Hello, My Name Is... (I bought my first pair of expensive shoes!)

[HORNS]

Originally Posted by habituÃ

Sure. But most certainly not for walking the whole day on concrete either, not to speak about longer life and higher weight. Most modern men have some sort of foot defects that might cause problems as they become older. Often this has to do with wrong footwear during childhood - where we should have walked the whole day on grass. A good mixture between using the muscles of the feet and support is essential.

You need to learn, when making statements that are conjecture and theories, to note them as such. I'd like for you to find me a link or piece of literature that supports what you state as a fact in this post.

I bet there's a lot of people out there that have Allen Edmonds and such other shoes that they've worn for decades with no problems - and that their feet feel fine while not following the criteria that you imply to be written in granite.

 

[Franky In T.O.]

Originally Posted by whiteslashasian

I have yet to go through a harsh winter with "nice" shoes however it's my understanding that with enough preparation, the wax polish should be enough for fairly mild water protection. If you really want to keep your shoes safe from harm you should look into overshoes or perhaps something more waterproof, with a rubber/dainite sole and goretex lining, for your commute.

I definitely won't be walking through snow banks with these shoes.

But what will happen during these Fall days is the weather will be fine and then there will be light flurries here and there. Too early for boots, but never too early to protect shoes.

 

[FreedBird]

Originally Posted by habituÃ

Don't go for AE. For some strange reason (costs?) they don't use a shank piece for their shoes. Not good for your feet.

It does not affect the comfort of the shoe but in the long run it won't give your feet the support they need. Run arround your whole life in sneakers and the same thing will happen. Only if you have a perfect set of feet it won't impact you.

Of course there is nothing to say against a pair or more of AE as part of the rotation.

Just to clear this up AE does use a shank in their construction even though the marketing term they use is "shankless construction." They just use a plastic shank in place of where metal shanks were traditionally used. There shouldn't be any difference in arch support between a shoe with a metal or plastic shank as long as the shoe supports your arch properly in the first place.

 

[Atlantic herring]

Here's a link that might light some shade on the shank discussion. From what i gather, it has nothing to do with support for the feet but rather for the shoes, the support part is just misunderstood.

http://the-last-shall-be-first.blogs...on-shanks.html

 

[FreedBird]

Originally Posted by Atlantic herring

Here's a link that might light some shade on the shank discussion. From what i gather, it has nothing to do with support for the feet but rather for the shoes, the support part is just misunderstood.

http://the-last-shall-be-first.blogs...on-shanks.html

You are right that the shank supports the construction of a dress shoe, but it does also provide arch support to make the shoe more comfortable. You will notice a difference if you have a pair of driving shoes or something similar with no contour for the arch of the foot. Your feet will absolutely kill if you spend a significant amount of time standing on them.

 

[habitue]

Originally Posted by HORNS

Sure. But most certainly not for walking the whole day on concrete either, not to speak about longer life and higher weight. Most modern men have some sort of foot defects that might cause problems as they become older. Often this has to do with wrong footwear during childhood - where we should have walked the whole day on grass. A good mixture between using the muscles of the feet and support is essential.

You need to learn, when making statements that are conjecture and theories, to note them as such. I'd like for you to find me a link or piece of literature that supports what you state as a fact in this post.

That's IMHO common sense among podiatrists. To lazy to surf the web for that right now.

 

[habitue]

I think the views you have expressed re: footwear are way too judgmental. AE makes a fine shoe that provides more than adequate support and the company has done so for quite a number of years. The lack of a steel shank neither compromises the support nor the longevity of the shoe. It is just a design feature of the particular shoe line.

If you like to believe that.

Blake stitched shoes are not inherently inferior to goodyear welted. There are very poorly made shoddy goodyear welted and very nice Blake stitched. In this regard the debate is not dissimilar to that involving fusing v. canvasing. And, there can be stylistic advantages in selecting a Blake stitched shoe. Accordingly, while there may be good reasons to disfavor a particular pair of shoes, Blake stitching alone is not enough.

Agree. But as stated in a previous post in this case most probably Blake was choosen to save money. Somehow you have to finance your ad campaigns... But again: Just my personal opinion.

I also find your ranking to be curious. For example, placing Church above Grenson Master pice level. Also, Zillions of others? I sure wish that were true.

I'm sorry I hurt your feelings. Grenson Master piece is a fine shoe. However my name dropping was purely random, no ranking intented. By Zillions I meant dozens.

Finally, I do think the tone of your original post could have been more constructive.

I see what you mean.

 

[HORNS]

Originally Posted by habituÃ

That's IMHO common sense among podiatrists. To lazy to surf the web for that right now.

I see . . .

 

[NH_Clark]

Hi Franky and welcome to SF! As you can see through this thread, and others, there are various opinions on style and quality.. but consistently there are shoe brands that keep getting mentioned; Edward Green, Crockett & Jones, Grenson, etc. that are known for their quality and nowadays even price. There is some tough love on this thread and other threads as it pertains to brands and price. Most speak from experience so absorb it and put it to use when you can. I've learned a ton during the short time I've been here.

Also, take a peak in the Buying and Selling sections. Some of us have fun playing hide and go seek on eBay for those "gems" that hide in the murky depths of eBay junk. This is the thread where some really nice or interesting finds/auctions are highlighted: http://www.styleforum.net/showthread...=9013&page=791
I don't know your size in shoes but you can keep an eye on Ron Rider's eBay store for some incredible shoes (he's got some up there now that are gorgeous!): http://cgi.ebay.com/Romano-Martegani...742.m153.l1262

In the Buying and Selling area: http://www.styleforum.net/forumdisplay.php?f=20 our own forum members have some great items for sell, you should make a habit of passing through there at least daily to see if something catches your eye.

Lastly, read..read and read some more. There are tons of threads here that talk about brands, quality, fit and price. Be wary of buying name brands for name brand sake. Make sure it is of good quality, that you like the look and the price is right for you.

 

[Franky In T.O.]

pebble something or other = pebble grain