Show us your new shoes

[Mr Roper]

ascayman said:

Just bought these.

Yep. I like 'em a lot.

[Disastrous]

TheJimi said:

Disastrous said:

What on earth is a 'Grail Shoe'??

Pretty self-explanatory, I would have thought.

You've probably understood the idea by now, but if you're still struggling, give me a shout and I'll explain it for you

Edited by TheJimi on Tuesday 11th August 13:46

Well, I suppose it's an unobtainable shoe (presumably once drunk out of by Jesus). But shoes are shoes. I mean, there are nice shoes and it's worth paying a few hundred quid for a good pair but I really can't comprehend spending years yearning for a pair of shoes that you will never own.

[sc0tt]

New work socks and shoes.

Roland Cartier

[TheJimi]

Disastrous said:

TheJimi said:

Disastrous said:

What on earth is a 'Grail Shoe'??

Pretty self-explanatory, I would have thought.

You've probably understood the idea by now, but if you're still struggling, give me a shout and I'll explain it for you

Edited by TheJimi on Tuesday 11th August 13:46

Well, I suppose it's an unobtainable shoe (presumably once drunk out of by Jesus). But shoes are shoes. I mean, there are nice shoes and it's worth paying a few hundred quid for a good pair but I really can't comprehend spending years yearning for a pair of shoes that you will never own.

Cars are cars, watches are watches, shoes are...you get the idea

Also, that something is a "grail" to someone, doesn't mean to say that it's outwith the realms of obtainability. Sometimes it does, but other times it simply means an end goal.

Point is, you knew fine what he meant by "grail shoe" - you just posted that to be obtuse and if you can't comprehend someone having a grail <whatever>, then you're in the right place, coz half of PH seems to consist of people unable to comprehend of the choices of others

[Disastrous]

TheJimi said:

Cars are cars, watches are watches, shoes are...you get the idea

Also, that something is a "grail" to someone, doesn't mean to say that it's outwith the realms of obtainability. Sometimes it does, but other times it simply means an end goal.

Point is, you knew fine what he meant by "grail shoe" - you just posted that to be obtuse and if you can't comprehend someone having a grail <whatever>, then you're in the right place, coz half of PH seems to consist of people unable to comprehend of the choices of others

I actually didn't know that it meant an end goal, as I suppose I don't see the notion of the Holy Grail as being something obtainable.

Anyway, never mind. I wasn't especially trying to be obtuse but I suppose was really just querying a phrase I hear a lot that never really made sense to me.

[Slaav]

sc0tt said:

New work socks and shoes.

Roland Cartier

Together with those awful Barkers just above, I have just managed to swallow two bits of sick - you know; the bits that occasionally pop up when you least expect it and didn't see it coming - oh no! Wait, it was clearly coming earlier in the thread with those Jeffrey Wests

Not happy...

just goes to show we are all different I guess?

[Rowley Birkin]

sc0tt said:

New work socks and shoes.

Roland Cartier

Where do you work? 1986?

[TheJimi]

Disastrous said:

TheJimi said:

Cars are cars, watches are watches, shoes are...you get the idea

Also, that something is a "grail" to someone, doesn't mean to say that it's outwith the realms of obtainability. Sometimes it does, but other times it simply means an end goal.

Point is, you knew fine what he meant by "grail shoe" - you just posted that to be obtuse and if you can't comprehend someone having a grail <whatever>, then you're in the right place, coz half of PH seems to consist of people unable to comprehend of the choices of others

I actually didn't know that it meant an end goal, as I suppose I don't see the notion of the Holy Grail as being something obtainable.

Anyway, never mind. I wasn't especially trying to be obtuse but I suppose was really just querying a phrase I hear a lot that never really made sense to me.

Fair enough, if the phrase genuinely didn't / doesn't make sense to you, I apologise for accusing you of being obtuse.

[Disastrous]

No worries. Like I say, I hear it a lot in connection to watches and always took it to mean 'the watch I dream of but will never be able to afford', like some £50k masterpiece or whatever, so seemed odd in a shoe-based context

[FreeLitres]

Disastrous said:

No worries. Like I say, I hear it a lot in connection to watches and always took it to mean 'the watch I dream of but will never be able to afford', like some £50k masterpiece or whatever, so seemed odd in a shoe-based context

To be fair, there does seem to be a few definitions of "grail [item]" kicking around. I always saw it as the item you really want, but it is the top end of your max budget and will take you a while to save up for.

Having googled it, some people do indeed use it to mean the totally unobtainable item that you will never have unless you win the lottery. for that definition, my grail shoe would have been a bespoke John Lobb (London). Starting prices for a normal plain oxford are about £4,500.

Other forum definitions of grail I have found include:

"An item outside of your immediate price range"

"The one item you've always wanted since the first time you saw it and haven't been able to get it for whatever reason"

"Something perfect, or so near it you wouldn't notice any imperfections"

"Something that takes some work and savings and maybe some sacrifice"

So, there is no right or wrong definition. I'm sure you could have gotten the gist of what I was saying if you wanted to.

[OllieC]

LordGrover said:

Shaw Tarse said:

LordGrover said:

Yep. I really like them; they're a decent quality, fit well and look good. Quality is on a par with my Cheaney and Sanders shoes, I think maybe a little better than Loake.

Do Loake make shoes for CT?

I've heard so, yes. Also Cheaney and Church have been mentioned. Not sure how much truth there is though.

My guess is Barker, rather than Loake (who definitely made CT shoes in the past)

[fizz47]

A couple of questions....

1)I am going to an outlet shopping place in Europe tommorow which has a Churches outlet - With the strong pound against the Euro im hping can pick up some bargains.

What is a good 'sale' price for Churches shoes? To be fair I dont know much about their shoes so any pointers when buying them?


2) What are peoples thoughts on using shoe trees in casual loafers?

Just got a pair of reasonably expensive Louis Vuitton loafers and want to prolong their life. Advisable or not to use shoe trees in them?

[budfox]

I won a £100 voucher from Chatham at a golf day. Bought one pair of boots and these rather nice deck shoes with the money.

[Blown2CV]

boat shoes remind me of the 90s and not in a good way.

[LordGrover]

Can't help your preconceptions.
Boat shoes are a wardrobe essential for me - just don't wear them with socks or jeans.

[Slaav]

fizz47 said:

A couple of questions....

1)I am going to an outlet shopping place in Europe tommorow which has a Churches outlet - With the strong pound against the Euro im hping can pick up some bargains.

What is a good 'sale' price for Churches shoes? To be fair I dont know much about their shoes so any pointers when buying them?


2) What are peoples thoughts on using shoe trees in casual loafers?

Just got a pair of reasonably expensive Louis Vuitton loafers and want to prolong their life. Advisable or not to use shoe trees in them?

As a guide, Herrings sales price for Churchs seem to hover around the £250-295 for 'proper' shoes - i.e. trad school type shoes and not deck shoes etc (do they even do them?)

Bicester seem to have their proper shoes down to £180-195ish from £375-399.

Hopefully that gives you a guide?

Good luck and let us know!

[hacksaw]

fizz47 said:

A couple of questions....

1)I am going to an outlet shopping place in Europe tommorow which has a Churches outlet - With the strong pound against the Euro im hping can pick up some bargains.

What is a good 'sale' price for Churches shoes? To be fair I dont know much about their shoes so any pointers when buying them?

Roermond Outlet in the Netherlands? I was last there December last year and to be honest struggled to find much of a bargain at the Church shop, although the exchange rate is a little better since I visited.

[fizz47]

hacksaw said:

Roermond Outlet in the Netherlands? I was last there December last year and to be honest struggled to find much of a bargain at the Church shop, although the exchange rate is a little better since I visited.

Yes - going there tomorrow.

I wasnt planning on going but a few friends of mine have said with the currect euro exchange rate there are some potential bargains to be had...


ETA: Dec fx rate was arounf 1.25 against the pound whereas now it's 1.40ish.

Do you rememeber how much Churchs were going for there?

Edited by fizz47 on Friday 21st August 11:03

[fizz47]

Slaav said:

As a guide, Herrings sales price for Churchs seem to hover around the £250-295 for 'proper' shoes - i.e. trad school type shoes and not deck shoes etc (do they even do them?)

Bicester seem to have their proper shoes down to £180-195ish from £375-399.

Hopefully that gives you a guide?

Good luck and let us know!

Perfect! Thank you

Exactly the info I was looking for...

[ascayman]

doogz said:

ascayman said:

Just bought these.

Where from? Who made them?

Barker, I got them from John Lewis. They've arrived and (in my opinion) are awesome!