Toronto Shoe News: Lobb's Landed

[Mildly Consumptive]

I was out for a stroll in Yorkville today and stopped by Harry Rosen and Holt Renfrew.

Rosen has completed their renovations, adding an extra floor or two. MTM and Bespoke now reside on the top floor. Their shoe department is still a disaster area. Allen Edmonds and Faragamos are the best they can do, and they do much worse.

Holt Renfrew has stopped carrying Barker Black. They've brought in Lobb for the Spring. Not much of a selection though: two mainline models and two prestige models. Mainelines are $1200cad ($933us) and prestiges are $1800cad ($1400us). No idea where this resides on the value scale.

I don't own any Lobbs, but it's nice to see some high-quality, English-made shoes finally available in Toronto.

They only carry them in Toronto and Vancouver. Lobbs (and Edward Greens) have been available in Montreal for a long time at L'Uomo.

 

[osc]

Originally Posted by Mildly Consumptive

I was out for a stroll in Yorkville today and stopped by Harry Rosen and Holt Renfrew.

Rosen has completed their renovations, adding an extra floor or two. MTM and Bespoke now reside on the top floor. Their shoe department is still a disaster area. Allen Edmonds and Faragamos are the best they can do, and they do much worse.

Holt Renfrew has stopped carrying Barker Black. They've brought in Lobb for the Spring. Not much of a selection though: two mainline models and two prestige models. Mainelines are $1200cad ($933us) and prestiges are $1800cad ($1400us). No idea where this resides on the value scale.

I don't own any Lobbs, but it's nice to see some high-quality, English-made shoes finally available in Toronto.

They only carry them in Toronto and Vancouver. Lobbs (and Edward Greens) have been available in Montreal for a long time at L'Uomo.

Thanks for the heads up - I'll head down there this weekend or next to check out the new store + stock on Harry and Holts although prices there are no where as cheap as online orders in the US

 

[Recoil]

Nice to see them for sale in Toronto finally. But still way too much to pay for them considering what I can shoot across the border and get them for.

 

[Mildly Consumptive]

Originally Posted by LVoer

Nice to see them for sale in Toronto finally. But still way too much to pay for them considering what I can shoot across the border and get them for.

What do these cost across the border? Does the price include taxes? Duty? gas?

 

[Recoil]

Unfortunately I've never had the pleasure of purchasing a pair of Lobbs before, but if I did I'd venture a guess that they are about 15-25% cheaper in the USA.

For me the gas and travel really isn't an issue because I visit family in Windsor frequently and we always go to Detroit when I'm down for shopping. I don't think there is anyplace in Buffalo that sells Lobbs so for someone from Toronto it may not be worth it for the 4 hour drive to Detroit, and even then, I don't think Lobbs are stocked, you'd have to order them. Also, the tax in Michigan is 6% as opposed to 13% in Ontario. With the dollar being at 23% right now though it might just even out anyway.

 

[somatoform]

I'll list a few of the shoes that might be of interest to this crowd available at Holt Renfrew Last Call Vaughn Mills (all new and all relatively cheap);

-Ralph Lauren Rivington (brown - only 7.5 in this shoe but I supect there were alot more at one point)
-Ferragamo loafers and laceups
-Church's cordovans
-Ralph Lauren suede Oxfords and drivers
-Paul Smith Starrs, brown lerather Starrs, suede Cages, suede loafers, and some floral print Cage.
-some Canali

Alot of other stuff.

Prices tend to be anywhere between $100 to $200-$300 CAD.

The only thing that stops me from making more personal purchases is the fact that Holt's seems to have an affinity for pointier shoes (like the Ferragamos which I tried on in a 12EE) and don't always fit my toe area. Otherwise, there's some great stuff there (and the Ferragmao's are a beautiful brown leather wingtip)

Was there on Monday - the girl told me that a new promotional will be forthcoming soon. I'll be going back in about a week.

They're clothing sucks.

 

[Mildly Consumptive]

Originally Posted by LVoer

Unfortunately I've never had the pleasure of purchasing a pair of Lobbs before, but if I did I'd venture a guess that they are about 15-25% cheaper in the USA.

I've never bought them either. My best shoes are Crockett Handgrades, Grenson Masterpieces, and some Vasses. I'm gonna skip the Edward Green, John Lobb, G&G ready-to-wear altogether and head straight for bespoke. I have irregular feet, and I'm hard to fit ready-to-wear.

