[miamimike]

I wanted to get members opinions on what is their favorite english brand of shoes are. One could also say what english brand of shoes do you buy the most of.


I ask because I was on pediwear and really have no clue about the shoes they carry as far as being goodyear welted, good price to quality ratio, etc. There was quite a few shoes I like from Loake, Trickers, CJ, Grenson, and Alfred Sargent shoes. All shoes were in their top "line"

 

[Flanderian]

I wanted to get members opinions on what is their favorite english brand of shoes are. One could also say what english brand of shoes do you buy the most of.

I ask because I was on pediwear and really have no clue about the shoes they carry as far as being goodyear welted, good price to quality ratio, etc. There was quite a few shoes I like from Loake, Trickers, CJ, Grenson, and Alfred Sargent shoes. All shoes were in their top "line"

Why, all the ones I can't afford of course! :icon_smile_big:

A few that come to mind include Edward Greene(SP?), G&G and Fosters.

Among those you list I prefer C&J, don't really care for Loake, have no experience with Trickers, and think both Alfred Sargent and Grenson are pretty good shoes.

 

[dfloyd]

The C&J handgrades are for me because of fit and styling ....

I don't care for the English round toed shoes and the C&J handgrades, especially the Weymouth on the 337 last, are more refined. They also fit my somewhat narrow foot better than A-Es, Cole-Haans, or Johnston & Murphys. The longer vamp is more elegant than other English shoes with a more round toed design. They are a good compromise with the pointy toed Italian shoes which are sometimes too fashion forward.

 

[Lagavulin16]

Edward Green, John Lobb and Gaziano and Girling. In that order. Although, I am awaiting my G&Gs, so the order may change soon.

 

[Earl of Ormonde]

1. Dr. Marten's (Now being made in England again by Solovair, most still made in China)
2. Loake - ultra-comfy on my feet

Those are the only English shoes I wear. Many of the other quality makes I either find uncomfortable or I don't like the look of.
Sargents for example always make me thing of 70s yearo ld retired army officers....very dated shoes!

However, when I'm rich I'm going to be myself a pair of Oxblood Cheaney brogues.

Running the house and summer estate in Sweden really takes its toll on one's wallet! :icon_smile_wink:

Thankfully I sold the old rambling pile in Ireland, so I don't have to worry about that anymore, and of course it raised a bit of capital.

 

[medwards]

I would assume that each of us has a variety of factors that would contribute to how we regard various shoemakers and the footwear they craft: fit, last shape, style, construction, materials, finishes, variety, accessibility, price, customer service, and so on. Here is jcusey's classic thread on ready-to-wear shoemakers, which provides a rather comprehensive overview of the subject.

https://askandyaboutclothes.com/community/showthread.php?t=49981

 

[miamimike]

Great article. Thanks. Now Iam a huge fan of AE shoes due to how they are constructed for the price you pay. Do most of the english made shoes that pediwear.com sells compare equally to AE or better?

 

[medwards]

My understanding is that pediwear.com sells Crockett & Jones, Tricker's, Alfred Sargent, Loake, Grenson, Barker, and Cheaney among others. That pretty well spans the range of English shoemakers (the two obvious exceptions are the missing John Lobb and Edward Green). The value/quality equation is really one of personal preference...though the strength of the dollar against the British pound has made some British shoes a better value than they had previously been for US customers.

 

[Gurdon]

fit

Great article. Thanks. Now Iam a huge fan of AE shoes due to how they are constructed for the price you pay. Do most of the english made shoes that pediwear.com sells compare equally to AE or better?

For me it is a matter of fit. My feet do not match most ready made shoes, even the expensive ones.

I have Edward Green, Lobb, Crockett and Jones, and Loak, shoes, as well as Alden and Allen Edmonds. Of these, the Edward Greens fit my feet better than any of the others. I am waiting for two pairs of bespoke Cleverley shoes. I selected this maker based on my experience with ready made shoes and what I read on Ask Andy about the various custom shoemakers. They all seem well made. The AE's seem clunky compared to the trimmer, or smarter, English shoes.

