[Closed] Work Shoes - Crockett and Jones / Church's - YAWN FACTOR

Shoes as an investment ? Really 🙂

I tend to buy Loake or Barker. Usually not more than £150 a pair.

C&J and Church's are a step up in price (as are Cheaney, Trickers, decent Grensons, etc).

The key is still to have more than one pair, otherwise you'll still trash them and the refurbs aren't cheap.

Worth buying decent shoes - but only if you look after them. Polish and re-soling when required otherwise stick to cheap crap. I have a pair of Cheaneys on right now and they are a much better shoe than the pish the high street chains turn out.

i bought some Barkers from their factory shop last year for £100. Not worn them yet though 😳

I've got a pair of Grenson shoes at the moment. Not that impressed to be honest.

Loakes here.

Bought some for me upcomming wedding, then found they where that comfy I wear them all the time.

Will be buying another pair in October for my wedding.

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A word on Loakes...

They moved a good portion of production of their range to India and those models have suffered from some durability issues that were not typical of Loakes.

I'd steer clear of those with Made in India printed on the inside of the tongue. That said, I have a pair which have been OK for occasional use over the last year, but I'm basing this on reports coming from one of the biggest menswear chains in the UK.

buy 2 (or more pairs) and use cedar shoe trees.
i have a thin indian rubber sole put on the front so a long time between a full resole of the goodyear welt.

worth spending the extra on cheaney/tricker's i have several grensons and while the double sole and commando soled ones are lasting well the single sole ones are starting to warp, not for wearing everyday (the single sole ones)

Grenson also make some of their range in india now, i think they are finished off over here. saying that a pair of grenson 'fred' with commando sole have been worn all winter and still show little sign of wear.

Do you people buying fancy shoes actually walk in them much? I'm sat down all day and generally couldn't give a hoot if my £50 rockports aren't quite as comfy as some £300 jobbies...

Grenson shoes at the moment. Not that impressed to be honest.

Made is Asia now. Not bad but get what you pay for - they're pretty cheap compared to UK makers.

Loakes, got a pair of princetons on just now 😀 Buy more than one pair and wear them in rotation,decent polish and resoled when they need it. My reason for this indulgence is that I was a plasterer for 20 years and wore minging steel toe caps every pigging day.

Do you people buying fancy shoes actually walk in them much? I'm sat down all day and generally couldn't give a hoot if my £50 rockports aren't quite as comfy as some £300 jobbies...

Appearance and durability at least as much as comfort. Rockport for smart? Not a chance. Rockports lasting several years with only a re-sole in between? Unlikely.

Church's here, love 'em

Cool, thanks.

I noticed on the Loakes site they actually state which ones are made in India and the UK. I'll check out the Cheaneys.

The guy sitting opposite me has 2 pairs of C&Js he rotates, he has had them for 11 years with 2 re-soles each....not back for circa £40 a year !

Rockport are not smart shoes.

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northampton made brouges are.

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I have a pair of C and J chukka boots, the most comfortable shoes I have ever worn, excellent quality, got them in a sale for £150, would recomend them if you can afford the initial outlay, the styles are probably the best of all the British shoe manufacturers.

[quote=MrSmith said]Rockport are not smart shoes.

Computer programmer shoes right there 🙂

There's a lot to be said for good quality shoes. I have very broad feet and it wasn't until I dropped a few hundred quid on a pair of Church's shoes for my wedding that I remembered what proper fitting shoes feel like. I am an 'H' width; most cheap shoes don't come any wider than F.

I've got two pairs, I wear them maybe twice a week and have them resoled at Church. The wedding shoes are now five years old and other pair are four years old. Rotating them is key as is using good quality shoe trees to absorb the sweat.

Wear a pair of Jones boots at work. They've lasted about 5 years now and still look good. On their second set of soles and about their fifth heels.
Also have a pair of Next boots for commuting in most days, esp if the weather is rubbish. Change into the nice shoes at work.

As others have said, just look after them and they'll last a long time. Use decent polish/protector and shoe stretchers when not wearing them, obviously.

