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What's the deal with "Harris" brand shoes?

The_Foxx

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Mike C.

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Yea they are. I checked them out in Barney's yesterday, while looking for some C&J, which they were positioned right next to. The quality as compared to C&J was indistinguishable. I just think you were surprised because no one talk about them here on the forum.
 

daniele6

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A shop 200 meters from my house sells Harris shoes from 210 to 260 euro. They are produced in Firenze. The sales begin Jan. 6th.
 

STYLESTUDENT

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Foxx, Here's a link to a completed auction of Harris shoes held by A Harris of this forum, in which Andrew says the the Barneys price is $595 and provides other information. Other sellers for completed auctions also mention a similar price. The shoes Andrew Harris sold have the same inscriptions on the insole and on the sole as the shoes you are considering. Seems like there's truth in this. SAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=63850&item=5348699245&rd=1
 

Renault78law

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Harris shoes were discussed on the forum here. I went to Marshalls near South Coast Plaza in Costa Mesa, and they carried quite a few Harris brown wingtips for $150. I wasn't impressed at all...but what do I know?
 

armscye

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Given the foregoing threads, let me recommend a surefire business strategy. The A. Harris auctioned shoes were (somewhat controversially) bought at Marshalls for $150 or less, then held for resale. Maybe you could wait for his next auction, buy a pair for $450, wait a month or two, and auction them for $1350. In turn, the next buyer could flip them for $4050. Mathematically, within a year this single pair of shoes, thoughtfully marketed, could comprise up to a third of the US gross national product, and singlehandedly usher in a new era of prosperity.
 

tiger02

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armscye, I still don't understand why you're so bitter about ebay resellers making a profit. I (usually) live in Germany and don't have access to Calzoleria Harris shoes, let alone at discount. Buying off ebay allows me to indulge a little bit in my appreciation for fine clothing. I would expect whoever is selling to me to make a profit, otherwise why would they bother? It's still cheaper for me than going to Barney's.

That being said, since I'm home for the holidays, I stopped in my local Marshalls, where they were selling those brown wingtips for $100. Open lacing, goodyear welted but stitched aloft. The brogueing was tasteful, would make a nice slightly casual shoe. Since I don't know how such a shoe would sell on ebay, I didn't bother buying them to flip.

Tom
 

A Harris

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Given the foregoing threads, let me recommend a surefire business strategy. The A. Harris auctioned shoes were (somewhat controversially) bought at Marshalls for $150 or less, then held for resale. Maybe you could wait for his next auction, buy a pair for $450, wait a month or two, and auction them for $1350. In turn, the next buyer could flip them for $4050. Mathematically, within a year this single pair of shoes, thoughtfully marketed, could comprise up to a third of the US gross national product, and singlehandedly usher in a new era of prosperity.
First, this makes absolutely no sense, whether it's meant as irony, humour, seriously, whatever... Secondly, Chocoball, who is the one who started the thread (below) ended up buying the shoes in question from me, and was very satisfied with them. So you managed both to prove yourself wrong, and to bring me business. I suppose I should be thanking you... http://www.styleforum.net/cgi-bin....9;st=20
 

mano

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armscye

The "controversy" you mention is all in your head.  You were the lone voice who objected to an honest seller making a profit off a terrific shoe by offering it for about 75% off retail on eBay.

For any of you who wish to reply further to his negative comments, please keep in mind that to do so only encourages him. In other words, Please Don't Feed the Trolls.
 

Renault78law

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I stopped by Barneys this morning in Beverly Hills and inspected the Harris shoes.  The Harris shoes I saw there were much more elegant than those I saw at Marshalls.  All the Harris shoes at Barneys retailed for considerably less than $500...they seemed to hover around $425-450.  Further, the soles were either blank, or had the etched writing in them WITHOUT the large "H" engraved (if anything, the "H" was written on the sole, but not etched into the sole).

I also have a question about the construction.  Of the soles that weren't channeled, the stitching at the bottom would seem to indicated they were Goodyear welted.  However, if you look on the inside of the shoe, you could see a row of stitching around the toe box, which would seem to indicate they were Blake-stitched.  Any idea why both seams would be present?


edit: another difference that i forgot to mention was that the soles at Barneys had brass tacks, whereas I don't recall any tacks on the Marshalls Harris'.
 

Thracozaag

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Some Italian cobblers use a hybrid combo of Goodyear/Blake stitching which I'm sure someone more versed can speak to here than I.

koji
 

chocoball

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I have to put in a good word for A Harris.....those shoes were exactly what I wanted.....and from a maker - Calzoleria Harris - whose products aren't usually available in Hong Kong. So what's the big deal about these guys making some money on ebay???
 

STYLESTUDENT

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Once again, based on my own experience, both the pricing and quality of the A Harris goods are outstanding for an EBay seller. I'm certainly not alone in this view among forum members based on previous posts.

I am not associated with A Harris and this post is unsolicited.
 

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