As a fan of Kavalier's channel he has a lot of these brands reviewed or at least shpwing up in a value comparison on his channel. Basic hierarchy follows: Dress shoes: Cole Haan < Johnston & Murphy < Becket Simonon < Thursday Boots = Undandy < Meermin < Allen Edmonds (and it keeps going up). There is a lot of variation in the quality of the major brands so check the different lines currently manufactured. Sneakers: Becket Simonon = Greats < M. Gemi < Crown Northampton >=? Common Projects.
Love the topic, one suggestion. Lower or skip the background music. It's a little distracting. What's your opinion on Taft? Since you guys are in the shoe business, maybe you can do a follow up on this video and do overviews on specific brands? Loving the content.
Oezeo Thanks for the suggestion! Keep watching. On our channel we will be doing shoe reviews from the quality/materials/construction standpoint, as we hope to show you all the ‘insides’ of shoe brands and where we rank them on different categories. Taft will be one of those.
Seconded Robert. I’ve got two pairs of Taft and they’re definitely nicely made. I think their flagship boot (I forget its name) is slightly overpriced, but I get a ton of compliments on them.
The Jack boot. I agree, the price point is high, and I still have to see how they hold up. But, sometimes you can catch some good deals on more obscure shoes, or even normal ones. I picked up their excellent quality minimal low white sneaker for $114 and that was a steal, they’re now back up to $200. Just keep your eyes peeled!
Beckett and Simonon had a factory seconds sale. They advertised a pair of jodhpur boots in brown in my size for a little over $100. I purchased them and when they arrived they were black. Which is what I would have preferred in the beginning. It was evident they were tried on and returned. An incredible bargain for a beautiful shoe that was not a "factory second".
Shoes: Thursday boots and shoes Beckett Simonon Taft Nisolo Meermen Blake McKay (But only their higher end shoes. You can find cheaper versions for $60 or $70 online but Jon said those are cemented soles. Allen Edmonds on sale or factory seconds Sneakers Greats Crown North Hampton Beckett Simonon M. Gemi I can personally vouch for Beckett Simonon's dress shoes. I just received my first three pairs (They giving additional discount for bulk orders) And they are very soft and some of the most comfortable dress shoes I've worn out of the box. I have a slightly clubbed right foot which tends to give me real problems for the first three to five wearings of new dress shoes. These, only two to three wearings in, are already starting to mold to my foot!
Shoes: Thursday boots and shoes Beckett Simonon Taft Nisolo Meermen Blake McKay (But only their higher end shoes. You can find cheaper versions for $60 or $70 online but Jon said those are cemented soles. Allen Edmonds on sale or factory seconds Sneakers Greats Crown North Hampton Beckett Simonon M. Gemi I can personally vouch for Beckett Simonon's dress shoes. I just received my first three pairs (They giving additional discount for bulk orders) And they are very soft and some of the most comfortable dress shoes I've worn out of the box. I have a slightly clubbed right foot which tends to give me real problems for the first three to five wearings of new dress shoes. These, only two to three wearings in, are already starting to mold to my foot!
I enjoy watching your videos. I own a pair of J&M shoes and fine them very comfortable and really like them, i notice how most of the time you are always putting them down, For $170.00 i think there fine
I really wanted your take on the quality of shoes from these type brands...if I wanted to only hear him talk I’d go to his channel. Really thought there’d be a more involved discussion
That was an interesting comment early on about brands comparing to each other -- in the end, a brand that makes something for which I would be willing to pay 240, and sells it to me at 180, is still a decent deal, no need to put them up against one that lists for 400 and discounts to 300.
I’m fairly new to your Channel and I just want to share with you guys that I think you are doing a really good job bringing some very informative and interesting info to your subscribers. It’s helpful to get your opinion, as professional Shoe Cobblers, and as appropriate you bring in other knowledgeable experts such as Jon to provide a balanced perspective with regard to shoe quality. As someone who owns around 15 to 20 pair of Allen Edmond’s its refreshing to hear some of your favorable comments regarding this brand of shoes:). I’m sorry if you have previously mentioned Union Cobbler, yet I just wanted to mention this fairly new shoe manufacturer, as I’ve heard many good things regarding the quality and value of Union Cobbler shoes. They are priced above the $200 price point of this video, thus I wouldn’t expect you would have mentioned Union Cobbler. Still, I’m curious if you are familiar with the brand and if so, what your thoughts are relative to the build quality and value of their shoes. Keep up the good work! Thanks. Ed
i'd love to see a nisolo review from you guys or jon, or both. i dont think nisolo gets enough press about their stuff so it's hard for new customers to find confidence in their products without reviews out there
Lewis Maddox Easy enough. Nisolo is based here in Nashville. We’ll either do a review or do a vlog where we go inside their shop and discuss the brand.
@@TrentonHeath Have you guys looked into creating a video reviewing the Nisolo brand yet? I'm super interested to hear what ya'll think of their quality!
