This is about a recent ordering experience with the shoemaker Joseph Cheaney & Sons. I was considering another pair of loafers and realized I was so well pleased with the fit and comfort, as well as the quality, of a pair of Cheaney Howard R model loafers that I had purchased last summer from Herring that I should see if there were any others on the same last. The marvelous service at Herring was consulted first, but they had no other loafers on the 5203 last. So I went directly to the Cheaney website and was offered a number of choices on the 5203 last, including some sale items that don't appear on their normal pages. (I believe the site read my URL as new and threw me a bone.)
Among the choices was a brown smooth calf with rubber sole version of their still offered for sale Hudson model with leather sole. As the sizes were limited for all sale items I looked at, I suspect this version was discontinued. But as it was precisely what I was looking for, particularly the rubber sole that I prefer for most casual footwear, I couldn't care less if it was discontinued, and with a 100 Pound Sterling discount it was a no-brainer for me.
But now it gets interesting: I ordered it on-line very late Wednesday night. Actually, it was technically Thursday morning, as it was after 12AM. On Friday the following day the nice man from DHL Express delivered them at 3:30PM to my front door. That's extraordinarily fine customer service. It's remarkable that I could order a pair of shoes from England, and receive them the next day! Herring is the only other European source with which I've had experience that can be that fast.
When the shoes arrived, they were exactly what I hoped for in terms of appearance and quality of build. I could say I'm becoming a fan of Cheaney footwear, but I think I already was.
The only drama in the transaction was not Cheaney's fault, but rather my card company's, Capital One. Cheaney evidently uses a 3rd party site to process bank cards. Capital One declined it twice, and then I called them, and they had flagged it as potentially fraudulent. They approved the transaction and lifted the restriction when I assured them it was legitimate. Had the same experience with Pediwear a couple years ago, who also uses a 3rd party to clear bank cards. Wish Capital One could get its act together. These are both solid businesses, and there's nothing in the history of the use of my card to suggest it should be a problem for Capital One.