Mr Smith....
Picking a particularly ugly pair (even for Rockport) of Rockport shoes and comparing against a particularly nice pair of classic brogues is hardly comparing like with like is it ?

Here is a fairer comparison. Just for balance like.

.

Rockport make smart shoes for £70. 

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Or you could buy these for £275

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/p>

Your choice. 

my choice would be goodyear welted so i could resole them 2-3 times over 10-15years.
you pays yer money...

I have spent anything from £30 to £100 on shoes and find that they all last between 6 and 12 months max. Even keeping them polished etc they still look like shit after a year. If I spent 3x this amount would they last 3x longer - I don’t think so and I’m not going to spend the money to find out.

I’m not adverse to spending big(ish) on suits / shirts – My last suit was £400 and I have some £50 shirts.

I don’t think so

other peoples experience would suggest that generally this is not the case. however spending £200+ on 'fashion trainer shoes' with a large logo recognisable to pavement cycling drug dealers and workshy blue sportswear wearers would not guarantee durability.

I have spent anything from £30 to £100 on shoes and find that they all last between 6 and 12 months max. Even keeping them polished etc they still look like shit after a year. If I spent 3x this amount would they last 3x longer

Stop playing footy in the park on your way home from work then! I have no idea how poor the leather is of the shoes you buy or how bad your polishing technique is. Kiwi polish only I hope.

STW cracks me up.

All this rhetoric about bleedin' shoes!

*off to Matalan*

my choice would be goodyear welted so i could resole them 2-3 times over 10-15years.
you pays yer money...

That's fair enough, And very wise.

I was just drawing attention the unfairness of your original comparison, and showing that Rockport do actually make smart shoes.

Personally, I wear dress shoes maybe once a week.

For the £275 the Cheaney shoes cost I could have maybe 4 or 5 pairs of almost identical looking Rockport Brogues, they would last me well beyond my death from old age

(although I do wear £200+ footwear at work, so I see your general point)

I have spent anything from £30 to £100 on shoes and find that they all last between 6 and 12 months max. Even keeping them polished etc they still look like shit after a year. If I spent 3x this amount would they last 3x longer - I don’t think so and I’m not going to spend the money to find out.

I’m not adverse to spending big(ish) on suits / shirts – My last suit was £400 and I have some £50 shirts.

'kin hell! Cheapo pair of shoes on my feet (dunno where from? Probably Next? Hmmm... Currently could do with a polish!) are years old and have plenty of life in them. What do you do?

Indeed fail @ posting a gopping pair of Rockports when there are plenty of normal/smart looking models in their range. Mine are 5 years old now but admittedly only see light use as I don't have to walk far to get to the office... I'm not even particularly a Rockport fan, just they seemed comfy and quite light in the shop.

As for snobby 'not for smart' comment oh please, you sound like you're trying to broker a multi-billion deal with a Saudi prince - what exactly do you do?

I just buy some from Office when they have a sale one - cheap but only last about 6-12 months.

£20 black/silver/orange trainers from Winsors World of Shoes here; they'll last about 12 months being worn 12-14 hours at a stretch, only get cleaned when someone bleeds/sicks/poos/wees on them.

Gotta laugh at the shoe one-upmanship, presumably that's why we pay them so much?

derek_starship - Member
STW cracks me up.

All this rhetoric about bleedin' shoes!

ah, you ain't wrong. I remember a recent thread about people spending £70 on wellies... wellies FFS!!

you sound like you're trying to broker a multi-billion deal with a Saudi prince - what exactly do you do?

I know it's not directed at me, but I reached financial close on over US $5bn of PPP deals in the UAE in the last couple of years. Does that count? I wear one pair Loakes that I got for half price from my uncle's shop and a another pair of Loakes that were a xmas present. Do I need to rethink my footwear? 😀

Church are worth the money but get them in their excellent sale, usually 20% off. Each to their own but I like good shoes, I have a pair of Oxfords on I have had for 9yrs, resoled several times and look better than ever.