I don't know why everyone hates on Allen Edmonds. If you can find another brand of American-made shoes that will last and can be re-soled and reconstructed, please let me know. Magnanni is very similarly priced to AE and is a much lower quality shoe. The leather on my AEs never crack. All of my Magnanni shoes are cracked after much less wear. I get that the AE new owners are raising prices and trying to cut corners - welcome to corporate America. It is not enough for a company make a profit and produce a good product with a loyal following.
Jon Walker Thanks for the comment! We agree with you. We’re big fans of AE shoes, as about 50% of the shoes we repair on a regular basis in our shop are AE’s...and in this case, repair is a good thing. Many of our customers have owned their AE’s for years. We agree that AE had begun cutting some corners, and their quality control hasn’t been up to par, but we still believe they are every bit worth the $250+ price point. Magnanni’s aren’t bad either, as we repair quite a few of those on a regular basis as well. Not quite as impressive as other Italian or Spanish brands from that same price point but not bad either. In regards to other American brands that are made well, other than boots, check out Alden. Very nice shoes too!
@@TrentonHeath Thanks I love Aldens. But they are quite a bit more expensive than Allen Edmonds. The Dalton boot can be purchased for bout $300 on sale. Similar boots from Alden are about $700. I also love Edward Greens which are about three to four times the price of AEs.
@Jim Barb I own a pair of Cobbler Union John II boots. They are nice, but I actually prefer the AE Dalton. They were $475 and I paid $225 for the Dalton boot.
Nirav Shah AE holds an Anniversary Sale every April. You can also buy them on sale at Nordstrom.com on Nordstrom’s Anniversary Sale every July. There should also be a sale in October. Those are the 3 times a year that there are scheduled sales, but there are other sales and clearances throughout the year. Get on their email list to get sales notifications.
Love the video. Shoes are overlooked and finding a well constructed shoe or boot is getting more difficult. Thank you. My dream boot is a Chelsea from Crockett & Jones. Thoughts? But I also have a thing for Tod’s
Great informative video and thanks. I’ve been doing sneaker for a few decades and kind of new to the tye dress shoe game. About 20 years ago, I had about 25 pairs of Prada and Mui Mui shoes and only wore a few pair and ended up selling them to resell shops like crossroads and got very little for my new shoes. So now I want to have nice shoes again and just got a pair of slightly worn ToBoot cap toes I got off eBay for a strap and I love them. So now I’m looking at what has gone on for the last 2 decades and o see great looking shoes everywhere and cheap like at places like DSW and Ross. So bc back in the days, you had to buy designer to get that look and shape, but since the low cost shoes are just as good looking, I’m wondering why ppl. want to spend so much for for the same looking shoes. I’m m sure ppl. are paying more for the quality, but of a $300. pair looks the same as the $100. shoes, both shoes are going to be noticed about the same. So i feel bc the masses have catch up on the esthetics , now the higher end is going for the finer details and quality. So if you have the money, you want the best on you feet and back. Back in the days you spent more money on brands that were coming out with new looks that not many were doing, but the designers. The shoe game has changed and everyone is looking the same now and that now seems to be ok. I’m a boomer, so that’s not how it was back in the days I dying to look the same and ppl. paid more money to look different from others and how you stood out.
I hear a lot about how goodyear welted shoes are great, but what is the difference in quality between Goodyear and Blake Stitch? Nevermind, found the description on his channel (from this same interview). Thanks!
You mentioned cemented/glued shoes. Can they be resoled using stitching? I hear the Belvedere are cemented to save on their price for example. Thank you for your time.
First I will say I do not have a problem paying for great quality. Now are Allen Edmonds shoe really worth the money? I have ssen what they have and they have a beautiful selection but after watching you both work Magic on shoes I figured I would ask your opinions. Thank you in advance for both reading and replying.
Loving the content, guys! Keep it coming. I have one question and I’d appreciate if i could get your input on it. What are your thoughts on ThursdayBoots vs Beckett Simonon when it comes to their dress shoes? (Leather quality, fit, build, finish)
T&H actually tore a Beckett Simón on shoe appart to show how it's built, and they approve of them. I just checked and they cost $199 plus tax and a 20% discount if you're a first-time buyer. They are well-made shoes and I would buy a pair if I needed new shoes.
They only repair men's shoes. If you check out their website you will see. It is because the shoes are made differently and they have fine-tuned their craft repairing men's shoes. It is nothing sexist.
You haven’t watched all their videos! I’ve especially enjoyed renewing red bottom heals... No matter what shoe they repair it’s a beautiful craft and these young men do amazing work. They do any shoe, specializing in men’s. Settle down everyone.
How tall are you guys? I know John is pretty tall and he looks like a little kid between you haha. Love your channel, inspired me to buy my first high quality pair.
pussbootscat Haha...Jon was kind enough to take the short chair. He’s 6’4 and we’re not as tall as he is. 😉 Gald you’re enjoying the channel! You definitely can’t go wrong with good, quality shoes. 👍🏻
Holy shit I was about to ask the same thing. I’m like I know dude is tall and these guys are looking massive - taller, wider, heads looking thicc af! Think we need a standing comparison.
Must say I'm extremely partial to Paul Smiths fleming/starling oxford type of shoes and I was wondering, what sort of quality do you get for your $250?
