Non-motoring > Proper shoes, innit Miscellaneous
Thread Author: legacylad Replies: 119

 Proper shoes, innit - legacylad
For the past several years I have always worn 'trail' type footwear at work...it helps when you get them at cost, or free, when working in an outdoor gear shop. In my last job I wore cheaper trail shoes as it was a DIY place and so long as I alternated three pairs it was fine.. Keen sandals when warm.
I normally only wear leather shoes for funerals, weddings or going somewhere smart, for which my black pre owned ex RAF parade shoes are ok.
Any suggestions please for good quality brown shoes which will last several years.. My feet have got wider this past decade so need a broad fitting? Not slip ons. Or Timberland boots!
Thanks
 Proper shoes, innit - Roger.
Try Hotter Shoes, on-line, or they do have a number of dedicated shops.

Thread drift - my daughter has just paid forty five quid for a pair of black lace up school shoes for our 12 yr. old grandson. If they last the term, I'll be surprised.
Last edited by: Roger. on Tue 29 Mar 16 at 14:52
 Proper shoes, innit - Crankcase

>> Thread drift - my daughter has just paid forty five quid for a pair of
>> black lace up school shoes for our 12 yr. old grandson. If they last the
>> term, I'll be surprised.
>>


Actually, that's really interesting Roger. I was chatting to my old mum at the weekend, and she was reminiscing about child benefit in the fifties. She said she got 5/ a week then, so she could save up for two weeks and get a pair of shoes for my sister, her first child. So 10 bob a pair then.

I was vaguely wondering how that compares to today, and whether parents are better or worse off than that in terms of the benefit.

Now you've posted that a child's pair of shoes, at least of some sort, were £45, and I've googled to find that child benefit for the first child is about £20 a week, it's still about the same then, at least as far as shoes go.

Thanks for answering the question unasked.

 Proper shoes, innit - WillDeBeest
Do you have £200 to spend?
(If Humph had got here first he'd be saying £350.)

Try Hotter shoes...
No, don't. Really, just don't.
Last edited by: WillDeBeest on Tue 29 Mar 16 at 14:53
 Proper shoes, innit - Alanovich
Did I recommend Rockports to you once, LL? Comfy shoes which didn't look like trail shoes for walking to pub, that kind of game? Same would go here, wouldn't it?

www.rockportuk.com/mens/dress/total-motion-plain-toe/
 Proper shoes, innit - Dog
>>Rockports

I have Rockport boots on reet noo mon = proper job, first time I've bought them, wont be the last.
 Proper shoes, innit - Duncan
'ere you go:-

www.shoezone.com/
 Proper shoes, innit - Dog
I prefer the feel of big boobs boots.
 Proper shoes, innit - CGNorwich
Rockport Charlrsview chocolate brown £95 John Lewis, the Mondeo of shoes
 Proper shoes, innit - Old Navy
I have a pair of these, seriously comfortable.

www.grisport.co.uk/comfort-shoes-c81/melrose-brown-p1313
 Proper shoes, innit - Alanovich
No slip ons, ON! I SAY NO SLIP ONS!

;-)
 Proper shoes, innit - Old Navy
You sad people, get a life. :-)

www.grisport.co.uk/comfort-shoes-c81/livingston-brown-p565
 Proper shoes, innit - Alanovich
Free bobble hat with those? Now there's an apt free gift.

:-)
 Proper shoes, innit - tyrednemotional
....no Brown shoes either ON!

'Proper' shoes are black!

(Though as the link you posted also offers a free bobble hat, I suspect LL will not be able to resist).

;-)
 Proper shoes, innit - Armel Coussine
Proper shoes are muddy white slip-ons. Just ask Humph, he'll confirm it.
 Proper shoes, innit - Old Navy
Ideal for all you north of Watford hill yomping folk.
Last edited by: Old Navy on Tue 29 Mar 16 at 15:48
 Proper shoes, innit - Runfer D'Hills
It did used to said that one shouldn't wear brown in town, but as he's a retired country gentleman it would be inappropriate to suggest black other than for funerals.
 Proper shoes, innit - Runfer D'Hills
You'll not go too far wrong with any of the Northampton brands LL. Anything Goodyear welted can be kept going more or less in perpetuity if you keep them maintained. I've a pair of Crockett and Jones brogues which are still going strong after 30 years and a couple of pairs of Loakes boots which aren't much younger.

