Proper leather shoes

So are we supposed to bend our Loakes in half?

At least to the amount that they do when walking or squatting. Like above, I stopped buying new, they destroyed my feet.

Crush on Retro - Recently found this company who do quite a few pairs of boots I’d wear for what is comparatively good pricing… very tempted to try a pair but not sure which I’d go for - most likely the suede lineman boots

https://crushonretro.com/products/suede-lineman-boots

really like the look of the Moc toe logger and lace to toe boots… some reviews of them beginning to pop up and so far so good

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Kr2OxeoqxuY&pp=ygUOQ3J1c2ggb24gcmV0cm8%3D

Any got any experience of William Lennon boots? I’m interested in getting a pair but they do look hard to break in.

https://williamlennon.co.uk/shop/107f-brown-zug-grain-field-boot/

Great boots, had no trouble with mine, think mine were the 78s but with the commando sole. Just wear thick socks, tis the season anyway.
Edit: be warned though, they're fucking weighty!

I've been talking to them about grabbing a pair of their engineer boots but have hesitated because it's so difficult to know what the quality is like. Will check those reviews out, thanks!

Pretty glowing review here.

https://youtu.be/pS6-ziHHyUU?feature=shared

Out for a walk in the glorious sunshine to help break in a nice pair of brogues I got for cheeps in the sales.

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Have two pairs of white trainers I got secondhand for cheap (CP and Jak, a portuguese brand) and they both seem to pick up scratches on the leather really easily and hence don't stay white. Maintaining with white paint is a pain; can anyone recommend any clean-looking trainer brands that's made of better leather (or is this a fool's errand?) and even better if reasonably available secondhand?

I wore my Crocket and Jones recently to a job interview- I remember them fitting quite well but they hurt my toes as I went home.

When in London over Christmas I popped into their shop and had my feet measured- the shoes I have are the exact size I’m meant to wear. However - they measure width to the widest point of the foot, excluding toes, and length to the big toe, excluding the other toes.

It’s my toes, or rather room for them which is the issue.

Do any proper shoe makers have a really large toe box?

I need a wide toe box for morton's neuroma, any pinching of the toes together really exacerbates it.

Some of the trickers lasts are quite wide in the toe, particularly the Bourton shoe which I think might be the 4444.

I’m guessing cheaper, plastic coated leather from the major brands would resist scratches more. Embrace it or move on imo.

Ah that explains why the leather on my Sambas seems impenetrable. Thought the chrome-tanned stuff on the CPs might be at fault, am vaguely aware of their reputation of not so stellar materials given their prices and was wondering if there's shoes made of better leather that is more resistant to this sort of abuse. But if it's par for the course then fair enough - I've just acquired some matt finisher which should hopefully increase the longevity of my touchups..

tried a pair of these on in a store in edinburgh, heavily discounted (400 quid or so) but the largest they had was too small, now i really like them but the full price cost is unstomachable, anyone think of anything kind of similar to recommend?

Where from?

Loakes. They are ‘Redgrave’ Brogues.

It’s my toes, or rather room for them which is the issue.

I had the same conversation with C&J. Over time none of my shoes fitted well. I was told I had Covid Feet. I’d been barefoot throughout Covid. This continued with WFH. I’d rarely worn shoes for anything formal. Apparently this had meant my toe box had splayed out from being barefoot so long and changed my foot shape.

None of my C&J shoes fitted well anymore. I had to have a fire sale on these. (Obligatory home move C&J photo)

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Covid foot, what a load.
Your feet became foot shaped, which don't align with the dictates of fashion.

Wild Bunch or Clarks maybe with some collaboration? Fracap? VisVim? Some Sebago (a few years back) had a similar vibe

https://www.wildbunchstyles.com/collections/talamanca

Edit: Yogi?

Dibs the black Grasmere if they’re a 10?

I’ve crept up in half sizes in C&J over the last few years… toes are narrow on the styles I’ve had - Grasmere and Onslow

@Dammit some trickers and JM Weston feel like they have a slightly roomier toe box - Paraboot also but different kind of thing really

It’s a function of age
All the tendons and connective tissues get looser. Exacerbated by weight gain.

Horse hockey.
Feet are meant to be wider at the front than 99% of shoes and boots allow, and narrower at the heel.

Sure, but your feet also change as you age. Typically flatten and widen.

Not just anecdata!

Agreed, but as someone who’s feet haven’t changed size for about 45 years…