A reasonable price for a pair of Alligator shoes

[Tony]

Looking around i have noticed a huge difference in the price of a pair of Alligator shoes, for example I believe John Lobb (St James) are around £6000, Berluti is also quite expensive, you can also pay Near £3000 for a pair of John Lobb readymade shoes which is ridiculous because Cleverly, Foster and EG bespoke are are all under £3000
for a pair of bespoke Alligator. There are also a few companys that make them quite a bit cheaper like Crockets and Weston.

My question is , what do you concider a reasonable amount for a pair of Alligator shoes and would you ever pay £6000 pounds for a pair of Lobb, taking concideration that they cost the same to make as a £3000 pair? I suppose i am interested in seeing how powerful the John Lobb name is in the shoe industry.

Kind regards

Tony

[RWS]

I doubt I'd ever buy a pair of alligator shoes.

As for a premium for a name: I'm interested in fit, appearance, and durability, generally in that order, followed by convenience of purchase (how far must I travel for fittings? how long must I wait? how much will the order cost?). The maker's name means little or nothing to me, save as a guarantee of the criteria that do matter (that said, I avoid Chinese goods, for example, because of that country's repressive and duplicitous government; and I prefer Western goods because of what a poster on AAAC long ago termed "cultural capital", in part the assurance that the maker has an affinity for making the object sought).

[Guest]

This is an interesting question.

I would never buy an alligator shoe; and in the case I will never pay 6000£, but neither 6000€. I don't have them. But If I had them I would pay? No.

I'm sure some wannabe would pay it, though.

But this would raise another question. Do you, working in the clothing industry, prefer to have a clientele of wannabes or have a clientele that search and know for quality?

If you are for the latter, then make with every mean your customers more knowledgable, about leather quality, shoe construction, how to make it, how to recognize, etc.

But this you already know and do. But the others?

[jcusey]

Well, leaving aside whether the price for bespoke shoes is ever reasonable ( ), I have to say that I was very surprised when I heard the price for bespoke alligator shoes from Cleverley. The premium over calfskin shoes was, as you mention, relatively modest, and the resulting shoe was so beautiful that it's something I would consider.

I wouldn't consider them at the price that Lobb St. James charges, and I'm completely baffled that anyone would consider the RTW Lobb Paris alligator shoes at $6000 a pair. I know from talking to the shoe salesman at a local store that carries two or three Lobb Paris models in alligator that a lot of people will.

[Tony]

In actual fact although alot of people question and quiry the price of bespoke shoes there is less of a markup on bespoke than there is on readymade, On most if not all english goodyear welted readymade shoes there is around 150% markup whereas on bespoke shoes, Cleverley, Foster and EG there is around 90% markup.

For the first pair of bespoke there can be quite a few re-makes
(especially for companys that do not belive in inserting insoles to make shoes fitt) and some of the time the first pair of shoes is a complete loss. This in actual fact is good practice for a bespoke company because we should do everything we can to make sure that the first pair of shoes is close to perfect in order a get repeat orders, of course if there is no feed back from the customer there is not a lot we can do.

Kind regards

Tony

[manton]

I think that some day, when all my other shoe "needs" are met, I will try a pair of crocodile in brown, plain cap-toes. For some reason, I like the look of croc more than gator. Am I the only one?

[RWS]

. . . . I like the look of croc more than gator. . . .

Agreed.
How do crocodile and alligator compare for wear, Tony?

[bengal-stripe]

I have this strange relationship with croc/alligator shoes. I think most of them are disgusting, but then, every leap year, comes a shoe along which really fascinates me, like that Cleverley one made for Jun Kunawa:
http://homepage2.nifty.com/cobblers-web ... 10-top.htm

Now is that, or is it not, a pair and a half?

I think in business you just charge what you can get away with. I would presume that Berluti or Lattanzi have more punters on their books who are interested in exotic leathers than the more “English” firms. So they just charge accordingly.

Talking about absurd prices: John Lobb (Paris) had last winter a “Derby Éléphant” in their RTW collection (available colours grey, olive and chestnut). I presume you can get quite a few shoes out of an elephant hide. These JL shoes (I repeat RTW) sold (I don’t know if they sold, but were offered) for the modest sum of € 7400 (£ 5000; $ 9000). I do not know, if JL threw in the shoetrees for free.

If the Kunawa/Cleverleys did cost only £ 3000 or so, then they were really a snip.

Rolf

[jcusey]

I have this strange relationship with croc/alligator shoes. I think most of them are disgusting, but then, every leap year, comes a shoe along which really fascinates me, like that Cleverley one made for Jun Kunawa:
http://homepage2.nifty.com/cobblers-web ... 10-top.htm

Now is that, or is it not, a pair and a half?

Those are truly beautiful shoes. The sample Cleverley that I've seen is the same color, only done is a plain-toe bal completely without brogueing, which is think is a good idea for a skin with as much surface interest as alligator. Also not chopped liver are some of Tony's in the Photojournal area:

Talking about absurd prices: John Lobb (Paris) had last winter a “Derby Éléphant” in their RTW collection (available colours grey, olive and chestnut). I presume you can get quite a few shoes out of an elephant hide. These JL shoes (I repeat RTW) sold (I don’t know if they sold, but were offered) for the modest sum of € 7400 (£ 5000; $ 9000). I do not know, if JL threw in the shoetrees for free.

If you want elephant cowboy boots (and I did), you can expect to pay a 70% to 100% premium over regular calfskin boots. In that context, JL Paris's prices are, shall we say, interesting.

[jcusey]

I think that some day, when all my other shoe "needs" are met, I will try a pair of crocodile in brown, plain cap-toes. For some reason, I like the look of croc more than gator. Am I the only one?

I like them both, although in different contexts. I would agree that crocodile looks better on a shoe like a cap-toe, but alligator is the only way to go for a plain-toe.

[edhayes]

I have a beautiful pair of crocodile shoes from tony in a reddish color and a quite good pair in black form cleverly. I find those p;rices from Lobb ridiciulous and embarassing to the buyer as they are only buying the assurance of a brand name instead of finding a top quality maker and disigner and patronizing him. Its the substitution of money for taste.
I think Tony is an absolute top qulatiy man

[Concordia]

If you want elephant cowboy boots (and I did), you can expect to pay a 70% to 100% premium over regular calfskin boots.

How was the finished product? Worth trying for a pair of shoes?

[jcusey]

How was the finished product? Worth trying for a pair of shoes?

I was very pleased with the result. Elephant is a very rustic skin, and I really can't imagine using it for a pair of shoes.

[Concordia]

Looking around i have noticed a huge difference in the price of a pair of Alligator shoes, for example I believe John Lobb (St James) are around £6000.
Tony

I wonder if they would make decent bowling shoes.

[Cliff]

I am more than pleased with my bespoke Alligators and they were considerably less expensive than the prices I've been reading. They are on the top step the lower ones are driving mocs.