The eBay Experience

I have never been someone who has had a whole lot of patience, unfortunate as that may be. This downfall has prohibited me from taking part in many things...like learning how to actually hit the ball in golf, reading a book past the first 10 pages (it better grab me), and last but not least, taking advantage of the wonderful creation called eBay. Some things are obviously more important than others, in terms of helping my intelligence (like the reading bit, that would help me write and speak better) but none could have probably saved me more money than, being a smart eBay shopper could have. I mean, I have wasted tons of money in my life from things that I bought, and then never wore or wore just once or twice and then gave away. It hurts to think of that sunk cost that I cannot regain.....But let's now dwell and move back on to the subject.....I can't even begin to imagine how many amazing products have been sold on eBay for next to nothing: millions. And to think that I have missed out on all of them! But, apparently I have reader that has done the opposite of myself and has completely taken advantage of this brilliant creation and by doing so, has acquired around 75 of his 150 pairs of shoes. (Makes me look like a chump!) And by doing this, not only has he been able to purchase very nice, high-end shoes, but has also probably been able to save tens of thousands of dollars, which I am sure has helped him buy more clothing! :-)

What's most amazing about this, is the eclectic array of shoes that my reader now owns. I mean, it ranges from those Florsheim looking cream slip-ons (which for me don't match the vibe of the others) to the most amazing suede Lobbs. But that's what happens when you have the ability to get a shoe for $20-$30. At that price, you just might buy anything. It's like when I used to work in retail, made loads of money for a 22 year-old, and had a discount. I frickin' bought everything, even things that I hated after one wear. It was stupid....but that's what happens when things are too cheap to pass up, which is why eBay is brilliant. Someone literally came up with the idea to have people pretty much swap crap that they don't want and then the company makes loads of money from fee's. Simply amazing! And while it sounds like the owners of eBay are having all of the fun, its actually people like my reader who (if they are diligent enough) are able to profit off of this concept and build a wardrobe (or whatever product they are after) on basement bargains!

Some of the shoes that he has gotten are simply beautiful. The suede Lobbs (above) are most likely my favorite, just because I love the uniqueness of the design, so French, yet so elegant! Next up, must be the Berluti wholecuts in a pebble grain. It's funny because I have never seen that before, nor have I even thought of it, but to me, it looks brilliant. It's the only way to tone down the dressiness of the whole cut, and make it a bit more casual. Great idea! And last, but certainly not least, are those yellowish/tan Bontoni wholecuts with brogueing. Those are simply beautiful! And for those 3 shoes, that probably retail upwards of about $4000, it would not surprise me if he got them for about 1/4 of that price. How can you beat that? You can't really and that's why the eBay experience is so genius. I tip my hat to the owners and to those (such as this reader who owns all of these amazing shoes) whom have actually been patient enough to take advantage of the sheer brilliance in trading crap for bottom dollar prices!

The Only Dress Shoe Ever Really Needed - The Black Wholecut

Gaziano & Girling Deco Range: Cooper

This title might sound like shoe lover blasphemy, and believe me I can't say that I would ever think of just having one, but.....if life presented itself with this situation, it's best to be equipped with what is going to get you through it all. What made me think of this was a discussion that was occurring on Style Forum (a while back) in regards to one's absolute shoe essentials. One gentleman stated that instead of having multiple essentials, he would have preferred to have just one shoe that could get him through each and every situation. Now, he did not mention the black wholecut, and this is where him and I will differ but I got to thinking about people out there who may only be able to afford getting just one or simply can't justify having multiple options. That being, thinking about society, 'the rules' and 'norms', and all of the different possible outfits one would need in life, I decided to create my own little idea of what would be the best option out there for all around purposes. And because I once learned in philosophy class at Uni that every statement needs to be argued against and then re-argued for, I will list my don'ts and do's below.

Berluti

What Not To Wear Black Wholecuts With

In all of the shoe-dom, there is not one shoe style that goes with everything, not even the versatile brown full brogue (can't pair it with black!). And while you might think that a black shoe can go with most things...let me tell you that the wholecut is just not any 'ol black shoe. It's in another category due to it's cleanliness look from being virtually stitch free. That being, there are some types of trousers that just won't measure up to the aesthetic of the black wholecut. For example, jeans being one of them. While I am a total jean guy and do like to wear my leather soled shoes with jeans, I don't think that I would ever pair a black wholecut with them. It's just too contrasting: a mega-dress shoe with real casual trousers (jeans). It just doesn't work. Same thing with khakis, they are simply too casual for the likes of the black wholecut. It would not look right, as neither would anything green or brown. Now you might feel that there are many things limiting here....but in reality, how often do you wear green or brown trousers? Khakis and jeans are much more common, but are also much more casual and hence the title being about a dress shoe, I feel that this is not so bad!

