Reply With QuotePersonally i rate the Loake 1880 range, if value is part of the decision.
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Hi what are the forums thoughts on the quality of church footwear compared with top end loakes and other brands I was looking at a pair of black Chelsea boots and they are nearly 1k so not that much less than Edward green
Personally i rate the Loake 1880 range, if value is part of the decision.
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I have a pair of Church Chelsea boots with commando sole. I think they are great boots but not 1k worth of shoe. I have a pair of Crockett & Jones boots and there's a big difference in quality between them. C&J are a league above in my opinion. I would still rate Church above Loakes.Originally Posted by Michael 38
I thought this was going to be a “What shoes should I wear to a Christening?” thread. Disappointed.
BTW the brand is called Church’s.
I bought a pair of Loake Chelsea boots....we always called them Riders.....at 1/8 of the cost in Jones' sale. I thought I was being extravagant at that....says the man who spends £££££££ on watches.
Church are nice shoes and have/had few pairs over the years but they have become far to pricy over the years and I find find most of their styles a little meh these days.
As alluded to earlier C&J are on par if not better than (depending on the range) Church.
As for value for money the 1880s range from Loake are hard to beat but don’t discount the likes of Grenson, Cheaney, Barker for similar money.
If my budget was around the £1k mark, Edward Green, G&G and GC are worth a look.
Cheers,
Ben
..... for I have become the Jedi of flippers
" an extravagance is anything you buy that is of no earthly use to your wife "
Every pair of Church's I have are still in great condition. Some are worn more sparingly than others but all are cared for the same.
I haven't bought a new pair for a couple of years and was shocked to see how much yhey retail for now. It is a considerable leap but considering I have some pairs around ten years old I'd stand by the quality and value for money - buy well, buy once.
There may be better, more bespoke options out there but I'm happy with the brand
I have a few. Leather is brilliant, but I find trainers soles wear too quickly. Their boots rubber is much better.
C+J Chelsea boots are fabulous. I think they mostly come on leather soles and at £125 for dainite resoles and a refurb of the shoe, it's a genuine bargain
Resoling cost might have gone up but that's what I paid in 2020
And they're not even my shoes! Belong to m'lady
I believe that church was acquired by Prada (or the company that owns Prada) and the cost went up, and the quality went down.
I'd look at the traditional Northampton shoe makers who are still operating largely independently.
I'm sure there is lots of info online.
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Take a look at Joseph Cheaney range.
Very good quality.
Jim
Wow, this kinda blew my mind. I have a pair of their boots I bought about 8 years ago for £350-ish. They are now £1070. Wow. Great quality though, but quite heavy.
Yep, two churchs brothers bought JC when the family sold to Prada - although they seem to lack integrity after buying JC and laughing about how poor quality the Churchs were…
I'd second the Crockett and Jones recommendation. I've had, and still open some Church's but I much prefer my C&Js.
If you're close to Northampton I'd suggest you visit the factory shops. You can't guarantee they have your size or style, but you'll have a small fortune if you are fortunate enough to find a pair.
Both Church's and C&J have factory shops. As does Cheaney, Tricker's (Friday only) and Barker's.
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@Michael 38
assuming you are looking at the church Amberley, do yourself a big favour and consider these
https://www.crockettandjones.com/col...eld-black-calf
or if you are after something a little more hardwearing/robust, these have a Dainite sole
https://www.crockettandjones.com/col...brown-wax-calf
And save yourself £400.
Cheers,
Ben
..... for I have become the Jedi of flippers
" an extravagance is anything you buy that is of no earthly use to your wife "
Prices have gone through the roof!
I bought 2 pairs of their custom grade country style brogues with commando soles a few years back. Made my feet bleed so have remained unworn. They are over a £1000 a pair now. Madness! I’ll have to try breaking them in.
They used to be reasonable value about 8-10 years ago. Now they are a total rip off that I wouldn't consider buying, and I have 7 pairs of them.
I've also had bad experiences recently with their staff in one of the London branches so I have no plans of going back. The Cheaneys store next door was the polar opposite.
Thanks for the recommendation I always wanted a pair of churches after seeing a pair in a shoe shop in the 70s when I was a kid,I may look at Crockett and jones as nobody seems to think much of churches anymore but all but one pair of the c&j chelsea boots look very pointed as for cheaney they never suited my feet I must have bought 7 pairs of shoes and boots from them and ended up selling or returning all of them
Trickers have been good for me. Alternatively it might be worth looking at Herring Shoes. Their own brand offerings can be quite good.
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I’v had many shoes of the brand. All sold by a shop specialized in descent shoes. The owner told me that the quality became less once they changed manufacturing them in a different factory a few years ago. Than there is word that quality became less due to Prada. The shop recommended me C&J’s. I must say i am fond of their Cornell range. They fit and feel excellent.
Trickers Henry boot are £585 - good value in the high end and very well made/ comfortable.
This.
They used to be amazing, but these days it's impossible to justify the cost, especially when you can get a decent pair of Loakes for £250
Second Herring Shoes. I've never had a problem with them.
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I find the Churches are a bit heavy and a more mature style. But super quality.
I'd recommend strongly looking at Cheaney. I think the Cheaneys are a bit smarter/sharper styling and very well made. I've had one pair now 23 years
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