briancl
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I have tried a number of shoes on and done some research, and I'm about to make the following purchase (probably scattered across a few months). I have a few questions.
#1 All Weather: AE Perry in black (9D): http://www.zappos.com/n/p/dp/4046073.../men/s/11.html
#2 Brown: C&J Audley in Dark Brown Antique Calf (8.0E): http://www.crockettandjones.co.uk/handgrade-audley.html
#3 Black: C&J Hallam in Black Calf (8.0E): http://www.crockettandjones.co.uk/oxfords-hallam.html
One, I live in Chicago, and I work all over the country, so I get stuck in some poor weather fairly frequently. I like the idea of having a purpose built all-weather shoe such as the AE Perry for those occasions, and I also like the idea that it is relatively cheap, so if it gets destroyed, I can simply replace it. Aesthetically, the shoe is a bit frumpy, and I don't love the look of the double sole, but it serves its purpose. However, I do appreciate the punch cap toe detailing. My question is this: should I bother with this shoe at all? Could I serve my same purpose with just a single dainite sole C&J Hallam in Black Cavalry Calf, and combine shoe #1 and #3? Would it be wise to walk on ice and through rainy/slushy Chicago winters in the rubber soled C&J Hallam, or would I be damaging the shoe? Obviously, I wouldn't be outside shoveling snow in any of these shoes; this would be purely for walking to/from work and other similar events. One thing to consider is that my commute is to a client and not my own personal office, so I can't just wear my winter boots to work and then change on arrival.
Two, I have spent a lot of time trying to find the right combination of shoes. I don't have a huge budget, but I really appreciate the quality of higher end shoes, so I need to find what works best for me with just a few pairs. That said, I realize the Audley and Hallam are basically the same look. I would prefer the Belgrave for shoe #2, but the red tinted brown doesn't do it for me. I do really like the Dark Brown Antique Calf color of the Audley.... So my question is this.. is there another non-chestnut colored brown C&J shoe on either the 337 or 348 last I should consider? I like a punch cap toe, but I can't seem to find any that fit my requirements..
Third, I tried on a C&J Hallam in 7.5E UK while in London recently, and they were actually not so bad. Definitely snug, but the leather felt soft and it seemed like it would stretch. If they fit in this way, should I stick with that 7.5E UK, or go with the 8.0E UK which also seemed to fit fine.. just not so tight? I guess the question is, will the 8.0's stretch later to the point where they are loose? I am typically a 9.0D US in just about everything I try on, and an 8.5 AE Perry I just tried was too tight, so normal sizing conventions suggest I go with the "size down 1" for C&J UK sizing and stick with the 8.0E UK.
Thanks..
#1 All Weather: AE Perry in black (9D): http://www.zappos.com/n/p/dp/4046073.../men/s/11.html
#2 Brown: C&J Audley in Dark Brown Antique Calf (8.0E): http://www.crockettandjones.co.uk/handgrade-audley.html
#3 Black: C&J Hallam in Black Calf (8.0E): http://www.crockettandjones.co.uk/oxfords-hallam.html
One, I live in Chicago, and I work all over the country, so I get stuck in some poor weather fairly frequently. I like the idea of having a purpose built all-weather shoe such as the AE Perry for those occasions, and I also like the idea that it is relatively cheap, so if it gets destroyed, I can simply replace it. Aesthetically, the shoe is a bit frumpy, and I don't love the look of the double sole, but it serves its purpose. However, I do appreciate the punch cap toe detailing. My question is this: should I bother with this shoe at all? Could I serve my same purpose with just a single dainite sole C&J Hallam in Black Cavalry Calf, and combine shoe #1 and #3? Would it be wise to walk on ice and through rainy/slushy Chicago winters in the rubber soled C&J Hallam, or would I be damaging the shoe? Obviously, I wouldn't be outside shoveling snow in any of these shoes; this would be purely for walking to/from work and other similar events. One thing to consider is that my commute is to a client and not my own personal office, so I can't just wear my winter boots to work and then change on arrival.
Two, I have spent a lot of time trying to find the right combination of shoes. I don't have a huge budget, but I really appreciate the quality of higher end shoes, so I need to find what works best for me with just a few pairs. That said, I realize the Audley and Hallam are basically the same look. I would prefer the Belgrave for shoe #2, but the red tinted brown doesn't do it for me. I do really like the Dark Brown Antique Calf color of the Audley.... So my question is this.. is there another non-chestnut colored brown C&J shoe on either the 337 or 348 last I should consider? I like a punch cap toe, but I can't seem to find any that fit my requirements..
Third, I tried on a C&J Hallam in 7.5E UK while in London recently, and they were actually not so bad. Definitely snug, but the leather felt soft and it seemed like it would stretch. If they fit in this way, should I stick with that 7.5E UK, or go with the 8.0E UK which also seemed to fit fine.. just not so tight? I guess the question is, will the 8.0's stretch later to the point where they are loose? I am typically a 9.0D US in just about everything I try on, and an 8.5 AE Perry I just tried was too tight, so normal sizing conventions suggest I go with the "size down 1" for C&J UK sizing and stick with the 8.0E UK.
Thanks..