I want to think there's a quite quaint little shop in Ilkley ( bordering on to the big car park ) which is a sort of posh repairers cum retailer of better quality shoes. Can't remember the name of it now but I have been in a long time ago.

Depends what you want to wear them with I guess but I'd avoid anything with a moulded sole, you may be advancing in years but presumably you still have some self esteem ? ;-)

 Proper shoes, innit - Old Navy
You wear your brogues on your bike? No wonder you fall off frequently. :-)
 Proper shoes, innit - tyrednemotional
>>
>> Depends what you want to wear them with I guess but I'd avoid anything with
>> a moulded sole, you may be advancing in years but presumably you still have some
>> self esteem ? ;-)
>>
>>
>>

...Goodyear welted, Dainite soled Oxfords pass muster?
 Proper shoes, innit - WillDeBeest
When it's raining, yes. They're the next item on my list; I have a pair of Dainite chukkas but they're a bit clumpy for the office.
 Proper shoes, innit - Runfer D'Hills
Dainite? Absolutely
Last edited by: Runfer D'Hills on Tue 29 Mar 16 at 15:55
 Proper shoes, innit - tyrednemotional
...sighs with relief.......

I don't have to wear formal shoes often nowadays, but from quite an early age the most comfortable and serviceable pairs I've had have been decent, Goodyear welted Itshide Commando or Dainite soled brogues or Oxfords.

Still feel like the only "proper" shoe to me.

I could never get on with a real leather sole, however.
 Proper shoes, innit - Runfer D'Hills
There is a way of "conditioning" leather soles. Not too complicated but it's really advantageous to try to wear them on dry days the first few times they are on. What then happens is that the fine grit naturally picked up by the sole sort of works its way into the leather and helps to strengthen it and make it more resistant to future water penetration.

If you wear a leather soled pair of shoes in the wet before that has had time to happen it opens the pores in the leather and can lead to premature wearing and lack of water resistance.

 Proper shoes, innit - legacylad
Possibly the Ilkley Shoe Co Runfer...might call in on Thursday when I'm out for a drive with the 98yo.
The Loakes Drake dark brown look nice. Expensive mind, never heard of the brand
Last edited by: legacylad on Tue 29 Mar 16 at 18:19
 Proper shoes, innit - Runfer D'Hills
Aye, that's a decent shoe LL, but be careful, once you start with stuff like that it's tough to go back. ( bit like cars )

;-)
 Proper shoes, innit - WillDeBeest
Humph could give you a breakdown of how that £75 (or the £62.50 that isn't VAT) is shared out: retailer's margin, manufacturer's overheads, shipping from East Asian factory, marketing budget...and maybe a pound or two left for materials and a few pence for the people who sew or glue them together. For a pair of shoes that might last two years and will be looking and feeling tired for a good part of that, and probably smelling cheesy for all of it.

Or you could pay twice that much for a pair of Made In England Loakes (or Barkers, or Grensons) and spend your £75 every 2-3 years on a factory refurb, from which they return better than new because they're already worn in. And you've got something that's a pleasure to own, wear and look after. I sat in the post-Katie sunshine yesterday with the polishing kit and three pairs of mine, two of which I've had since 2009 and still come up nicely. Properly therapeutic, far better than changing the oil in the Hyundai...again.
 Proper shoes, innit - Runfer D'Hills
It used to be said ( a very long time ago ) that whatever a man was prepared to spend on a suit should also be his budget for a pair of shoes. Putting erm, unfortunate shoes with a good set of clothes was never the mark of a gentleman.

;-)
 Proper shoes, innit - Old Navy
I take it you realise that you are the only one who gives a stuff what you have on your feet. :-)
 Proper shoes, innit - WillDeBeest
Not true in my experience. And maybe people just haven't been telling you that it isn't true in your case either.
};---)
 Proper shoes, innit - tyrednemotional
....in reality, I think he may be one of the few people who gives a stuff what other people have on their feet.....

