Spectator Shoes

[cookie]

Hard to Fit Feet

You could talk to Magnoli and get bespoke...

 

[DerMann]

Forgot about this thread for a while.

I got my specs from Blair a week or so ago. And sadly, I really hate to say it, you get what you pay for.

The leather looks and feels nice enough. The sole has me wondering. Only the front half of the heel seems to be leather, and there is a large rubber "trap" in the middle of the sole. All of this rubber deadens any sort of report usually given off by leather soled shoes. The soles are still thin and do not have any sort of deep crevice or treads (like the ones on Doc Martens). I didn't realise this until the shoes were in my possession, but they are in fact bluchers. I generally prefer balmorals (purely for looks, bluchers are more comfortable), but beggars can't be choosers.

The white leather attracts black marks, but they all seem to wipe off fairly easily (by the use of one's thumb, actually), and I imagine it's the same way with all specs.

Laces are a bit odd. Just odd, can't really describe them.

All in all, they are what they are - $50 spectators. They're great for your first pair of specs as they offer a decent sole with an attractive upper and classic-ish styling.

To compare, my Stacy Adams Madison cap toes are lighter in weight (kid skin as opposed to full grain leather), but they feel as if they are constructed better. The soles are of better quality, as is the interior of the shoe. I would have spent the extra money on Stacy Adams specs, but they're mostly lizard print or in offensive colours.

I'll post pictures as soon as I can get my camera out (i.e. when I get motivated).

 

[The Stache]

Does anyone have the Stacy Adams Dayton crocodile print spectator? I recently purchased a pair in ivory and white, and it's a beautiful shoe, although a little long because of the pointed toe. My problem is---after wearing them 6 or 7 times---the white leather is not only wrinkled, but rippled as well. My retail job requires that I bend and stoop fairly often, so that could be a contributing factor, but it is disappointing that they are rippled.

Has anyone else had this problem? Thanks, Stache

 

[DanielJones]

Hey DerMann,

Check out the ebay store for Allen Edmonds. I've bought most of the shoes pictured from there and I don't remember paying anymore than $125 to $150. Often these shoes are "seconds" but the flaws are so minor that I can't seem to define them on any of my shoes. They all looked great to me.

I just kept checking back over and over and eventually my size and style would pop up.

Good Luck!

Church

Wow! Very nice!

Cheers!

Dan

 

[Mary]

Fantastic shoes! I want shoes like these!

Can you find any of these shoes for women? I'm a 37 in Europian sizes. Men's sizes start at 42 normally. So my feet are maybe 2-3 inches to small.

And is there a good thread on 30's shoes for men? Or a good web-site or book?!

M

 

[Mary]

And Kschurch, I really like the colours and the leather on the shoes furtherst to the left. Would you please tell me the material and colour.

 

[billbusse]

Ferragamo spectators, etc.

The Ferragamo specs are awesome. I like the idea most of the shoe is the lighter color.
I could probably be called 'the spectator guy' as I've worn them since high school graduation and usually add a few new pairs each year. Sometimes they are newly made, sometimes they are vintage (old new stock). I've 3 great pairs of Ferragamo spectators made a few years back (never worn them as I've so many others). One pair is black and white with great perforations, second pair is tan and ivory (same design) while the third pair is dark brown (oak I believe it's called) and white.
I also have a never worn pair of the Allen Edmonds shoes made for the 1992 Olympics.

Mostly I wear my Polo, Santoni, Remix, Stacy Penners, Stacy Baldwin, Church, Johnston and Murphy and Stacy Adams. The trouble is I have so many that I never make it through them all in one summer.

Although I'm into tradition with brown/white and black/white, I have spectators in almost every color combination imaginable. I believe the only combo I don't have is orange/white.

 

[cookie]

The Ferragamo specs are awesome. I like the idea most of the shoe is the lighter color.
I could probably be called 'the spectator guy' as I've worn them since high school graduation and usually add a few new pairs each year. Sometimes they are newly made, sometimes they are vintage (old new stock). I've 3 great pairs of Ferragamo spectators made a few years back (never worn them as I've so many others). One pair is black and white with great perforations, second pair is tan and ivory (same design) while the third pair is dark brown (oak I believe it's called) and white.
I also have a never worn pair of the Allen Edmonds shoes made for the 1992 Olympics.

Mostly I wear my Polo, Santoni, Remix, Stacy Penners, Stacy Baldwin, Church, Johnston and Murphy and Stacy Adams. The trouble is I have so many that I never make it through them all in one summer.

Although I'm into tradition with brown/white and black/white, I have spectators in almost every color combination imaginable. I believe the only combo I don't have is orange/white.

