If I looked like these, I'd be on sale too.

[Matt Deckard]

The browns are too close in color and the white is... well there isn't enough white to make them look like pseudo spats. they aren't wild enough or subtle enough.

http://www.brooksbrothers.com/IWCat...It+To+Me,+Inc_Brooks+Brothers+Product+Catalog

In this thread, I'd like you to post things that are made by high end companies, yet are ill conceived and executed.

 

[LoveMyHats2]

The browns are too close in color and the white is... well there isn't enough white to make them look like pseudo spats. they aren't wild enough or subtle enough.

http://www.brooksbrothers.com/IWCat...It+To+Me,+Inc_Brooks+Brothers+Product+Catalog

In this thread, I'd like you to post things that are made by high end companies, yet are ill conceived and executed.

$200.00 for these shoes? Are they drunk?

I have to admit, you are dead accurate about the lack of even eye appeal to these shoes. They are more than likely just junk. I have seen better quality in shoes sold at K Marts stores. These shoes are perhaps less quality than the cheaper line of hush puppies....I will have to dig up a few pair of pants I have purchased over the past year, that have high end price tags that are also just junk, brand name croft and borrow, wool pants that are just junk. Price was over a hundred bucks a pair, purchased on line, and after looking at them I should have returned them. Have not worn them even one time and currently have them shoved away some place in the mindset I will use them at some time period for "cleaning rags" after I shred them into smaller bits to make them rag sized.

At times we as a "consumer" think a price tag or brand name is going to produce a quality item, but that is not always the case. It also does not amaze me that Brooks Brothers is going to cave into selling junk.

A fairly good quality shoe source, E.T. Wright is or has gone down the tube, as they sold fairly expensive shoes and announced that they would not sell cheap shoes and the economy set a low sale trend for them. Pity, as they had some really nice shoes.

 

[Two Types]

I was interested in the first line of the description, that these suede shoes have been "reinvented for the fall". I actually like the idea of having more than one colour in the upper to fit in with autumn colours. That said, they needed to have one element with a reddish shade. Then perhaps it might have worked.

Also, they have a crepe sole. Where I live, autumn is usually wet and the ground is covered in fallen leaves. If you were to wear crepe soles in those conditions then you would be guaranteed to slip over.

 

[LoveMyHats2]

I was interested in the first line of the description, that these suede shoes have been "reinvented for the fall". I actually like the idea of having more than one colour in the upper to fit in with autumn colours. That said, they needed to have one element with a reddish shade. Then perhaps it might have worked.

Also, they have a crepe sole. Where I live, autumn is usually wet and the ground is covered in fallen leaves. If you were to wear crepe soles in those conditions then you would be guaranteed to slip over.

As I understand, at one time crepe was on shoes for comfort, but I also in my own opinion, believe that what is being called crepe today, is not manufactured with any quality as it was at one time in the past. You are perhaps right these shoes would have you slipping all over. By looking at the pictures you can guess they have more "glue" than being sewn, do not have any "weight" to them as they have an obvious lack of any quality. A set back to me is the name brand, Peal. Peal shoes have a very good reputation for being made with quality, and to my limited knowledge of the shoe brand history, have been made by craftsman that took pride in each pair of shoes made, come from England, which has had an overall reputation for quality bench made type shoes that would have high quality and could be resoled/refurbished when the soles wore out. What ever has happened that this brand name would stoop to putting their name tag on something that is more than likely just junk? Could it be that underneath the making of this particular model of shoe, it is really from a shop in China or India? I had one pair of Peal brand shoes, I think I purchased them about 1981 or 1982? I wore them several days a week every week for maybe 6 or 7 years, had them resoled one time and wished I had another pair just like them today. Classic Peal Wing Tips Brogues that were British Tan. Built like a tank, they went through hell and back by my wearing them and of any shoes I have ever owned they were the best. I think in part, why Matt showed these particular shoes as an example of his topic, here you have a shoe with a high end brand name, a healthy price tag still attached to them even being on sale, and I bet the shoes do not even weigh as much as a box of tissue paper each as they have no quality to them. Colors may play some role in the appearance of how attractive they may or may not look, but drats, $200.00 for a pair of "wanna be" Peal shoes is sad indeed. I see Barker brand new wing tips on eBay being offered by sellers that are in the U.K. selling them for only $240.00 that beat these Peal shoes all over. I do see good Peal brand shoes also on eBay for less than $300.00 I would rather pay that amount for a decent pair of quality shoes than $200.00 for junk. Further also you do see fairly decent vintage shoes from Peal for about this $200.00 or even less all the time, on eBay.

 

[Edward]

I quite like them, but I'd never wear them in Autumn. The very light panel on the top makes them look too much like Summer shoes to me - that and Autumn IME tends to be too damp for suede most of the time.

 

[LoveMyHats2]

I would about bet Edward, if you purchased a pair of these shoes, you would be disappointed in how fast they wore out. I am not a suede shoe fan myself, I have seen some that are actually attractive, but suede is not a material that is going to take a beating and shoes normally do take a beating. Suede as you point out is going to get wet and damp, gets dirty rapidly, and can rip and have scuffs that you really cannot do very much to fix or repair or even prevent as you can with a regular finished quality leather uppers that you can put leather protection products on and use shoe wax or paste to "spruce up" from normal wear and tear. I myself do not care very much for the colors of the shoes as I myself would think they look better if the had more white exposure, or a deeper red or brown in the "two tone" or spectator look of them. They just to me, appear very lack luster, something you'd want to wear walking the refuse can out to the refuse bin late at night when even your nosy neighbor "Mrs. You-hoo", is already dead fast asleep, and nothing more. Almost like an indoor outdoor pair of slippers!

