Pay full price for Gravati?

Hi new friends,

This is my first post, though I have done quite a bit of research here in the past few weeks.

My question is about an upcoming purchase, my first pair of really nice shoes. I'm debating between two styles of Gravati, both in the $500-600 range. (One can be seen at http://www.haroldsintheheights.com/s...SERABLACK.html, the other is a classic black cap toe in stock at Davide Cenci in NYC.) I haven't seen much Gravati for sale on ebay or this website, so I would probably have to shell out retail.

So, do you all think it is a better idea to scour ebay and sf classifieds for used shoes of another brand, or pay full price for these Gravati? Also, please suggest other websites or resources I might use to find used shoes or discounts.

Thanks so much!!

Gravati makes a nice shoe, though they can get far out. You could do worse at retail. That said, were I in the market for a black captoe, I'd look elsewhere. With the pound so weak, you can get some great deals on English shoes right now. If you haven't, check out plal.com or pediwear.co.uk. (Plal's in Malaysian currency, so you'll have to convert it into dollars.)

For more Italian flair, you also might consider Martegani, available at Francos.com.

Originally Posted by DocHolliday

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Gravati makes a nice shoe, though they can get far out. You could do worse at retail. That said, were I in the market for a black captoe, I'd look elsewhere. With the pound so weak, you can get some great deals on English shoes right now. If you haven't, check out plal.com or pediwear.co.uk. (Plal's in Malaysian currency, so you'll have to convert it into dollars.)

For more Italian flair, you also might consider Martegani, available at Francos.com.

+1, I would definitely seek out the english option. $600 is almost two really nice shoes these days.

Thanks for the advice guys. I kind of bypassed the English makers because I'm looking for something a little sleeker, not exactly fashion forward, just a little less conservative. I liked the Gravati because stylistically they were a compromise between the conservative English and the more flamboyant of the Italian makers.

I liked some of the Martegani, I'm going to follow those too. Any other ideas?

I just have one pair each of Gravati and Martegani (more "forward" models) and really like them but agree with what DH and PL suggsted. For instance, the C&J Weymouth on the 337 last looks as sleek as the Gravati linked above, if you're looking for a wholecut (just based on photos, but Sera owners can correct me). They also make a non-medallion version which I can't remember the name of at the moment.

Originally Posted by tmcevoy213

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Thanks for the advice guys. I kind of bypassed the English makers because I'm looking for something a little sleeker, not exactly fashion forward, just a little less conservative. I liked the Gravati because stylistically they were a compromise between the conservative English and the more flamboyant of the Italian makers.

I liked some of the Martegani, I'm going to follow those too. Any other ideas?

At $600, you could look into some Sutors, Ferragamo, or Santoni- mainline at retail, and their upper lines on sale. They will provide the kind of styling you're looking for. English shoes can be just as sleek, but will often have less ostentatious leather finishing than their Italian counterparts. Personally, I would take advantage of the unique economic factor and hop on the English boat.

I'm not a huge fan of the shoe in the link, but I will say I love my pair Gravatis. And I paid full price for them. I haven't seen the more conservative models on sale very often. Gravati fit my narrow, flat foot very well. With the softer leather, they are really comfortable as well. So for me paying full price was worth it as I wear them often and really like them.

Of course, it's hard to pay so much when there are very good (and probably better quality) shoes going for much less with the exchange rates as they are.

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Originally Posted by RSN125

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I can speak for Gravati, they make a great shoe, indeed sleeker then some of the English makers and as I own numerous pairs, they hold up as well or better then the high-end English makers.

In the old days one could find To Boot shoes made by Gravati, although I have not seen any in years.

For some reason (likely the lack of retail presence and sales) Gravati gets no love on this forum.

Agree that lack of retail presence contributes to Gravati not being as well known as other brands, but I think they are held in high regard here by those who own them.

I think it was the context of value for full price that prompted the other options currently available for the same or less money. If I could find more Gravatis at discount, I'd be all over them.

Some Gravati shoes on sale here:

http://www.berenshoes.com/Gravati-Men's/c/132/c2c/ln/

Some appear to only be avaialble in an EEE width, but others are in a standard D width. Good luck.

gravati has some ok shoes. but right now with 600 dollars you have a whole range of shoes you can choose from especially from economy induced pricing and dollar/euro/gbp strength comparisons.
just repeating what has been said above.

Another fairly conservative Italian look within that price range is Bruno Magli. One of its advantages is that it probably isn't hard to find in NYC stores. It's always good to try on shoes before buying them.

Hell no...welcome to the forum though

I have the shoe in question and I bought it for $219+ tax (pic below). Gravati at full retail is too expensive. Martegani is a good example of a sleek Italian shoe. Also, while some here will disagree, never buy used shoes. Good luck in your search.

Originally Posted by mensimageconsultant

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Another fairly conservative Italian look within that price range is Bruno Magli. One of its advantages is that it probably isn't hard to find in NYC stores. It's always good to try on shoes before buying them.

Quality of BM pales in comparison to Gravati and mainline Santoni and Feragamo shoes.