Is there any reason I should buy these random shoe maker brands like

Is there any reason I should buy these random shoe maker brands like

Enzo Bonafe, Carlos Santos, Carmina Shoemaker, etc

Basically found here:

skoaktiebolaget.com/pages/made-to-order

Over 'high-fashion' brands for the same price like Lanvin, SLP, Prada, etc?

Yes, if you want high quality shoes.

better quality instead of paying huge markup for brand

>Is there any reason
Yes, that the money gets spent on quality instead of being a huge brand whore. Bonafe shoes for example are laughably much better than SLP and Prada shit.

SLP are not shit. Not at all. But they are overpriced.

then don't buy shoes

would you mock me for being poor? i consider $400 very expensive, $200 is up there, and the average shoe is $60

$2000 is "___________"

The soles of any shoe will eventually fall off with use. Don't get so sensitive, little flower.

Way better. Church's was basically ruined by prada ownership.

Meme. This was 15 years ago? I don't know anyone who owns two pairs of shoes, pre and post Prada to compare.

They suck still. Bookbinder leather for 500. lmao

lmao. I can't afford them, I have never seen one irl, but lmao. lmao.

Carmina is absolute high quality.

If you want Churchs today you have to buy Joseph Cheaney & Sons.

for that style its more like 'good at a reasonable price'. Something like Edward Green is 'absolute high quality'

I might have a less detailed view, but i see Carmina as "as good as anything" apart from bespoke or luxury madness. Their shell cordovan range is absolute lust, or their very reasonably priced exotics.

I wouldnt buy anything more expensive than Carmina or Cheaneys; and you can see me easily wearing cheaper shoes, some of them more than a decade old (so not so bad).

It's not a meme.
I took my bro in law's old church's in for resoling at their shop on Jermyn st. The older manager was surprised to see an older pair in such good shape (bro in law is german and thus anal about taking care of them).

I took time to browse and overheard the older guy pointing out to the younger guy the differences between that model and the current variant.

>even the church's SA's think church's is shit

My father's old (like, 30+ years) church's needed a re-welt and he took them in. He was saddened by the state of the current lineup.
(couldn't be repaired though, because gemming and that old goodyear welt fundamental flaw)

Church's still have some non-shit shoes, but they're so much more expensive that they're just not worth it; better to just go to ANY of the following:

Crocket&Jones benchmade's
Trickers
Alfred Sargent
(Lobb Paris)
Edward Green
even Cheaney's Imperial line

than bother with the few decent lines prada-church's still shits out for all the meme fuccbois that go into their 25 fucking shops throughout londong because it's the only brand they've heard about.

When I was last in londong I roamed Jermyn st., for like 2 weeks, visiting every maker on the street. Church's did not impress.

Crocket&Jones impressed, but their sales force was the most thirsty and pushy I've ever experienced anywhere. Most unpleasant.

Trickers had one surly faggot, and one surly faggot that was actually helpful. Beware of who you get.

Best was Cheaney and Green.
Cheaney is good value mid range english factory made shoes. Staff super helpful.
Green is not worth it unless you just want their lasts desu.

Visiting madrid I went to Carmina.
Berry nice.
Their shell stuff is magnificent.
None of their lasts fit me right though because of my fucking mutant feet.

Handled enzo bonafefefefe button boots; if they're indicative of the brand as a whole, then I would recommend them if you can buy. Meermin was actually very nice too.

With the English quality shoe scene, there's a point of diminishing returns. Edward Green and John Lobb Paris are beyond that point.
Basically, with the scene, there's a point where the more money you put in gives you only an incremental increase in "quality". Green and Paris Lobb are in that.

You pay exponentially more for finer details that 99% of people won't notice or care about; you yourself might not give a shit. But the options are there for those discerning few with the cash to spend.

I have a lot of time for Cheaney (it's regular line, anyway); think they hit that comfy spot of quality and price. It's not the sweet spot (haven't decided where that is), but it's comfy.

If you can afford Cheaney and up, avoid Loake and the other entry-tier stuff (esp. barker and grenson; fuckem)

I agree about Lobb and Green. I like Cheaney, I have two, but they are not too dressy. They are very bulky. Their Imperial line is very nice, though.
When Prada bought Church nothing in the manufacturing line was changed. They changed the leather suppliers and the design. They went for a modern look. They fucked up. Nowadays they have a line trying to get the old clients back and to compete with other english manufacturers. The machines are still the same. They are buying good leathers. Probably some of the workers are still there.
Your father took good care of the shoes, but I think that there is more romantic fantasies than based facts for the comparison of the pre and post Prada.

