Buying shoes in Montreal (and to a greater extent, Canada)

[Cant kill da Rooster]

I would draw the conclusion that the occasional (annual) trip to the US can really pay off.

 

[mjc]

Originally Posted by Cant kill da Rooster

I would draw the conclusion that the occasional (annual) trip to the US can really pay off.

Yes, a trip to Leffot in NYC is the only reason I can think of for wanting to visit the US...

- Mike

 

[Lord-Barrington]

Originally Posted by TRINI

How'd we go from buying good shoes to discussing the importing of AE's?

Cause it turns out that's the only thing I, the OP, can afford! Sorry for filling this thread with the rank stink of Allen Edmonds. Oh, the humanity!

But seriously, I hope this thread can be used more for the discussion of higher end footwear as opposed to AE, Alden and the like. We all seem to know how to get our hands on the later shoes but higher end offerings are seriously lacking in most parts of Canada.

 

[trader]

I've ordered from 3 different UK sites for shoes. Here are my customs experiences:

Edwards of Manchester - shipped UPS express/worldwide and I wasn't dinged any fees/taxes for C&J Edgware. They put it in my mailbox instead of delivering in person
Pediwear - shipped with Royalmail - dinged about 70$ total on a pair of C&J Lowdes
Bodileys of Northhampton - shipped with Royalmail - dinged about 35$ total on a pair of C&J Belgraves

All these places allow returns as long as you cover the shipping. Edwards has the least selection but if you could order a pair of G&G without any duties that would be pretty nice. Bodileys seems to be more sensitive to our customs issues and marks it accordingly. They also seem to have bi-annual sales where prices are knocked down 20-25%.

Also, I find that sizing up 1 from the UK size works best for every english shoe I've experienced except with EG.

 

[Wes Bourne]

Originally Posted by trader

I've ordered from 3 different UK sites for shoes. Here are my customs experiences:

Edwards of Manchester - shipped UPS express/worldwide and I wasn't dinged any fees/taxes for C&J Edgware. They put it in my mailbox instead of delivering in person
Pediwear - shipped with Royalmail - dinged about 70$ total on a pair of C&J Lowdes
Bodileys of Northhampton - shipped with Royalmail - dinged about 35$ total on a pair of C&J Belgraves

All these places allow returns as long as you cover the shipping. Edwards has the least selection but if you could order a pair of G&G without any duties that would be pretty nice. Bodileys seems to be more sensitive to our customs issues and marks it accordingly. They also seem to have bi-annual sales where prices are knocked down 20-25%.

Also, I find that sizing up 1 from the UK size works best for every english shoe I've experienced except with EG.

This is good to know, thanks. Guess it also explains why you you paid less duties+taxes on HG from Bodileys than BG from Pediwear.

 

[Marcellionheart]

By the way, does anyone know who does a good shoe repair in Toronto? I may have to replace a rubber toplift on a heel soon and would rather not a botched job.

 

[Odd I/O]

Originally Posted by Marcellionheart

By the way, does anyone know who does a good shoe repair in Toronto? I may have to replace a rubber toplift on a heel soon and would rather not a botched job.

I've heard Novelty (downtown) bandied around. Also Kaner's Handbags & Shoe Repair.

I have no first hand experience with either of them though.

 

[Bill Smith]

Used Novelty years ago, they do good work.

 

[Lord-Barrington]

Anyone know a good shoe repair shop in Montreal?

 

[hemos]

Anyone could PM me the address of the Saphir distributor in Montreal?

 

[ktrp]

Someone mentioned purchasing lexol in the U.S., I saw it on sale at Novelty a couple of weeks ago. I should check and see if they have anything beyond that and the kiwi/meltonian stuff. They were also selling woodlore trees for $25.

I had a speed lace hook break, and took the boot in there for a repair. They got one on, it looks fine when worn. Hook isn't identical, but close. They charged less then $10 for the repair. My impression is that they are skilled and have a 'we can fix anything' attitude. If you have mid range shoes and need something fixed, they're probably your place. You have high end shoes and want fixes done so that it is exactly like it was, you might want to ship to the manufacturer.

 

[EndlessBreak]

FWIW - Robert Jones in the RBC building in Toronto has been selling EGs since last fall. They had three shoes and one boot and the staff indicated that they would be getting some additional styles for summer. Apparently the EGs have been selling quite well. Pricing was $1100-$1300.

 

[comrade]

I thought all you guys wore were Sorels, Eh?

 

[e555]

New Jersey is about 5 hours away and you pay no tax on clothes/footwear. Considering how strong our dollar is now, it's worthwhile

 

[ridefar]

Originally Posted by EndlessBreak

FWIW - Robert Jones in the RBC building in Toronto has been selling EGs since last fall. They had three shoes and one boot and the staff indicated that they would be getting some additional styles for summer. Apparently the EGs have been selling quite well. Pricing was $1100-$1300.
I went in a week or two ago. Service was pretty good. Prices were $1100 for oxfords/derbys, $1200 for monks, $1300 for boots, and a $250 upcharge for MTO. I think that makes it moderately more expensive than going to the US, particularly if you are shopping somewhere without sales tax, but still not horrible. Their stock isnt great, but as the only EG stockist in Canada, I cant complain too much. They were just making their fall order when I was in, so I would anticipate a bunch of stock showing up in another month or so. They seem to order 4-5 styles per season, and stock a reasonable selection of sizes in each. It does mean though that if you are looking for something specific to round out gaps in your collection, you may need to order. I should also stress that they were willing to order anything EG had in stock with no commitment to purchase and no MTO charge.