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Florsheims?

1qaz2wsx3edc

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How are Florsheims shoes as a cheaper alternate to AE's? Decent quality? Good value for the price?

Thanks in advance!
 

KObalto

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Search the forum. There are a couple on here who like them but not many. Most are glued, not welted, which gives them a short life span. The last welted ones I had didn't last long either. I would wait for AEs on sale.
 

1qaz2wsx3edc

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Okay, thanks for the info.

I liked the style of a few of them, and they pretty reasonably priced. Will keep in mind about the glued/welted soles things.

In general how much longer does welted last compared to glued?

I'm pretty new to all this.
 

aravenel

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+1. Not worth it. Get some AEs on sale.
 

aravenel

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Originally Posted by 1qaz2wsx3edc
Okay, thanks for the info.

I liked the style of a few of them, and they pretty reasonably priced. Will keep in mind about the glued/welted soles things.

In general how much longer does welted last compared to glued?

I'm pretty new to all this.


Depends on a lot of things--how often you wear them, how much walking you do, etc. Let's put it this way though. I have a pair of AEs that I wear probably twice a week. They are a year and a half old, and they are still in *fantastic* condition. I had a pair of Johnston & Murphys, a shoe similar to Florsheims, and they fell completely apart in 8 months.
 

KObalto

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Glued shoes can generally be re-soled once, welted multiple times.
 

Leverandon

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Originally Posted by aravenel
Depends on a lot of things--how often you wear them, how much walking you do, etc. Let's put it this way though. I have a pair of AEs that I wear probably twice a week. They are a year and a half old, and they are still in *fantastic* condition. I had a pair of Johnston & Murphys, a shoe similar to Florsheims, and they fell completely apart in 8 months.

+1 My glued Johnston & Murphy's that I wore about twice a week lasted me about a year before the sole completely fell off the upper. I've had my AEs as long and they look like they just came out of the box. Save up your pennies and buy a pair of AEs.
 

Bandit44

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Depends on the shoe. The Florsheim Kenmoor is a welted shoe with a double sole and uses full-grain leather. The Veblen is also a welted shoe. But these are the exception to the rule.
 

Knucklehead

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I can vouch for the sturdiness of the Kenmoor. I got mine on ebay for 50 dollars. At that price point one can hardly lose.
 

Roger Everett

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If you get the Imperials ( $ 170 & up ), they aren't that awful bad. But not the greatest fit, and then there is that MADE IN INDIA printing inside. They are not any where near what they were years back, before they were bought out and used for their name, and quality took a nose dive.
 

isshinryu101

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Depends on how old the shoes are. If you can find Florsheims from pre-1980's, you've got some real solid shoes. They were still USA made, and pretty good.
 

kungapa

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Originally Posted by isshinryu101
Depends on how old the shoes are. If you can find Florsheims from pre-1980's, you've got some real solid shoes. They were still USA made, and pretty good.

I've got a pair of Imperial Gunboats in burgundy. Real solid!
 

pgd3

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Originally Posted by 1qaz2wsx3edc
In general how much longer does welted last compared to glued?.

Hard to compare really,

If someone owns 20 pairs of shoes, and wears a cemeted (glued) shoe 1 time a month, that shoe would likely last until it is either no longer stylish, or perhaps just plain "aged".

Where a true welted shoe shines is that if you wear it every 3rd day, or forbid, every day, the shoe will not come apart.

As a cemented shoe goes, if you own a pair of sneakers that you've worn a bit, they are cemented. When the sole starts to peel apart at the toe, that's the cement letting go.
 

Jamie Wynge

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I still have some spectators I bought in '01, Florsheims, that I wear once a month or so, and they are great. Comfortable and polish well, still on the first leather soles.
 

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