Saving my pennies for a pair of these, Edward Green of Northampton.

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Grenson rubber soled boots are good for winter but I think their regular shoes are nothing special, not impressed with a pair I have.

Do I need to rethink my footwear?

No because I believe you were advising on them, my observation on the many lawyers that I used or were used by the other side was the quality of the advice was inversely proportional to the quality of the suit.

No because I believe you were advising on them, my observation on the many lawyers that I used or were used by the other side was the quality of the advice was inversely proportional to the quality of the suit.

I'm quite concerned that I'll have to attend a mediation soon, and I no longer own a suit.

No because I believe you were advising on them, my observation on the many lawyers that I used or were used by the other side was the quality of the advice was inversely proportional to the quality of the suit.

Ha ha too true!

I worked with a guy who got made up to partner just after I started and he spanked about £10k on 5 suits. But then he was on a constant cycle of eating out/take-aways while away on business, followed by wife imposed dieting - his tailor couldn't keep up with the constant changes in his weight so his suits all just looked crap 🙂

(I'm too young for a pair of Church's anyway)

We are only issued with one pair of feet at birth (if we are lucky) it is therefore important (imo) that we need to ensure that these will be fit for purpose for as long as possible, therefore good quality footwear is surely a good investment.
Modern fashionable shoes are exactly that - modern and fashionable, therefore not fit for purpose.
Fashion is a quick and easy way of separating gullible people from their hard earned cash in the false hope it may make them interesting.
Modern now means poorly made and therefore disposable and suitable for the fashion concious.
Poor footwear selection will have a detrimental effect, act now ....

[i]We are only issued with one pair of feet at birth (if we are lucky) it is therefore important (imo) that we need to ensure that these will be fit for purpose for as long as possible, therefore good quality footwear is surely a good investment.
Modern fashionable shoes are exactly that - modern and fashionable, therefore not fit for purpose.
Fashion is a quick and easy way of [u]separating gullible people from their hard earned cash[/u] in the false hope it may make them interesting.
Modern now means poorly made and therefore disposable and suitable for the fashion concious.
Poor footwear selection will have a detrimental effect, act now ....[/i]

Oh the irony, it's almost painful....

Please attempt to back this up with some kind of science, go on, just for a laugh.

Modern fashionable shoes are exactly that - modern and fashionable, therefore not fit for purpose.

Going to disagree with you on that one chief. "Business dress" does not imply that you must wear the same cut of suit and style of brogue that your grandfather did. It the people who believe that, who feel they are compelled to spend £395 on a pair of Church's, that are the most gullible. Modern suits and footwear (which are often cheaper) can be perfectly fit for purpose.

I get a little bit embarrassed for my profession when I realise that 90% of the guys are wearing the EXACT same pair of shoes. No one dares to break the "trend'. For some reason, most partners consider it more appropriate to wear a dirty and battered pair of Church's rather than a nice clean and smart pair of shoes which are not in the traditional style. I'm not talking about pointy patent stuff here, but it would be nice if some of these guys let their wives pick a pair of shoes for them every now and then 😉

As I do not wear a suit or anything other than safety type foot wear there is nothing to disagree with as I simply do not know anything about business dress, I am sorry you suffer the embarrassment of poorly shod colleagues,some of the shiney bottoms in our head office treat their feet with utter contempt judging by their footwear choices, I share your pain Peter.

Just to buck the trend a little, mine come from Duckers, in Oxford. Proper old school cobblers. 🙂

As to the "too young for proper shoes" idea - I got my first pair from Duckers at 16. I'm still wearing them! Value for money? Hell yeah!

[b]Please attempt to back this up with some kind of science, go on, just for a laugh.[/b]

Because you seem to be ignoring this....

Modern fashionable shoes are exactly that - modern and fashionable, therefore not fit for purpose.

So [b]Because[/b] they are fashionable, and [b]Because they are modern, they are not Fit For Purpose ?

What purpose exactly ?

I thought you were suggesting we should have good fitting shoes to look after our feet.

