Topys in Toronto?

[Firefox]

Hmm, didn't realize that the Swims were $99 (at least at The Bay)... does anyone know if there is anywhere else in Toronto (or online) that sells them for any less? I found a single pair on Ebay for $89, but after you include shipping, it wouldn't even be worth it. Or is $99 pretty much what you are going to pay anywhere?

 

[othertravel]

I guess I shouldn't be surprised at that price; I've seen them sold at high-end boutiques as well. Why don't you pick them up when the Bay has a sale?

 

[Firefox]

I suppose that makes sense. I guess until then, I'll need to try to avoid wearing them in the rain. And hopefully the snow is still a couple months away...

 

[aragon765]

$99 is much cheaper than other boutiques (e.g. Harry Rosen) has them for, I think they were $140 or so... I found a pair online for a bit less than $100 including shipping, but $99 is not too bad... I would pay full retail for them again!! Having said that, the Bay does have a lot of sales, you can even ask a SA when the next one is, often they will know, or you can buy and go back for refund when the price goes down.

 

[Ebichuman]

I got mine at the Bay a week, maybe two ago at 30% off

 

[Firefox]

Shoot, guess I need better timing. The Allen Edmonds website has them for $95, so it sounds like you pretty much got them as cheap as they come.

 

[blue collar]

Guys, even at $99 these will pay for themselves ten fold. How much are Topys? like $40? And they only last for a season or so on ONE pair of shoes. Being on style forum i'm sure you have more than one pair of shoes you'd like to protect from our garbage winter. If you treat your AE shoes right, they could last you 5-10 years (with recrafting). $350 for shoes $100 for SWIMS devide that cost over 5 years, thats $90 a year. I bet you'd pay more that that for a pair of ALDOs that would end up in the trash after 6 months...it's a no brainer. :foo:

 

[Firefox]

My plan as of right now is still to pick up some Swims, although I may wait for a month or so to see if I can find them on sale anywhere. As you point out, they would provide much better weather protection than Topys alone, and can be used on multiple shoes. However, I'm now wondering if there is merit in getting both Swims and Topys.

To corroborate what osc said earlier in this thread, I talked to a SA at Harry Rosen on Monday and he also recommended going to Novelty to get Topys added to the bottom of Allen Edmonds shoes. His reasoning wasn't so much to protect from the weather, but more that it would significantly extend the life of the leather sole (regardless of the weather it was being worn in). Do you think that his view has merit? If the only downside of Topys is the loss of the leather sole sound, then it's something I would consider. The "clack clack" of the sole is nice, but not at the expensive of the longevity of the shoe.

On the other hand, a complete recrafting of an AE shoe (sole, heel, refinishing, etc) is $125. I believe this is up from $100 last year, and sadly for us Canadians, doesn't include shipping. But even so, it would still be cheaper than a new pair. Hmm...

 

[blue collar]



My plan as of right now is still to pick up some Swims, although I may wait for a month or so to see if I can find them on sale anywhere. As you point out, they would provide much better weather protection than Topys alone, and can be used on multiple shoes. However, I'm now wondering if there is merit in getting both Swims and Topys.
  
To corroborate what osc said earlier in this thread, I talked to a SA at Harry Rosen on Monday and he also recommended going to Novelty to get Topys added to the bottom of Allen Edmonds shoes. His reasoning wasn't so much to protect from the weather, but more that it would significantly extend the life of the leather sole (regardless of the weather it was being worn in). Do you think that his view has merit? If the only downside of Topys is the loss of the leather sole sound, then it's something I would consider. The "clack clack" of the sole is nice, but not at the expensive of the longevity of the shoe.

On the other hand, a complete recrafting of an AE shoe (sole, heel, refinishing, etc) is $125. I believe this is up from $100 last year, and sadly for us Canadians, doesn't include shipping. But even so, it would still be cheaper than a new pair. Hmm...

Yes, the salesman is correct that they will help against the direct wear of the sidewalk on the leather sole itself. Wet leather soles wear faster that dry ones. However, the topy wont help you when It comes to puddles and how your leather sole is going to wick up the salt water like a sponge.

I had a pair of Wolverine 1000 mile boots and I did nothing to protect them one winter. They got wet and soaked up the salty water of saidewalks and parking lots. Now they have 'salty' look to them and are hard as a rock when dry...

This is not to scare you or to drive my personal point home. I just wish I had known more about this (topys, swims etc) when I first got into quality footwear

 

[Firefox]

Thanks for your input bc. It sounds like both Topys and an overshoe (i.e. swims) may be the best way to go to maximize the durability/protection of the shoe.

Just out of curiosity, what size of Topys do you wear (and what is your shoe size)? When I was in The Bay the other day, I tried on a pair of "Large" topys (the SA said that my 10.5 feet would fall under "large"). However, they didn't seem to want to fit on the size 44 (i.e. US 10.5) loafers I had on at the time. Granted, they were bulky shoes with a wider toe, unlike my Park Avenues, but I still worry that straining to get them on could scuff the shoe. What's your experience with the sizes?

 

[Firefox]

Just to add my own comment on Novelty Shoe Repair, I picked up my AE Park Avenues from them today. I'm certainly no shoe expert, but by my untrained eye, it looks like they did an excellent job with the Topys. In fact, it looks like something that came straight from the factory. I guess the proof is in how long they last, but based on appearance alone, I give them full marks.

For the record, the price came to approximately $38, including tax.

One other aside; from what I've read on SF, the Allen Edmonds Premium Shoe Polish (i.e. the stuff that comes in the tube with the foam applicator on the tip) is just rebranded Collonill Waterstop polish. Novelty carries the Collonill stuff for $10 a tube, compared to the AE stuff which goes for $16 a tube at Harry Rosen. If you are stocking up, it still may be cheaper to do a big order online, but if you're just looking to grab a tube to try it out, you can hit up Novelty.

 

[zinc2162]

A lot of great information. I am about to get my first pair of AE. Looks like I will be visiting the Bay for the Swims as well.

By the way, where do you guys get the AE in Toronto other than Harry Rosen and Rego?

 

[Firefox]

Hey zinc,

You can use the store locator tool on the Allen Edmonds website to locate "retail partners":

http://www.allenedmonds.com/aeonlin...logId=40000000001&langId=-1&storeId=1#details

You can enter your postal code in the zip code box, or you can "search by state" and enter Canada/Ontario.

There's several places in the GTA that carry them, although I suspect that the prices would be pretty much the same. There's always the possibility that a particular store is having a sale/promotion on the shoes, though. The other alternative is buying them online, although once you factor international shipping into it, it's probably just as cheap to buy them at Harry Rosen, etc. Your mileage may vary, though.

 

[zinc2162]

Thanks Firefox for the information.

By the way, I just got an email from Rego that they are having the AE Rediscover America sales now if anyone is interested.

 

[Firefox]

Thanks for the heads up. I notice that the AE website also has a sale on right now. Looks like all of their shoes are between 15%-30% off. But if the discounts at Rego are comparable, may be able to save some once the shipping is worked in. I think I may pick up a brown pair of something.