;-)
 Proper shoes, innit - MD
>> I take it you realise that you are the only one who gives a stuff
>> what you have on your feet. :-)
>>
SOS
 Proper shoes, innit - tyrednemotional
>>....whatever a man was prepared to spend on a suit should also be his budget for a
>> pair of shoes.

....jeez, don't lead him on. If he's considering going up-market he'll be looking for a Goretex suit next...........
 Proper shoes, innit - Armel Coussine
In the sixties, before most of you were out of nappies, I once bought a pair of fashionable brown all-leather shoes. They made me look like a person in an illustrated children's edition of Gulliver's Travels (especially with green velvet flares), and the leather they were made of was sort of blotting paper. They were total crap, as were the green velvet flares which started to go bald immediately.

I do have a couple of respectable pairs of shoes. One pair of decent black slip-ons, and another lace-up pair from a classy West End cobbler. Alas, they were ruined by mud in Algeria and badly re-soled by what ought to have been a decent shoemaker, but wasn't. They're still good for weddings and funerals though.

I like the once-white slip-ons I wear most days. They have moulded bits on the soles. I think technically they are 'driving shoes'.

I detest cleaning shoes.
 Proper shoes, innit - Runfer D'Hills
AC, there is no such thing as a respectable pair of slip ons.
 Proper shoes, innit - No FM2R
>> AC, there is no such thing as a respectable pair of slip ons.

Or, in my experience, a comfortable pair; they start too tight and end up too loose.
 Proper shoes, innit - Clk Sec
>> they start too tight and end up too loose.
>>

Carpet slippers always end up too loose for me, despite buying them a size smaller than my usual shoe size.
 Proper shoes, innit - WillDeBeest
...because without laces the critical fit area is the instep. Too much room there and your foot will flop hopelessly about, regardless of what's going on at the toe; too little and you can't get it in at all.

Insoles tend to compress under pressure as shoes wear in, so the amount of room around the instep gradually increases, to the point where it becomes unbearably loose. May not matter if you shuffle about like AC, but it doesn't work for me.
Last edited by: WillDeBeest on Tue 29 Mar 16 at 17:01
 Proper shoes, innit - Focusless
I leave the laces done up on all my shoes, including the running ones.
 Proper shoes, innit - Armel Coussine
>> AC, there is no such thing as a respectable pair of slip ons.

Yes there is. I confer respectability on everything I wear. Giving it the mark of a gentleman.
 Proper shoes, innit - Armel Coussine
I've got some Algerian sort of white slipper things, normally worn with the back bit (I've forgotten the correct name... counter? Something like that) trodden down.

They aren't much use unless the weather is warm and dry though. They suit my shuffling gait and Arab features.
 Proper shoes, innit - Armel Coussine
>> I've got some Algerian sort of white slipper things

Used to have them anyway. But they aren't in the pampootie pile under the desk where the shoes are. Apart from a couple of pairs of respectable black slip ons, there was a pair of pointed white lace-up shoes inherited from a late friend. I don't wear them often although I'm not superstitious. They're in good nick but not very comfortable. They were pressed on me by my friend's American widow.

I wonder what happened to the Algerian slippers? Perhaps they are still around somewhere, but they may have been abandoned in their country of origin. They wouldn't suit our climate most of the time.

 Proper shoes, innit - Clk Sec
>>AC, there is no such thing as a respectable pair of slip ons.

Twaddle.

I have a pair of black Church's slip ons which I bought in a sale around a decade ago. Lovely shoes, very comfortable, and highly respectable.
;)
 Proper shoes, innit - Runfer D'Hills
Items which are bought in a sale are usually available at a discount because no one was prepared to pay full price for them...

;-)
 Proper shoes, innit - Clk Sec
I had intended to omit the 'sale' part of that post, but I didn't want to appear a plutocrat.
 Proper shoes, innit - Runfer D'Hills
Don't worry, there were other clues...

;-)
 Proper shoes, innit - Manatee
>> AC, there is no such thing as a respectable pair of slip ons.

Don't pretend you aren't hiding a tasselled loafer somewhere!
 Proper shoes, innit - Runfer D'Hills
No, I am not American.
 Proper shoes, innit - tyrednemotional
.....that's not a polite way to refer to Mrs d'H......