Koji Suzuki

What To Wear Black Wholecuts With

Now this list is going to be much more extensive, not so much in option of clothing, but in colors that the average person uses. Think about what we wear most: grays and blues (mostly navy), particularly in our suiting. While I used to not be an advocate of pairing navy with black, the more I find myself here in England, the more I find it acceptable. While it still would not ever be my preferred pairing, it does look good when needing to be elegantly conservative. That being, you satisfy most of your professional wardrobe, not to mention anything that is formal. In reality, you don't need a patent shoe, but just need to put a real nice shine on a black wholecut and instead of being like everyone else at the black tie event, you will be the one with a brilliant shine and a much more elegant shoe (in my opinion). As for other occasions, what do you wear when going to an interview? What do you wear when going to a nice dinner? You wear black shoes. And the wholecut, being the most elegant of all, will neither look too formal nor too shabby. It will be the safe choice. Obviously, these are not end-all-be-all rules, but when talking about the one shoe that will safely get you by in every occasion, you can't go wrong with the black dress shoe, and even more so, than the minimalistic wholecut. So, if you are a young chap looking for your first dress shoe, look no further than a lovely black wholecut!

Gaziano & Girling bespoke model

Today's Favorites: Customer's Berluti Shoes

I never seem to tire of old Berluti shoes. Every time I have to shine them, even though they are not my favorite shoe, I seem to enjoy them more than anything else. Partly because the leather shines so easily and therefore makes my job a lot more pleasurable, but mainly because of the fact that even when they come to me all beat up and knackered beyond belief, after a bit of polish and elbow grease, they become like pieces of antiquity art. And while I am sure they look stunning when a customer just purchases them, I can't help but feel that their true beauty lies within a few years of them aging. The patina seems to become much more intricate and can even be intensified or taken down a notch with a bit of polish. Being the glutton that I am for unique coloring, I always do my best to bring out the undertones in the leather......which only makes beautiful shoes like this, look even better!

Shoes Of The Week - Berluti's Blue Beauties

I have always had this love/hate relationship with Berluti. I have always loved them for their stylistic nature. I must say that the designers, for me, have always hit the nail on the head and made some of the most elegant shoes that I have ever seen. I have always hated them for their price vs. cost vs. quality factor and how I believe that their mark up is way beyond reason, which will also mean that I will most likely never be able to afford one, or at least won't need (nor want) to get one when I can afford it. But I simply cannot deny their beauty and must admire them for their boldness in coming out with pieces that are unique, colorful and at the same time maintain a manner of elegance.

So when a client came to me with a pair of these to shine, I immediately fell in love with them. I mean, they already had a couple notches in my book, simply for the fact that they were blue (being my favorite color and all) but also due to their uniquely intriguing design. Essentially, it's a whole cut loafer. But they managed to sew on the penny strap (directly on top) and weave through the leather to make the apron as a boat shoe would with it's side laces. While I am sure that this is not the only shoe to have had this done, I can say that I have not seen it before, or at least did not take notice if I did. Nevertheless, among the sea of black shoes that I regularly get, I always love something like this that takes the monotony out of the job....

Aged Burgundy Berluti's

I don't think that any color of shoe ages more beautifully than that of burgundy/oxblood/cordovan. The natural patina that a burgundy shoe creates over the years, due to wear & tear, the sunlight, dirt, practically everything really, brings out the most unique coloring effects on the leather. So when a customer brought me these lovely Berluti wholecuts, that looked about 10-15 years old, I knew that I was going to have to share them with all of you, just to show you what the industry is missing: More Burgundy Wholecuts!! Even with all of the creases in the leather, this might have been one of the most beautiful shoes that I have ever seen. Granted, they were Berlutis, so there must have been a patina applied when they were first made, but I could tell that what had remained after all these years, was built out of natural aging. With the pictures, I have put how they looked in the beginning (which was not bad to begin with) and then added the pics of how they looked after I shined them. As always, you will see that in some they look way lighter and in others they were quite reddish/burgundy, when in fact, the most accurate of them all is the very top picture.