AE, Bally and some other x-mas shoes!

[nighttrain7404]

Here are picts of some of my x-mas shoe acquisitions.

These aren't Alden, and UK shoe quality, but hey, they were a step up from what I've had.

Just wanted to share the picts

1)Allen Edmonds Size 11 Fairfax shoes in cognac color
2)Bally Classic Dress Size 11 shoes Light Brown
3)Johnston and Murphy Size 11 shoes Dark Brown
4)Jil Sander Chukka Boots (hand sewn) Size 11 shoes light brown

Going to put them all in 2 posts (click on them to see the large image)

Here are the Allen Edmonds and Bally Shoes. The next one will be Johnston and Murphy and Jil Sander picts

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[nighttrain7404]

Here's one more pict of the AE Fairfaxs and here are the Johnston Murphy and Jil Sander boots!

BTW...I paid more than 70% off of retail for all of these items.....that was the REAL x-mas gift...

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[rick lombardo]

The Bally's are very nice. What type of welting do they use?
Are the Fairfax in Merlot?

 

[lee_44106]

The Bally Scribe is their top of the line, retails for around $800 but can be had for <$200 on ebay. Goodyear welted construction, but the toebox is very round and not very elegant.

AE's have good price/quality.

The J&M's are probably glued together. I'm also not a fan of the excessively squarish toes.

The Jil Sander is a "desert boot", after the famous Clarks. It's not a chukka boot. I seriously question the "hand-sewn" assertion.

All in all, not a bad haul for x-mas.

 

[nighttrain7404]

Originally Posted by lee_44106

The Bally Scribe is their top of the line, retails for around $800 but can be had for <$200 on ebay. Goodyear welted construction, but the toebox is very round and not very elegant. AE's have good price/quality. The J&M's are probably glued together. I'm also not a fan of the excessively squarish toes. The Jil Sander is a "desert boot", after the famous Clarks. It's not a chukka boot. I seriously question the "hand-sewn" assertion. All in all, not a bad haul for x-mas.
I bought the Ballys for 68 dollars from Barneys. REALLY good deal. It's a very heavy duty shoe. Sturdy and well made. I bought the AE's for 150 also from Barneys. This one has the quality you speak of, I want to get more AE's and a couple Aldens. I bought the J&M's for 60 dollars from Nordstrom. OK deal (now that I know it's glued on! =) This one my gf liked and I caved in..yes...but I really do like the color in person. The Jil Sanders were 38 dollars on extreme clearance. I guess I bought into the "hand-sewn" comment by the guy at Barneys =) These are the most comfortable of the shoes and I was intrigued by how unique they were. Goes well w/some grey cashmere v-necks I have

 

[nighttrain7404]

Originally Posted by rick lombardo

The Bally's are very nice. What type of welting do they use?
Are the Fairfax in Merlot?

Hi Rick..I think the other poster answered the welting question. The Fairfax's are merlot..yes...(I thought cognac but merlot fits better)

 

[Roger]

Originally Posted by lee_44106

The Bally Scribe is their top of the line, retails for around $800 but can be had for <$200 on ebay. Goodyear welted construction, but the toebox is very round and not very elegant.

AE's have good price/quality.

The J&M's are probably glued together. I'm also not a fan of the excessively squarish toes.

The Jil Sander is a "desert boot", after the famous Clarks. It's not a chukka boot. I seriously question the "hand-sewn" assertion.

All in all, not a bad haul for x-mas.
I think that this assessment is a little too negative.

First, Bally Scribes are considered high-quality Goodyear-welted shoes, and whether or not one likes their lasts and styles (and I don't think that the rounded toebox comment would apply to all Scribe models), they are still very good shoes, which for $68 might challenge for the deal of the century.

There's no evidence--at least from the pictures--that the J&Ms are glued. In fact, they have what would appear to be a 360 degree welt. There certainly appears to be stitching on the top of the sole extension. I know squat about J&M shoes, but from the pictures, I would not have thought these were of glued construction. They also appear to have what I imagine is, in the flesh, very nice antiquing (something hard to capture in pictures without professonal-quality photographic equipment)--a feature not usually seen in shoes from US-based companies.

Finally, wrt the Jil Sanders boots, I don't see why we should question the "hand-sewn" assertion? Again, I don't know much about this line, but my vague recollection is that it tends to be pretty high-end, with some of their branded shoes actually having been made by Lattanzi! If, in fact, they are hand-sewn and of high quality, then the $38 for these actually beats the price on the Ballys for deal of the century.

On the associated issue of whether or not they should be called "chukka boots," I've seen this term applied to a wide variety of low lace-up boots (often with 2 or 3 eyelets), and although this particular boot does resemble the "desert boot" popularized years ago by Clark (which, however, in my recollection, was suede), my impression has always been that this term (desert boot) was more of a proprietary one coined by Clark. I could be wrong about this, but my impression has been that "chukka boot" is a generic term applied to the whole subset of low, ankle-height laceup boots (as opposed to, for example, Chelsea boots with the stretch sides).

