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BColl_Has_Too_Many_Shoes

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Thanks for the reply, I agree that at the end of the day it comes down to your own style and preferences. Personally, the overall design and shape of Saint Crispin’s loafers doesn’t look very harmonious to me, even though I understand how they might have a superior construction.

The caveat is that I’ve never seen StC’s loafers in person, but I’ve also never seen a convincing picture of someone wearing them. Happy to be proven wrong if someone wants to contribute!

Go figure that I like StC's because of their harmonious appearance. They are neither ostentatious or boring. Quite elegant in fact. EG exudes those same characteristics. Moreover, I'd say EG comes off as regal.

Anyways, I do have 539s but I have no clue where they are. It's not an indictment towards StC's. More that they find themselves on the losing end of a rotation (years of non-usage rotation haha).

I had a relative look up some StC loafer usage images so there may be better images out there, but this is what was sent. Look pretty good.
Thanks to @papado for his images as well.

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Mr_Spud

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I've had my Utah leathers going on several years and used in varying weather conditions. They have a few scratches, but as @Nickd mentioned they brush off well.
Provided you have a good horse haired brush, you should be fine with a few minutes per shoe to refreshen them up.

If you find you want or need a little more beautifying up, Bick 4 (find it the best for Utah) and light wax usage for scratches & scuffs works great.
Forgot to ask, how has the leather aged in terms of appearance and feel over time and use? Does it burnish and the patterns flatten a little, or pretty much remain the way it was from day one?
 

PairOfDerby's

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OK, a question for EG aficionados...

Most of my shoes are Church's. I love their shoes. They are extremely comfortable and that is very important to me.
I don't care for fiddle back waists or hidden channel soles. All my shoes would be classed as country.
For my next pair, I'm looking for a pair of Chukka boots. (I don't want to start an argument but, by chukka, I mean leather as I consider suede chukkas to be desert boots. )

Church's don't make chukkas so I'm looking at Crockett and Jones Chiltern or Chepstow and the EG Banbury. I have a pair of C and J Conniston on the same last and they fit me well although I find them quite hard in the foot bed.

The Banbury look gorgeous but, and here is where I get to the actual question, this will be my first pair of EG and I want to know if it is worth and extra £700 for the Banbury over the Crockett and Jones Chepstow and if so, why?
 

JustPullHarder

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Forgot to ask, how has the leather aged in terms of appearance and feel over time and use? Does it burnish and the patterns flatten a little, or pretty much remain the way it was from day one?
Neither should flatten. The antiquing is dyed into the leather. The pattern is hatched at the tannery.
 

te0o

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Oh yes in terms of finishing and leather, EG is levels above Loake and Barker black.
You eyeing the Dover and Galway are musts for any dedicated EG owner. I'd also add the Chelsea for a formal captoe.

You'd probably hear folks that will make a case for the Piccadilly, Cadogan, and Cardiff. All of which are beauties, but a few other companies make more than capable alternatives.

The three heavyweights which have no real alternatives or replacements (again) are the Galway, Chelsea, and the quintessential EG shoe.. the one SpTD that rules them all, the Dover!
Quite right. I already own a couple of Chelseas. I think with the Chelseas the differentiating factor is how understated it is. I've been really impressed with the quality of the uppers there, especially the black boxcalf.

In terms of loafers, I know a lot of people here probably prefer the Piccadilly but I'm a big fan of the Belgravia. I think the tassels add that je ne sais quoi about them, fancy but quite traditional at the same time.

Here's a photo of my very small EG collection so far - 915, 888, 184, 202.
IMG_0654.jpeg
 

te0o

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Finally got around to polishing the DOAK Chelseas I snagged from the sample sale.

IMG_0636.jpeg

IMG_0639.jpeg

DOAK is surprisingly difficult to photograph, it switches from deep brown to cognac depending on the lighting. Anyway, quite happy with how they turned out.

These had to go back to the factory to get fixed after the joint installing the metal toe taps managed to sand away the fudging on the welt. Came back with more pronounced fudging than I've ever seen on EG but I actually kind of like it.
 

BColl_Has_Too_Many_Shoes

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Forgot to ask, how has the leather aged in terms of appearance and feel over time and use? Does it burnish and the patterns flatten a little, or pretty much remain the way it was from day one?
Neither should flatten. The antiquing is dyed into the leather. The pattern is hatched at the tannery.

+1..
I'd add that the leather does soften with time.
As for your patinas with time query (aspect of a vegetable tanned leather), in my case no. Perhaps those with a lighter colored pair have had a different experience.

