best gentleman shoes

[nivaglee 12]

which brands have the best gentleman shoes. ranging from the material they use, brand wise and of course $$$$$.

share your views and thoughts here!

looking forward to see some good info

[Vampyrvargfesten 2,305,084]

richard branson is a true gentleman and he humbly wears allen edmonds

i would love to get a pair of handmade laszlo vass shoes

[gettoasty 376,289]

allen edmonds leeds in smooth leather does well for a streetwear / gentleman vibe depending how you dress up. nice shape fwiw. i owned the pebble leather version and it pairs well with a slimmer suit. fuller pants need not consider the model as you'll look like you have elephant feet. at least from your POV

[M4TM 392,345]

alden cordovan.

[lil brown brother 282,672]

double monk straps .. right?

[shinobi2000 163,329]

check out this guy's opinions

http://www.whatmakes...itional-brands/

[dsmivtr 9]

This is pretty broad. This can vary from Allen Edmonds or Alden all the way to Edward Green and John Lobb.

Regarding American made, I would say Allen Edmonds has a good combination of style/quality/price. When looking at UK shoes, I prefer Crockett & Jones ($400-$700) and Alfred Sargent ($500+).

[dismalfuture 1,169,029]

I like Crockett and Jones on the 348 last. Not the highest quality calfskin, but the last is eminently attractive and some of the designs are great, like, the double monks... (0)

I have a pair of Edgwares but I want to get some Lowndes and some Westbournes.

[dsmivtr 9]

Don't have the Westbourne but I have the Lowndes. I definitely agree with the nice sleek last.

Instead of the Westbourne, I do have a pair of EG Adelaides: Clayton

[nivaglee 12]

What about trickers?

[Kasper 50,796]

most of my work shoes are Crockett & Jones. i really like most of their lasts (i have weird feet and the 337 fits perfectly) and design, i feel they achieve a good balance of showcasing English heritage in a modern way. at ~$500, the handgrade are IMO the best bang you can get for your buck (and the $100 extra vs. the benchgrade is really worth it if you can find a comparable shoe). No offence to Allen Edmonds, but the lasts are just too old school for my taste.

Obviously, Edward Green, Lobb, Corthay, Cleverley all make really awesome shoes, but still outside of my budget for the moment. Anyway, if i could, i would strictly wear bespoke Gaziano & Girling

[shinobi2000 163,329]

Trickers look great but they're so clunky and in-your-face. I've been contemplating a pair of boots from them but that is probably the farthest I'd go -- don't see myself in a professional or relatively fancy event wearing them

The crockett and jones westbournes are really the best balance of the classic and modern look. They are awesome. Bought them for the bf's birthday 2 years ago and they are looking better than ever.

My john lobb city IIs in brown are my pride and joy. Not only do they look good but they are surprisingly super comfortable

[OkayOkay 1,045,763]

I know Alden and Trickers get like 98% of the love on Sufu, but has anyone checked Grenson in person? I've just seen online, they look great tho and the price is more approachable for most people. Seem about the same level of "exclusivity" as the aforementioned, just not sure about quality or where they're made...

[devilish 441,127]

Grenson has gone down hill quality wise in the last few years. They are, as far as I know, still made in england but as they have tried to pitch their shoes at the 'fashion' market they have suffered in the workmanship. Trickers did the same and have also slipped a little in build quality but not to the same extent. c&j are still the best bang for the buck out there and can be had for reasonable money if you are willing to search. Alfred Sargent have gone the other way and stepped up into the mto realm but were always of good quality. edward green, john lobb and cleverly are the next rung up and are really well made but the shapes are not to everyone's taste. just my 2 cents worth.

[Kasper 50,796]

Yeah, Grenson can be hit or miss. I generally like the shoes and how they "boldly" mix different materials of different colors, but agree that the quality has gone down in recent years. some of their shoes are now produced in India btw. But if you are buying from the UK, they are still a good value proposition IMO.

they did a collection with National Geographic last year and the shoes were really dope. i got some brown chukka and they are by far the pair i get the most complement from. pretty much this, but no pebble grain leather and slightly lower (2 eyelets)

Edited May 16, 2012 by Kasper

[jigrushable 11,686]

St. Crispins

[dsmivtr 9]

Grenson has gone down hill quality wise in the last few years. They are, as far as I know, still made in england but as they have tried to pitch their shoes at the 'fashion' market they have suffered in the workmanship. Trickers did the same and have also slipped a little in build quality but not to the same extent. c&j are still the best bang for the buck out there and can be had for reasonable money if you are willing to search. Alfred Sargent have gone the other way and stepped up into the mto realm but were always of good quality. edward green, john lobb and cleverly are the next rung up and are really well made but the shapes are not to everyone's taste. just my 2 cents worth.