For a total of $316, you did phenomenally well on these shoes, and you should be proud to wear all of them. They're very, very nice.

Edit: Meant 360-, not 180-degree welt with the J&Ms!

 

[nighttrain7404]

Originally Posted by Roger

I think that this assessment is a little too negative. First, Bally Scribes are considered high-quality Goodyear-welted shoes, and whether or not one likes their lasts and styles (and I don't think that the rounded toebox comment would apply to all Scribe models), they are still very good shoes, which for $68 might challenge for the deal of the century. There's no evidence--at least from the pictures--that the J&Ms are glued. In fact, they have what would appear to be a 180 degree welt. There certainly appears to be stitching on the top of the sole extension. I know squat about J&M shoes, but from the pictures, I would not have thought these were of glued construction. They also appear to have what I imagine is, in the flesh, very nice antiquing (something hard to capture in pictures without professonal-quality photographic equipment)--a feature not usually seen in shoes from US-based companies. Finally, wrt the Jil Sanders boots, I don't see why we should question the "hand-sewn" assertion? Again, I don't know much about this line, but my vague recollection is that it tends to be pretty high-end, with some of their branded shoes actually having been made by Lattanzi! If, in fact, they are hand-sewn and of high quality, then the $38 for these actually beats the price on the Ballys for deal of the century. On the associated issue of whether or not they should be called "chukka boots," I've seen this term applied to a wide variety of low lace-up boots (often with 3 eyelets), and although this particular boot does resemble the "desert boot" popularized years ago by Clark (which, however, in my recollection, was suede), my impression has always been that this term (desert boot) was more of a proprietary one coined by Clark. I could be wrong about this, but my impression has been that "chukka boot" is a generic term applied to the whole subset of low laceup boots (as opposed to, for example, Chelsea boots with the stretch sides). For a total of $316, you did phenomenally well on these shoes, and you should be proud to wear all of them. They're very, very nice.
Thank you Roger, I appreciate your sentiment. Yes I was very lucky. Sometimes these shoes are just in the racks and go unnoticed. Even the cashiers were a bit shocked at their marked down prices. ' What I find funny is how the price really varies according to location/demographics. The Barney's in NY has prices close to the top of retail. In Napa(which is also an outlet which may account for the discounts) and other Barney's locations..the same items can be had for much less. The variance is what keeps me hunting. ON an unrelated note Sean John clothing(probably not favored by anyone in this forum) is heavily priced in NY. You can get the same items for 70% consistently on the west coast. It's those kinds of deals that make me buy. I could never pay full price. Thanks again Roger.

 

[JLibourel]

On the Desert Boot vs. Chukka Boot confusion, here is my understanding of the situation.

All Desert Boots are Chukka Boots, but not all Chukka Boots are Desert Boots. I believe the term "Desert Boot" specifically applies to a lightweight tan suede chukka boot, customarily with a crepe sole. Clark's Desert Boots certainly have been the definitive and classic desert boots, but I am not sure that it is a trade-markable (or-trademarked) name. The term arose from the popularity of such boots among the British troops fighting in the Western Desert during WWII, and I believe (although I would not wager money on this) that I have seen other makers calling boots of this type "desert boots."*


The Jill Sander boots are definitely chukka boots. I would not call them "desert boots," however.

*Poscript: I just did a little follow-up, and indeed the term "desert boots" is generic. Brooks Brothers, for example, offers a suede Peale & Co. chukka as a "desert boot."

The waters have also been muddied by the fact that numerous high-top American military boots are being advertised and sold as "desert boots." I have the Danner "Desert Eagle" boot in my wardrobe, and it's a typical example of this breed. These American military boots may be excellent for combat in the desert, but they in no way resemble the classic chukka-type desert boot.

 

[nighttrain7404]

Originally Posted by JLibourel

On the Desert Boot vs. Chukka Boot confusion, here is my understanding of the situation.

All Desert Boots are Chukka Boots, but not all Chukka Boots are Desert Boots. I believe the term "Desert Boot" specifically applies to a lightweight tan suede chukka boot, customarily with a crepe sole. Clark's Desert Boots certainly have been the definitive and classic desert boots, but I am not sure that it is a trade-markable (or-trademarked) name. The term arose from the popularity of such boots among the British troops fighting in the Western Desert during WWII, and I believe (although I would not wager money on this) that I have seen other makers calling boots of this type "desert boots."*


The Jill Sander boots are definitely chukka boots. I would not call them "desert boots," however.

*Poscript: I just did a little follow-up, and indeed the term "desert boots" is generic. Brooks Brothers, for example, offers a suede Peale & Co. chukka as a "desert boot."

The waters have also been muddied by the fact that numerous high-top American military boots are being advertised and sold as "desert boots." I have the Danner "Desert Eagle" boot in my wardrobe, and it's a typical example of this breed. These American military boots may be excellent for combat in the desert, but they in no way resemble the classic chukka-type desert boot.

Thanks for the clarification....