Shoe Damage Report & Shoe P0rn Central - Part II

Originally Posted by distinctive

Click to expand...

Would you quit with the RM Williams high-shine!
To avoid this I give you this... Picked up yesterday from the Bond Street store: Lear (the ugly one)

Originally Posted by Lear

Click to expand...

To avoid this

I give you this...

Picked up yesterday from the Bond Street store:


Great, now throw some mud on them and be on your way

Originally Posted by distinctive

Click to expand...

Great, now throw some mud on them and be on your way
OK... but what if I find my fingers instinctively crawling towards the Saphir tin? What if I find myself waking during the night, knowing that a damned good polish would make things better? It won't be easy, but I'll try.

Originally Posted by DWFII

Click to expand...

I like the Lobbs in particular and the Vass as well. I don't think there's anything wrong with the quality of the leather and the colour is just that...colour. It has more to do with personal preferences...and other wholly subjective perceptions....than whether it's intrinsically cheap--it's not, in my mind.

I look more at construction values...which are, I suspect, more indicative of quality than colour. For instance, I think that toe perfs that go all the way down to the welt line look very bad. That kind of thing always looks to me as if the patterns were actually made for a larger shoe but the factory decided that putting a size 11 vamp on a size 9 last was "close enough for government work." The Lobbs look dern near perfect in that regard and the Vass are near-as-nevermind.


Which pair of Vass were you referring to that has toe medallions that go all the way down to the welt line?

Originally Posted by kolecho

Click to expand...

Which pair of Vass were you referring to that has toe medallions that go all the way down to the welt line?
I wasn't referring to any Vass at all. Just a general observation that some shoes are made with less attention to detail than one could (or should) expect in a quality shoe. With regard to the silver buckle...I find this strange. I would always pair silver with cool colours--grey, black, navy; and brass with warm colours--browns, tans, wine or burgundy. As someone said...different horses.

Exactly, to each his own. If I ever bought grey shoes, I would want a brass buckle as well for the same reasons mentioned above (wearing them with warm color clothes)

I see your point - I would probably also prefer the brass to a light, aluminium coloured buckle for th reasons you have outlined.

Ideally, for me, I would like to see a neutral smokey steel colour on those navy Vass - IMO this would would be more versatile than even the brass. But again, that's just my preference and I still really like these shoes with the standard brass fitting as well.

Originally Posted by Prince of Paisley

Click to expand...

I see your point - I would probably also prefer the brass to a light, aluminium coloured buckle for th reasons you have outlined. Ideally, for me, I would like to see a neutral smokey steel colour on those navy Vass - IMO this would would be more versatile than even the brass. But again, that's just my preference and I still really like these shoes with the standard brass fitting as well.
I can see how brass buckles on the Navy shoe might look OK. Might look OK on black too. On the other hand, I suspect that what makes any particular shoe really exceptional is a melding of a whole lot of little things into something coherent. A shoe is comprised of disparate elements from the components to the techniques to the ancillary materials such as thread and buckles. Together, if they are harmonious, they form a "gestalt"--something that is more than the sum of its parts. Would you want orange or yellow stitching on navy shoes? I think not...not for me at least. Being complementary colours they tend to "push" each other. Yet brass is very like orange. Would you like to see a gold buckle on a grey shoe? In this instance, I think an understated grey gets knocked about by the brass. If you have a brass buckle put on a navy shoe, to allow it to "sympathize" with warmer colours of clothing, could you wear that shoe with a grey suit? Somewhere in there, I think that warming up a shoe or colour that is intrinsically cool only "roughens" it. It breaks the gestalt and adds an element that is out of sync with the harmony. Maybe a navy shoe loses some of its "dressiness" when a brass buckle is added? Just thinking out loud...

I didn't know buckle color was an option I had?

Originally Posted by DWFII

Click to expand...

With regard to the silver buckle...I find this strange. I would always pair silver with cool colours--grey, black, navy; and brass with warm colours--browns, tans, wine or burgundy. As someone said...different horses.

Yes.

DW - I think you are right about the shoe losing some dressiness with a brass buckle. But I don't think that is a bad thing, depending on the occasion for which it is worn. I also think that the brass buckle does go well with the rest of the navy shoe in question. It does, in your words, create a "gestalt".

I contest that these navy shoes are intrinsically "cool" - though I would be interested to learn what you specifically think makes them so (you seem to imply it is the colour that makes the shoe "cool") After all, would a navy suit be considered intrinsically cool by virtue of the fact it is navy in colour? And hence should we all wear only cool black or grey shoes with navy suits, rather than warmer, earthy toned footwear? I think based on what a lot of people think looks good, that argument doesn't stack up, for brown, earthy tones are known to compliment blue hues, and I think the brass buckle does just that with these shoes.

My point is (and you can take it or leave it as your preference dictates) that I would have chosen a more neutral buckle colour for reasons of coordination with other clothes, not becase the brass buckle somehow ruins the shoe - quite to the contrary - but the brass does, IMO, limit its use (as you have pointed out, you wouldn't wear them with light grey trousers). My preference is coloured by the size of my wallet - if I were to purchase such a fine pair of shoes I would want it to go with as many things as possible, not just my "warmer" or "cooler" coloured outfits. Hence my suggestion for a neutral buckle, something that is a variant of silver, but perhaps with a smokey hue that means the shoes would look good with cooler colours as well as warmer.

Originally Posted by gdl203

Click to expand...

I own this exact Vass blue monk and would never want to have a silver buckle on it. I wear it these shoes with greys, beige and brown colors and with jeans so to me the brass buckle is perfect. I don't know what people here think they would pair them with and why they think silver would be better.

Those shoes with the brass buckle are awesome - I'd take them as they are before you could blink your eye. I just happen to like silver hardware as opposed to brass/gold, and this change, to me, would push these shoes into the "perfect" realm. That being said, I think a sterling buckle would be most ideal, so it could ultimately tarnish. This is certainly more of me musing than critiquing.

Originally Posted by mr monty

Click to expand...

I didn't know buckle color was an option I had?

Hell if I know - you have the extreme advantage of putting those bad-boys on your feet whenever you want to, whereas I've picked up a pair of Vass once.

Originally Posted by DWFII

Click to expand...

With regard to the silver buckle...I find this strange. I would always pair silver with cool colours--grey, black, navy; and brass with warm colours--browns, tans, wine or burgundy. As someone said...different horses.

By that rationale, would you always pair black with navy, and brown with tan? Would you not consider brown with navy - a popular and pleasing combination often showcased by the more stylish members of this forum?

I'm not saying that you should do any of the above, just that it can be done, and done well. And IMO the brass buckle on these navy shoes is done extremely well.