You find the classic Cheaney 125 last bulky? I like it a lot.

A little, but only when compared with my other shoes. I think that's because of the room they put on the instep of the shoe. I like the toe shape.
I have one in the 175 last and one in the 12508, but those are definitely chunky. I love them.

12508 are much more bulky looking due to be the country range (had to google check). I dunno if its exactly the same last as 125 but the difference in soles, material and upper design is huge and adds a lot to the chunky look.

No, they are definitely not the same. Yeah, both the shoes from Cheaney are "heavy". I think it's what they do best.

Cheaney 125 last in F is as perfect as it gets for confort and classic, non flashy (pleasantly dull), proper looks. For my feet and visual taste at least.

For a little more flash, i like Carmina.

So, for example, black cheaney captoes and oxblood carmina brogues or tassles would be my thing.

As said normally i wear cheaper stuff. All european made and thats it.

I can vouch for Carminas cordovan and crocodile shoes - superb quality for the price.
Worth it.

nice monks

WOW I never thought I'd see a discussion like this on Veeky Forums

Haven't browsed here in a while, is the geobasket meme still going strong?

They're shit compared to Bonafé.

Why do you underagers get assmad whenever someone tells you some factual shit? Not even that guy but he's entirely correct, so what's your problem? Jelly or just a huge insecure brand whore?

go to bed. Is past your time.

What do you lads think of these Tricker's?

...

that they dont have enough brogueing, obviously

good, but hyped by menswear blogs so be prepared to pay that premium

disgusting. brogues are bad in general, but i don't know why this disgusting tan colour has become most usual colour for them. i want to puke

200 pounds on sale, actually.

loaf/10, the chunkiness is off the charts and they even have the color of a bread roll. There's especially something about the size and placement of the medallion compared to the size of the toe cap itself that gives it a really bulbous cartoony look.

bretty good, get em and slap a lug sole on em. can't call it a country shoe if you can't wear it in the rain

I've got too many damn tan oxford shoes. What should my next purchase be? I like the look of these. Thoughts?

sure, why not. if those look reddish instead of brownish IRL they could work with any color pants p much

Good, solidly built. People only give a shit about their country-style shoes rather than their city shoes, whose lasts leave much to be desired compared to the competition imo (inelegant).

Another user mentioned the hype, I guess it's because there was once an explosion of custom collabs and gmto's going on? I dunno, I haven't kept up.

I know up until recently the Japs for example were crazy on their custom makeups, which are on the same relatively inelegant lasts but were made in such a riot of colours and leather types.

I myself have a pair of navy shell boots (i hardly wear) and a few years ago, before all the special colours disappeared, was strongly considering the Iris shell (maybe oceano).

Then I came to my senses and realised that I was neither gay enough nor creative enough to pull that shit off in a decent fit.

The proportions are totally off, they look like giant little kid shoes imo.

Great shoes. Shoe long wingtip and colour also makes them interesting.

I never thought so like that. They do look like kid's shoes.
Good shoes.

>longwings
No desu

Those loafers lmao

hey fuckin commie how about you take your ass back to you're godforsaken airstrip shit island because real red blooded YANKEES wear longwings made here in the good ol U S OF MAINE or ChInA or BOGGLY WOGGLY ENGLAND anyway a GOOD PAIR of GUNBOATS is a solid basis for any MAN's wardrobe be it Florsheim Imperial (post-cleats need not apply) or ALDEN or HANOVER SHEPPARD or WALK OVER get some good ol MADE IN THE USA OF AMERICA gunboats with a good solid GRAIN and at LEAST double-soled make that lino-floor smickn'smack with them V-CLEATS OORAH if I had any sense I'd hand you'Re limey ass to HUAC

not funny

They are chunky and not sleek in the slightest. However, that's a top down profile. When they're actually being worn/seen from the side etc., they're not that bad, especially with some wear to them. It's not a miraculous mirage, it's just not as bad when seen by others compared to when you look down and see them yourself. At least I think so, anyway.

Or should I get them in black? The colour is kind of too light and weird in my opinion and I'd prefer a darker shade of brown/burgundy, tbqh.

nigger church's is absolutely fine, i have a pair and the leather is magnificent