John Lobb vs Crockett & Jones vs Edward Green

[Michael69]

Edward Green is definitely the no.1 for me.....

I have 7 pairs of these and prefer both the fit and the look to the JL's that I have, although there's no doubt Lobbs are of the utmost quality, I guess it comes down to a matter of personal taste (as well as, more importantly, fit)

I guess I love the more overall more "traditional" look and feel of EG; somehow they feel more substantial to me than Lobbs (I don't mean to decry the quality of construction, don't get me wrong, it's just they seem a bit less robust to me, even though I know they're not)

C&J handgrade are lovely, but I personally don't like the 337 last when I'm wearing it (I know, I know many people love it!): it's simply too long for my taste.

After EG, it's Trickers, Grenson (Rose) and Sargent (premier) for me; less refined, but great quality/

 

[vitix]

Originally Posted by Amar ezzahi

I would prefer JL for the leather and EG for the lasts.

Quite the same, I've been impressed by the leather on vale. It's better than all I ve ever seen before except maybe bespoke.

 

[academe]

I don't own any Lobbs, but I do own benchgrade C&Js as well as Edward Greens. Whilst I generally prefer the leather and the styling of EG over C&J, I find that the C&J lasts tend to fit my feet better than the EGs. On those grounds alone, I think I'll continue to buy C&Js rather than EG. I may pickup some handgrades in the future, but I do like the value offered by the benchgrades. I suppose my advice would be for you to try on as many different pairs as you can, to figure out which lasts and manufacturers suit your feet the best. Also, one's tolerance for goodness of fit may vary with your lifestyle. I generally put quite a few miles on my shoes as I prefer walking and public transportation for my daily commute. If I was living in the US and spent a lot of time driving, and my entire walking experience was relegated to getting in and out of car parks and wandering around carpeted offices, my tolerance for the poorer fit of my EGs might be slightly higher.

 

[Alias]

Just go with what fits best. Your feet (and you) will suffer a lot more with pretty shoes that are ill-fitting.

 

[Maximillion]

I just returned from London (the pound is 1:1 with the Euro!) and faced the same "question" on Jermyn St.

With my (unfortunately still limited budget) the C&J seemed to be the best value for money. Most models were 200 to 265 pounds (NOT sale items) and most models look very good (in my opinion). I got nice black monks and very classic cap toe oxfords...the availabilty of brown models (not chestnut) was a problem. I would have bought a lot more if....
The staff was very nice but not very experienced. (I really didn't like the store and staff in the Picadilly Arcade!!)

My impression with the JL was a lot like Bengal Stripes' post. They try really hard to be "fashion" and look like Berluti. I didn't like the shop and the sales people. Very "cold" - pretty much like the typical Hermes/Gucci store in every big city. Some of the shoes are nice - but range between 550 and 750 pounds.

I really loved the EGs - they seem to be always a little bit more refined than the C&Js. BUT they come at 540 pounds. They did not have many models in the shop. I would have bought brown and black captoes in the 202 last (which fits me perfertly) - but they were not available. If I had an extra couple of thousand euros I would just order my MTO at EG...does anyone know, what they charge for MTO?

Last not least I was at JL Bespoke. Very nice guys, wonderful workshop. If I wouldn't have to mind the 2300 pounds a pair, I would go for them.

My 2 cents.

Max

 

[Artisan Fan]

Originally Posted by grimslade

I sort of agree with Ed, actually. I find leather qualities to be somewhat variable anyway--it's a natural product, after all. The reason to buy EGs over C&Js is because they don't make the same shoes. I find Church's lasts to be not particularly attractive, and feel the same way about Alfred Sargent. OTOH, I have a pair of black captoes from C&J that EG just doesn't make the equivalent of. I have two from EG and they're both good-looking shoes, but in that particular design, I like my Whitehalls marginally better.

I'm being a little muddled about this, but my point is that god is in the details. The EGs often get little things right in matters of proportion or detail that will be wrong elsewhere. If you care enough to get the very best, often you have little choice. You can get the Sargent, and it will be 90% of the shoe that the EG is at 50% or less of the price. So the question is whether you care about that last 10%.

C&J does machine last all their shoes, FWIW.

I agree with this, but find the EG lasts seems to fit me slightly better than Lobb.