There is usually a winter EG sale. That is how I got started down the slippery slope of English shoes. Both pairs of Lobbs were ebay finds. They are quite good looking, although a tad too tight in the pinky toe area for serious walking. You might request a catalog from EG as this would give you a sense of the styles. Cleverley has a new catalog that shows their custom and ready made shoes to good advantage. It would also be generally helpful in illustrating the range of shoe possibilities.

The Jcusey link provided by Medwards is extremely helpful. I include my own information as encouragement to another beginner.

Good luck

Gurdon

PS: I have tried on the Cleverleys prior to the attachment of their soles. They are beautiful. I can hardly wait till the are done and I can wear them. The shoes are light, trim, and as Mr Glasgow puts it, very smart, even when made for my feet. I anticipate additional Cleverleys.

 

[Preu Pummel]

I have a few Loake 1880s and they are all quite good--comfortable and durable.

 

[kelliw]

1) George Cleverley
2) Edward Green
3) John Lobb

In that order......

 

[ToryBoy]

If money was not an issue, John Lobb (St James's Street)

For everyday, Church's (ideally when purchased in the sales) - yes, they use corrected grain; however, good construction, strong sole and heel.

Fancy footwear, Jeffrey West - could, sorry should, improve their heel; although they have a strong sole.


At the moment, I have more Church's shoes (Italian and English made) then any other brand.

 

[medwards]

Of course, Lobbs (St. James's) is only bespoke footwear.

 

[luk-cha]

the 1 and only G&G!

 

[Tonyp]

I will be able to tell you after I get my Cleverly Bespokes in about 7 months. For now, G&G, Lobbs Prestige line, EG.

 

[Will]

I like Foster for bespoke and G&G for RTW at this time.

 

[eagle2250]

The only English shoe brands I have worn are Churches, Cheaney and Crockett & Jones. I guess my preference would have to be one of those three? However, should the OP allow us the freedom to dream a bit, a pair of John Lobb's might become my choice.

 

[Simon Myerson]

Have a couple of pairs of Sargeants which I like very much. Decent fit and good construction. Bought my first G&G in the last sale - amazing. A real step up in fit and appearance. Sole has not behaved as well as I expected (Cover for the channelled sole has flapped off a bit on the left shoe) so am reserving judgement on quality of sole. However, upper is lovely. Just got first pair of Trickers and v impressed with look (not as 'old' as I thought they might be) and quality of leather for price. You get what you pay for. Although many on this forum say C&J are better than the others in the regular price range, I am not so sure. The handgrades (1 pair of which I have) are nice, but are more expensive than the standard range by quite a lot.

Might try EGs if the sale shows anything that fits and that I want.

 

[gnatty8]

In no particular order, just the English shoes I happen to own:

1) Crockett and Jones (handgrades only)

2) Alfred Sargent

3) Church's

4) Grenson (Masterpiece only)

English shoes I don't own but that look very, very nice:

1) Edward Green

2) John Lobb

 

[jmonroestyle]

The best shoe to buy is always the one that fits one's feet the best. For UK vendors, the only shoes I have found that fit my feet properly, are Barker's shoes made on the 29 last, and Grenson Rose collection shoes made on the 96 last, in an F width (fitting).

I have tried shoes made by Trickers, Cheaney, Crockett and Jones, Alfred Sargent. and Loake. I ended up returning, or selling on eBay, almost all of these shoes. The main problem I had was that the arch of these shoes was just too high for my very flat feet, or the heel area was just too wide.

I sent a detailed description of my feet to Pediwear, along with the fitting criteria I was looking for. They suggested the Grenson 96 last, so I bought a number of shoes made on this last. It has a similar fit to Alden's Plaza and Copley lasts.

Paul Stuart has Grenson shoes made up on this last. However, they are only made in a US D width, which is narrower than a Grenson UK F width. Grenson said they would be willing to make a Paul Stuart shoe (which is made to higher end specifications. than the Rose Collection) in a UK F width as a special order.

I am very satisfied with the quality of the Grenson Rose collection shoes, and find them to be extremely well constructed, from excellent quality materials. I feel they hit that sweet spot for a first class product, at an attractive price point.

Jess