This is a big tease right? worthlesswithoutpics

 

[PADDY]

Cheaney Correspondents (PHOTOS)

My handcrafted English Correspondents by Cheaney. There was a Sale on in their New Bond Street shop the other week (also Churches had one too), but originally the price was too steep for me. When I saw they had one pair left and I tried them on and they FITTED Well I had to save the blighters!!
Lovely heavy light khaki canvas with leather brogue. Full leather sole (which was like an ice-rink walking down Oxford Street in the rain!!! so now have them with a rubber sole!!! otherwise in the rain I could lose my soul!!

Just love wearing these with a light cream or khaki linen summer suit!!

(CLICK the PICS to enlarge viewing ).

 

[PADDY]

Oh, forgot to mention...

I just LOVE these baby's!! Plus they cut a dash in the Cigar Bar of "Claridges" in London, so I think they pass muster And the little leather bits are already developing a nice patina as they crease and get exposed to the elements.

 

[AlanC]

My apologies if this is inappropriate, but some of you may have seen my Alden spectators. They really are fantastic, but hard to come by. A fellow at Ask Andy is trying to get 10 orders together for a special run of these through LeatherSoul Hawaii. They won't be cheap, probably around $400, and you'll have a several month wait time as they're a special run. Still, this is a rare chance to get a high quality vintage style American made spec.

Also, Tom at LeatherSoul is putting together an order of the same style spectator from Alden in snuff brown suede (rather than white) and brown. It will look something like these from Edward Green, but by Alden and using the same pattern as my Alden white suede specs below:

Here are pictures of my Aldens.

 

[Boxerken]

I just had a conversation this past wek with Allen Edmonds about making me a pair of brown & white spectators, which they can do BUT they have changed the pattern to a newer style which I do not care for so I didnt order them. They will make you a pair for around $425.00 I really like the ones you have Alan, thats the style I want. I have a pair of black & whites like that from A.E.

 

[Chad Sanborn]

Blair, the cheapo mail-order house you remember from the back of Parade magazine, offers these Botany 500 brown/white or black/white wingtips for $49.99:

and these Stanley Blackers for $41.99 (markdown from $69.99):

I have the brown and white pair in the middle and the cream and black cap toes. Both are really nice.

 

[AlanC]

I just had a conversation this past wek with Allen Edmonds about making me a pair of brown & white spectators, which they can do BUT they have changed the pattern to a newer style which I do not care for so I didnt order them. They will make you a pair for around $425.00 I really like the ones you have Alan, thats the style I want. I have a pair of black & whites like that from A.E.

Drop Tom an email and let him know. I told him that there might be some interest in his spectators over here, and I hope there is.

I have no financial interest in the shoes other than I hope to order a pair of the snuff suede/brown specs.

 

[funneman]

Picked these up from the sale rack at BCF this weekend.
Georgio Bruitini=$25.00. They seem pretty nice.

 

[Dr Doran]

Picked these up from the sale rack at BCF this weekend.
Georgio Bruitini=$25.00. They seem pretty nice.

Are they comfortable?

 

[thunderw21]

Picked these up from the sale rack at BCF this weekend.
Georgio Bruitini=$25.00. They seem pretty nice.
http://i250.photobucket.com/albums/gg259/ronh_2008/shoes2.jpg

Interesting, I'd like to know how they hold up after some wear.

 

[funneman]

I've only worn them twice but they're really quite comfortable.

I'll keep you posted on how they hold up.

But really, for $25.00 I'll be thrilled however long they
hold together.

They're all leather except for the soles, which remind me
a little of the Doc Martans my daughter picked up for
five dollars this weekend while thrifting.

 

[Miles Borocky]

Fluevog?

When I was in graduate school about ten years ago, I purchased a great pair of John Fluevog spectator shoes, that I just recently dug out of the closet and considered wearing again. They're brown and cream, but feature--as Fluevogs do--a chunkier sole. Super comfortable, and the extra heft on the bottom of the shoe updates the look a bit, so that jeans sit nicely over them.

I'm not a retro-purist, and in fact, often like merging looks from different eras (today, striped knit tie, with jeans, with blue blazer, with pomaded hair, etc.).

Anyway, my two cents. I just wanted to participate in a thread that will rule all, especially as my work day wanes and my brain runs on empty.

 

[Miles Borocky]

Fluevog v. 2.0

These are not the shoes I own, but this link does give a sense of how Fluevog continues to revise traditional styles in their current line:

http://www.fluevog.com/code/?w[0]=a...der:fresh&pp=2&view=detail&p=11&colourID=2190