateful Thanks,

Mike

 

[jerrysfriend]

jerrysfriend-- Do you know why Bennie's does not specify widths for the size 13 Grensons? And can you help me translate "fitting" (e.g., D,E,F)--as found, for example, on the Pediwear site--into American? Â I'm lusting for some British shoes. My size is 13AA (occasionally 12 1/2 A).

Probably because they are all D widths. I have looked in the back of the Piedmont Road store, and also the Gwinnett County store (before the shoes at that location were transferred to Piedmont). I have not been in the back of the Cobb County store (where Chris is). From looking at the exteriors of several hundred Grenson boxes, on which the size is written, I would say that 90-95% are D widths, with some C's, and I think I saw a couple of B's. I saw no widths as narrow as yours, nor any E's. Â Bennie's sent back a number of the first batch that it got because they were very small (sizes 5-6, a common size in Japan, where P***l S****T has a store). Of course, more are on the way now and perhaps it will get a bigger range of widths. If they get a 12.5-13B in a Stowe, it might fit you, as it runs narrow. Actually, Louie showed Comolli and me pictures of the Grensons 2 weeks before they arrived, and asked us about them, as he was not familiar with the brand. When they first arrived, he was concerned about the antiquing on the toe, as he was afraid that people would not like it. The D widths that Bennie's has corresponds to the F with on the various UK sites. KenCPollock

 

[faustian bargain]

.... KenCPollock

ah.

 

[STYLESTUDENT]

The D widths that Bennie's has corresponds to the F with on the various UK sites.

Ken,

I have "F" width (UK size) for Churchs and C&J. The Pediwear site identifies the Radley last to be in an "F" width. The "F" corresponds to an "E" U.S. width (which is what I wear), not a "D", for Church and C&J. On the other hand, Paul Stuart and Bennie's both identify all Grenson as a "D" width. Is it that Grenson makes an unusually narrow shoe compared to Church or C&J?

Thanks for your help.

 

[jerrysfriend]

There are no easy answers to this question, gentlemen. For me, I think it depends more on the last, than the maker. I find the same thing in Church and C&J, both of which I have bought in London. Maybe I have forgiving feet, but I find that I can wear several sizes. I really wear a 10.5C in USA measure, but I find that a 10D fits me nearly as well. Similiarly, I can usually wear either a 9.5E or a 9F in most UK sized shoes I buy in London. In both Church and C&J, the fit seems to depend more on the last; for example, I think that the C&J Weymouth runs a bit narrow.
Although Grenson obviously uses different lasts, it does not identify them in the various models. I have tried on a lot of the Grensons at Bennie's, have bought them in 2 different sizes and am intimately aquainted with the following eleven (many of which have no established model name) for which I have given the model no. and size:
1) "Oundle" plain cap toe oxford in cognac, 8001/17, 10D
2) "Rugby" brogue cap toe in cognac, 8002/17, 10D
3) "Stowe" plain toe with loop in cognac, 8003/17, 10D
4) Full brogue cap toe in cognac, 8004/17, 10.5C
5) "Ghillie" oxford in cognac, 8027/17, 10D
6) Chiseled plain toe with edge stitching in cognac, 8102/17, 10D         
7) "Radley" penny loafer in cognac, 8009/17, 10.5C
8) "Radley" penny loafer in burgundy, 8009/15, 10D
9) Braided tassel loafer in cognac, 8010/17, 10D
10) Spectator tassel loafer in tan/creme, 8045/3469, 10D
11) Penny loafer with short saddle and Italian style toe cap in antiqued tan, 8056/17, 10D
Of these, only nos. 3 and 6 seem to run narrow. They are obviously on a very different last; they even look narrower. As to the rest, they seem to fit like a typical AE or Alden, except that I find that Aldens on the "Barrie" last seem to run a bit wider.
However, there are no hard and fast rules. The Piedmont Road store had on the rack a size 10D loafer, just like no. 8 above, but in antiqued tan. I tried it on. It swallowed me. It seemed like an E width, at least. It may have been mis-marked.