The London Lounge

Hello all,

Could anybody shoot me in the direction of some nice shoes in the 300 USD price range?

Is Cole-Haan a good brand?

thank you,
Chris

kirsch wrote:Is Cole-Haan a good brand?

No. It's overpriced, well-marketed junk apart from some ok stuff they sell at a markup that they have made in England. As a rule of thumb, avoid shoe brands with "Cole" in the name: Kenneth Cole, Cole-Haan.

In the $300 range, look at Allen Edmonds or Alden, particularly at sales, as well as Brooks Brothers' Peal line on sale. Also R. Martegani.

I agree with that Kenneth Cole comment for sure! I have had two of his watches break and 2 pairs of shoes wear out in no-time!

thanks for the recs.

rjman wrote:

kirsch wrote:Is Cole-Haan a good brand?

No. It's overpriced, well-marketed junk apart from some ok stuff they sell at a markup that they have made in England. As a rule of thumb, avoid shoe brands with "Cole" in the name: Kenneth Cole, Cole-Haan.

In the $300 range, look at Allen Edmonds or Alden, particularly at sales, as well as Brooks Brothers' Peal line on sale. Also R. Martegani.

Cole-Haan used to be good stuff years ago until it was brought by Nike, need I say more.

I agree with rjman about Allen Edmonds, Alden, and Peal & Co. at BB. Good quality shoes that will take good care of you.

Watch out for some the Aldens though, some of the lace ups have a hard sole and do not flex as fast as others which can cause blisters. ouch

Best Regards,

Cufflink79

Good suggestions so far. For starters, Crockett & Jones (benchgrade line) are a nice buy. www.pediwear.co.uk has great pricing.

If you like BB Peal, also check out Alfred Sargent premier line - very similar shoes and quality and, if the dollar rebounds some, a good deal.

Also check out Plal.com for Crockett and Jones.

If you fancy Allen-Edmonds be sure to check with the factory outlet stores for seconds on closeout. The blemishes that make the shoes seconds are usually indiscernible. I have gotten many excellent Allen-Edmonds dress shoes for $129 and even less.

Spend just over $400 and you have some great choices from C&J HG (from Plal) and Carmina (from Paris, or Spain).

Can Carmina be purchased online anywhere?

What about dept. stores?

Cole-Haan used to make a great pair of shoes - I have purchased at least two dozen pairs over the last decade. Some of my early purchases are still in my closet (great for bad weather). However they went downhill fast when Nike purchased them. I have several pairs purchased in the last few years that have either worn out prematurely or are so uncomfortable that I've thrown them away.
Thankfully I've found Crockett & Jones and Carmina in the last year! They're worth paying a few $ more.
DT

DouglasT wrote:Cole-Haan used to make a great pair of shoes - I have purchased at least two dozen pairs over the last decade. Some of my early purchases are still in my closet (great for bad weather). However they went downhill fast when Nike purchased them. I have several pairs purchased in the last few years that have either worn out prematurely or are so uncomfortable that I've thrown them away.
Thankfully I've found Crockett & Jones and Carmina in the last year! They're worth paying a few $ more.
DT

Do you buy your Carmina over the net?

Chris,
I discovered Carmina last month on a trip to Paris - just walking around - had never heard of them before - huge fan now.
I too would like to know if you can buy them online - those double monks look great - although a flight to Paris or Madrid is tempting.
DT

SkyValet stocks Carmina.

www.skyvalet1.com

I've been very pleased with the two pairs of Gravati shoes recently purchased. Italian-made and based in Milan, they are available in the US, though not widely. Excellent workmanship and I was properly fitted.