Why do shoes have model names, instead of just captoe, wholecut, etc?

[Limehouse Chappie]

The proliferation of model names seems pretty silly, and hard to remember. It seems like they can just as well call them by what style they are, like captoe, wholecut, full brogue, and possibly the last number.

Just as a consumer I'm having a hell of a time memorizing all the model names, which last, handgrade vs benchgrade.

 

[Lightbringer]

To sound more romantic and pleasant. Besides, why do we give cars names? Watches? So on and so forth.

What gets a bit annoying is when you start calling your plain cap toe oxford a Chelsea and your Chelsea boots Newmarket.

 

[Nicola]

You think that's bad. Try to remember the name of all the different women in the world. After a few million it gets challenging.

 

[SpooPoker]

Would you prefer if we called you "human 235626"?

 

[Journeyman]

Originally Posted by Lightbringer

To sound more romantic and pleasant. Besides, why do we give cars names? Watches? So on and so forth.

+1.

It's good for marketing - it helps people to remember your particular product, and to differentiate it from other products, to personalise it, to give it a distinct identity.

It is also convenient, given that many shoes - even those by the same manufacturers - are quite similar, with some slightly different details.

For example, would you rather say "C&J Hallam", or "Crockett and Jones benchgrade plain cap-toe balmoral on the 348 last"?

 

[Limehouse Chappie]

Originally Posted by Lightbringer

To sound more romantic and pleasant. Besides, why do we give cars names? Watches? So on and so forth.
It would be difficult to describe each car in one word, while it's quite easy to just call a chelsea a chelsea.

It's also interesting to consider that all the English brands choose some kind of English place name, or sometimes personal name. Do any of them have some kind of scheme, or do they just choose what pops into their head? Intel, for example, has several schemes for their products.

Has there been any overlap, like EG has a Dudley or something that C&J is also using?

 

[SpooPoker]

^ There is overlap. G&G, JL, and CJ all do a Westminster. Theres others I cant think of at the moment.

 

[EvilFish]

Originally Posted by Limehouse Chappie

It would be difficult to describe each car in one word, while it's quite easy to just call a chelsea a chelsea.

Not really. You have to take into account different lasts, subtle differences like slightly different broguing on two wingtip models, etc. A shoemaker could have five or six different wingtips (or captoes, or wholecuts, or even Chelsea boots), each with slight differences. It would be a bit robotic if they were just called Wingtip #1, Wingtip #2, etc.

 

[dasai]

As I see it, the bigger problem is all the English makers using UK-related words for model names, but each assigning them to a different style of shoe. It makes it hard to remember which name refers to which model for which company.

 

[Stillmaticbeat]

lol @ op

 

[dshreter]

This is pretty common across the fashion industry. I think in most cases it's to make a product sound special, and to make it seem like something new. The purpose is to convince the consumer of a couple additional reasons to buy something.

 

[MyOtherLife]

Originally Posted by SpooPoker

Would you prefer if we called you "human 235626"?
They do Spoo, they do, but you already knew that

 

[Blackhood]

Originally Posted by Limehouse Chappie

The proliferation of model names seems pretty silly, and hard to remember. It seems like they can just as well call them by what style they are, like captoe, wholecut, full brogue, and possibly the last number.

Just as a consumer I'm having a hell of a time memorizing all the model names, which last, handgrade vs benchgrade.

Artful troll or genuine idiot?

 

[zippyh]

Originally Posted by Blackhood

Artful troll or genuine idiot?

I suspect an engineer.

 

[lasbar]

Originally Posted by Blackhood

Artful troll or genuine idiot?

Artful idiot is the answer...