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friendlygoz

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Not that I need to push this issue further, I was once at a Louis Vuitton store with an old flame. She didn't become Mrs. SFC.

As she shopped for bags, I was checking out their shoes. They were all north of $900. I asked a SA if any of them were GYW. He had a blank stare. He dutifully spoke to his colleagues. Finally a manager intervened and indicated they sell high end well made shoes. I showed them price points of John Lobb, Edward Greens, and Alden.

None of them had ever heard of those brands, let alone know what GYW was.

My dad used to tell me that at the Florsheim store in Hong Kong, the SA were dedicated professionals who knew their products inside and out. They even once called a US store to locate a specific size and style not available in Asia. They had it shipped to HK at costs. The store also had a complimentary shining service and repair shop.

The stockist that sold Dacks was likely the most impressive. He would discuss the latest NHL scores and his favourite Canadian beer brands. In the days without the internet. He actually had to research and experience the things he had knowledge about.

The days of those types of SA are swept into the crevices of history along with our favourite brands.
In contrast, when I stopped by John Lobb Paris store the salesman and I talked for an hour about our love of dress shoes. I showed him pictures from my collection. He knew all about the quality of vintage Florsheims. I was wearing my Hartt tassel loafers. He had me take them off so he could inspect, and he was impressed with the quality. Then we talked about Lobb 's bespoke process for about 30 mins. He was passionate about the craft and eager to share his knowledge. Why can't they all be like him?!
Screen Shot 2020-05-29 at 4.03.11 PM.png
 

wasmisterfu

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Size 13 people... These are a good deal in my estimation. Not sure whats up with the heels but these look like very nice NOS ET Wrights. Not mine.

They’re nice, but (IMHO) they aren’t NWOT/NOS; they’ve been worn a few times, I think they’ve had a heel swap and, as a result, the cobbler buffed the soles (you can clearly see the wear).
 

woofmang

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I hate to say this (because I’m not trying to sound mean spirited or anything), but folks working at AE retail stores aren’t highly-trained professionals. They’re retail sales employees, who are given very basic sales training, and are essentially no different than the retail sales associates selling handbags in the store next door.

The era of the shoe (or other type of) salesman, with some degree of learned expertise, spending his “career” selling shoes in an independent store, is long gone. The person selling you a shoe at an AE Store, will be over at Macy’s selling housewares, two months later if it means an extra 3 bucks an hour.

There might be exceptions, but I wouldn’t trust most of these AE sales associates to measure my feet correctly or understand last shapes, any more than I’d trust the drones at BestBuy to understand the technology they’re told to push. They’re just their to facilitate a transaction, not much else.
A while back, I stopped by the AE store in the mall to ask about something and was chatting with the manager (I happened to be wearing a pair of Alden Unlined Dovers in Color 8 Shell). At one point, she noticed my shoes and said something like, "Those are nice shoes! Who makes them?" I said, "Thanks. They're Aldens." She said, "Huh. Never heard of them." I was a bit surprised, to say the least.
 

stook1

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They’re nice, but (IMHO) they aren’t NWOT/NOS; they’ve been worn a few times, I think they’ve had a heel swap and, as a result, the cobbler buffed the soles (you can clearly see the wear).

Sounds like a very good rationale for a low ball offer on a reasonably priced pair of nice shoes!
 

CWOyaji

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Can anybody tell me, if these are the outsole measurements, what is the indicated shoe size? Asking for a friend.
total bottom length: 12 1/4 Inches
widest bottom width: 4 1/8 Inches
 

wasmisterfu

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In contrast, when I stopped by John Lobb Paris store the salesman and I talked for an hour about our love of dress shoes. I showed him pictures from my collection. He knew all about the quality of vintage Florsheims. I was wearing my Hartt tassel loafers. He had me take them off so he could inspect, and he was impressed with the quality. Then we talked about Lobb 's bespoke process for about 30 mins. He was passionate about the craft and eager to share his knowledge. Why can't they all be like him?! View attachment 1397583
They pay people who care and to develop a skill set. It’s a prerequisite when selling a product at that price point.

It’s no different than when I get a suit made: they need to know what they’re talking about because a segment of their customers are like me, and know about the construction process, fit issues, etc. If I’m dropping thousands on a suit, and I want to discuss canvass weight for a linen suit versus a heavy worsted wool, and how drape and wearability might be impacted, the SA better be able to hang in a conversation between me and the tailor.

In contrast, the dude selling at Suit Supply on Madison Avenue, might have a fine entry-level suit to sell, but his job is to help you pick out a shirt or two, a couple of ties and maybe a pair of their shiny Blake wonders. They’ll be able to describe half versus full canvassing as it pertains to their different lines and price points, just like AE SA’s can describe (sorta) what GYW construction is.

At the top-end of the “discerning” market (e.g. not-tacky luxo-garbage), there are still standards.
 

stook1

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i was asking about this recently. That length is about a 10. The width, hard to say. Maybe a C?
 

CWOyaji

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OK, thanks. I already have a pair of Color #8 shell saddles from this brand in the very righteous size 13 D, but does anyone want a line on a pair in a Size ~10? It's a brand that @davidVC has described as almost impossible to find in shell. Vcleats are involved. PM me for listing.
 

mormonopoly

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Can anybody tell me, if these are the outsole measurements, what is the indicated shoe size? Asking for a friend.
total bottom length: 12 1/4 Inches
widest bottom width: 4 1/8 Inches
Honestly I think outsole measurements are only minimally helpful. These measurements could be for many sizes depending on the shoe.
 

stook1

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They pay people who care and to develop a skill set. It’s a prerequisite when selling a product at that price point.