Trenton and Heath, in your time resoling shoes and boots have you ever come across the Samuel Windsor brand of shoes? And if you have, what are your professional thoughts and opinions of their shoes. Also keep up the good work your videos are always a treat to watch and I very much enjoy your channel.
It always seems to come back to AE--the more of these I watch, it just becomes more and more apparent that our friends in Port Washington are really the gold standard for good quality at an affordable price.
@@jimpalmer2981 if could post pictures, it would show better than I can explain. But the soul was sewn on crooked, and stuck out in a weird looking way. The leather had hairs stuck on it from being buffed and it had winkles in the leather. Worse than seconds. So, that was my 4th and final pair. 1st pair was fine, the second was returned for developing a click, third was ok, but tongue was sewn in crooked, but I kept them, 4th was worse that I described above. So, what really made me mad was when I’m trying to get a return. They didn’t want to return my money so they gave me a gift card. I was mad about that, said no. They said they’d give me a check and I agreed. It took 2 MONTHS and finally I called and asked where my check is. They said it will mail out in 2 weeks. I called capital one, showed proof of return and got my money back. It’s been another 3 weeks and I still haven’t gotten a check so I’m happy I called my card company. That’s when I wrote them off for good.
This is a great topic, thank you. One question, as I have moved up the scale in quality, which direct to consumer brands (are there any?) are one notch .above. Allen Edmonds? I am awarenif Allen Edmonds and the brands Sartorial Talks mentions, but what are the best value shoes at the Allen Edmonds and above in terms of level of quality? A video on this topic would be tremendous! Keep up the honesty and value- thank you!
PN Captainpn You May want to look into Cobbler Union shoes. Hugo from Sartorial Talks discusses them in a couple of his videos. They are a tad more expensive than AE’s, but they are also a step up in quality. Carmina’s are great shoes as well, but again, more expensive than AE’s. Outside of those two, most of the other DTC brands that are most often discussed are all Blake stitched. Meermin’s are Goodyear welted, and similar in quality and price (when AE’s are on sale).
Very interesting options, thanks! I work in Manhattan NYC and they may have shops there, so I can see them. I may also check out J Fitzpatrick. Cobbler Union seems my style, I will check them out! Thank you for having a real opinion vs only positives raves.
Velasca Milano commonly gets snubbed in discussion of online shoe brands. They make very good looking shoes at around $200. I would say their pretty similar to Meermin, except for a blake stitch instead of GYW.
I grew up wearing Sebago penny loafers. I know the shoes were once made in Maine, but are now owned by an Italian shoe company. What’s your opinion on the Classic Dan penny loafers by today’s shoe?
Phillip Yao A shoe “ranking” is exactly what Heath and I have been discussing doing. We have a lot of different “retail” brands brought into our shop for repair but not many DTC brands. We’re trying to get our hands on more of these as well. Look for more detailed review videos coming soon.
Any plans to check out Velasca? Full-grain uppers and blake-stitched soles for ~$200, though the prices have been creeping up as they add more product lines.
What do you guys think of John Doe shoes? I know their quality control has been iffy but I've been greatly pleased with the boots and longwings I bought from them (both were under $200). Do you guys have firsthand experience with that brand?
With designer shoes you’re paying mostly for the name but with well known shoe brands you’re mostly paying for the quality. I’ve seen Steve from Bedo’s Leatherworks disassemble shoes and only then do you really see the true quality of shoes. I wish there was a way that it was standardized that when you paid $300 you got x, y and z but when you paid $600 then you got a,b,c and x,y and z. Unfortunately you have to do your research as it will always be buyer beware. Fortunately, UA-cam has helped with really seeing the quality of shoes such as a channel like Sartorial Talks and Bedo’s Leatherworks. Now I can confidently order $700 and above shoes from Alden(US brand) or abroad and not have to worry that I’m getting designer shoes’ quality.
phosphodiesterase Subscribe to our channel, as that’s one of our main goals and the reason we started our channel...to take our experience as shoe cobblers, who have refurbished thousands of shoes, and share that knowledge with everyone. In most of our brand reviews, we will be taking shoes apart to show our audience what you’re getting with that brand.
One thing that I find with a lot of these manufacturers is the lack of different lasts. Personally I have a narrow foot and while Allen Edmonds carries my size, most of these don't.
I'm curious to know what you guys think about current production frye products. Frye and blundstone were the first brands I got into when I started to learn about boots and wearing boots.
Direct to consumer. You mean like MASON, who did that from Chippewa Falls for three generations? (They are no longer made in Chippewa in favor of India, so I have gone to Allen Edmonds, still made North of Milwaukee.)
Kind of a video I was looking for. I was looking for a dress shoe in that price range. Thank you! I have two shoes in mind but not sure. What would you guys recommend Johnston & Murphy carlson (calfskin) or Thursday’s captoe.
amit singh Honestly, we’re not big fans of J&M shoes. A few of their higher end, Goodyear welted shoes are okay, but there’s so many newer online brands that are much better. If I were choosing between those two brands, I’d go with Thursday’s. They’re Goodyear welted and much easier to resole in the future. Also, the overall quality of the shoe is better.
