Do people notice your shoes ?

[Dorsoduro]

Against my better judgement I also I have to just lol at this. Because the answer is an unequivocal absolutely not. It also wasn't the original question. The question was whether or not people notice your shoes. I think we've pretty well covered that yes your shoes get noticed but it's mainly whether they work with an outfit or are well enough maintained, have a shine, have salt stains etc. But no - there is not a single person is out there noticing "the quality" of your shoes. They aren't noticing whether your shoes are glued or hand welted, what type of heel stiffener is used in them, whether the soles are oak bark tanned or not, how many stitches per inch are used or whether the leather is good quality based on looks alone from 6+ feet away from them.

Speak for yourself is all I have to say to that ?

 

[dogjaeja]

I often notice people's eyes darting down at my feet, but I tend to get actual comments on the more unique pairs.
Blue calf monks, suede & calf galways, well-shined museum calf shoes, etc.

But in my area - it's far more common to overhear comments on a pair of Doc Martens or budget western & workwear boots.

 

[JohnMRobie]

Speak for yourself is all I have to say to that ?

I mean last month we had entire **** show of a thread because people who spend time on this forum bought shoes and had no idea how they were made. The idea that anyone can tell the difference when looking at your shoes about the construction or components is nonsense because they’re literally on the inside of the shoe where they couldn’t be noticed.

I have plenty of pairs of “quality” footwear and I’m more of a shoe guy than a tailoring or menswear guy, I just understand that I buy these things for myself to appreciate and enjoy not because some random person on the street gives a **** or notices that I opted for voucalou over crust or asked my maker to use 12 spi on the outsole vs 10 or asked for Bakers components over JR.

 

[dieworkwear]

Speak for yourself is all I have to say to that ?

I would be surprised if the average SF-er can even tell the difference between these things. There was recently a controversy here where a company selling handwelted shoes turned out to be selling glued shoes. One of the active "shoe guys" on this forum was tasked with "reviewing" these shoes, and he didn't even know he had glued shoes in his hand. He compared them favorably to Crockett and Jones and Edward Green. Turned out, the shoes are built more like Cole Haan.

Without all the flashy details -- such as bright colors, fiddleback waists, two-tone combos, sleek lasts, heavily shaped heels, etc. -- I think most people here would struggle to know whether a pair of shoes was "high end." Once you take out all the flashy details, many "high end" shoes can just look like regular shoes.

Here's a pair of bespoke shoes I own from Nicholas Templeman. The styling is very conservative, but in terms of "build quality," it's a very well-made pair of shoes. I'm sure to the average person on the street, a pair of Ferragamos look better.

Here's another pair of bespoke shoes with all the details mentioned earlier -- handwelting, leather stiffeners, etc.

Here are some other shoes (these are from other people)

Which pair looks "higher end?" I assume the second set. Those are from Meermin.

 

[Potatoe]

I would be surprised if the average SF-er can even tell the difference between these things. There was recently a controversy here where a company selling handwelted shoes turned out to be selling glued shoes. One of the active "shoe guys" on this forum was tasked with "reviewing" these shoes, and he didn't even know he had glued shoes in his hand. He compared them favorably to Crockett and Jones and Edward Green. Turned out, the shoes are built more like Cole Haan.

Without all the flashy details -- such as bright colors, fiddleback waists, two-tone combos, sleek lasts, heavily shaped heels, etc. -- I think most people here would struggle to know whether a pair of shoes was "high end." Once you take out all the flashy details, many "high end" shoes can just look like regular shoes.

Here's a pair of bespoke shoes I own from Nicholas Templeman. The styling is very conservative, but in terms of "build quality," it's a very well-made pair of shoes. I'm sure to the average person on the street, a pair of Ferragamos look better.


View attachment 1600192



Here's another pair of bespoke shoes with all the details mentioned earlier -- handwelting, leather stiffeners, etc.


View attachment 1600193



Here are some other shoes (these are from other people)

View attachment 1600195 View attachment 1600200 View attachment 1600201


Which pair looks "higher end?" I assume the second set. Those are from Meermin.

