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Does anyone notice demographic differences in major shoe brand wearers / buyers?

style_geek

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Of the major shoe brands, anyone notice any demographic / age differences in different shoe brands.

I've noticed in the stores Carmina shoppers leaning much younger IMO and Alden shoppers all looking pretty old.

Bigger Brands: AE, Alden, Carmina, C&J, Meermin, Vaas, EG, John Lobb, G&G
 

Ypuh

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Well for starters, US peeps can have 'free' imports under $800, whereas EU countries love their taxes.

This means importing Alden, Allen Edmonds, Truman, Nick's etc. across the pond is a no-go where US customers can import Carmina, Northampton brands etc. freely. Only fitting and returning is an obstacle, but offset by having to pay little to no taxes.

Meermin, Carlos Santos, TLB, Carmina and all Italian brands have the benefit of being in the EU, where UK decided they would be better off leaving, so Northampton brands are 33-50% more expensive in their respective quality price points.

In the EU people do tend to navigate to the Northampton made brands though since the quality/value is still there. I think Italy is even more popular as those offer many blake stitched shoes which are slightly cheaper in general.
 

style_geek

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I would think price has a lot to do with it. I don’t think a ton of people in their 20s and 30s are in a position to be spending $1,500 or more on EG and GG for example.
fair but isn't it better to compare within a price class (ie alden Carmina c&j ae are largely in the same price tier).
 

NORE

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I think it could have something to do with ignorance. I didn't really get into "good" shoes until my 30s and even then was only made aware of quality brands on sites like this.

You almost have to be an agent to find out about many of the "big names" we toss about freely. Like a hidden secret. No ads.

Now, do I say cap or no cap?
 
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comrade

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Is also a matter of geography. Here in Silicon Valley we see many tech bros getting out of their
$ 100k Porsches or more expensive Astons wearing Allbirds or Nikes. Many wouldn't know "good"
shoes from mid range dress shoes at Nordstroms.
 

style_geek

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Is also a matter of geography. Here in Silicon Valley we see many tech bros getting out of their
$ 100k Porsches or more expensive Astons wearing Allbirds or Nikes. Many wouldn't know "good"
shoes from mid range dress shoes at Nordstroms.
to be fair I think some tech bros also go all out on sneakers. $500 kois or common projects.
 

TomTom

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Well for starters, US peeps can have 'free' imports under $800, whereas EU countries love their taxes.

This means importing Alden, Allen Edmonds, Truman, Nick's etc. across the pond is a no-go where US customers can import Carmina, Northampton brands etc. freely. Only fitting and returning is an obstacle, but offset by having to pay little to no taxes.

Meermin, Carlos Santos, TLB, Carmina and all Italian brands have the benefit of being in the EU, where UK decided they would be better off leaving, so Northampton brands are 33-50% more expensive in their respective quality price points.

In the EU people do tend to navigate to the Northampton made brands though since the quality/value is still there. I think Italy is even more popular as those offer many blake stitched shoes which are slightly cheaper in general.
Yep, agreed. I do not think I have ever seen a pair of Aldens in real life outside the US. I saw some when I worked for a law firm in Chicago and Boston but never ever in the Uk, Italy, Austria or Germany.
 

William Kazak

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My Church's shoes were all purchased in Chicago on Wabash, back in the late 70's and the 80's. That store is no longer there. Church's have skyrocketed in price on their website. Three recent Florsheim purchases, new from eBay sellers. Never saw anyone wearing either brand in the south suburbs of Chicago.
 

epsilon22

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Yep, agreed. I do not think I have ever seen a pair of Aldens in real life outside the US. I saw some when I worked for a law firm in Chicago and Boston but never ever in the Uk, Italy, Austria or Germany.
They are surprisingly quite big in Japan, despite the price point (Japan has insane import tariffs on leather goods, before the drop in JPY exchange rates, C&Js would be around 1k USD).
 

Pascal1980

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Hello everybody,

actually I experience myself that import taxes & duties play a role in the UK, EU and USA. Also the distribution strategies of the brands. Hence Allen Edmonds is no longer really available in Germany, and was with a price of around 300€ the "American Dress Shoe" compared to Shoepassion at the same price point.

The younger manufacturers, not just brands, like TLB Mallorca, Carmina etc. use online-marketing with influencers as a cheap way to approach the younger clientel in their 20s to 40s. The established brands do little to no online-marketing and influencer marketing on YouTube, Instragram etc., because they sell mostly through retailers and appeal to the more senior consumers in their late 40s and older who can afford Edward Green, John Lobb, Crockett & Jones handgrade, Alden etc. that are also available in the high-end men's fashion boutiques in the major cities here in Germany.

Outside the major cities only the online sales chanel is really usefull, which the younger manufacturers from Spain, Italy and Germany (Shoepassion with "Henry Stevens" and "Heinrich-Dinkelacker") do better in my opinion than the UK manufacturers from Northhampton.

As said before, with the import taxes and duties, the three geographic markets tend to be fairly seperated from a EU perspective.

I just tried myself to buy one of the very last models in antique tan oxfords from Crockett & Jones handgrade collection in my size and on a last that fits me well that I found in an Australien online shop. No big deal technically to buy and ship it to German, but with import taxes of 5% on leather shoes from Australia and an additional 19% EU-VAT Tax, the total cost goes up to 950€, or just an additional 24% or 200€ in taxes and duties. I can get a MTO-shoe in cordovan from Carmina or TLB Mallorca for that price. Hence the duties and taxes are a pain and restrict free-trade, while I am as studied economist a fan of Ricardian free-trade for everybody, in particular for shoe enthusiasts off course ;-) !!

Best regards

Pascal

P.S.: As a typical German I tend to write long sentences in German and English as well ;-)
 

reincarnation

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Is also a matter of geography. Here in Silicon Valley we see many tech bros getting out of their
$ 100k Porsches or more expensive Astons wearing Allbirds or Nikes. Many wouldn't know "good"
shoes from mid range dress shoes at Nordstroms.
"Culturalgeography" is adequate term for what you mean.
 

pkincy

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They are surprisingly quite big in Japan, despite the price point (Japan has insane import tariffs on leather goods, before the drop in JPY exchange rates, C&Js would be around 1k USD).
Tom Park at Leather Soul in Honolulu has made a thriving business by selling Alden to Japanese tourists coming to Hawaii.
 

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