Do you have any experience with Scarosso shoes, boots, and belts along with how they fit? I heard they're very good quality and the the toe box tends to be relatively roomy, which would be a plus to me. But I don't have any first-hand experience with them.
I own four pairs of Magnanni. They are beautiful. But they are not great quality. Same for To Boot NY, which I think are all made in the same factory in Spain from Chinese materials.
Kenneth Cole takes a popular style from the previous season or two and cheapo copies it. Where in the original style there were leather soles....they go rubber ...where the original may have been blake or goodyear welt stitched ... Cole is all rubber so once you burn them through you can't get them resoled. They are quality wise above K mart shoes but below Cole Haan. Better to kick up your budget and buy shoes in the 150 to 200 range at a basic minimum.
Kenneth Cole They are all bad quality, I bought a pair of the higher end boots , zipper broke , repaired it , other zipper broke , repaired it , then the heel fell off ! I paid 300 bucks for that garbage !
He posted a video on his own channel about a bad customer service experience with Meermin. I'm assuming it had to do with that. To be fair, it was before they allowed returning shipping to NY, eliminating the cost of international shipping, and he acknowledged that should make dealing with them easier.
@@MCgrease08 I think I saw that video...I just thought that in the part that got edited out that he was gonna go off on their quality or something else than what was in the other video.
Alex Chu he had a nail sticking up I his meermin shoes, sent them back and still had a nail sticking out (into the heel of the footbed) after it was supposedly resolved, it was just bad customer service
Don’t put your guest in the middle. They have to swivel their head left and right. It’s distracting. Either put them on the end, or across from you. Cheers!
The background music is extremely irritating! The implication is that what The Kavalier has to say is not that interesting; it needs some background music.
I really like Cobbler Union shoes, but I prefer the Danite type sole. I know it’s not authentic, is there anything that would be similar in quality that has a Danite sole?
As a fan of Kavalier's channel he has a lot of these brands reviewed or at least shpwing up in a value comparison on his channel. Basic hierarchy follows:
Dress shoes: Cole Haan < Johnston & Murphy < Becket Simonon < Thursday Boots = Undandy < Meermin < Allen Edmonds (and it keeps going up). There is a lot of variation in the quality of the major brands so check the different lines currently manufactured.
Sneakers: Becket Simonon = Greats < M. Gemi < Crown Northampton >=? Common Projects.
Great overview! Would it be possible to list the names and the links for the companies mentioned in this video?
Love the topic, one suggestion. Lower or skip the background music. It's a little distracting. What's your opinion on Taft? Since you guys are in the shoe business, maybe you can do a follow up on this video and do overviews on specific brands? Loving the content.
Oezeo Thanks for the suggestion! Keep watching. On our channel we will be doing shoe reviews from the quality/materials/construction standpoint, as we hope to show you all the ‘insides’ of shoe brands and where we rank them on different categories. Taft will be one of those.
I have several pair of taft boots and I think they are worth every penny!!!
Seconded Robert. I’ve got two pairs of Taft and they’re definitely nicely made. I think their flagship boot (I forget its name) is slightly overpriced, but I get a ton of compliments on them.
love the background music as is. Keep it please
The Jack boot. I agree, the price point is high, and I still have to see how they hold up. But, sometimes you can catch some good deals on more obscure shoes, or even normal ones. I picked up their excellent quality minimal low white sneaker for $114 and that was a steal, they’re now back up to $200. Just keep your eyes peeled!
Beckett and Simonon had a factory seconds sale. They advertised a pair of jodhpur boots in brown in my size for a little over $100. I purchased them and when they arrived they were black. Which is what I would have preferred in the beginning. It was evident they were tried on and returned. An incredible bargain for a beautiful shoe that was not a "factory second".
Where's the list/links to brands that Jon spoke of? He went so fast.
Shoes:
Thursday boots and shoes
Beckett Simonon
Taft
Nisolo
Meermen
Blake McKay (But only their higher end shoes. You can find cheaper versions for $60 or $70 online but Jon said those are cemented soles.
Allen Edmonds on sale or factory seconds
Sneakers
Greats
Crown North Hampton
Beckett Simonon
M. Gemi
I can personally vouch for Beckett Simonon's dress shoes. I just received my first three pairs (They giving additional discount for bulk orders) And they are very soft and some of the most comfortable dress shoes I've worn out of the box. I have a slightly clubbed right foot which tends to give me real problems for the first three to five wearings of new dress shoes. These, only two to three wearings in, are already starting to mold to my foot!
@@ericneal8582 you’re my hero.
@@ericneal8582 yes, thank you sir
Northamptonshire in England is a bit of a Mecca for high quality shoe manufacturing
I'm new to the channel. Great content! Appreciate it. Please get a microphone so I can more clearly hear this great content :-) Thanks.
Shoes:
Thursday boots and shoes
Beckett Simonon
Taft
Nisolo
Meermen
Blake McKay (But only their higher end shoes. You can find cheaper versions for $60 or $70 online but Jon said those are cemented soles.