The exchange rate with the US, though normal, puts me off shopping there when I think of the brief time last year when a Canadian dollar was worth $1.10us. But with the British Pound now low against the Canadian dollar, some Cleverleys look mighty tempting.

 

[Spatlese]

Thanks for the update. Not sure about this particular timing to bring in Lobbs, but as you mentioned, it's nice to see some high end English shoes finally making their way to Toronto and Vancouver.

 

[gj555]

Originally Posted by somatoform

I'll list a few of the shoes that might be of interest to this crowd available at Holt Renfrew Last Call Vaughn Mills (all new and all relatively cheap);

-Ralph Lauren Rivington (brown - only 7.5 in this shoe but I supect there were alot more at one point)
-Ferragamo loafers and laceups
-Church's cordovans
-Ralph Lauren suede Oxfords and drivers
-Paul Smith Starrs, brown lerather Starrs, suede Cages, suede loafers, and some floral print Cage.
-some Canali

Alot of other stuff.

Prices tend to be anywhere between $100 to $200-$300 CAD.

The only thing that stops me from making more personal purchases is the fact that Holt's seems to have an affinity for pointier shoes (like the Ferragamos which I tried on in a 12EE) and don't always fit my toe area. Otherwise, there's some great stuff there (and the Ferragmao's are a beautiful brown leather wingtip)

Was there on Monday - the girl told me that a new promotional will be forthcoming soon. I'll be going back in about a week.

They're clothing sucks.

I found the Ralph Lauren's at HR from Italy tend to be at least 1/2 size smaller than norm.

 

[GucciKid]

Originally Posted by somatoform

I'll list a few of the shoes that might be of interest to this crowd available at Holt Renfrew Last Call Vaughn Mills (all new and all relatively cheap);

-Ralph Lauren Rivington (brown - only 7.5 in this shoe but I supect there were alot more at one point)
-Ferragamo loafers and laceups
-Church's cordovans
-Ralph Lauren suede Oxfords and drivers
-Paul Smith Starrs, brown lerather Starrs, suede Cages, suede loafers, and some floral print Cage.
-some Canali

Alot of other stuff.

Prices tend to be anywhere between $100 to $200-$300 CAD.

The only thing that stops me from making more personal purchases is the fact that Holt's seems to have an affinity for pointier shoes (like the Ferragamos which I tried on in a 12EE) and don't always fit my toe area. Otherwise, there's some great stuff there (and the Ferragmao's are a beautiful brown leather wingtip)

Was there on Monday - the girl told me that a new promotional will be forthcoming soon. I'll be going back in about a week.

They're clothing sucks.

Do they have the Starrs in a number of sizes?

 

[Philip1978]

Originally Posted by Mildly Consumptive

What do these cost across the border? Does the price include taxes? Duty? gas?

Duty?

 

[audiophilia]

Finally!

 

[GucciKid]

Originally Posted by somatoform

I'll list a few of the shoes that might be of interest to this crowd available at Holt Renfrew Last Call Vaughn Mills (all new and all relatively cheap);

-Ralph Lauren Rivington (brown - only 7.5 in this shoe but I supect there were alot more at one point)
-Ferragamo loafers and laceups
-Church's cordovans
-Ralph Lauren suede Oxfords and drivers
-Paul Smith Starrs, brown lerather Starrs, suede Cages, suede loafers, and some floral print Cage.
-some Canali

Alot of other stuff.

Prices tend to be anywhere between $100 to $200-$300 CAD.

The only thing that stops me from making more personal purchases is the fact that Holt's seems to have an affinity for pointier shoes (like the Ferragamos which I tried on in a 12EE) and don't always fit my toe area. Otherwise, there's some great stuff there (and the Ferragmao's are a beautiful brown leather wingtip)

Was there on Monday - the girl told me that a new promotional will be forthcoming soon. I'll be going back in about a week.

They're clothing sucks.

Went up there today and the stuff they had was a lot nicer than the first time I went. Still more expensive than B & S or ebay though, as is to be expected.

Of note

-some nice Canali sportcoats with elbow patches (forget the price)
-RLPL DB suits for around 700 in various sizes
-Polo made in Italy cords for 120

Nothing mindblowing but maybe worth a trip out there. Their shoe selection sucks, however.

 

[EL72]

It's good news for JL at Holts, not that I'll be buying any there soon. Perhaps they will make their way to the last call outlet by next season... Speaking of which, I was told they are opening another Holts Last Call in Calgary.

 

[TRINI]

Originally Posted by GucciKid

-some nice Canali sportcoats with elbow patches (forget the price).

AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!