Peal Deal: Captoe Spectators $214 @ BrooksBrothers.com

[Fletch]

Among BrooksBrothers.com's summer clearance items are these Peal & Co. captoe spectators, marked down from $428 to $214.


(click to enlarge photo)

I've just received my pair and they look to be beautifully made indeed, altho they're of traditionally stiff English dress shoe construction and will need careful breaking in. The classic round-point toe may also need a bit of stretching for optimum fit - otherwise they seem right on size at 10 1/2 D.

What the web site doesn't tell you is that the whites are actually very fine white buck - a relative rarity in spectators, along with the captoe style. I had no idea until I opened the box.

Disclaimer: I do not work for Brooks Bros. and have been given no promotional consideration. Just wanted to point you to a good price on some unusual shoes.

 

[anselmo1]

Nice looking pair of shoes!

 

[Tomasso]

How about these Peals for Scotrace's new suit?

 

[reetpleat]

Oh my god. I was debating weather to post a comment about how it is too bad they do not mke them in buck.

If I had the money, I would buy brown and black if they sell both. That is great price and where else can you find buck spectators.

Does A and E make a cap to like this in a buck?

 

[Fletch]

I know the Peals are only available in black/white and black/glen plaid. A-E only does wingtips anymore. It's the old story, a look goes out of style and not all of it comes back in.

I read somewhere (here???) that something like 9 out of 10 pair of specs sold are black/white. I would jump at a pair of brown captoes but can't justify paying $400+ for one pair of ready-mades.

I better get hold of Magnoli...

"Leland", $255

 

[carter]

I recently purchased a pair of Allen Edmonds 'Ramsey' spectators from theshoemart.com for $274.00. Split-toe leather and canvas. Pretty good site for new shoes.

 

[reetpleat]

I know the Peals are only available in black/white and black/glen plaid. A-E only does wingtips anymore. It's the old story, a look goes out of style and not all of it comes back in.

I read somewhere (here???) that something like 9 out of 10 pair of specs sold are black/white. I would jump at a pair of brown captoes but can't justify paying $400+ for one pair of ready-mades.

I better get hold of Magnoli...

"Leland", $255

Now taht is interesting. Think about it. I am not sure who buys these, but if they are bought by the odd wealthy conservative type that is so conservative that they still wear spectators for golf or horse racing some other sport we types are not invited to, then it would seem brown would be the hoice. I mean, most sportswear would probably be arth tones such as tweeds and such.

Black seems like it would be most popular only with types like us who would war them to dress up a cool outfit like a swing musician or movie star.

I am wondering who would buy and wear black and whites except for vintage types, or ballroom and tango dancers. But they would not care about cp toes or buck or quality. They would more likely buy wing tips, no?

Does my reasoning make any sense? Even here, some of the crowd is probably too into gentlemanly styles to realy dig these. I would wear them to be flashy, not sporty.

Any one else have any thoughts?

As for the brown ones in the pic, I wouldn't pay a hundred for them. They are kind of cool, but the white leather just looks off, and the brown seems too shiny with no depth. No comparison to the brooks Brother's ones. Night and day.

 

[Fletch]

The thing to remember is that brown is widely considered to be a strictly casual color today, and that specs are no longer casual as such, but a dress style that's not appropriate for most dress wear.

Now brown is not shunned by the truly well dressed male, but by the corporate-drone types who would not dare wear brown shoes or even tan suits to work. Most of these guys would never wear ANY kind of spectator shoes, even to the country club, but the few that do tend to follow the non-rule about dress shoes.

The core market for spectators these days is not for the classic style at all. It's the stylin' "urban" peacock whose tastes run much flashier and his budget generally cheaper than A-E or the like. He's way past black or brown calf or buck, into yellow and turquoise and patent and faux alligator 'n'at.

As for horsey people, they gave up on brown boots as soon as western saddle riding became popular and the English "discipline" was taken over by social climber moms who are generally the wives of corporate drone males.

 

[tonyb]

I just this afternoon picked up a pair of what I suppose are called spectators (but please don't hesitate to set the record straight if I'm wrong). They're leather and canvas wing tips -- the leather in light brown and the canvas a tan hue. I paid $34 plus sales tax for 'em at my favorite vintage shop, but the shoes, while vintage-esque, aren't all that old. The brand name is Givenchy. A cursory Internet search indicates that the Givenchy brand is kinda pricey, so I guess I did okay.

 

[Fletch]

Good pick, tony. And a nice way to get back on topic

 

[cookie]

I just this afternoon picked up a pair of what I suppose are called spectators (but please don't hesitate to set the record straight if I'm wrong). They're leather and canvas wing tips -- the leather in light brown and the canvas a tan hue. I paid $34 plus sales tax for 'em at my favorite vintage shop, but the shoes, while vintage-esque, aren't all that old. The brand name is Givenchy. A cursory Internet search indicates that the Givenchy brand is kinda pricey, so I guess I did okay.

Yes you did and you also picked up the FL prizes for Understatement 101 and Self-Effacing Behaviour (Advanced)...

 

[tonyb]

Yes you did and you also picked up the FL prizes for Understatement 101 and Self-Effacing Behaviour (Advanced)...

Well, if only I'd known a darned thing about these shoes before I decided to buy 'em, I'd be considerably less self-effacing. I'm downright cheap, and sometimes quite annoyingly proud of it. Or so the dewy-eyed bride tells me.

 

[cookie]

Well, if only I'd known a darned thing about these shoes before I decided to buy 'em, I'd be considerably less self-effacing. I'm downright cheap, and sometimes quite annoyingly proud of it. Or so the dewy-eyed bride tells me.

Scottish antecedents and proud of it?

 

[Flying Scotsman]

Scottish antecedents and proud of it?

We're not cheap...we're thrifty!

"'Tis a false economy to invest in cheap goods..."

 

[tonyb]

Yes, "thrifty" it is. Or "good with a buck." Or "a superior sense of value."
As to the shoes: I wore 'em yesterday and had three people make favorable comments on my appearance. The kicks were the only things at all out of the ordinary, so they apparently make a distinctive statement without screaming about it, seeing how none of those fine judges of attire made any specific mention of them.

 

[The Shooman]

Nice shoos Fletch. Enjoy in good health old son. Been looking for a pair of specs myself for a number of years.