My shoes are perfectly fitted and comfortable, and they were cheap, are fairly fashionable and modern too.

What's your point exactly ?

Good news from Shoreditch is that high quality gents footwear is both de riguer for a well dressed chap AND sisters jeans wearing hipsters. Brown brogues, red socks, Edwin jeans rolled half way up their under-developed calfs.

As I do not wear a suit or anything other than safety type foot wear there is nothing to disagree with as I simply do not know anything about business dress

What on earth are doing in this thread spouting something about the feet we are issued at birth (as opposed to being given them on our 16th birthday?) and the gullibility of people who buy modern fashionable shoes then? 😉

The OP didn't ask what pair of PPE footwear he should buy.

Good news from Shoreditch

And, it would appear, from my very rural local pub, judging by the country-hipster look adopted some attendees over Aintree weekend....

Saving my pennies for a pair of these, Edward Green of Northampton.

Quel surprise, someone who actually knows their shoes!

country-hipster look adopted some attendees over Aintree weekend

*racism alert* - I quite like going to the races over winter (never really been a fan of flat) and was recently told by a friend who watches a TV show about travellers, that irish travellers also like to go to big meets, such as the recent Aintree weekend. Is this true? After watching an episode of the programme (only one, i promise!) it would certainly explain some of the oh-dear-god outfits that i've spotted at the races! *end of racism alert*

Brown brogues, red socks, Edwin jeans rolled half way up their under-developed calfs.

i don't roll my (non skinny) selvedge up my cyclist calves but i'm wearing my brogues round farringdon/clerkenwell and sometimes with a suit jacket.
is this o.k?
i have a billingham bag too but i save the barbour for the weekends in the country.
is this o.k?

Damn right thats OK. Man wearing man shoes.

Crikey, my prejudices against certain forms of dress and footwear are unscientific. I have contempt for fashion following in most things, whether it be clothes, footwear, politics, blah, blah, blah.
I do not apologise for this. If I could think of a decent and coherent analogy I would.

Neal Glover.
Footwear is what seperates us from the ground, sometimes the ground can be kind to our feet, however on many an occasion it is not and can cause serious and irreparable damage,it is my view that shoes,boots and other forms of footwear should be both well fitting, durable, maintainable and protective. Sufficient attention ought to paid to providing the correct support to the instep to ensure that flat footedness is eradicated once and for all. Have you ever heard the racket a flat footer makes when galloping down a tiled corridor?
The design of a shoe must incorporate all of the above, if you value your feet you will enure that your footwear choices are based upon these factors and not what your idols and role models are wearing or what is seen on the catwalks.

Brogues in town? Fine.

Brown? In town? Shocking. 😉

Footwear is what seperates us from the ground, sometimes the ground can be kind to our feet, however on many an occasion it is not and can cause serious and irreparable damage,it is my view that shoes,boots and other forms of footwear should be both well fitting, durable, maintainable and protective. Sufficient attention ought to paid to providing the correct support to the instep to ensure that flat footedness is eradicated once and for all. Have you ever heard the racket a flat footer makes when galloping down a tiled corridor?
The design of a shoe must incorporate all of the above, if you value your feet you will enure that your footwear choices are based upon these factors and not what your idols and role models are wearing or what is seen on the catwalks.

You are Gok Wan and I claim my £5!

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[i]Sufficient attention ought to paid to providing the correct support to the instep to ensure that flat footedness is eradicated once and for all.[/i]

Yes, the evils of flat footedness should be scourged from the earth.

Buffoon. That's what you are.

No Brown In Town was always utter bull Flashy and is now, thanks to our near Gallic and Latin neighbours only for old farts who break their own rules on Fridays. <See Red Jeans thread>

Buffoon. That's what you are.