;-)
 Proper shoes, innit - Haywain
"Or you could pay twice that much for a pair of Made In England Loakes............"

My second son, a starving artist, paid a small fortune for a beautiful pair of Loakes brogues - he wears them all the time (except when showering). They have had at least one factory refurb, and they remain his pride and joy after some 5 years.
 Proper shoes, innit - Runfer D'Hills
It's a really good idea not to wear the same pair of shoes on consecutive days. Gives the bugs time to die and the stitching time to dry out properly. You'll get more than twice the wear ( and far fewer foot problems ) by alternating footwear at least daily. You'd not wear the same socks two days running would you? Maybe you would...
 Proper shoes, innit - Haywain
"It's a really good idea not to wear the same pair of shoes on consecutive days."

I was exaggerating a bit - I suppose he takes them off when he goes to bed and I think he wears plimmies for the gym and running.
 Proper shoes, innit - tyrednemotional
>> Maybe you would...
>>

...only by swapping feet; which is kinda more difficult with shoes......
 Proper shoes, innit - MD
Loakes are not of the best quality. Try Churchs' and not just on a Sunday!
 Proper shoes, innit - Runfer D'Hills
Loakes are way better than some Martin, but I agree, Church's are in a different league. I think Crocketts make the best ( non bespoke ) shoes but Church's are better known.

A bit like some premium cars, while they might initially feel expensive to buy "the quality is remembered long after the price is forgotten "
 Proper shoes, innit - Manatee
>> Loakes are way better than some Martin, but I agree, Church's are in a different
>> league.

Better certainly, but given the marginal utility of cash to me, not £250 better.

I probably have enough proper shoes to see me out; I hope to wear out quite a few more casual ones.

That said, Northampton is only 40 miles up the road so I will probably have a look at the factory shops sometime.
 Proper shoes, innit - Runfer D'Hills
Rhetorically, it does sometimes occur to me to muse on the irony that some are prepared to spend (or lose) thousands of pounds a year on their cars, which in many cases are used for less than an hour a day, and yet grudge paying a relatively small amount more for better shoes which they would wear all day.

It's ok, I understand, so there's no need to explain, but it is one of the oddities of life. It may even be a slightly peculiarly British trait. Conversely, I have Italian friends who dress very well but run around in absolutely ratty old cars.

Who's to say who is right I suppose.
 Proper shoes, innit - Manatee
>> Rhetorically, it does sometimes occur to me to muse on the irony that some are
>> prepared to spend (or lose) thousands of pounds a year on their cars, which in
>> many cases are used for less than an hour a day, and yet grudge paying
>> a relatively small amount more for better shoes which they would wear all day.

I don't grudge it at all, but what do you think is a relatively small amount? If you mean someone who expects to pay £15 or £20 for shoes and buys new cars, then I'd agree.

Clearly it bears some relation to income and someone on a low wage who usually spends £15 would probably spend more if they had more.

But at £60 - £80 (less if you shop around) there is plenty of good, comfortable, durable footwear.

Nobody needs to spend £400+ to be smart and comfortable, but if they want to of course that's fine too.

My father, not a wealthy man, liked good shoes, but he only wore formal shoes "out" and they lasted him for years. My formal shoes were mostly worn at work and I went there to earn money, not spend it!
 Proper shoes, innit - Runfer D'Hills
Don't get me wrong, I'm not suggesting there's anything wrong or unusual afoot ( yeah sorry about that ) just musing on the different perceptions of what feels like good value or the "right" price to pay for different types of goods.

If you strip back all the financial pipeline that leads to an item appearing in a shop at £50 it doesn't leave a right lot for the raw materials and manufacturing costs.
 Proper shoes, innit - Manatee

>> If you strip back all the financial pipeline that leads to an item appearing in
>> a shop at £50 it doesn't leave a right lot for the raw materials and
>> manufacturing costs.

That's not really the point if they are good enough, and they can be very good with modern manufacturing. And 99% of shoes with moulded soles must be made outside the UK, regardless of price? Isn't there a very good chance that £100 shoes have a very similar manufacturing cost to a £50 pair?

Some people need to feel that they are wearing/driving the right things. I get a nice warm feeling from finding good value.

