New Spectators

[Hemingway Jones]

Hello All,
I have just received my new Spectators from Alfred Sargent and I couldn't be more pleased.
These are the third pair of Spectators I bought this month.
I started with the Brutini's which looked good, but had poor craftsmanship and they ran small, though I stretched them out by wearing them. Now, they look small on my feet, though. They are dark brown and white.

Then, I bought the Donato Marrone and they were also cheaply made, but they are a nice light tan and white combination. These are roomy and comfortable.

One day, I discovered Pediwear or http://www.pediwear.co.uk/detail.php?stock_ID=54 . These are the "Melly" model, though they have a model called a "George" that is black and white. The "Melly" is a dark brown and light tan that is almost khaki. It is a nice vintage-looking combination. I photographed them on some white T-shirts to try to bring out this tan color.

The workmanship is very nice; all the seams are smooth and well-stitched and the leather is fine and supple. The soles are wonderfully finished and the shoe feels substantial. It is a very fine shoe.

The best news is that they were very affordable. The previous two shoes I bought were somewhere around $75 USD. These were 96.29 pounds Sterling -Shipped! These are definitely worth the extra money and are significantly less than the Allen Edmunds.

I don't know about you all, but I hate cheap shoes. I'll wear them to achieve a certain look, but I prefer a quality shoe that will last and wear well.

Here they are:

 

[Vladimir Berkov]

I think those look great. I need some new "everyday" shoes to wear around campus and I think those fit the bill. Let us know how they stand up to wear as you start using them.

I have a pair of B&W spectators but I find that color combination doesn't go with what I usually wear, I would love a pair of brown spectators.

 

[Vladimir Berkov]

By the way, what is the fit like? I notice they only have a medium width available and I usually wear a D width. Are they pretty tight in general? Enough to say going up a size for the increased width might be a good idea?

 

[Hemingway Jones]

By the way, what is the fit like? I notice they only have a medium width available and I usually wear a D width. Are they pretty tight in general? Enough to say going up a size for the increased width might be a good idea?

Vladimir, I always thought that D is a medium width; am I wrong in this? I think the fit would be fine for you. They're roomy.

You could always email them. They are very nice people. They asked me what my size was in English shoes. The shoes I have were 10 D and 9 1/2 EE in English shoes and they both fit great. These are 10 Mediums and they are very comfortable, out of the box.

In US sizes, I am a 10 1/2 medium, though wide in a dress shoe.

I will definitely let you know how they break in and hold up over time.

 

[Marc Chevalier]

Great, great shoes! Good job!

 

[GraveRobberGreg]

Nice looking shoes HJ. They fit your style....Classy

 

[Hemingway Jones]

Thank you, Greg! -And for the Christmas card as well!!! Merry Christmas.

Thank you, Marc.

 

[MK]

!

Those are sweet! I am going to London next month. I am going to see if I can find a brick and mortar store where I can try them on. The quality looks good. I am so glad you found a source for affordable spectators.:cheers1:

 

[Hemingway Jones]

Those are sweet! I am going to London next month. I am going to see if I can find a brick and mortar store where I can try them on. The quality looks good. I am so glad you found a source for affordable spectators.:cheers1:

Thanks, MK. Let us all know what you discover over there. And, if you should happen to see the Black and white ones, let me know how they look to your discerning eye. They are my next purchase.

 

[Daisy Buchanan]

Hello Roomie

Even though you sleep in the room right next to mine, and I just ate lunch with you and your new spectators, I thought I would say how great they are! I think every man should own a pair of specs, they are quite handsome

 

[Salv]

Those are sweet! I am going to London next month. I am going to see if I can find a brick and mortar store where I can try them on. The quality looks good. I am so glad you found a source for affordable spectators.:cheers1:

Shipton and Heneage sell the George and Melly shoes and they have a showroom in Battersea in south London - address and contact details are here (these pages take ages to load ). Their prices are high though, so you may want to just visit the showroom to try the shoes on, then order them from pediwear.co.uk.

BTW If you didn't realise where they got the names of the shoes from George Melly is a well-known fedora- and spectator shoe-wearing Brit jazz singer/writer/entertainer

 

[DanielJones]

HJ: Those are very sharp. Ever the well dressed man about town. Keep it up.

Cheers!

Dan

 

[Flitcraft]

Very sharp, Mr. Jones, very sharp indeed!
Looking forward a posting of your new Hollywood jacket accompanied by the new spectators- very Howard Hughes!

 

[DanielJones]

Here here!!:cheers1:

Cheers!

Dan

 

[Hemingway Jones]

HJ: Those are very sharp. Ever the well dressed man about town. Keep it up.

Cheers!

Dan

Thanks! I can't wait for that either. The tailor should be back today, so I should have it in a few weeks! I'll let you fellows know. You know I'll post as soon as I have it!

 

[MK]

.

How are they holding up? I am going to London in a few days. I plan on getting me a pair.

 

[Hemingway Jones]

How are they holding up? I am going to London in a few days. I plan on getting me a pair.

Absolutely mint. None of that cracking that the cheaper Spectators get, only a gentle wrinkling at the flex points. No fraying, no problems with the seams, and I wear them regularly, including on my cruise. Once you see them, you'll know what I mean. I couldn't recommend them more.

If you see the black and white ones, pleae let me know your opinion of them.

Good luck!

 

[Roger]

Nice pair

Looks like a nice pair of shoes there. I agree with you on cheap shoes. It's not that cheap shoes don't hold up good it's that a person spends most of their waking hours on their feet. Therefore, it is important to always get a quality pair of shoes rather than have feet problems 20-30 years down the line. I had a neighbor who always told me when I was a teenager to spend at least one day's pay on each pair of shoes. I've always taken that advice and in 20 years of buying my own shoes, I've never had any foot problems. I just need to see how the next 50 years goes.:cheers1:

 

[geo]

Great pair of shoes. I'l be getting the same for this summer, your pictures have convinced me. How do they look with the Wested pants? By the way, Pediwear is an excellent source for well priced good shoes.

 

[Mr. 'H']

Those are sweet! I am going to London next month. I am going to see if I can find a brick and mortar store where I can try them on. The quality looks good. I am so glad you found a source for affordable spectators.:cheers1:

Mmmmm.... I am very interested and I think I'll pick me up a pair also.