Allen Edmonds on sale or factory seconds
Sneakers
Greats
Crown North Hampton
Beckett Simonon
M. Gemi
I can personally vouch for Beckett Simonon's dress shoes. I just received my first three pairs (They giving additional discount for bulk orders) And they are very soft and some of the most comfortable dress shoes I've worn out of the box. I have a slightly clubbed right foot which tends to give me real problems for the first three to five wearings of new dress shoes. These, only two to three wearings in, are already starting to mold to my foot!
I enjoy watching your videos. I own a pair of J&M shoes and fine them very comfortable and really like them, i notice how most of the time you are always putting them down, For $170.00 i think there fine
I really wanted your take on the quality of shoes from these type brands...if I wanted to only hear him talk I’d go to his channel. Really thought there’d be a more involved discussion
That was an interesting comment early on about brands comparing to each other -- in the end, a brand that makes something for which I would be willing to pay 240, and sells it to me at 180, is still a decent deal, no need to put them up against one that lists for 400 and discounts to 300.
I’m fairly new to your Channel and I just want to share with you guys that I think you are doing a really good job bringing some very informative and interesting info to your subscribers. It’s helpful to get your opinion, as professional Shoe Cobblers, and as appropriate you bring in other knowledgeable experts such as Jon to provide a balanced perspective with regard to shoe quality. As someone who owns around 15 to 20 pair of Allen Edmond’s its refreshing to hear some of your favorable comments regarding this brand of shoes:). I’m sorry if you have previously mentioned Union Cobbler, yet I just wanted to mention this fairly new shoe manufacturer, as I’ve heard many good things regarding the quality and value of Union Cobbler shoes. They are priced above the $200 price point of this video, thus I wouldn’t expect you would have mentioned Union Cobbler. Still, I’m curious if you are familiar with the brand and if so, what your thoughts are relative to the build quality and value of their shoes. Keep up the good work! Thanks. Ed
Cobbler union needs to be my next order 😊
i'd love to see a nisolo review from you guys or jon, or both. i dont think nisolo gets enough press about their stuff so it's hard for new customers to find confidence in their products without reviews out there
Lewis Maddox Easy enough. Nisolo is based here in Nashville. We’ll either do a review or do a vlog where we go inside their shop and discuss the brand.
@@TrentonHeath Have you guys looked into creating a video reviewing the Nisolo brand yet? I'm super interested to hear what ya'll think of their quality!
The 'background' music is irritating my ear and making it hard to concentrate on the dialogue.
On my phone it sounds like a metronome lol.
Excited that you guys are looking into doing a rankings video. Saw mention of it in the comments. Great video. Subscribed!
I don't know why everyone hates on Allen Edmonds. If you can find another brand of American-made shoes that will last and can be re-soled and reconstructed, please let me know. Magnanni is very similarly priced to AE and is a much lower quality shoe. The leather on my AEs never crack. All of my Magnanni shoes are cracked after much less wear. I get that the AE new owners are raising prices and trying to cut corners - welcome to corporate America. It is not enough for a company make a profit and produce a good product with a loyal following.
Jon Walker Thanks for the comment! We agree with you. We’re big fans of AE shoes, as about 50% of the shoes we repair on a regular basis in our shop are AE’s...and in this case, repair is a good thing. Many of our customers have owned their AE’s for years. We agree that AE had begun cutting some corners, and their quality control hasn’t been up to par, but we still believe they are every bit worth the $250+ price point. Magnanni’s aren’t bad either, as we repair quite a few of those on a regular basis as well. Not quite as impressive as other Italian or Spanish brands from that same price point but not bad either. In regards to other American brands that are made well, other than boots, check out Alden. Very nice shoes too!
@@TrentonHeath Thanks I love Aldens. But they are quite a bit more expensive than Allen Edmonds. The Dalton boot can be purchased for bout $300 on sale. Similar boots from Alden are about $700. I also love Edward Greens which are about three to four times the price of AEs.
@Jim Barb I own a pair of Cobbler Union John II boots. They are nice, but I actually prefer the AE Dalton. They were $475 and I paid $225 for the Dalton boot.
@Jim Barb Do they go on sale often?
Nirav Shah AE holds an Anniversary Sale every April. You can also buy them on sale at Nordstrom.com on Nordstrom’s Anniversary Sale every July. There should also be a sale in October. Those are the 3 times a year that there are scheduled sales, but there are other sales and clearances throughout the year. Get on their email list to get sales notifications.
Great video guys! Jon, surprised no love for Koio with the sneakers.
Great content, thank you. But why the looping music?
Great video! Very informative! However, background music is distracting! Thank you for posting!
Thank you guys for what you do
Love the video. Shoes are overlooked and finding a well constructed shoe or boot is getting more difficult. Thank you. My dream boot is a Chelsea from Crockett & Jones. Thoughts? But I also have a thing for Tod’s
Crockett & Jones are better-made than Tod's.
Great informative video and thanks. I’ve been doing sneaker for a few decades and kind of new to the tye dress shoe game. About 20 years ago, I had about 25 pairs of Prada and Mui Mui shoes and only wore a few pair and ended up selling them to resell shops like crossroads and got very little for my new shoes.