Sometimes of course I waste money trying to save it, but probably not as much as I would waste if I believed "you get what you pay for"; there's some real rubbish at every price point, usually with a big brand on it.

You don't get what you don't pay for, would be a more useful motto.
 Proper shoes, innit - Alanovich
Good grief. I am in 100% agreement with Manatee.

*goes for a lie down*

:-)
 Proper shoes, innit - Manatee
>> Good grief. I am in 100% agreement with Manatee

No so unexpected, Shirley? I try to be the voice of reason you know. And I like Saabs.
 Proper shoes, innit - Alanovich
>> I try to be the voice of reason you know.

Some might say that is the precise reason why I would be surprised at being in agreement with you. ;-)

>> I like Saabs.

Now that IS the voice of reason.

;-)
 Proper shoes, innit - Runfer D'Hills
Some fair points there Manatee, but it isn't quite as black and white as that. Some brands spend huge amounts on ( and cost in ) marketing and promotion, others almost nothing. So one item at £100 might indeed be £100 worth so to speak whereas another may not.

Then of course you get into the whole definition of "worth"...

To some that is measured in functionality over style, to others it's all about appearance over functionality. Most people are somewhere in between at some point on the scale.

"Quality" means different things to different people. Inconveniently it's quite hard to say who is right or wrong because to them, their own opinion is the most valid and is by default, in isolation, correct.

We all have different views of worth. If I told you what I've just spent on a bike you'd probably think I was stark staring ( actually, if I told my wife what I've just spent on a bike she would agree ) but to me it was and is worth it. I shall get, and already have got, a lot of pleasure from it and that has a value in its own right as opposed to having just bought something adequate for purpose at the lowest price available.
 Proper shoes, innit - Manatee
Funnily enough I'd probably agree with you on the bike. Cheap bikes are a toil of a pleasure, and if it was my hobby I would want more than a just OK one.
 Proper shoes, innit - legacylad
Quite so, I confer. If it were my hobby I too would want more than 'just an OK one', assuming you can afford it. Before i did my first backpack C2C across Scotland in 2000 I spent almost £400 on a Hilleberg Akto, a rather good 3/4 season one man tent. It's virtually bomb proof and despite being used probably 150+ nights since is still almost as new.
And I could sell it for £250 tomorrow because they now cost £490.
OTOH I buy my blueberries & maple syrup at Aldi!
 Proper shoes, innit - Mapmaker
I've bought cars that have cost me less than the shoes I've been wearing when I've picked them up. Says it all really...
 Proper shoes, innit - Runfer D'Hills
You Italian ?
 Proper shoes, innit - Manatee
>> Humph could give you a breakdown of how that £75 (or the £62.50 that isn't
>> VAT) is shared out: retailer's margin, manufacturer's overheads, shipping from East Asian factory, marketing budget...and

Grisport purport to be made in Italy, although that covers a multitude of component sourcing in all probability.

I have a couple of pair of Grisport walking shoes, some Dartmoors that I have nearly worn the tread off that have been superb, and some Amazon-Lo that are slightly more pub-compliant and still newish. Both very comfortable.

Most of my formal shoes are Loake in the heavier styles - Royals in black and oxblood, black Dainite Waverleys (popular with coppers at one time I have been told), Braemar. A slightly more contemporary pair of "Design" Loakes that I bought for my daughter's wedding a couple of years ago were made in India - apparently in a Loake-owned-and-run factory, and they seem at least as good in finish. They are all at least six years old apart from the Indian ones.

Some of the uppers used in Kettering are made in India, mostly using material from Kettering.

blog.loake.co.uk/a-discussion-about-made-in-england/

Casual shoes are Seibel/Rieker/Ecco mostly bought from the sale arcade at Rogerson's in Rothbury. No Hotters, they look similar enough in construction but there are some very clunky styles - Velcro fastenings look as if they might be designed for the slightly older less flexible customer:). Clarks 'went off' a while back. How fondly I remember the Cornish pasties.

