I had Nordstrom order a pair and was very impressed with the look and construction. I did not purchase the shoes however. The edges of the shoe, where my ankles meet the shoe, were touching and irritating my skin. Needless to say no amount of a discount is worth painful shoes. Try them on, you may find them to be comfortable.

 

Beautiful shoes.

 

I own a black pair.
I got them on discount at the Rack for 149, brand spanking new pair also (usually the stuff you find there is not in good condition), of course i got really lucky (and my size) as you cant find them or any santoni at the rack on any regular basis.

These are one of my favorite night on the town shoes. Very sharp and really beautiful, my wife, who is not a fan of my fanaticism over shoes, admits herself that she finds herself staring at my Bradens when I wear them and we go out.

Very comfortable, as for Santoni, from my experience, they are most comfortable, more than Ferragamo or AE. Bologna construction is something jcusey can elaborate on more, but it is a type of construction that has something to do with the putting together of leather parts, but it does not have anything to do with construction of the sole, like goodyear or blake, correct me if im wrong.

the shoe runs a little elongated than most of my shoes, has about inch more lengthwise, but the fit is perfect. well, you know, classic italian way of not having the toes fill in the toebox. but for my size, the fit is perfect and there is absolutely no slippage or any other discomfort, which is prevalent initially with loafers usually for me.

i would say that even for the retail asking price of 500, if i had 500 to spend for shoes perse, they would not go to waste on these. i would not have a regret in hindsight.

all in all, very well put together and solid, very much one of my favorite shoes overall in my collection, the brenden which is their moc toe blucher has the same last shape and looks just as sharp.

[|)]

 

Thanks for the feedback gents! I just may have to call my local Nordstrom and order a pair. I normally wear a 7.5D, but given the longer last shape, may go down to a 7.

 

quote:Originally posted by sam

Thanks for the feedback gents! I just may have to call my local Nordstrom and order a pair. I normally wear a 7.5D, but given the longer last shape, may go down to a 7.

just in case order both sizes.
as it is generally how the shoe fits width wise should be the concern, the length can be overlooked as there are different lengths for different makes due to stylistic differences.
it comes down to the width that is important, the 7 might be too snug on you.
i am not sure if santoni has wide or narrow sizes.

 

I too have a pair of Brenden shoes. I usually wear a size 9.5D, but my Brendens are 8.5D. For some reason (maybe my alien feet) were too small for the Brenden. I think, however, that the Braden runs true to size.

 

I just got a pair of Bristol's off Ebay and they are pretty much true to size...

-spence

 

quote:Originally posted by sam

The description says "Bologna Construction". What does this mean? How does this differ from Goodyear constructions?

In Bologna construction, the upper is folded around on itself and sewed up like a tube before it is put onto the last. A soft insole is then inserted into the upper tube, and the insole, upper, and outsole is stitched together in a manner similar to that used for Blake construction. A Bologna constructed shoe will be extremely flexible, and Santoni's Bologna shoes are excellently done.

In a Goodyear shoe, the upper is stitched to a rib on the underside of the insole and a thin leather strip called the welt. The welt strip is then stitched the outsole. The result is a stouter, less flexible, more weatherproof shoe than a Bologna shoe.

 

quote:Originally posted by jcusey

quote:Originally posted by sam

The description says "Bologna Construction". What does this mean? How does this differ from Goodyear constructions?

In Bologna construction, the upper is folded around on itself and sewed up like a tube before it is put onto the last. A soft insole is then inserted into the upper tube, and the insole, upper, and outsole is stitched together in a manner similar to that used for Blake construction. A Bologna constructed shoe will be extremely flexible, and Santoni's Bologna shoes are excellently done.

In a Goodyear shoe, the upper is stitched to a rib on the underside of the insole and a thin leather strip called the welt. The welt strip is then stitched the outsole. The result is a stouter, less flexible, more weatherproof shoe than a Bologna shoe.

Thanks jcusey! I think I'll pull the trigger on these. Still not sure whether to get a size 7 or 7.5. I normally wear 7.5 in most dress shoes, but it seems like the last on these is a bit long. Your thoughts?

 

I have Brenden laceups and it seems that they are made on the sam elast and with same construction as Braden loafers. They are available in EE width, and I took a size smaller than normal in EE width, for a pretty good fit.

-Ex falso quodlibet-

 

quote:I have Brenden laceups and it seems that they are made on the sam elast and with same construction as Braden loafers. They are available in EE width, and I took a size smaller than normal in EE width, for a pretty good fit.

-Ex falso quodlibet-

I guess I don't have alien feet.

 

Thanks to all of your feedbacks, I purhcased the Bradens! I ordered them from Sherman Brothers, a PA based store that offers free shipping and no sales tax. The guy I spoke to over the phone suggested I go with the 7.5 size and said that the elongated style is meant to have some extra space in the toe box. I'll let you know about the fit once I get them. Thanks again!