Brown Monkstrap

[KayJay85]

Hello all
Short-time lurker and first-time posted (other post was on the B&S forum)

I have recently entered the working world and have been trying to get my wardrobe up to par. I bough one pair of Church's Diplomats and one Cheaney Sloane as I understand it is important to rotate shoes. I am now on the hunt for a pair of Brown Monkstrap shoes upto £300. My reasoning is that I have enough black shoes for now, hence looking for brown and monks should be better suited to casual weekend wear with jeans.

Thoughts on what brands to consider and perhaps online sites where I can get them for less than retail (though I am a size 11 which makes that tougher)? I saw these and wanted to check whether it is true that the shoemaker for N&L is actually C&J?

As embedded links dont seem to work:
Diplomat
http://www.herringshoes.co.uk/produc...electedFitID=0
Sloane
http://www.cheaney.co.uk/product.asp?id=45
N&L
http://www.newandlingwood.co.uk/product.php?id=762

 

[Cary Grant]

New & Lingwood's are made by C&J, Sargeant and others. When I was last there, there were quite a few obvious C&J derivatives.

 

[kev777]

Get the Poulson Skone Felsteads at £299 (Just under budget) these are a real step up in class from the C&J Bench etc etc. I have a pair of Poulson's and the quality/finish is arguably in the big boy league. (And they just look the dogs danglies too!!)

(From the N&L Site)

 

[KayJay85]

@ Kev

Agreed that those Felsteads are hawt! Just trying to work at the lower end of budget so that I can complete the rest of my wardrobe comfortably too. And as sexy as the Felsteads are, I feel that the classic monks are more versatile for office wear. Thanks for the opinion though!

 

[kev777]

Get yourself over to Herringshoes.co.uk then and browse the Herring shoes both Classic & premier lines. Theres plenty choice there with Premier being Cheaney and Classic being Loake. Obviously the Cheaney being the better made but the Loake being 1880 Quality which is arguably quite good (Dont go with ForumThink here). I have one pair of 1880's and they are ok not as bad as some say round here.

You may even pick up a steal there in the seconds and discontinued lines which are great value and Herrings are a very good company to deal with.

 

[KayJay85]

BUMP for our bleary-eyed American friends

Any other suggestions of where to find such shoes?

 

[KayJay85]

So then all are agreed that N&L is the way for me to go?