Clarks seem to have gone off.
 Proper shoes, innit - WillDeBeest
Rockport Charlesview ... the Mondeo of shoes


Mondeo, CGN? They look more Qashqai to me: neither one thing nor t'other, not smart enough for the office and not tough enough for the hills. Might do for mowing the lawn, I suppose.
Last edited by: WillDeBeest on Tue 29 Mar 16 at 19:53
 Proper shoes, innit - Runfer D'Hills
Take it you don't have a dog WDB? No one with a dog would mow without boots on, preferably Wellington boots...no matter how carefully you think you've cleared the lawn, there's always one little hidden deposit just waiting to be struck by the strimmer or the blade of the lawnmower. You also learn to keep your mouth firmly shut when approaching longer grass...

Yes, those Rockports, not quite sure what to say about them. They are undoubtedly shoes I suppose.
 Proper shoes, innit - sooty123
You just need to keep on top of it, they don't poop that much rdh, you haven't got some Shetland pony sized dog? ;)
 Proper shoes, innit - Runfer D'Hills
No, just a lazy wife. If she kept on top of her lawn clearing duties it wouldn't be so much of a problem.
 Proper shoes, innit - sooty123
Sounds like a situation that needs gripping. Give her lawn cleaning and cutting duties, a lesson learnt about cause and effect. ;)
 Proper shoes, innit - Runfer D'Hills
Do you know, you may just have a point there. I shall mention it at her next appraisal.

;-)
 Proper shoes, innit - sooty123
Why wait till then, not got a head torch?
 Proper shoes, innit - CGNorwich
They're comfortable everyday shoes for those who don't have to try to impress their boss at the office or worry about people judging them by what they wear. I like them.
 Proper shoes, innit - MD
>> Rockport Charlesview ... the Mondeo of shoes
>>
>>
>> Mondeo, CGN? They look more Qashqai to me: neither one thing nor t'other, not smart
>> enough for the office and not tough enough for the hills. Might do for mowing
>> the lawn, I suppose.
>>
Mower.
 Proper shoes, innit - Ian (Cape Town)
Get hold of your local safety gear specialists.
I've recently bought some steel- capped boots at half the price of the 'fashion' brands. Bit of dubbin, a good polish, and bob is you uncle.
They'll last five times as long as a high street brand.
 Proper shoes, innit - Runfer D'Hills
Oh dear Ian, you really have been in the sun too long haven't you?

;-)
 Proper shoes, innit - WillDeBeest
Since I presume he wears khaki safari shorts and rolled woolly socks with them every day, regardless of weather and occasion, I think we can let him off.
 Proper shoes, innit - Runfer D'Hills
While chewing on an unlit cheroot presumably.
 Proper shoes, innit - tyrednemotional
...and swishing a sjambok......
 Proper shoes, innit - Duncan
Cheap at half the price.

tinyurl.com/z4feg73
 Proper shoes, innit - Runfer D'Hills
I feel ever so slightly nauseous.
 Proper shoes, innit - Clk Sec
Slight thread drift.

Duncan, did you recommend some rather comfortable shoe inserts a while back?
 Proper shoes, innit - Duncan
>> Slight thread drift.
>>
>> Duncan, did you recommend some rather comfortable shoe inserts a while back?
>>

Was it this thread "Burning Feet"?

www.car4play.com/forum/post/index.htm?t=20465&v=f
 Proper shoes, innit - Clk Sec
>> Was it this thread

It was indeed. I'll order a pair tomorrow.

Thanks, Duncan.
 Proper shoes, innit - Armel Coussine

>> Was it this thread "Burning Feet"?

Anyone remember an Algernon Blackwood story called The Wendigo? Well scary to an imaginative person. Recommended.
 Proper shoes, innit - Alanovich
>> Cheap at half the price.
>>
>> tinyurl.com/z4feg73
>>


Twice the price, Duncs. The expression is "cheap at twice the price". ;-)

Although on this occasion even at half the price I wouldn't consider such horrific footwear as cheap.

"Reviewed by Ian of Dudley". Class.
 Proper shoes, innit - Duncan
SQ! are you related to Zero?

>> Although on this occasion even at half the price I wouldn't consider such horrific footwear
>> as cheap.

Oh dear.

Do I really have to explain?

If I said 'The world is your lobster'?
Last edited by: VxFan on Wed 30 Mar 16 at 01:46
 Proper shoes, innit - Alanovich
>> Do I really have to explain?

