Popped into Harrolds this morning on a beautiful day and got the surprise of my life...saw the Church's top range `royals' for my first time ever. Lasted shoe trees, a nice box, and a nice refined Church's last done in top quality leather similar to John Lobb. My jaw dropped when l saw them, such style and quality uppers. Still...the same old exposed stitching on the soles, and the welt stitching was rough and wide not good enough for a shoe with top draw leather. Still, prices were good at $1,300. This is the first time Australia has ever had the `royals' in stock.

Tom Ford had some beautiful shoes also. Nice antiquing, decent leathers, a decent close cut bevelled waste to imitate bespoke and great styling. Blake stitched, but stylish fun shoos starting at a reasonable $1850. l wouldn't mind buying them to wear on the odd occasion for some fun in the sun. See...the aussie shoe stores are waking up...gone are the sky high prices of old, and now things are much more affordable. One Tom Ford design was based on a George Cleverley bespoke classic, the black chisel toe gusset shoe. Church's basic range used to be $1,200 and Tom Ford was often $4,500, but now things are reasonable.

l eyed those Church's top draw double monks and would have bought them if l wasn't committed to the alligator bespoke for early next year. Pity, those Church's monks were lovely, and they fit quite well too.

The Brioni's were o.k too, but not the Lattanzi made ones. I weren't as enthralled by them as the Tom Ford and especially Church's. Church's were abit rough in areas, but so be it.

That was my shoe day, and it was good mate. Would have liked to look at more footwear, but l was busy. The very smart looking Artioli are no longer stocked.

Regards: The Shooman.