Florsheim Cordovan Wingtip

[Gordon Freeman]

Howdy,
I saw these for sale and wonder how the quality is and what to pay for.
Advertised as barely worn with leather uppers/ leather and rubber soles, with minor creasing across the toes.
No further info was given.
Any advice is appreciated.
Thanks

 

[well-kept]

Every indication is... cordovan-colored calfskin. Recent manufacture.

 

[Gordon Freeman]

Is calfskin not good?

 

[jml90]

Originally Posted by Gordon Freeman

Is calfskin not good?
No, it could be good depending on who made it. Those are cordovan colored corrected grain (corrected is not). Probably outsourced to Asia.

 

[DocHolliday]

Originally Posted by Gordon Freeman

Is calfskin not good?

To elaborate, the implication is that they're not shell cordovan -- a pricey, durable material made from horse rump. There are often posts here seeking to identify whether shoes are made of shell cordovan or cordovan-colored calfskin, as shell is considered very desirable in some quarters. But that's not to imply that there's anything wrong with cordovan-color calfskin. (Unless, as jml notes, it's poor quality calfskin.)

Hope I didn't just bore you with stuff you already knew.

 

[Gordon Freeman]

Thanks for the explanation, I didn't know that.
These are made by Florsheim, are gently used and have a current bid of 23.50

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...ayphotohosting

 

[Bradford]

Were you the winner?

 

[Gordon Freeman]

No, I was busy eyeing these instead

http://www.zappos.com/n/p/p/7146418.html

Is it possible to buy Cordovans for around $ 250 ?

 

[zjpj83]

Originally Posted by Gordon Freeman

No, I was busy eyeing these instead

http://www.zappos.com/n/p/p/7146418.html

Is it possible to buy Cordovans for around $ 250 ?
Cheaper here http://www.sierratradingpost.com/pro...xford--For-Men

Yes, you can buy shell cordovan for about $250 if you really wait long and hard. You are more likely to find them on Ebay or Polo.com for about $300.

 

[dkzzzz]

Originally Posted by jml90

No, it could be good depending on who made it. Those are cordovan colored corrected grain (corrected is not). Probably outsourced to Asia.

May I ask what does it mean corrected grain and how one can determine that it is such from this picture? Also, I would appreciate if you could give me a few pointers as to how you determined that the corrected grain on these shoes is not corrected or particularly bad.

Thank you I appreciate a good lesson.

 

[DocHolliday]

Originally Posted by dkzzzz

May I ask what does it mean corrected grain and how one can determine that it is such from this picture? Also, I would appreciate if you could give me a few pointers as to how you determined that the corrected grain on these shoes is not corrected or particularly bad.

Thank you I appreciate a good lesson.

Corrected grain means that the leather had flaws and its appearance has been corrected. It's lesser quality leather, in short. The best leather, non-corrected top grain, has a depth of color and a life corrected grain lacks.

Corrected grain is sometimes very easy to spot, and sometimes very difficult. Any shoe that looks plasticky is usually corrected grain (if it's not plastic); any shoe that looks excessively shiny is usually corrected grain; and any shoe that looks unnaturally uniform in color and appearance is usually corrected grain.

One big tipoff is price: Most shoes short of AE level/price will be corrected grain. (Even some AEs use corrected grain.)

 

[nighttrain7404]

Originally Posted by DocHolliday

Corrected grain means that the leather had flaws and its appearance has been corrected. It's lesser quality leather, in short. The best leather, non-corrected top grain, has a depth of color and a life corrected grain lacks.

Corrected grain is sometimes very easy to spot, and sometimes very difficult. Any shoe that looks plasticky is usually corrected grain (if it's not plastic); any shoe that looks excessively shiny is usually corrected grain; and any shoe that looks unnaturally uniform in color and appearance is usually corrected grain.

One big tipoff is price: Most shoes short of AE level/price will be corrected grain. (Even some AEs use corrected grain.)

hmmm..my 350 dollar bally shoes(didn't pay 350..paid 50)...have a shiney finish..I wonder if they're "corrected".

But, if you look at the shoes on the aldenshoes site, they all look extra shiney also...

Would that mean......they are "corrected"?

 

[NoVaguy]

Originally Posted by nighttrain7404

hmmm..my 350 dollar bally shoes(didn't pay 350..paid 50)...have a shiney finish..I wonder if they're "corrected".

But, if you look at the shoes on the aldenshoes site, they all look extra shiney also...

Would that mean......they are "corrected"?

Bally - probably yes, although I don't know. Bally's 350 line are about as good as other shoes that retail for 200.

Alden? most likely not.

 

[DocHolliday]

It can be tricky to judge leather quality in real life, much less in pics. The Aldens shouldn't be corrected grain, though. Good leather can be polished to a high shine, but rarely will they come from the store in that fashion.

My trick for judging leather quality when you're first starting out: Smell the shoes. Good leather has that distinct aroma, and poor-quality shoes usually lack it. Some cheap shoes even smell of chemicals.

Not fullproof, of course, but another tool for the toolbox.

 

[grimslade]

What size shoe are you? I have a pair of Allen-Edmonds shell cordovan wing tips coming in in a 12.5. If they don't fit, I can let you have them at my cost, which is under $250.