l haven't been to Mc Cleods recently, but prices are roughly the following for the overpriced English shoes (4 years ago):

Low end Loake = $350 - $400
Church's = $895  or $1,200 at HB. Royal range calf skin go for about 2K if specially ordered from Henry Bucks.
Grenson (heavily grain corrected lower range) = $550

Mc Cleods are the only traditional gentlemens shoo shop in Melbourne. l'll still get the occasional Church's there so l can support them.

C&J = $650 - $800 last year. 1K for shell benchgrades. Still very reasonable for Oz prices. (American Tailors)

The Oz dollar is almost equal to the U.S dollar now. Our shoes are dear stuff.

Last edited by The_Shooman (2008-07-10 09:58:35)

Just abit off topic, but l believe Harrolds in Sydney were charging almost 7K for a Kiton RTW calf skin shoes. ls this true? l've seen RTW Borrelli/Mantellassi norvegese alligator shoes in the 5 figure range. The pair took 18 months to sell, but some guy bought them eventually (l wish it was me).

lt would be awesome to get boots wiff all the lumps and bumps on them. The hornbacks or alligator tail boots!!! Those boots rule soooo much.

Last edited by The_Shooman (2008-07-10 09:43:24)

English shoes are very hard to come by in Southern California except for Brooks-Peals and whatever the Polo shops happen to have. Barney's used to have a few C&Js but have stopped carrying them. I have been told that the Ascot Chang shop in Beverly Hills has some, but I have never been in there. Gary's in Fashion Island (Newport Beach) recently started stocking a few Edward Green styles. There is the John Lobb Paris store in South Coast Plaza. The Hermes stores in Beverly Hills and South Coast stock a few JLP-made Hermes shoes. The Neiman-Marcus stores sometimes have a few JLPs, and that's about it.

The only Trickers I have ever seen were a pair adorning the feet of the Lord of the Ring. I have never wittingly laid eyes on a pair of Grensons, Cheaneys, Loakes, Sanders, Barkers, etc. Given the weakness of the dollar at present, I am unsure how competitive some of these would be against A-E and Alden.

When I say "Southern California," I probably should amend that to "Greater Los Angeles." I really know nothing about the sartorial scene in San Diego.

In any event, nearly all the mid-range English shoes are little more than names to me.

I would enjoy hearing some true gen on the topic. I bought Cheaney shoes because that is what the shoe store in New Haven, CT sold. I bought the inexspenive Chursh's line in the 80s when they had a discount shoe store in Westport CT.I bought Crockett and Jones because in the late 80s and early 90s Brooks sold them under the Peal range. I was wondering about those Thyrett shoes. I see the brochures. are they decent shoes? I wonder.

OMG. the stalker is back.

You've got to love the mid end English shoes. They are well made old friends that look great. l think the midend supply will greatly shrink to almost nothing though. l reckon Church's will start getting more of the dodgy looking ltalian stuff in, and l reckon Cheaney will continue to sell lower rebadged stuff to trendy makers. Even Grenson is going down hill; some of their leathers are from lndia now l believe, + the masterpiece range has been dropped from their line. l couldn't imagine Trickers changing.  l think Trickers quality will be one of the last to stay the same.

Last edited by The_Shooman (2008-07-11 00:32:37)

British shoes were all about retailing and Sir Charles Clore. He was the key figure.

Same as Montague Burton was the most important English tailor and Hudson Road Mills in Leeds was the most important place for making suits - not Savile Row.

When the Dolcis shoe chain collapsed, it was said to be because the low end of mid market was suffering. The old name factories used to subcontract to the chains. Now that they see chains are struggling they need to establish brands or sink. I would say brands mentioned so far have been comparatively high end; though not the bespoke or shoe-obsessive top dollar stuff.