You do sometimes on internet forums if you don't use a smiley.

But of course, I could care less. ;-)
 Proper shoes, innit - Duncan
>> SQ! are you related to Zero?
>>

No, but he doesn't live far away.

Do you think I have caught it from him?
 Proper shoes, innit - Zero
>> >> SQ! are you related to Zero?
>> >>
>>
>> No, but he doesn't live far away.
>>
>> Do you think I have caught it from him?

Its a Surrey plot to upset Dave
 Proper shoes, innit - Manatee

>> "Reviewed by Ian of Dudley". Class.

To be fair to Ian of Dudley, he didn't say they looked good, he said they looked every bit as good as they do on the website. A man of taste and discretion.
 Proper shoes, innit - CGNorwich
twice the price, Duncs. The expression is "cheap at twice the price". ;-)

No isn't actually

"Cheap at half the price" is the original and correct version of the saying.

In Middle English, cheap, or "cheep" also meant goods or property, so the street cry, "Cheap at half the price!", was the Middle Ages' equivalent of today's shop window sign, "All stock 50% off". Chaucer uses this meaning in, "...greet cheep is holde at litel pris...". That is to say, where there is an abundance, "greet cheep" = great supply of goods, the price is low "..holde at litel price" = is valued at a low price. Possibly the earliest reference to supply and demand! The corruption, "Cheap at twice the price" would have appeared through a misunderstanding of the original meaning of "cheep".

per wiki
 Proper shoes, innit - Dutchie
Sketchers for me,I got three pair and they are comfy.

Arthitris in both feet I have no choice.I wear sandals in the summer most of the time a expensive German make hope they last.
 Proper shoes, innit - Pat
I have that problem too Dutchie.

Have you tried these www.rieker.co.uk/

Extremely pliable and can't fault them for longevity either.

They won't be expensive enough for the rest of them on here, but they work for me!

Pat
 Proper shoes, innit - Alanovich
Whilst I thank the Honourable Gentleman for the interesting history, and for putting me straight in part, I'd argue that given the fact that the word "cheep" is no longer understood as meaning "goods or property", and that "cheap" is only understood as meaning "of low price", the fact it has arisen from a corruption does not negate the argument that in modern usage "cheap at half the price" makes significantly less sense than "cheap at twice the price".

"Goods and property at half the price" does not have the same as "cheap at half the price" any more", so in modern usage "cheap at half the price" is incorrect.

Very few people understand Chaucer any more without a translation into modern English alongside it, as your wiki quote illustrates.

;-)
 Proper shoes, innit - Manatee
Disregarding the old meaning "cheap at half the price" is presumably a droll way of saying it isn't worth the full price, so made sense to me.

Cheap at twice the price may mean that something is extremely good value, but wouldn't be funny at all and I didn't think Duncan meant to say that:)

But only Duncan knows.
 Proper shoes, innit - MD
Churchs' Grafton Brogues in a 'G' fitting I think it is. If you're interested I'll confirm.

I have three pairs. Black solid hard leather. Dark brown in Calf. Sandalwood in solid hard leather. I bought the black 18.5 years ago and I think that they have been back to Churchs' once for a refurb. The sandalwood are getting past their best and have been back to base once and are about to go again. I would have nothing else. Even in very warm climes they are my choice of shoe. Heavy yes. Breathable yes. Even after a day of mooching about in 75+ degrees my feet do not stink. I love them.

Clarkes used to be brilliant when they were made in places like Barnstaple, but apparently are carp now that they're made across many waters. Original Doc Marten's might do the job.

Just my two pennyworth.

I hate 'cheap' clothes.
 Proper shoes, innit - Dutchie
Clarkes used to be my shoes when the where produced in the UK.

The last two pair I had came apart cheaply made abroad.
 Proper shoes, innit - Runfer D'Hills
Now this is a suitable pub shoe LL. Can be worn with casual trousers or jeans, suitable for any age, relaxed and effortlessly stylish. It's a Crockett and Jones chukka. I have no commercial interest in that firm by the way.

tinyurl.com/hozylp3
Last edited by: Runfer D'Hills on Tue 29 Mar 16 at 22:05
 Proper shoes, innit - legacylad
Many thanks Runfer, very nice, although I have never heard of C & Jones. The price ( Liberty) made my eyes water... That's three months beer money. If I reduce my intake.
 Proper shoes, innit - No FM2R
Funnily enough both my favourite, and aging, pairs of brown shoes are Crockett and Jones. Though i tend to use the smaller of their Jermyn Street shops; mostly because its right by where I get my shirts.

