New 'top drawer' Church's range?

Originally Posted by Jangofett

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Do you use red shoe polish or red shoe cream?
I have been using blue shoe polish and shoe cream on my black shoes but they still look as black as ever.

Can't recolor black.

Originally Posted by kev777

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Nope me too, any insider info ?????????????????

I asked a very reliable source at Church.
Here is the response:

HI Nick
This is what our store signage states:
Inspired by the echoes of the 1930's, our new luxury collection is the
pinnacle of everything Church's. Made over the sweeping 137 Last, it
combines the Finest leather with beautiful hand finishes afforded by our
experienced Northampton craftsmen.
Each style is names for some well known historical areas:
Chatsworth : Wingtip
Lamport: Captoe
Burghley: Double buckle monk strap
* each pair comes with it's own pair of pine shoe trees with brass pull
ring

Originally Posted by Nick V.

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I asked a very reliable source at Church.
Here is the response:

HI Nick
This is what our store signage states:
Inspired by the echoes of the 1930's, our new luxury collection is the
pinnacle of everything Church's. Made over the sweeping 137 Last, it
combines the Finest leather with beautiful hand finishes afforded by our
experienced Northampton craftsmen.
Each style is names for some well known historical areas:
Chatsworth : Wingtip
Lamport: Captoe
Burghley: Double buckle monk strap
* each pair comes with it's own pair of pine shoe trees with brass pull
ring


Thank you Nick - all very informative. Would you feel able to contact your source again to find out if the soles are made from oak bark tanned leather ( I feel they ought to be at this price - is it £630 or £660?) - also I'd like to know if the trees are lasted or generic in shape. Quite understand if you feel you can't ask your source again about this range.

Peter

Originally Posted by Jermyn

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I think American SFers don't like Church's because they don't have access to their custom grades at £160 like we do.


Why don't our friends across the pond proxy for us?! I would definitely try Church's for that price plus a proxy fee!

Herring Shoes sells them for at least 255 BP plus shipping (and those are the discounted ones!)

Originally Posted by Leather man

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Thank you Nick - all very informative. Would you feel able to contact your source again to find out if the soles are made from oak bark tanned leather ( I feel they ought to be at this price - is it £630 or £660?) - also I'd like to know if the trees are lasted or generic in shape. Quite understand if you feel you can't ask your source again about this range.

Peter

Just asked.....The soles are oak bark tanned.
The trees are made specifically for the 137 last.
They are only available in the Church stores in the U.S. ("for the time being").

Originally Posted by Nick V.

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Just asked.....The soles are oak bark tanned.
The trees are made specifically for the 137 last.
They are only available in the Church stores in the U.S. ("for the time being").

Many thanks Nick.

I thought someone had seen them in a London store as well? - or did they mean if you are in the U.S. you won't see them on line only in store?

we need pictures on this thread badly!

Originally Posted by alliswell

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They're not discussed too often here as their sales presence in the US is pretty limited.

Actually, I think Church has a more extensive retail presense in the US than any other English shoe. It's more limited than it once was. Through the mid 1990s, Church was THE English shoe in the US, the only competetor for ubiquity was the BB Peal. Church alone had its own network of retail stores in the US. That network is smaller today but it still exists. Lobb's is much more extensive but the price points are so different that I doubt they are in competition.

Anyway, I have to second the Prada explanation. Church's were my first non-Alden "good shoes" and I had an extensive wardrobe of them that I wore into the ground, with the final pair giving out only a few years ago. Actually, I still have more as my tux shoes are Church and since they are worn so little they will keep going for a long time.

Prada changed the lasts and made them clunky and inelegant, and the quality slipped. They have gotten better from their trough around 2000 or so but they are not back to what they were and the QPR is no longer that good, whereas in the pre-Prada days the QPR was excellent.

Years ago I remember seeing special shoes in the New York store, called anniversary models or something like that, that looked almost bespoke in quality for a fantastic price. I would have bought some but the idiots only made them in F widths and they didn't fit me.

Originally Posted by Leather man

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Many thanks Nick.

I thought someone had seen them in a London store as well? - or did they mean if you are in the U.S. you won't see them on line only in store?

The line is being handaled as a launch. Therefore they are only availble in Church stores.

Originally Posted by Manton

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They have gotten better from their trough around 2000 or so but they are not back to what they were and the QPR is no longer that good, whereas in the pre-Prada days the QPR was excellent.

The QPR are back in Premier League again. I think they once finished as high as second place though that was many years ago.

This sounds very interesting. I really like Church's and from my experience my Tauton on the 119 last in betis are absolutely great. I love both the last and the finishing. The leather feels thick but not as supple as G&G. Maybe that could be a result from the coloring process. My only objection is that due to the coloration they don't take a polish as easily.

On the other hand i have a pair of sheldon on the 130 last that i'm not as pleased with. They have a leather/linnen linning wich has resulted in a crease on the cap. To my eyes they look cheap.

I think church's shoes require a bit of knowledge from the buyer especially since they have widen the range. The new city line look awful imho.

But a new quality collection is most intriguing. I've seen a picture somewhere on the internet of what i suspect could be Burghley (the monk). Please enlighten me if im wrong.

I'll be in London tomorrow and will check these out.

Originally Posted by Kingstonian

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The QPR are back in Premier League again. I think they once finished as high as second place though that was many years ago.

On a non-clothing topic, they should have won the league that season and missed out on the last day despite being top before the final game.

I think comparing Church's to QPR is unfair.

Originally Posted by Atlantic herring

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On the other hand i have a pair of sheldon on the 130 last that i'm not as pleased with. They have a leather/linnen linning wich has resulted in a crease on the cap. To my eyes they look cheap.

I do not own Sheldon's but do have a pair of Lowick's, which are also on the 130 last and have a leather/linen lining; I have not experienced the same problem and have owned the shoes for nearly 18 months (and mine were slight seconds too).

Originally Posted by Nick V.

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I asked a very reliable source at Church.
Here is the response:

HI Nick
This is what our store signage states:
Inspired by the echoes of the 1930's, our new luxury collection is the
pinnacle of everything Church's. Made over the sweeping 137 Last, it
combines the Finest leather with beautiful hand finishes afforded by our
experienced Northampton craftsmen.
Each style is names for some well known historical areas:
Chatsworth : Wingtip
Lamport: Captoe
Burghley: Double buckle monk strap
* each pair comes with it's own pair of pine shoe trees with brass pull
ring

Hi Nick

I almost think that Church's should be paying me for all the positive posts

However, I really have no links with the firm, so I wonder if you could ask your contact a question that I have had in my mind for a while: why doesn't Church's offer models with a channelled sole. It is a cheap and easy add-on AFAIK, and many people really like it so it would seem like a no brainer

PS: Note that I am not saying I think they should have it- In a naive way I am inclined to admire Church's for putting out shoes at a high price point without it - but maybe it is not a point of principle.