 

[Two Types]

By looking at the pictures you can guess they have more "glue" than being sewn, do not have any "weight" to them as they have an obvious lack of any quality. A set back to me is the name brand, Peal. Peal shoes have a very good reputation for being made with quality, and to my limited knowledge of the shoe brand history, have been made by craftsman that took pride in each pair of shoes made, come from England, which has had an overall reputation for quality bench made type shoes that would have high quality and could be resoled/refurbished when the soles wore out.

In my experience, the crepe is normally glued into place since it is not rigid enough to be succesfully stitched to the welt. Whilst I like the comfort of the suede/crepe combination it has problems. As I mentioned, crepe is rather hazardous in wet conditions, but also it can get very sticky at high temperatures. Thus, I only really like crepe soled shoes for moderately warm, dry days.
Looking at these shoes, I suspect these were made by Cheaney (since the advert says they were made in England) and look just like a number of pairs I owned that were fantastically comfortable. I wore them to death. Being suede, they won't wear as well as quality leather shoes, but I think they are good. For me, the mix of colours would not be an issue: most of the time my trousers would cover the uppers.

 

[LoveMyHats2]

I do own two pair on New Old Stock Vintage shoes from 1950. The brand name is Sea Tracks, sold through London Fog at the time they were made. Both pairs of shoes do have the soles glued, however the soles are also stitched and are crepe sole shoes. The crepe was so dried out (so was the leather) when I first obtained these shoes, I was in fear of the sole just "snapping" as I was also in fear the dry leather would also just crack right off and split. After some intense application of leather conditioner to the uppers and some spray silicone on the soles, the shoes are in as good as brand new condition.

My local cobbler/repairman indicates to me the soles now being offered as crepe soles are less quality than what I have now on these shoes, and would recommend when the time comes to repair/replace the soles, that I can go with a decent leather sole as the shoes are rebuild-able. N0 suede on these shoes however, just what is called, "smoked elk" color leather and they are sharp looking casual shoes like boat/deck shoes. They also have weight to them.

 

[Undertow]

Here you go:

Air Franklin Wingtip Oxford

I think these would look great for an interview at Clown U, but at $178, you'd better hope you're accepted...

 

[Deleted member 16736]

If it's spectator shoes you're after, I don't think these limited-edition AE shoes can be beat:

http://www.allenedmonds.com/aeonline/producti_SF9003_1_40000000001_-1

 

[AtomicEraTom]

I think getting rid of the white and just going to the two-tone brown all the way through on those shoes would make them a lot more subtle and bearable to wear.

 

[dnjan]

Here you go:

Air Franklin Wingtip Oxford

I think these would look great for an interview at Clown U, but at $178, you'd better hope you're accepted...

those look like something that was commissioned by the alumni association of a school whose colours were purple and gold.

 

[gfish]

those look like something that was commissioned by the alumni association of a school whose colours were purple and gold.

I can't promise you that the University of Washington had nothing to do with it. I can only hope.

 

[dnjan]

I can't promise you that the University of Washington had nothing to do with it. I can only hope.

And I can only hope that the University of Illinois (orange and blue) Alumni Association doesn't find the company ...

 

[LoveMyHats2]

If it's spectator shoes you're after, I don't think these limited-edition AE shoes can be beat:

http://www.allenedmonds.com/aeonline/producti_SF9003_1_40000000001_-1

I have to agree those shoes are a fairly nice shoe by a good quality company. They have another model of shoe that is like these but more of a cap toe spectator as well. Also there is a few new shoes from this company on eBay that have a black mesh with black leather on the uppers that is very nice and different from the norm.

 

[LoveMyHats2]

Here you go:

Air Franklin Wingtip Oxford

I think these would look great for an interview at Clown U, but at $178, you'd better hope you're accepted...

Lord have mercy! Joggers should wear something with this coloring to be more visible to automotive traffic! "Moon Glow" anyone? lol!

 

[Chasseur]

Though the sale ended awhile back, and we've already bashed these about in the past, I keep thinking back to that Thom Browne "Preppy on LSD" collection he did for Brooks Brothers...

Who can forget this: the patchwork seersucker suit!

Alas, I was unable to find a photo of the pièce de résistance of that collection the madras morning coat...

Now where did my purple and yellow oxfords go...

 

[sknight]

Here you go:

Air Franklin Wingtip Oxford

I think these would look great for an interview at Clown U, but at $178, you'd better hope you're accepted...

Those are definitely "special".

 

[Undertow]

If it's spectator shoes you're after, I don't think these limited-edition AE shoes can be beat:

http://www.allenedmonds.com/aeonline/producti_SF9003_1_40000000001_-1

I rather like those, actually. Why don't you like them? Granted, they're a bit flashy, but I think they look pretty nice.

 

[Undertow]

How about this semi-formal abomination:

Signature 3-Button Notch Lapel Tuxedo

I'm not claiming Jos.A.Bank is "high end", but they're certainly in the business of creating/selling suiting. You would think they should know better than to sell that thing. :crazy: