J&M Handmades NOT dead ?

[Christofuh]

Had a conversation with a veteran J&M salesman ( 40 years ) who:

A. Knew right away what I was talking about. ( Usually you get the sorta stare as though your hair is on fire when bringing that topic up with pinhead floor people.)

B. Claimed they sell only as MTMs for $650 rather than $1000, and are crafted @ their TN factory.

Does this stuff make any sense to you

 

[Jerry52]

Good news if true! My father was very loyal to Johnston & Murphy when they definitely were an American-made shoe. All I know is that supposedly they have one line, I'm thinking it's called Diplomat or Ambassador, which is still US-made. Whether "hand-made" I don't know. It'll be interesting to hear if anyone else in our community can shed some light. They have some sentimental meaning because they were my dad's shoe of choice.

Jerry

 

[VMan]

Jerry,

Not sure what line these are from, but they might be from the one of which you speak:

They do have this model at $265 (suspiciously similar in name and style to the AE Park Avenue):

http://www.johnstonmurphy.com/catalo...rd&PLOID=22178

And this at $350:

http://www.johnstonmurphy.com/catalo...rd&PLOID=21820

Though, at those prices, I would assume AE or Alden to represent a better value.

 

[jmatt]

I found this on their website:

http://www.johnstonmurphy.com/custom_select.aspx

 

[Get Smart]

Originally Posted by VMan

They do have this model at $265 (suspiciously similar in name and style to the AE Park Avenue):

http://www.johnstonmurphy.com/catalo...rd&PLOID=22178


my friend just got that shoe with slight broguing along the captoe from JM....it's actually a very nice shoe and in that price range at full retail, the high end JM offerings are more interesting to me than Allen Edmonds, which have zero aesthetic appeal, at least *to me*. Compare JM's medallion'd wholecut ($285) to AE's wholecut ($295) and it's a no-brainer, the JM is very much like a Weymouth in appearance, whereas the AE looks like a log.

also, my favorite penny loafer is the JM 'ski moc' beefroll with back kickstay. Styled after the sebago/florsheim classic beefroll but MUCH more comfortable and a bit heftier looking which i like in loafers, which are usually too dainty for me.

 

[Jerry52]

Vman and Jmatt you both had interesting links.

Unfortunately there is not a JM store near me, and the few odd JM shoes I've seen around here at other dealers didn't impress me a lot- but they were from their average line, not the premium.

I suppose the only way to directly compare $300 JM, AE and Alden head-to-head would be if one walk-in dealer carried them all. Maybe that dealer exists, but not to me.

I enjoyed your comments too, Get Smart.

Christofuh posted great pics, although that perforated toe isn't my thing personally.

Jerry

 

[jml90]

JM makes a wholecut?

 

[jmatt]

Originally Posted by jml90

JM makes a wholecut?
I failed to find that one on-line. Which doesn't mean they don't make one, it just means "I failed to find that one on-line."

 

[Henry Boogers]

Originally Posted by jml90

JM makes a wholecut?

Yes. Well, sort of. I have repeatedly seen on Ebay a fairly decent J&M brown 'wholecut'. A wholecut in the way that the Loake version of the Weymouth is a wholecut, which is to say there is stitching on the sides but none on front of the shoe and it features a floating medallion.

 

[Teacher]

The Diplomat, Ambassador, and Regent were the three Handmade styles. If they're still being made, this would be very cool.

 

[SGladwell]

Originally Posted by Get Smart

also, my favorite penny loafer is the JM 'ski moc' beefroll with back kickstay. Styled after the sebago/florsheim classic beefroll but MUCH more comfortable and a bit heftier looking which i like in loafers, which are usually too dainty for me.

Have you tried the JM Weston 180? Most loafers are a little to precious for me, too, but the I love the 180, with its higher toebox and beefier style.

I assume it's in a different price class from the JM, though.

 

[Get Smart]

Originally Posted by SGladwell

Have you tried the JM Weston 180? Most loafers are a little to precious for me, too, but the I love the 180, with its higher toebox and beefier style.

I assume it's in a different price class from the JM, though.

nope, but thanks for the suggestion, will look into the JMW180 as some point i'd like to upgrade my penny loafer to a more higher end version, if I can find the right styling.

the JM wholecut isnt on the website, but it's at their stores. And yes, it is much like the loake norwich wholecut

 

[whnay.]

Originally Posted by SGladwell

Have you tried the JM Weston 180? Most loafers are a little to precious for me, too, but the I love the 180, with its higher toebox and beefier style.

I assume it's in a different price class from the JM, though.
Indeed, one of the most classic loafers out on the market.

 

[Shoe-nut]

I had been under the impression that their custom shoes were not being made any more. A number of years ago it was dropped from the store catalog and I assumed that it was history.

If they still make their spade style like shown in the image at the beginning of this thread I would consider ordering a pair. I have always had good luck with J&M shoes.

 

[PhiloVance]

Those are my handmades!