So now I want to have nice shoes again and just got a pair of slightly worn ToBoot cap toes I got off eBay for a strap and I love them. So now I’m looking at what has gone on for the last 2 decades and o see great looking shoes everywhere and cheap like at places like DSW and Ross. So bc back in the days, you had to buy designer to get that look and shape, but since the low cost shoes are just as good looking, I’m wondering why ppl. want to spend so much for for the same looking shoes. I’m m sure ppl. are paying more for the quality, but of a $300. pair looks the same as the $100. shoes, both shoes are going to be noticed about the same.
So i feel bc the masses have catch up on the esthetics , now the higher end is going for the finer details and quality. So if you have the money, you want the best on you feet and back. Back in the days you spent more money on brands that were coming out with new looks that not many were doing, but the designers. The shoe game has changed and everyone is looking the same now and that now seems to be ok. I’m a boomer, so that’s not how it was back in the days I dying to look the same and ppl. paid more money to look different from others and how you stood out.
I hear a lot about how goodyear welted shoes are great, but what is the difference in quality between Goodyear and Blake Stitch? Nevermind, found the description on his channel (from this same interview). Thanks!
Nice vid, guys! Would be interested to hear you compare brand (consumer value) ito leather/construction/longevity in future vids.
Enjoyed the Kavalier content, but the audio was poor and the lack of images or examples of these brands disappointed me.
I keep telling myself, “OK I’m gonna take a break from these shoe videos”….
then along comes another T&H video.
“OK maybe one more!” 🙃
You mentioned cemented/glued shoes. Can they be resoled using stitching? I hear the Belvedere are cemented to save on their price for example.
Thank you for your time.
First I will say I do not have a problem paying for great quality. Now are Allen Edmonds shoe really worth the money? I have ssen what they have and they have a beautiful selection but after watching you both work Magic on shoes I figured I would ask your opinions. Thank you in advance for both reading and replying.
Loving the content, guys! Keep it coming. I have one question and I’d appreciate if i could get your input on it. What are your thoughts on ThursdayBoots vs Beckett Simonon when it comes to their dress shoes? (Leather quality, fit, build, finish)
T&H actually tore a Beckett Simón on shoe appart to show how it's built, and they approve of them. I just checked and they cost $199 plus tax and a 20% discount if you're a first-time buyer. They are well-made shoes and I would buy a pair if I needed new shoes.
Papers please
I'd like a similar overview for women's shoes as well
I wouldn't ...just like I don't want girls in the boy scouts
But I'm a woman who wears leather oxfords (high heeled oxfords) and I'd like to know
Ramapo River, I didn’t know this was a male channel....
They only repair men's shoes. If you check out their website you will see. It is because the shoes are made differently and they have fine-tuned their craft repairing men's shoes. It is nothing sexist.
You haven’t watched all their videos! I’ve especially enjoyed renewing red bottom heals...
No matter what shoe they repair it’s a beautiful craft and these young men do amazing work. They do any shoe, specializing in men’s. Settle down everyone.
Great topic; great suggestions. Thank you!
How tall are you guys? I know John is pretty tall and he looks like a little kid between you haha. Love your channel, inspired me to buy my first high quality pair.
pussbootscat Haha...Jon was kind enough to take the short chair. He’s 6’4 and we’re not as tall as he is. 😉 Gald you’re enjoying the channel! You definitely can’t go wrong with good, quality shoes. 👍🏻
Yeah, I'm like are they each 6'10" 300lbs? lol
Joseph Spadafino 😁
Holy shit I was about to ask the same thing. I’m like I know dude is tall and these guys are looking massive - taller, wider, heads looking thicc af! Think we need a standing comparison.
@@kingasia he may be 6'4 but everything else about him is small, small head, shoulder and all around, he has a very small frame for 6'4
Such valuable information. Added his channel also.
Must say I'm extremely partial to Paul Smiths fleming/starling oxford type of shoes and I was wondering, what sort of quality do you get for your $250?
Trenton and Heath, in your time resoling shoes and boots have you ever come across the Samuel Windsor brand of shoes? And if you have, what are your professional thoughts and opinions of their shoes. Also keep up the good work your videos are always a treat to watch and I very much enjoy your channel.
I have noticed the quality of DSW is less than what I find at the department stores...
It always seems to come back to AE--the more of these I watch, it just becomes more and more apparent that our friends in Port Washington are really the gold standard for good quality at an affordable price.
Glad you’ve had good luck with them. I’ve written them off completely. Sad too because I really wanted to love AE
@@JBrtn85 Really?? Man, I hate to hear that. What were your issues with them?
@@jimpalmer2981 if could post pictures, it would show better than I can explain. But the soul was sewn on crooked, and stuck out in a weird looking way. The leather had hairs stuck on it from being buffed and it had winkles in the leather. Worse than seconds. So, that was my 4th and final pair. 1st pair was fine, the second was returned for developing a click, third was ok, but tongue was sewn in crooked, but I kept them, 4th was worse that I described above. So, what really made me mad was when I’m trying to get a return. They didn’t want to return my money so they gave me a gift card. I was mad about that, said no. They said they’d give me a check and I agreed. It took 2 MONTHS and finally I called and asked where my check is. They said it will mail out in 2 weeks. I called capital one, showed proof of return and got my money back. It’s been another 3 weeks and I still haven’t gotten a check so I’m happy I called my card company.
