Loake 1880 (as opposed to c & j hg)

[johnnynorman3]

I was THIS close to ordering some C & J handgrades, but I decided I needed a pair of boots more so I ordered the cordovan chukkas from Bluefly. But I still really need a pair of dark brown shoes. Originally, I was considering the Audly or Weymouth from C & J in the dark brown antiqued. Well, with my chukka purchase, I'd like to save money if possible while still getting some "eye catching" high quality shoes. These Loakes just look so good, and would only be $220 from Pediwear. Am I crazy or are these very similar looking -- even down to the antiqued look -- of the C & J's? Anyone have any specific experience with these? Should I just bite the bullet and stay with C & J? (I can afford and want high quality shoes, but obviously like getting good bang for the buck -- would the Loakes end up being disappointing to me?). Loake "Weymouth look alikes"

 

[AlanC]

I think they're nice looking shoes, personally, although I have no experience with Loake at all. RJMan on AskAndy bought some Tricker's wholecuts, which he liked: Ask Andy thread I think they might be a tad pricier than the Loake's, though. I vote you be the guinea pig and order these Loake's with a full review to follow.

 

[Wick]

If you order from Bluefly, use this code: MISSEDYOU557 (or 593). I ordered a pair of Polo Hayward's last night and one of those codes, I believe it was 557, gave me the 15% discount.

 

[Urbane]

Buy them. I like the brand - they are well made and well priced - and the shoe pictured is attractive.

 

[jcusey]

Am I crazy or are these very similar looking -- even down to the antiqued look -- of the C & J's?

Well, Weymouth is a wholecut while these aren't, but the look is similar. That's not a surprise: the English manufacturers tend to have similar pattern repertoires, and I could get a similar shoe from several different sources.

Should I just bite the bullet and stay with C & J? (I can afford and want high quality shoes, but obviously like getting good bang for the buck -- would the Loakes end up being disappointing to me?).

The only way that you're going to know for sure whether C&J Handgrade shoes are worth the price differential over these shoes is to try both and learn from experience. It sounds like you really want to order the Loakes. You probably should, if only so that you won't have to wonder whether you made a mistake by paying more. The only thing to beware of is that the Loake shoe that you're considering comes in a UK F width, which roughly translates to a US E. If your feet aren't wider than average, you may be swimming a bit in the Loake shoes.

 

[dah328]

If you decide to buy the Loakes, let us know how they turn out. At that price point, they're very attractive.

dan

 

[TKDKid]

These Loakes just look so good, and would only be $220 from Pediwear.

I think they're slightly cheaper from PLal. Â In any case, they've got a couple of pictures of the shoe from different angles which may help you decide either way: http://www.plal.com/loakes/loa5.jpg http://www.plal.com/loakes/loa6.jpg