Shoes that look better with age...

[GregNYC]

I think you're right - thanks, you inspired me!. I can wear em with my LVC 1947's - the narrowest jeans I have, so they kinda go together.

[mizanation]

clarks are great. the best place to buy them is london. you can get them for super cheap. they also have a shelly's brand that makes a decent wallabee that is cheaper. last time i was there, i saw a lot of the kids rocking them. interesting, no one was rocking kangols, except old men. kangols are cheap in london too, i bought a dozen when i went there last.

the problem with wallabees is the gum sole. wears down too easily. i guess you could put taps on them. wallabees are a hood classic. one of my friends who is a long time wallabee collector told me there is a place that replaces wallabee soles. maybe my greek shoe guy could do that, i'll ask him next time.

[GregNYC]

If Wallabees had a coolness factor, I'd go for them. Maybe they do. Gordon was kinda interested in some black ones, and he's cool. Black is the color I'd get if any. But I'm kinda allergic to the major moc upper on Wallabees, so would probably go with the desert boots instead. Tomorrow I'll stop on down at Shoe Mania on my way to BiG and see their prices...

[aubrgene]

If Wallabees had a coolness factor, I'd go for them. Maybe they do. Gordon was kinda interested in some black ones, and he's cool. Black is the color I'd get if any. But I'm kinda allergic to the major moc upper on Wallabees, so would probably go with the desert boots instead. Tomorrow I'll stop on down at Shoe Mania on my way to BiG and see their prices...

Note: If you're going to wear them with raw denims, remember the indigo might transfer onto your suede and would be more difficult to get rid off over your Red Wings.

[mizanation]

wallys are very cool, greg. and very, very comfortable. they make them in suede, nubuck and leather. suede is the most popular choice. they're not very tough though. i wear out the soles so quick. but the gum sole is what makes them so comfortable.

a lot of the old school reggae guys rocked wallys (at least some of them) and it's also got a huge following in the hip hop community. ghostface killah is the self-appointed, "wallaby king". on his "supreme clientelle" album, he spits a verse, "thank god for my wallaby shoes, they done saved me!"

wu-tang clan came out with their own version of the wallaby--the wu-wally. i suggest you stick with the original.

[dave023]

Hey MIz,

Any pics of your latest purchase, AE cordovan??Tx

[mizanation]

sorry, was drinking till late last night. didn't get home till 2 AM. then had to go to work in the morning

hopefully this weekend, i'll be able to take pics of all the shit i promised to take pics of!

[synthi]

Those Trickers collabs are fresh to death.

[GregNYC]

I think the workmanship on those Trickers might beat the C & J and Aldens.

[GregNYC]

I got my new Indies yesterday. They fit better, no probs so far with heel cups or seams digging into my feet. Right now, their color matches my russet A-2 from flightsuits.com, and tomorrow I'm gonna be an outlaw and wear them with my LVC 1955s to the office. Outlaw 'cause jeans are verboten. But they're not as obvious to the critical corp tattletale eye as stonewashed!

[dave023]

Got shocked today, went to a shop here in Brussels selling some Alden shoes, they havethe AF 57 shell cordovan chukka boot and it retails for $920 or 690€... retail price in US is $525

I almost kicked the guy...

[justbrowsing]

anyone interested in a pair of indys, size 10 d, worn once? name a price.

reason for selling: these feel about a whole size larger than marked... wtf?

[GregNYC]

I think that's right JB, the Indies do run big, especially too long. There's no way you can work with that. I'm normally a 10 in most shoes. And by the time I found an Indy size I liked, it was down to 8 1/2!!

[mizanation]

ok, guys i finally took pics of my shoes.

first, my new (used) allen edmonds, photos taken with flash:

[mizanation]

ok, here are pics taken without flash, only natural sunlight:

[mizanation]

these are pics of my year old alden shell cordovan cap toes in horween #8:

[mizanation]

this a side by side shot of the aldens and the allen edmonds. you can see the difference in the leather quality and the color. could be because the allen edmonds are a lot older, but i'm not sure. the aldens are on the left, allen edmonds on the right:

[mizanation]

here are pics of my black aldens:

[mizanation]

here are my #8 and black aldens side by side:

and all 3 shells together:

[mizanation]

my new frye engineer boots:

[dave023]

Those AE look good Miz!!great buy..

[GregNYC]

Damn, Miz has himself some shell cordovans! I like the medallion-toe boots I must say.

[headcoat]

Miz, any chance of you tossing those Alden boots on the supermarket?

[familyman]

I've heard that AE uses a thinner shell than Alden, some say it's not as good.

I've also heard that Alden gets the pick of Horween's shells and everybody else gets the rest.