That’s when I wrote them off for good.
@@JBrtn85 every pair, i have had has been fine. Of course, i just buy them from a shop on newbury street in boston .
Someone should have mentioned Undandy.com. I've been a customer of theirs for almost two years, and I'm very pleased with their shoes.
This is a great topic, thank you. One question, as I have moved up the scale in quality, which direct to consumer brands (are there any?) are one notch .above. Allen Edmonds? I am awarenif Allen Edmonds and the brands Sartorial Talks mentions, but what are the best value shoes at the Allen Edmonds and above in terms of level of quality? A video on this topic would be tremendous! Keep up the honesty and value- thank you!
PN Captainpn You May want to look into Cobbler Union shoes. Hugo from Sartorial Talks discusses them in a couple of his videos. They are a tad more expensive than AE’s, but they are also a step up in quality. Carmina’s are great shoes as well, but again, more expensive than AE’s. Outside of those two, most of the other DTC brands that are most often discussed are all Blake stitched. Meermin’s are Goodyear welted, and similar in quality and price (when AE’s are on sale).
Very interesting options, thanks! I work in Manhattan NYC and they may have shops there, so I can see them. I may also check out J Fitzpatrick. Cobbler Union seems my style, I will check them out! Thank you for having a real opinion vs only positives raves.
Great video! Not everyone can afford $500.00 or more for a pair of dress shoes
Velasca Milano commonly gets snubbed in discussion of online shoe brands. They make very good looking shoes at around $200. I would say their pretty similar to Meermin, except for a blake stitch instead of GYW.
I grew up wearing Sebago penny loafers. I know the shoes were once made in Maine, but are now owned by an Italian shoe company. What’s your opinion on the Classic Dan penny loafers by today’s shoe?
Handsome men talking about affordable, high-quality footwear? Yes, please.
Is there going to be a ranking grouped by price point, construction and material quality?
Is there a lists of brands tested/ assessed?
Phillip Yao A shoe “ranking” is exactly what Heath and I have been discussing doing. We have a lot of different “retail” brands brought into our shop for repair but not many DTC brands. We’re trying to get our hands on more of these as well. Look for more detailed review videos coming soon.
Any plans to check out Velasca? Full-grain uppers and blake-stitched soles for ~$200, though the prices have been creeping up as they add more product lines.
What do you guys think of John Doe shoes? I know their quality control has been iffy but I've been greatly pleased with the boots and longwings I bought from them (both were under $200). Do you guys have firsthand experience with that brand?
With designer shoes you’re paying mostly for the name but with well known shoe brands you’re mostly paying for the quality. I’ve seen Steve from Bedo’s Leatherworks disassemble shoes and only then do you really see the true quality of shoes. I wish there was a way that it was standardized that when you paid $300 you got x, y and z but when you paid $600 then you got a,b,c and x,y and z. Unfortunately you have to do your research as it will always be buyer beware. Fortunately, UA-cam has helped with really seeing the quality of shoes such as a channel like Sartorial Talks and Bedo’s Leatherworks. Now I can confidently order $700 and above shoes from Alden(US brand) or abroad and not have to worry that I’m getting designer shoes’ quality.
phosphodiesterase Subscribe to our channel, as that’s one of our main goals and the reason we started our channel...to take our experience as shoe cobblers, who have refurbished thousands of shoes, and share that knowledge with everyone. In most of our brand reviews, we will be taking shoes apart to show our audience what you’re getting with that brand.
I like the video but a run on the different brands would’ve been cool. Sometimes it’s tough to navigate what all is out there.
One thing that I find with a lot of these manufacturers is the lack of different lasts. Personally I have a narrow foot and while Allen Edmonds carries my size, most of these don't.
Funny, I have a narrow heel but normal width, Allen Edmonds loafers dont fit my heel.
I feel like I'm watching a good version of 'The Hobbit.'
Tell us about your favorite shoe, Bilbo.
I'm curious to know what you guys think about current production frye products. Frye and blundstone were the first brands I got into when I started to learn about boots and wearing boots.
Should I buy a pair of alligator or crocodile shoes for the first time
Well done. Thank you.
Other than AE, do any of the brands discussed offer narrow widths? BS does not.
Hahaha their faces when he was like Johnston and Murphy/Cole Haan
Always interesting and useful
Direct to consumer. You mean like MASON, who did that from Chippewa Falls for three generations?
(They are no longer made in Chippewa in favor of India, so I have gone to Allen Edmonds, still made North of Milwaukee.)
Have you guys ever heard of a company called in Calvin
I'm surprised that Acemarks wasn't mentioned.
Luis Polanco Watch our Ace Marks review video.
Under 200$!!!!!!!!!!
