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Master-Classter

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uh.... I'm not so sure that screams cool. or good bang for buck.

Disclaimer - I know nothing about the brand.
 

Infrasonic

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I've got a couple of pairs. Blake stitched/Italian made. They don't like the English rain.
plain.gif


The quality is OK but has dropped somewhat in the past few years as they have become more mainstream and popular. The company went through a financial restructuring about a year ago.

You can get a full manufacturer re-heel/sole (£85) or full rebuild on original last (£125). Which is more than most fashion brands offer.
 

diadem

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What's the consensus on this brand nowadays? I see they're selling their cheap glued together garbage Sweeney London line on Gilt (actually bought a pair before I discovered SF, but not too mad since I didn't pay much for them). However, do their high-end shoes compare favorably with the other UK shoemakers that SF love (or are they at least priced competitively)? Judging by the prices, they should be better than Loakes but worse than C&J Benchgrade. Does that sound about right?
 
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Cleav

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Down the pan I'm afraid.

I had a couple of pairs some years back that were plainly very well made. Prices indicated this but not so much as they didn't have the cache of other brands.

They went to deserving homes...
 

nmoore82

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Used to be a favourite brand of mine and I still rotate two formal pairs in and have a pair of suede chukkas that I wear occasionally at the weekend.

You're right in your assumption about the quality of the mainline. They're a good upgrade for when first gaining interest in shoes and sit nicely between Loakes and C&J benchmade in quality (very comfortable too). In my opinion, OS is almost a direct comparison with Grenson.

Right about the Sweeney London line too. I would but them in the same category as River Island and Topman shoes.
 

Holdfast

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About, maybe about 7-8 years ago, I bought a couple of pairs from IIRC their mainline. Both high vamp, Venetian-style loafers, one in a gloriously cheesy black/midnight-navy mock croc and the other a plain dark brown. They were actually pretty well constructed and though I rather quickly got bored of the styles and later sold them on, the quality was good. They came with spare heels too, which I suppose was a nice touch.

No idea about current quality, but it doesn't sound like they've maintained those standards according to recent posts upthread.
 
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nmoore82

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The OS mainline still looks to uphold a similar quality to what it did around 4 years ago. I give them credit for coming out with new designs every season too - would certainly put some on a wish list if I had the money to extend my shoe collection!
I remember the days their shoes would come with some freebies if you spent a certain amount. I got a pair of cedar shoe trees and quite a nice OS shoe care kit, which was very generous of them!
 

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