As @JustPullHarder mentioned, doubtful the color changes much or patinas. The chrome tanning aspect should prevent much of that from occurring.
 

BColl_Has_Too_Many_Shoes

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Quite right. I already own a couple of Chelseas. I think with the Chelseas the differentiating factor is how understated it is. I've been really impressed with the quality of the uppers there, especially the black boxcalf.

In terms of loafers, I know a lot of people here probably prefer the Piccadilly but I'm a big fan of the Belgravia. I think the tassels add that je ne sais quoi about them, fancy but quite traditional at the same time.

Here's a photo of my very small EG collection so far - 915, 888, 184, 202.
View attachment 1716671

I agree with you. I prefer the tasseled Belgravia over the penny. I will say that tasseled loafers come off as douchebaggy, but I like that ?. Kind of a preppy version of a too cool for school. ??

Damn fine shine you put on those pairs. ??
 

BColl_Has_Too_Many_Shoes

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OK, a question for EG aficionados...

Most of my shoes are Church's. I love their shoes. They are extremely comfortable and that is very important to me.
I don't care for fiddle back waists or hidden channel soles. All my shoes would be classed as country.
For my next pair, I'm looking for a pair of Chukka boots. (I don't want to start an argument but, by chukka, I mean leather as I consider suede chukkas to be desert boots. )

Church's don't make chukkas so I'm looking at Crockett and Jones Chiltern or Chepstow and the EG Banbury. I have a pair of C and J Conniston on the same last and they fit me well although I find them quite hard in the foot bed.

The Banbury look gorgeous but, and here is where I get to the actual question, this will be my first pair of EG and I want to know if it is worth and extra £700 for the Banbury over the Crockett and Jones Chepstow and if so, why?

First off, let me start off by stating that EG is my favorite RTW English brand. I think possibly my favorite RTW shoe brand period.

That said, if I could try on the Chiltern or Banbury I would select the better fitting pair. You already said that the 325 last fits well, so that covers that. The mystery then is the fit of the EG last. If you happen to be near the EG store or a retailer, bring the CJs with you for comparison.

Thereafter and again, select the pair that fits better. No replacing a proper fit, regardless of how much you favor one brand over another.

If you prefer a more direct response or a response to should I purchase the CJs over the EGs, I'll put it this way.

Construction EG vs CJ - same

Suede Leather EG vs CJ - EG has slightly better. I'll define better as ages more gracefully, but with suede (specifically) there isn't much between them, if anything. We are talking CJ handgrade suede leather.

Overall aesthetic EG vs CJ - this comes down to personal taste. The 325 is a capable versatile option. It won't turn heads, but not sure you'd need it to. The 202 (Banbury's last) is sleeker in comparison.

Were I in your shoes, no pun intended, I would make my decision based on fit (first) and anticipated usage. The 325 is more casual to a slightly smart last. The 202 can be dressed up more, so it can adapt more effectively when the time comes to dress it up. No wrong decision here as long as you purchase the better fitting pair that will see more utility.

Lastly, is the Banbury worth the extra £700 over the CJ Chepstow. Yes, but only if you use them more than you anticipate using the Chepstows. And, that they fit better ?.
 
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CLTesquire

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First real wear of the extreme brown Zug Cranleigh boots from Stefan. A couple comments:

- the leather is wonderful, has a nice grain, and isn’t dull like I thought Zug would be
- the leather is also really thick
- The shaft on the Cranleigh is fully lined, so, in combo with a really thick, and naturally stiffer leather, plus a hearty Ridgeway sole, the boots are very stiff right now
- I don’t plan on wearing these more than a couple hours the first couple times until they break in, but I anticipate they will be great after that
- if someone wanted a hardcore Galway on the 72 last, consider this

2588FA2D-9AF2-4D8D-BFAE-CEDE851D9341.jpeg
 

Tutu

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Finally got around to polishing the DOAK Chelseas I snagged from the sample sale.

View attachment 1716672
View attachment 1716673
DOAK is surprisingly difficult to photograph, it switches from deep brown to cognac depending on the lighting. Anyway, quite happy with how they turned out.

These had to go back to the factory to get fixed after the joint installing the metal toe taps managed to sand away the fudging on the welt. Came back with more pronounced fudging than I've ever seen on EG but I actually kind of like it.


How do you find the fittings on 915 last? I found them to be a bit off. Can anyone point out the problems and are there any recommendations please? thanks
 

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