Kind of a video I was looking for. I was looking for a dress shoe in that price range. Thank you! I have two shoes in mind but not sure. What would you guys recommend Johnston & Murphy carlson (calfskin) or Thursday’s captoe.
amit singh Honestly, we’re not big fans of J&M shoes. A few of their higher end, Goodyear welted shoes are okay, but there’s so many newer online brands that are much better. If I were choosing between those two brands, I’d go with Thursday’s. They’re Goodyear welted and much easier to resole in the future. Also, the overall quality of the shoe is better.
Trenton & Heath Thank you so much for your reply. I appreciate that. I will go for Thursday :)
ty for this vid, discovered some nice brands :)
Great information, poor audio quality
Do you have any experience with Scarosso shoes, boots, and belts along with how they fit? I heard they're very good quality and the the toe box tends to be relatively roomy, which would be a plus to me. But I don't have any first-hand experience with them.
Are leather soles more comfortable? Do they make that big of a difference?
How do you guys feel about Samuel Windsor shoes?
Great info what about MAGNANNI shoes?
I own four pairs of Magnanni. They are beautiful. But they are not great quality. Same for To Boot NY, which I think are all made in the same factory in Spain from Chinese materials.
Is it me or does the guy I’m the middle look really small compared to the gentleman on either side of him…
What do you think or know about Finsburry shoes?
I Guess The Danish Shoe "ECCO" Is A No No? Ecoo Is The Most Comfortable Shoe I Have Ever Worn In My Life..
Its like Rieker, scholl or even Timbs. Good quality not always sustainable or "craftmanship"; but pretty decent for its use and longevity
Great content. Thanks. But the good looking guy in the pink pants didn't say anything
What’s your opinion of ace marks?
Love to see a review on UnDandy handcrafted shoes from Spain?
Who makes men’s suits of high quality like Beckett Simonon does shoes?
Been seeing a lot of undandy; any thoughts?
They don't pass the bar, leather quality wise.
What about Trask boots and shoes? Are they any good??
I see a lot of Kennth Cole shoes on sale but I know they have a low end reaction brand & New York brand what are the differences? Thanks in advance
Kenneth Cole takes a popular style from the previous season or two and cheapo copies it. Where in the original style there were leather soles....they go rubber ...where the original may have been blake or goodyear welt stitched ... Cole is all rubber so once you burn them through you can't get them resoled. They are quality wise above K mart shoes but below Cole Haan.
Better to kick up your budget and buy shoes in the 150 to 200 range at a basic minimum.
Kenneth Cole They are all bad quality, I bought a pair of the higher end boots , zipper broke , repaired it , other zipper broke , repaired it , then the heel fell off ! I paid 300 bucks for that garbage !
Both garbage......this channel may be above your pay grade
Do you have any reviews or recommendations for quality vegan shoes? Do you offer vegan shoe repair options? Love your channel!
Vegan shoes taste like crap.
Emily Landeen , of course, made of vegetables.
Great video, thank you.
on the search for quality cap toe oxford but need in 12 EEEE know any options ?
Wide feet are cursed. Try again in a different life my friend.
Allen Edmonds on sale only get Goodyear welt versions as you'll need to have work done on them down the EEE road
Great topic!
The best brand of shoes is NAOT. Try them.
Hello guys! Are you particular about even and odd eyelets?
Hi what's your thoughts on Maison forte shoes???
How tall are those lads, John is 6'4
Do folks know anything about Samuel Windsor shoes?
What did John say about Meermin? The part that got edited out. Meermin is the truth.
Yes, I was wondering about the same thing!
I know!
He posted a video on his own channel about a bad customer service experience with Meermin. I'm assuming it had to do with that. To be fair, it was before they allowed returning shipping to NY, eliminating the cost of international shipping, and he acknowledged that should make dealing with them easier.
@@MCgrease08 I think I saw that video...I just thought that in the part that got edited out that he was gonna go off on their quality or something else than what was in the other video.
Alex Chu he had a nail sticking up I his meermin shoes, sent them back and still had a nail sticking out (into the heel of the footbed) after it was supposedly resolved, it was just bad customer service
Interesting.
Good shoes exist from other countries outside America as well. Just saying.
Taft sucks, they make a shoe that is ugly and its a fake sewing, and also the quality for the leather and painting its not worth it
Is your cavalier able to be upgraded to paladin?
Any thoughts on Anthony Veer?
where'd you find the little bitty guy? lol! (or maybe y'all are really big dudes!)
Don’t put your guest in the middle. They have to swivel their head left and right. It’s distracting. Either put them on the end, or across from you. Cheers!
What about Barker?
What about Clark shoes?
The background music is extremely irritating! The implication is that what The Kavalier has to say is not that interesting; it needs some background music.
What about coach boots?
Why is there a skip in the video from 4:10 to 4:12 whilst you're discussing Meermin shoes? They tried to sue you for libel or something?
Probably just babbled on and had to cut it for time
I enjoy the videos much better without the background music. It is a distracting irritation (for me).
I really like Cobbler Union shoes, but I prefer the Danite type sole. I know it’s not authentic, is there anything that would be similar in quality that has a Danite sole?
Devon Peters Hi! Allen Edmonds are similar in price and offer Dainite soles as an option.