This post is based.

I can't say for sure but I suspect meermin is sort of max for normal people noticing nice shoes.

When I opened the box with my first and only pair of meermin Oxfords my wife looked at them and said "wow those are beautiful".

Unfortunately they gave me nasty blisters and the lether seems,, not great.

Meermin asthetics with more comfort and better leather is probably the as far as anyone should go logically. If you go further you're probably a shoe guy.

Could be worse though, you could be a watch guy. ?

 

[mhip]

Last pair I got a public compliment on was just a short time ago...
Shoe? AoL dark green V-2 sneaker.

 

[Dorsoduro]

I mean last month we had entire **** show of a thread because people who spend time on this forum bought shoes and had no idea how they were made. The idea that anyone can tell the difference when looking at your shoes about the construction or components is nonsense because they’re literally on the inside of the shoe where they couldn’t be noticed.

I have plenty of pairs of “quality” footwear and I’m more of a shoe guy than a tailoring or menswear guy, I just understand that I buy these things for myself to appreciate and enjoy not because some random person on the street gives a **** or notices that I opted for voucalou over crust or asked my maker to use 12 spi on the outsole vs 10 or asked for Bakers components over JR.

once again, speak for yourself.

 

[Dorsoduro]

I would be surprised if the average SF-er can even tell the difference between these things. There was recently a controversy here where a company selling handwelted shoes turned out to be selling glued shoes. One of the active "shoe guys" on this forum was tasked with "reviewing" these shoes, and he didn't even know he had glued shoes in his hand. He compared them favorably to Crockett and Jones and Edward Green. Turned out, the shoes are built more like Cole Haan.

Without all the flashy details -- such as bright colors, fiddleback waists, two-tone combos, sleek lasts, heavily shaped heels, etc. -- I think most people here would struggle to know whether a pair of shoes was "high end." Once you take out all the flashy details, many "high end" shoes can just look like regular shoes.

Here's a pair of bespoke shoes I own from Nicholas Templeman. The styling is very conservative, but in terms of "build quality," it's a very well-made pair of shoes. I'm sure to the average person on the street, a pair of Ferragamos look better.


View attachment 1600192



Here's another pair of bespoke shoes with all the details mentioned earlier -- handwelting, leather stiffeners, etc.


View attachment 1600193



Here are some other shoes (these are from other people)

View attachment 1600195 View attachment 1600200 View attachment 1600201


Which pair looks "higher end?" I assume the second set. Those are from Meermin.

San Francisco isn’t exactly the cradle of sophistication or fashion on the contrary it doesn’t even register -

 

[Potatoe]

Last pair I got a public compliment on was just a short time ago...
Shoe? AoL dark green V-2 sneaker.

That's not a surprise, AOLs sneakers are awesome.

 

[dieworkwear]

San Francisco isn’t exactly the cradle of sophistication or fashion on the contrary it doesn’t even register -

How do you not slip on a series of banana peels every day until a piano falls out of the sky and turns you into a walking human accordion?

SF in this case stands for "Styleforum member," not San Franciscan.

 

[Potatoe]

San Francisco isn’t exactly the cradle of sophistication or fashion on the contrary it doesn’t even register -

That may be true but people in NY and London don't know that your shoes are hand welted either

 

[Dorsoduro]

How do you not slip on a series of banana peels every day until a piano falls out of the sky and turns you into a walking human accordion?

SF in this case stands for "Styleforum member," not San Franciscan.

Oh yes because we all know that SF standing for style forum is a globally accepted and universally known acronym - please get a life

 

[taxgenius]

Oh yes because we all know that SF standing for style forum is a globally accepted and universally known acronym - please get a life

It actually is, on SF.

 

[dieworkwear]

Oh yes because we all know that SF standing for style forum is a globally accepted and universally known acronym - please get a life

Reading typically involves reading one sentence after another, putting information into context with new information learned. My post mentions that there was recently a controversy on "this forum." This place is called StyleForum, hence SF-er.

 

[facelessghost]

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