London: shoe store?

[Air]

Looking for a good store to buy classic (Oxford) shoes in London.

I want to find some nice shoes for the office which are not too expensive (~ £100). I've been in London before on Jermyn street but the prices were higher. Any other tips?..

Many thanks!

 

[Loathing]

I don't think you'll be able to find a nice oxford for £100 in London. Any chance of you stretching the budget a bit?

 

[forzagaribaldi]

not connected with them but was in John Rushton Shoes for the first time on the weekend to get some polish and brushes and they may be of use. They have a range of british shoes from cheaper and more expensive manufacturers (some of which you'll have visited I guess in St James).

May be a bit over 100 quid but reckon you could probably get some oxfords for around £150. Owner and staff seemed friendly and knowledgable too if you need any advice. They're just north of Oxford Street, on Wimpole Street I think.

 

[forzagaribaldi]

T Jackson who are up in Yorkshire but sell on ebay are also worth a look. Not sure who makes the ones branded for them but I bought a pair of Sanders cap toe brogues on the cheap the other week from them for ~£70. Decent work shoe.

There are some discussions about them here on SF if you take a look. My Dad has been to the shop and says it's hilarious"”the owner is really getting on and you can barely move for teetering stacks of boxes everywhere

 

[Marcellionheart]

Try Discount Shoe Store in Strutton Ground. You can pick up some Loakes sub £100 there

 

[VelvetGreen]

You could try a few shops on Regent Street - perhaps drop in on Barker. However, my advice is give Herring shoes a go online. Many SFers are big fans, and the product is good at a good price. Perhaps look at the clearance section - I picked up a superb pair of black Oxfords a few months ago for almost 50% off sale price.

 

[forzagaribaldi]

Some people don't like getting second hand shoes and don't know your circumstances but there are bargains to be had in charity shops in certain parts of London. May be worth considering

I got these C&J Weymouths in Hampstead a few weeks ago for the princely sum of £12...

Few scratches on them and spent a couple of hours cleaning them up. Still had the original soles though pretty worn and now replaced.

 

[SimonC]

If the OP is looking for a pair of classic black Oxfords, I think the charity shop route may be a red herring - the chances of finding a good quality pair with the right fit and no fatal defects is pretty unlikely (trust me - I've been doing this for a few years and purchased every 'right' pair I came across, and I only have three pairs of thrifted black work shoes).

In terms of a London location to view and try on, I'd second the recommendation to try John Rushton - they often have limited-stock / overstock ranges in the £100 region. If Charles Tyrwhitt or T M Lewin are having a sale they'll often have classic styles for not much more than £100 and I was surprised by how well my Tyrwhitt semi-brogues held up even as winter shoes.

Travelling out a bit there's the usual reccommendation to try Bicester Village or the factory shops in Northampton (specifically thinking of C&J here).

 

[Loathing]

I've never done a factory visit before. How does it work, do you just turn up, or are there specific days?

ty in advance

 

[miurasv]

Originally Posted by forzagaribaldi

Some people don’t like getting second hand shoes and don’t know your circumstances but there are bargains to be had in charity shops in certain parts of London. May be worth considering I got these C&J Weymouths in Hampstead a few weeks ago for the princely sum of £12…

Few scratches on them and spent a couple of hours cleaning them up. Still had the original soles though pretty worn and now replaced.
You got a real bargain with the Weymouths. What did you replace the soles with? Did you send them back to Crockett and Jones? Air, if you want to get a pair of Loakes you can get them from Slater Menswear who I have found sell them cheaper than anybody. The nearest store is Basingstoke but I think they sell them on line too. They will have more models in store too. You could always give them a call. http://www.slaters.co.uk/en/store/search/?term=loake

 

[chet31]

Originally Posted by miurasv

You got a real bargain with the Weymouths. What did you replace the soles with? Did you send them back to Crockett and Jones?

Air, if you want to get a pair of Loakes you can get them from Slater Menswear who I have found sell them cheaper than anybody. The nearest store is Basingstoke but I think they sell them on line too. They will have more models in store too. You could always give them a call.

http://www.slaters.co.uk/en/store/search/?term=loake

I was thinking Loakes also, not 100, but usually under 200.

 

[alinvan]

I will seocnd the factory tour to Northampton. I went years ago and bought several pairs of C&J for GPB90 each. John Lobb also has a factory, but they were GBP250. There was one other factory, but I don't recall the name. They may have closed down since.
I really liked Tim Little on King's Road. They are closer to 200, but they do go on sale. You can register on their website to get advance notice of the sales.

 

[Air]

OK, thanks for he answers! Certainly £100 is a target/wish price, but I'm willing to go higher (not above 200 though).

 

[forzagaribaldi]

Originally Posted by Loathing

I've never done a factory visit before. How does it work, do you just turn up, or are there specific days?

ty in advance

Opening hours tend to be limited. Best is to go on a Friday or a Saturday morning. If you can go by car then you also have a better selection as many are not actually in Northampton but in surrounding towns. Church is five minutes walk from the train station, C&J and Trickers are also in town. There is some info here, click on the link bottom right for a useful PDF.

 

[forzagaribaldi]

Originally Posted by miurasv

You got a real bargain with the Weymouths. What did you replace the soles with? Did you send them back to Crockett and Jones?

The soles were heavily worn and I didn't actually realise that they were original until I spoke to the cobbler. I decided to just go with their service rather than sending them to C&J as, not having owned them from new, I couldn't be sure they would do them. Got them back the other day, came out really well.

Happy with the result for total price of £50 and they are now being regularly worn at work