gokiburi

this is probably not much use to you but sydney's in toronto has them for $325cdn (+14% tax). i don't recall whether the size is a 42 or 43 though. they also have it in black. just in case you get desperate.

sorry, these aren't clarks, but opening ceremony has a really nice pair:

http://azitastore.com/article/733/Opening_Ceremony_Mss07-3.html

i love the look of the flat leather sole. 165 euros +30e shipping. no idea what they're going for stateside.

jet: you think they're overpriced? in terms of quality, or that you can find a similar shoe in style/fit/material for $100 less? i'm thinking of pulling the trigger on a pair of grey suede lace-ups (flat sole) for $325cdn..ouch, i know, but there's no alternative other than heading down to nyc. loco mentioned that a lot of sizes are out of stock though........

hope this isn't too late. my two cents:

the overnight bus is the fastest service offered by greyhound (fewest stops) at 10 hours. 8pm or 930pm departure only, arriving at 615am/745am respectively. this info is from greyhound.ca. you'll have to take the same overnight schedule coming back if you want to keep with the 10hr trip time. pros: cheap, lots of departure times. cons: a toture that i wouldn't want to wish on my worst enemy.

via rail has departures from union station. price is pretty much the same as bus and is way more comfortable. the cons are that it takes a LONG time (longer customs wait and amtrak transfer at the border), and they only have early morning departures.

driving is fast and cheap even with a rental. easy drive. cons: you'll have to deal with parking in nyc.

i wouldn't recommend flying from pearson unless you have money to burn and/or you fly out of buffalo.

ok..hand-cranking the ol' memory.... leathers consisted of messenger bags, ladies purses, gym bags, wallets (with/without zip. the zipper would "lock" when the tab is down preventing accidently opening.. hey, i thought it was cool) and a portfolio case. everything is tanned quite dark. the patina is quite nice with a heavy wrinkling of the hide throughout. wallets are reasonable at $100cdn and the portfolio at $300. hmm, or was that $399.... sorry, i just checked out the wallets and portfolio. really nice workmanship..the detailing on the portfolio is simply stunning. i would just carry it around with nothing in it!

on the ladies side there was red denim. they have a nice slim cut jean in grey for about $125cdn. did i mention there was lots of rag and bone?! the menswear bordered on the more refined-casual, some off the rack suits, dress shirts, dress flannels. i'm racking the brain and can't remember and labels.

i felt like entering an old haberdasher's store. his collection of antique tailoring shears in the store front is amazing.

sorry, forgot to add that his custom jeans run at $300cdn. that was what he quote on the japanese selvedge but i'd confirm that.

someone go check it out and provide a better report!

i've been in sydney's in toronto (795 queen west, toronto) quite a few times and was impressed with their large rag and bone selection, plus some nice handmade leather goods and scarves. but it wasn't until after talking with the owner that i found out he also makes his own custom selvedge jeans in his upstairs studio. he showed me a nice roll of japanese denim that he had used for pair of custom jeans he'd just finished for a customer. after chatting and an impromptu tour of his studio i could tell he was passionate about his work. stints in the film industry as a costume designer and apprenticing with a tailor made him take the plunge into opening up his own store/studio. my hat's off to someone who can take that final step. sorry if this getting too biographical but it's always refreshing to talk with someone who's really into their work. and he's a nice guy too.

coldrice, is there a story behind the handmade wallet? that thing's gorgeous.