1. Ranked in terms of usage: cheap eBay made in China suede driver, John Lobb, C&J, Meermin. More dependent on color and style than the actual brand.

2. Crockett & Jones, John Lobb RTW, John Lobb Paris bespoke, Gaziano & Girling bespoke, Meermin Linea Maestro, Saint Crispins, Tricker's,  RM Williams, Vass

3. Only one pair of shoes with danite sole with the rest all leather sole. But then I live in an arid area with literally very little seasonal effects.

Never underestimate the functionality and sheer necessity of the Dainite sole in Northern Europe climes.

Alden full strap loafer in 3 (black, cordoban, tan brown) colors- my go to shoe, comfy yet presentable.
Allen Edmunds Park Avenue and their plain oxford, both black.
Loake tobacco suede derby.
Calzados Correa Black suede oxford cap toe. 

I thought I was doing OK until you guys started showing all that shoe porn, now I feel like the guy with the pleasant but homey wife walking into a bar full of Playboy models.

shooey - I wondered if you had seen this video of Peal & Co - its from a 1959 film

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TSh5g0nz5rk

1). Go to loafers — Russell Moccasin, old Weejuns, Allen Edmonds cordos. Go to lace-ups — AE Park Ave, Footjoy captoes, AE Leeds, Trickers Big Fat Bastards
2). AE, Alden, Russell, Bass, Ferragamo, Lands End branded proper shoes,  LE canvas sneakers, LL Bean boots (various configurations), Peal/Brooks Bros., Ralph/Polo, Sebago, Johnston & Murphy, Florsheim, a couple of other odds and ends. Boat shoes — LL Bean.  Also fishing boots.
3). Leather sole about 60 percent of the time. Coat and tie, then leather sole unless it's horrible weather.

My shoe collection is limited to Crockett & Jones and Tricker's. The latter's quality has declined and I will stick to the former from now on. I am tempted to try J M Weston if I can find a last that fits well.

that's is an amazing collection of shoes shooey .. I only have about five or so pairs of shoes and I seem to wear a couple over and over and the rest only here and there.

can I ask why you always wear a leather sole and not rubber? I like rubber soles for walking around / wet pavements which seem to degrade a leather sole even faster than normal.

yes I may well do that but the missis is becoming increasingly annoyed with my wardrobe purchases (I don't buy much clothing, but when I do its usually bespoke) .. I may go out and buy some new shoes next week as she's going abroad! Sad but true.

Ive got my eye on some C&J black Belgraves (which I plan to polish with a dark brown to give an antique look to them .. any tips on this type of technique would be appreciated as only seen it on a fosters bespoke shoe and never tried it out myself, see  pictures for what I intend to do: http://theshoesrealist.tumblr.com/post/45580261747/foster-son-bespoke-shoes-in-black-antique-calf , also have sort of become infatuated with some JM Weston shoes, which of course have a different aesthetic to C&J, seemingly specialising in either what you'd typically expect from a French shoe maker in making narrow long elegant shoes or alternatively making huge battalion style derbies. I also may splash 400 quid on some classic Gucci bits and toppy them to prevent them falling apart on the second wearing .. hmm maybe one day i'll give shooey a run for his money!

fruity

Last edited by Oldfruit1 (2013-09-06 11:44:36)