It’s no different than when I get a suit made: they need to know what they’re talking about because a segment of their customers are like me, and know about the construction process, fit issues, etc. If I’m dropping thousands on a suit, and I want to discuss canvass weight for a linen suit versus a heavy worsted wool, and how drape and wearability might be impacted, the SA better be able to hang in a conversation between me and the tailor.

In contrast, the dude selling at Suit Supply on Madison Avenue, might have a fine entry-level suit to sell, but his job is to help you pick out a shirt or two, a couple of ties and maybe a pair of their shiny Blake wonders. They’ll be able to describe half versus full canvassing as it pertains to their different lines and price points, just like AE SA’s can describe (sorta) what GYW construction is.

At the top-end of the “discerning” market (e.g. not-tacky luxo-garbage), there are still standards.

I think thats exactly correct. To summarize, its a reflection of the consumer and the type of throw away, fast fashion goods that most buy now. For most businesses, unfortunately, high end CS isnt worth the cost for commoditized products and non-discerning clientele. (Generally)
 

eTrojan

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This conversation about Brannocks piqued my curiosity. Went to eBay and found this rather unique Brannock device with Hanover branding. NML.

BTW, I bought the vintage Brannock with the Weyenberg branding.

 

Oshare

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Can anybody tell me, if these are the outsole measurements, what is the indicated shoe size? Asking for a friend.
total bottom length: 12 1/4 Inches
widest bottom width: 4 1/8 Inches

You need to be careful there. Japanese sellers like to give the outsole measurements, but it really should be used in combination with the stated size, rather than alone. (and as we all know, stated sizes vary by maker and last)

It depends on how closely the sole is cut to the upper, and I think you can have up to half an inch (maybe more) in variance with the outsole measurements even for the same shoe size.
 

friendlygoz

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They pay people who care and to develop a skill set. It’s a prerequisite when selling a product at that price point.

It’s no different than when I get a suit made: they need to know what they’re talking about because a segment of their customers are like me, and know about the construction process, fit issues, etc. If I’m dropping thousands on a suit, and I want to discuss canvass weight for a linen suit versus a heavy worsted wool, and how drape and wearability might be impacted, the SA better be able to hang in a conversation between me and the tailor.

In contrast, the dude selling at Suit Supply on Madison Avenue, might have a fine entry-level suit to sell, but his job is to help you pick out a shirt or two, a couple of ties and maybe a pair of their shiny Blake wonders. They’ll be able to describe half versus full canvassing as it pertains to their different lines and price points, just like AE SA’s can describe (sorta) what GYW construction is.

At the top-end of the “discerning” market (e.g. not-tacky luxo-garbage), there are still standards.
Yep yep.

For the record, I rather like Suitsupply. They fit me well off the rack. I’ve had a good find or two on eBay to boot. But, yes, The people who work in those stores are super pompous. Usually when people act like that, they are compensating for their own lack of the qualities they they try so hard to project.
 

CWOyaji

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Oshare

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Non vintage violation, but a worthwhile one.

We all know that modern day Florsheims are not worth much and constructed poorly. The company is a ghost of its past. Duckie Florsheim is one major exception, along with the first few pairs made in India in the 90s.

I recently e-thrifted these Florsheim custom line boots. I took a gamble for the price. I believe these were tried on and never worn again. So let's analyse.

Leather - Horween, but very very thin. Soft and supple, and cleaned up easily with just some brushing and one dose of Bick 4. The leather feel unconstructed and flimsy relative to my Red Wings and Wolverine 1000 Miles.

Stitching (exterior) - Not bad. See for yourself.

Stitching (interior) - Poorly executed. Sloppy stitch work overall. Things are not lined up.

Soles - Clearly marked as GYW. The outsole stitching is decent. The welt holes are clear and the job was overall well done. Heels are lined up and nailed in.

The boots feel very light. I compare them to my Red Wings and Wolverine 1000 Miles. Even relative to shoes, these feel like feathers. I would not be surprised if torn apart, most of the interior is material like carpet filler, as opposed to cork.

Fit - These are 9.5D. For vintage Florsheim, it's one of the sizes I can fit in. These are snug, so won't be able to wear thick socks with them.

Comfort - Will need to wear a few times to evaluate. Upgrades? I will ask a cobbler to install speed hooks, rubber sole protector, and lulu tips.

View attachment 1397323 View attachment 1397324 View attachment 1397325 View attachment 1397326 View attachment 1397327 View attachment 1397328 View attachment 1397330 View attachment 1397331 View attachment 1397332 Overall? For $65 USD, these aren't bad. GYW boots, by a brand that has some standards. I would never pay full price for these.

Nice find! My pair of Florsheim Limited suede boots are soft and floppy, but comfortable.

Overall construction is a bit sloppy and they can't hold a candle to the vintage shoes in terms of quality, but I paid $40 for mine (used) so can't really complain too much... except to say that Florsheim is a sorry shadow of what they used to be.

20200312-02-jpg.1353865



Out of curiosity, do you know the country of manufacture?

Mine are made in China.
 

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