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how good are Florsheim shoes ?

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silverporsche

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Discussion starter · #1 ·
Many years ago I owned a pair of Florsheim shoes. There was an article in the New York Times sundays publication stating that Florsheims are back.
Is Florsheims a quality shoe, ? has it ever been a quality shoe , ? how would Florsheims compare with Aldens , Johnson and Murphy , and Allen Edmonds ?
Are these all American shoe companies ?
 
#2 · (Edited)
Florsheim had made great shoes (probably until their factories started to go offshore). I have some pairs of USA made longwing, Kenmoor. They are quite well made and have quality at least par with Allen Edmonds, IMO.
But what they have made recently is of poor quality. Florsheim would be ranked obviously below Alden, Allen Edmonds and J&M now.
 
#3 ·
Most of the ones I have seen look pretty cheaply made, and I am pretty sure the bulk of their shoes are made in the third world and hence, their low price.

Those are all American shoe companies, and both Alden and AE make their shoes in the U.S., but I believe that most of J&M are also made elsewhere. I have a few pairs of the J&M Signature series (split toe lace ups) that I wear to the mall and to run errands (the ones I have are made in Italy, rubber heel, with the cushiony thing inside) and I like them. I think with J&M it depends on what price point you are looking at.
 
#4 · (Edited)
For American-made shoes, AE and Alden are in a league of their own. Sadly, J&M doesn't compare, anymore, and if they source any of their shoes in the USA, it probably would be only the Crown Aristocrafts (these were still very nice in the mid-90's, but there were only a few models--haven't seen any lately)--they show 3 Crown Aristocraft models on their website, but they don't show a country of origin. In the late 80's, J&M Aristocrafts were the only shoe I wore, but they then replaced their leather insoles with rubber "trampoline" insoles and started using lower quality leather for the uppers (still made in the USA at this point, however), and I switched to Alden, Allen Edmonds and English shoes. As noted above, Florsheim shoes doesn't make its shoes in the USA, anymore, and the quality is lower than it used to be.
 
#5 ·
With the breadth of their lines, the answer is, "it depends".

As others have said, their old USA made shoes could be excellent. I have 3 pairs of Kenmoors that I love, and are incredibly solid (maybe too solid for some people). If you like double-sole, heavy longwings, look for their Kenmoor shoes on ebay - but the older ones that were made in the USA.

I also have a pair of royal imperials that were made in India, that are corrected grain, but are pretty well done. I reserve those for days when it's raining and I don't want to subject my other shoes to the weather.

There are some threads around on the new Royal Imperials that some people said were from Spain, I think, and on the new Kenmoors from India - where the quality was said to vary, but that they tended to be pretty good deals for the money.

There is also a story about how the original family has regained control of Florsheim's, so that may be another driver in improving quality - at least among their top-end shoes.
 
#6 ·
According to the New York Times article, Florsheim’s best-selling shoe in the States is the ‘Cornell’ (which was sold some 1.8 mill. times in 2006).

Full retail price of that particular pair is $90.00. How good a shoe are you going to get, at this particular price point?
 
#8 ·
Interesting. My local cobbler, also an Alden dealer, just posted a sign, "Coming Soon: Florsheim." I called and asked what the fuss was about. Apparently, he's fairly excited about a new line that is "vastly different from what you see in mall..." Guess we'll see.
 
#10 ·
Florsheim aren't bad. I think they are priced accordingly.

They produce a few goodyear welted models which are made in India. The leather mightly be slightly below quality of the old american made and australian models, but the construction is still solid and it will last.

I have seen an italian line, one, that is cemented the other blake stitched and one good year stitched with a closed channel.

There is no consisentcy in styles or how they are made, but if you are willing to look hard you will find something worthwhile.

Looking forward to seeing some newer models

Rene
 
#11 ·
As others have said, Florsheim are priced accordingly (unlike many J&Ms and Kenneth Coles, etc). At under $100, the shoes are certainly serviceable. I also have a pair of Lexingtons purchased for $50. I purchased them to mess with trying different burgundy colours and not to wear. But, I occasionaly slip them on. Sole seems well done but the uppers and inside are not great (but certainly priced accordingly).

I have a pair of the new Royal Imperials that are made in spain. Really comfortable. Quality is probably on par with other made-in-spain shoes in the same price range. They seem to be blake constructed. I think they are good value at under $200. Someone once asked me if they were JM Westons. The styling was pretty advanced for a Florsheim branded shoe.
 
#12 ·
Royal Imperials used to be topnotch but my last visit to David Jones in Sydney last week to look a shoes showed they were awful black shiny leathers like plastic. Obviously corrected grain and looked real cheap. Yes, Royal Imperials. Many also had rubber soles and no goodyear welting. Pass.
 
#13 ·
yo

I have two pairs of Florsheim shoes. I recently swapped out a pair of the Florsheims for a pair of AE Slaytons. The Florsheims were 2.5 years old and had been worn every other day. I think they're a good value when compared to AE's whose street price start at about twice as much, but definitely not up to AE'esque quality. The Slaytons are twice the shoe in terms of presentation, fit, and guts.
 
#14 ·
I think Florsheim has always had the problem, trying to be all things to all people. Whereas other manufacturers settle happily into their niche, be it low-, mid- or top-price; conservative or fashion-forward, Florsheim did produce everything.

Have a look through eBay. There are always lots of Florsheim shoes on offer (indicative of the great volume they were produced). Here you can see the sublime, the ridiculous and the downright ugly rubbing shoulders.
 
#15 ·
I owned a pair of Florsheim a couple of years ago and I was not happy at all. The upper leather was poor quality, cracked after a couple of months. The sole was weak.

I have difficulties with companies that offer such a variety of qualities. Alden has some calf, some cordovan, that's it. AE the same thing. Some are a little more expensive than others, but from a manufacturing standpoint, they are basically the same: goodyear welted, durable, well made.

I would not buy them.
 
#16 ·
I bought my first pair of Florsheim Imperials in 1980, when I got out of college. After that I wore mostly J&M.

Two months ago when I found myself needing new shoes I stopped by my local Florsheim store. I walked out with two pairs of Kenmoors (bluchers) and one pair of Imperial penny loafers. I hesitated a bit because they were made in India, but I looked at them carefully and they seemed to me to be well made. Two months later and I am happy with them: they look good, take a polish well, and are quite comfortable. They don't look at all cheap or "plastic" to me. (My burgundy pair looks especially handsome.) I got them on sale, so to me they were also a good value.

I looked at the lower-priced shoes they had in the store, and they weren't as nice. But the Kenmoors were all right. As good as the ones from days of yore? Maybe not--I can't remember. But I thought the shoes I purchased were well worth the money I paid.

Good luck,
Don
 
#17 ·
dcjacobson said:
I looked at the lower-priced shoes they had in the store, and they weren't as nice. But the Kenmoors were all right. As good as the ones from days of yore? Maybe not--I can't remember. But I thought the shoes I purchased were well worth the money I paid.

Good luck,
Don
Click to expand...
So I looked on the florsheim site and Kenmoors:

appear to be a full cut shoe. Do I have that right? Isn't $225 a good price for a full cut, Goodyear welt, leather sole shoe? The durability seems to be the issue, or am I missing something?
 
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