Florsheim by Duckie Brown Cordovan Shoe & Boot Thread

[NAMOR]

During the recent Brooks Brothers sale, I purchased the tan cordovan longwing made by Duckie "Duckey" Brown. I got them in the mail today and here is what they look like:

As you can see from the various closeups, the leather looks poor for Cordovan and its made by Horween to boot. The color is "tan" but looks really flat for shell; no luster. The dark spots on the vamp seemed to have been caused from excess/leaking tanning oils. Also, the right heel is as wide as a softball. Shoes appear to be in brand new condition so I have no explanation for this. The quality seems to be several notches below Alden. Stitching is loose in some areas and the shoes smell like lacquer, presumably from the sole dressing. As some other posters previously mentioned, these are in fact made in India. One plus is that these shoes fit great. SO question, should I keep these? I want a pair of Alden LWs in whiskey but I am not ready to pay $650 for a pair. After taxes, shipping, etc I paid ~$360 out of pocket for these. They retail for $575 before taxes & shipping on the BB website

Sizing:

Size down a half size, they run large. I take the same size in DB as I do barrie, trubalance, and grant last

 

[Mr. Moo]

send those things back to where they came from.

 

[acecow]

They look like a chocolate cookie. Or maybe I'm just hungry.

 

[SpooPoker]

Originally Posted by NAMOR

 

[xudisco07]

Originally Posted by Mr. Moo

send those things back to where they came from.
+1. I was not impressed with their cordovan shoes at all. My only experience is with the BB C&J cordovan boots. C&J were so much nicer.

 

[NAMOR]

Originally Posted by NAMOR

the shoes smell like lacquer, presumably from the sole dressing.
I stepped out of my room for a minute and when I came back in, the smell of lacquer just filled my nostrils. Damn, damn, damn, shoes fit great. But thats the only thing going for this pair. I hate self-induced shoe drama

 

[acecow]

Just return them, man. Obviously, they aren't working out for you... too many doubts.

 

[Newlaw]

So what is the future line-up for BB? Right now I thought it was something along the lines of:

Cordovan = Alden
Peal & Co = C&J
Dress Calf = ??

What is the new line-up?

 

[NAMOR]

Originally Posted by Newlaw

So what is the future line-up for BB? Right now I thought it was something along the lines of: Cordovan = Alden/Duckey Brown

Peal & Co = C&J Dress Calf = Allen Edmonds What is the new line-up?

Originally Posted by acecow

Just return them, man. Obviously, they aren't working out for you... too many doubts.
already boxed up

 

[Newlaw]

Originally Posted by NAMOR

already boxed up

lol wow. Thanks for filling in the line-up.

When I first opened the thread and saw the picture, I immediately thought "corrected grain??" Sorry they didn't work out for you.

 

[ryoneo]

Originally Posted by SpooPoker

DOMO!!!

 

[MyOtherLife]

I would have kept them.

 

[isshinryu101]

I am of the belief that the quality of Horween shell cordovan has GREATLY declined over the years. I'm not sure if it's only certain batches, but I've een some real CRAP shell in recent years. I had a pair of new AE MacNeil's that had the dullest looking shell I had seen. No amount of brushing could bring it up, so they got sold.

Even some of the Alden shell I've seen from more recent models seems to be of lower quality than older shell used by Alden. The more recent Alden shell I've handled wasn't in the same class as the old Florsheim v-cleat shell, WHICH REALLY POPS!

If someone was trying to buy some cordo long-wings, I would HAVE to suggest just getting a pair of old Florsheim v-cleats, or an older Alden model. Unless it's NOS, the vintage shells are a great bargain, I think. Florsheim v-cleats with minimal wear run from $125-$175 on ebay, and vintage Aldens maybe 2x that. ALSO, the construction was great then.

As for the construction issues, what we see here is EXACTLY what we should expect from China or India made shoes.

 

[isshinryu101]

Originally Posted by Man Of Lint

I would have kept them.

With so many cordo longwing options available, may I ask why you'd keep them?

 

[The Deacon]

If you aired them out for a few weeks and then used Saphir wouldn't that have handled the smell and provided the requisite shine? Just askin', that's a great price for new tan shell.