And you sir are a humourless prick

it would be a new low (high?), even for STW, if we manage to get a thread about work shoes closed after 2 pages 🙂

Neal Glover.
Footwear is what seperates us from the ground, sometimes the ground can be kind to our feet, however on many an occasion it is not and can cause serious and irreparable damage,it is my view that shoes,boots and other forms of footwear should be both well fitting, durable, maintainable and protective. Sufficient attention ought to paid to providing the correct support to the instep to ensure that flat footedness is eradicated once and for all. Have you ever heard the racket a flat footer makes when galloping down a tiled corridor?
The design of a shoe must incorporate all of the above, if you value your feet you will enure that your footwear choices are based upon these factors and not what your idols and role models are wearing or what is seen on the catwalks.

If you are Joking, thats very funny, and I salute you Sir.

If you are serious however......... Oh dear..... Oh dreary deary me. 🙄

(I hope it the first though, coz it did make me laugh)

You're practically handing the Edinburgh Defence out on a plate, Neal.

What happened to the sport of it?

Yeah sorry about that.

Realised after I posted it that I was being a bit generous

*racism alert* - I quite like going to the races over winter (never really been a fan of flat) and was recently told by a friend who watches a TV show about travellers, that irish travellers also like to go to big meets, such as the recent Aintree weekend. Is this true? After watching an episode of the programme (only one, i promise!) it would certainly explain some of the oh-dear-god outfits that i've spotted at the races! *end of racism alert*

Er, Irish travellers have always been into horse racing....

But they weren't the attendees at my local. Rather, these were public school hipsters who'd adopted (badly in a couple of cases - never buy a sports jacket like *that*) a country look. All with brogues (even the girls).

Buffoon. That's what you are.

And you sir are a humourless prick

that's grounds for a duel to the death right there.

But they weren't the attendees at my local. Rather, these were public school hipsters who'd adopted (badly in a couple of cases - never buy a sports jacket like *that*) a country look. All with brogues (even the girls).

Nasty.

This picture was taken at an event some of my mates were at last weekend.

Words cannot describe.

That one in the middle looks like she used to be on Bo Selecta

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FAO Neal - Tis intended purely as a humour, jest whatever.

Cheers

FAO Neal - Tis intended purely as a humour, jest whatever.

Cheers

And the gift of The Edinburgh Defence has been claimed 😉

I've just realised that there's a wikipedia page for TED.

The power of STW never ceases to amaze me 🙂

Every muscle-shirt wearing chino-w*nker I see around here wears these big romper stomper brogue boots that look bloody awful. I have no requirement for formal dress code so the only shoes you'll find me wearing are some Redwings when the weather's crap.

I bought a couple of pairs of Wolverines 1000 mile, 1 boot pair and 1 shoe pair. I wear both with rolled up jeans, jacket and either t-shirt or shirt and funky sox. Not really that bothered what you lot think of my style, but I do look rather cool.

Both pairs bought from STAG (those in That London will probably know this shop) If you don't no bother, you's will not care much anywhoo's.

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and these

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this is easily my favourite thread on the whole interweb 🙂

This is what happened to my work shoes recently:

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My selvedge jeans were tucked into my socks, as I rode my fixie****.

.....Not really that bothered what you lot think of my style......

But I still need to post pictures of my shoes online for strangers to look at [IMG] [/IMG]

I wear Crockett & jones shoes for work 80% of the time. Two pairs, plenty of life in them, both 5 or 6 years only...

I have a pair of Grensons and Church's, C & Js are better. 6 pairs of shoes have lasted me 20 years at work with more life left in 4 pairs.

It is worth the investment.

Indeed, some folks want to know what shoes to buy, what with all the Church's and Crockett lovers I though a different point of view was called for.

"W'eva"

Both pairs bought from STAG (those in That London will probably know this shop)

bikebouy you mean Son of a Stag in Truman Brewery or somewhere else? (SOAS maybe my favourite clothes shop on the planet)

Bikebouy - I like your style (genuinely)

Strewth bikebouy - how old are you? Either too old to dress like that or too young to remember the 70s (which would probably mean those odd yellow shoes would not be worn)?

As above - not caring enough about our opinion but care enough to post a description and a picture? You are the STW Hockston Fashionista and need your own column in STW to inform us in the shires what urbanites should be wearing.