Well worth the money. Last for years, and stay comfortable. And don't get tatty.
 Proper shoes, innit - Slidingpillar
What ever fits!

Which is not as silly as it sounds, somebody here said they were a 'G' width fit. 'F' is more average, but I'm a 'C'.
 Proper shoes, innit - MD
We've heard :-)
 Proper shoes, innit - Haywain
"but I'm a 'C'."

'Struth! My big toe alone is a C; my whole foot is an H.
 Proper shoes, innit - Mapmaker
About a million posts ago somebody was complaining about slippers. These won't stretch, and will wear until they fall to pieces (stuck sole coming unstuck, usually):

www.herringshoes.co.uk/product-list.php?brandid=4&catid=21

Ajax is my choice - they used to have even nicer ones, more of a 'house shoe'.

 Proper shoes, innit - Clk Sec
£125! That's more than some folk pay for a car...
 Proper shoes, innit - tyrednemotional
...particularly Italians (allegedly)......
 Proper shoes, innit - Runfer D'Hills
>> ...particularly Italians (allegedly)......

The odd thing about the Italians of my acquaintance, ( well, odd by our standards anyway ) is that they tend to buy new cars but then keep them until they are utterly trashed. There doesn't seem to be the same habit of trading out of them after a short time. In addition, for their "family" cars they seem content with lower spec models in the main. Lots of Pandas, basic trim Golfs etc even among those who could easily afford more car. One very successful company CEO I know has an entry level ( in trim terms ) 10 year old diesel Passat estate as his daily driver while keeping an absolutely gorgeous Aston Martin convertible for the weekend.

Fair enough I suppose.
 Proper shoes, innit - WillDeBeest
The French are similar, I think. Don't much care about the outside of their houses either, and would rather spend their money on how they live rather than show it off with consumer durables. The Germans, on the other hand - they like their motors new and shiny.
 Proper shoes, innit - legacylad
New & shiny...sounds like some of my neighbours. Apart from my 12 yo banger, their cars are all under 4 yo with one exception...330d handed to spouse when his new X4 arrived
 Proper shoes, innit - legacylad
I could cope with that...surprised he prefers an Aston over a Maserati, although I think certain Astons look gorgeous and maybe Maserati do not make a convertible.
We used to have a couple of VW Transporters for our daily drivers and drive an Audi for erm possibly two or three times a month ( I told her it was an investment)!
 Proper shoes, innit - tyrednemotional
....probably also keeps his wife as his "daily driver" while keeping an absolutely gorgeous signorina for the weekend......

Those Italians, eh.....
 Proper shoes, innit - VxFan
I was in sports Direct at the weekend. Bought some new safety boots (the company issue ones are uncomfortable, not to mention cheap and nasty).

In the sale, reduced from £45 to £23. Doesn't really matter as I can claim the money back for them.

Made by Dunlop. No idea if they have winter treads or not ;)

Main thing is that they're more comfortable than the rubbish work buy in.
 Proper shoes, innit - Duncan
>> I was in sports Direct at the weekend. Bought some new safety boots (the company
>> issue ones are uncomfortable, not to mention cheap and nasty).

>> Main thing is that they're more comfortable than the rubbish work buy in.

Do you wear safety boots when you are out late at night??
 Proper shoes, innit - VxFan
>> Do you wear safety boots when you are out late at night??

Oh, I'm sorry. No one told me that we're not allowed to thread drift anymore.
 Proper shoes, innit - Ian (Cape Town)
>>
>> Do you wear safety boots when you are out late at night??
>> 'Yes.
I wear them all day. That is what they are designed for - lengthy wear.
Oh, and despite the perception that they are big clumpy things, many safety shoes/boots are quite similar to 'high-street fashion'. In fact, CAT fashion boots derived from... oh yes, Caterpillar's brand of workwear footwear. At double the price, and half the quality.

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