From reading other posts, Grenson may have started outsourcing more hence their ability to compete in regards to quality. I admit having 5 Grenson shoes but they are for Paul Stuart which is made to their 'Masterpiece' standard.

I also agree Alfred Sargent is probably the best price point between C&J and EG.

[nivaglee 12]

anymore comments???

[keenks 30,107]

what about Sanders, any comment?

they look decent and not that expensive i think

[gettoasty 376,289]

Barney's in house brand made in italy

[devilish 441,127]

what about Sanders, any comment?

they look decent and not that expensive i think

Sanders makes mcnairy's shoes for them. Not bad quality but not top notch either, however they are cheaper than mcnairy and some styles are similar, if a little more subdued.

[shinobi2000 163,329]

omg!! how did i miss this chance to go off on grenson's? if i had time in my life to waste i'd go on a crusade against them to make sure they never dupe another poor soul again. They are *s*h*i*t* now!! From my research I knew that they recently rebooted the brand but I had no idea how bad they'd be. Got a pair of those boots with the rubber soles that are so popular now, way back last year. The leather looks like crap in real life and production has been outsourced to india making the $600 price tag outrageous. I had no idea until it was too late (also because Park and bond outright *lied* to me and swore they were made in England). What can I say? the laces broke within weeks because the metal eyelets that they go through are so shitty they cut into the lace each and everytime I tie them. The leather, aside from being paper thin, gets easily torn. My pair looked like a dog had chewed it up by the 4th month I owned it. do not buy grenson's unless you can verify that it was a made in england pair!!!

[Fuuma 410,937]

Honestly most brands starting at Allen Edmonds level last for quite a while if you have 4-5 pairs of shoes, just go with the designs you prefer and the brand that offers you the most compelling feeling of old world luxury/glentleman bullshit and don't worry about quality unless you wanna get the esteem of online people. I have some Allen Edmonds that are 8 y/o and they're still ok, some Lobb, some Corthay, some Vass, some Georg Materna etc and they all hold up pretty well. Not into english styling but I'd pick C&J over Edward Green.

[activist 37,449]

Sutor Mantellassi

[schmallo15 23,498]

Surprised no one has mentioned Carmina yet.

http://www.thearmourystore.com/shoes

http://www.carmina.telemaco.es/familia.asp?idfamilia=12124347

[Guest INDIGO QUEEN]

Gaziano and Girling semi-Oxford in black calf with rubber soles to make them practical for everyday wearing.

Most comfortable shoes ever!!!

Crockett and Jones Monk shoes are comfortable but needed a lot of breaking in...

IQ:)

Edited July 23, 2012 by INDIGO QUEEN

[Guest INDIGO QUEEN]

Going boots shopping hopefully on Monday as my long boots are suffering from overuse and need replacing....

Will need to be ordered as I've teeny feet (size 2) so no pics until I've got them

IQ:)

[Guest INDIGO QUEEN]

Ordered ankle length boots with buckle in black box calf

Current footwear will have to keep me going until they're made...

[apparition 314]

Big fan of MMM. Amazing attention to detail. And not everything he does is a GAT in another shade of paint.

Also Mark McNairy is good too. Probably a little too casual for this thread though, but still.

Edited August 10, 2012 by apparition

[Crat 6,317]

Rtw

- Edward Green

- John Lobb Paris

- Corthay

- Lattanzi

- St. Crispin

- Gaziano & Girling

- Alfred Sargent exclusive

- Berluti

- Aubercy

- Vass

- Santoni

- Scafora

- Bontoni

- Bettanin & Venturi

- Stefanobi

- Carmina

- Crockett & Jones

- Chruch's

- Sutor Mantelassi

Quality wise I'm generlly a fan of the British makers as in my experience the leather holds up better in time. You don't het that antique finish that berluti and the Italians have though.

Didn't mention Alden because imo they are too chuncky for dress shoes. Don't get me wrong, I love my aldens but think them to be more appropriate for casual wear.

Edited January 2, 2013 by Crat