I'm not sure how much truth there is to that though.

I do love your medallion boots. I've got to put a pause on my shell purchases but my next pair really needs to be a a pair like that.

[viv1984viv]

That is a really beautiful shoe collection miz, its good to see the difference between the 8colour and the black aldens. Thanks for uploading pics. I know the fryes are not shell cordovan but how does the construction compare to the others?

I dont know how interested you guys are but I did mention a brand called samuel windsor a few pages back, well after a search at SF I found out 2 pairs for a ton IS too good to be true.

Nonk ( senior member ) said.

"If I was talking to the guys at work I would say go for it. They seem to be on permanent offer at 2 for £100. They are in traditional styles, and have leather welted soles. A big improvement on plastic soled, turned up toe trainer combos.

This however is the Style Forum, and the level of expectation here is much greater, so I would say avoid like the plague. They are made in the Third World, using dubious quality materials, are of bookbinder/shiny/corrected grain, whatever you want to call it finish, and the welting looks like I did it.

They are very comfortable, but this is due to their insubstantial construction rather than any commendable reason.

I bought a pair on ebay for £26, and while I do wear them (they have a modicum of cheap charm, and I can't get my money back) they are in a MUCH lower league than any of my other shoes, including the generally perceived a lesser lines, such as Loake 1880 and Alfred Sargent (which I think offer very good value indeed) and I personally think they will fall apart in a year.

When Church's get criticism here for using inferior leather and not being as well made as they have been, trust me you do not want to try these!

I would take my £60-90 and get one pair of Loake 1880 seconds from Herring shoes instead, or go to the Crockett & Jones factory shop and get a pair of theirs for the same.

Basically my advice is don't do it! If you are used to Church's, C&J, Loake 1880 Alfred Sargent, Grenson or Barkers you will be VERY disappointed.

You can do much better for around the same money."

hope he doesnt mind me quoting him, so ive wrote windsor off and ive discovered grenson, loake, and barker. All make good shoes and they are not quite as pricey as churches or aldens.

[jubei]

question for the shell cordovan experts: does cordovan scuff or scratch easily? I tend to scuff my toes a lot when I walk, so I'm wonderin ghow durable the metrial is to wear and tear...

[LeicaLad]

I'm just back from a field trip. Lots of interesting entries. Can't resist PAGE 100 ! ! ! (Not to mention post #1984.)

Miz, what type of soles are on your cordo boots? Is either one or both leather, or commando? I'm curious how you compare the soles for use in dress-up mode? Meaning on those occasions when you wear these with a suit, which sole do you prefer? Or does just come down to the weather?

All of those cordos look very nice.

[GregNYC]

viv - I've never seen Samuel Windsors, but I would agree with Nonk about any shoe that has those characteristics.

Jubei - Shell cordovan is stronger and more durable in almost every way than calfskin. It's the most water resistant of all leathers. When you scratch it, the scratch stays a little crisper than the tears on calfskin, which mush up and "fray" a bit more easily.

Shell has no grain because there are no hair/fur follicles in it - it comes from lower down, from the subcutaneous layer of the horse's rump. So you get a very smooth finish. Therefore, scratches appear more visible. So I'd actually go with calfskin if you scratch your shoes a lot. It costs less too.

In both cases, after a scratch you might have to re-dye and re-polish with lots of coats to fill in the scratch.

[GregNYC]

Familyman - I can see that about the quality of the shell between Alden and AE. But for me, there's one factor that outweighs this. The lasts - AE's lasts are much better. Actually, another factor is very important too. For the kinds of shoes we talk about here, there is hardly any model in common. For a given shoe style, it's not as though you can choose between these two companies. E.g., if you want a chukka boot, even in calfskin, AE doesn't carry them...

[mizanation]

I'm just back from a field trip. Lots of interesting entries. Can't resist PAGE 100 ! ! ! (Not to mention post #1984.)

Miz, what type of soles are on your cordo boots? Is either one or both leather, or commando? I'm curious how you compare the soles for use in dress-up mode? Meaning on those occasions when you wear these with a suit, which sole do you prefer? Or does just come down to the weather?

All of those cordos look very nice.

welcome back, leicalad.

i had vibram soles put on my two cordo boots. they both originally had leather. the vibram sole is a not the commando style, so i can wear it fine in formal occasions (and i have plenty of times). it provides the nice traction of vibram and takes forever to wear down. i find that leather soles just don't last long on new york city streets. my allen edmonds have the original leather soles though--and are still in great shape.

i prefer vibram over leather. i don't think a lot of people spend time looking at the bottom of my shoe, and i just prefer the better traction and longer wear.