This post couldn't have been more timely, as I'm considering purchasing some preowned always-impossible-to-find Ravellos. The "ick" factor has thus far prevented me from buying used shoes, but you've given me some food for thought (and additional sites to visit). Thank you!
Living 6 hours away from a real shoe store has gotten me into trying the pre-owned market for some of the reasons listed in your video. Whether it's a new style or a new maker getting hands on experience is invaluable. I've developed a habit of trying a pre-owned style/maker then buying the same shoe new. Reselling the pre-owned shoe and taking a 10%-20% hit is better than buyer's remorse on a $1200 shoe. It would be nice to see and example of your process from browsing to shining a pre-owned purchase in a future video.
I had some great scores over time, viberg 2020 bastion oxford, red wing work oxford that is actually a derby and merchant. Sometimes is useful and safer to get pair used so you can see signs of creasing or rolling of the leather
Hi - thanks for this video! So I bought a pair of pre owned Alden color 8 wingtips. They fit well. The leather upper is in good but not great shape - has some dents. Anyway I can help smooth out the upper leather? I already sent them to Alden for refurbishment. The uppers still need some work - shoe would look beautiful if leather could be smoothed out further . Any suggestions?
Picked up my first pair of loafer as a pair of Alden off ebay for just under $200 including shipping. I did get them re-soled after a year and did have to put in some time to get the in sole to re-mold to my foot. Worth it though! Plenty of years of life left. Even though it was a positive experience, I think I’ll just wait and save for new shoes in the future unless I come across a deal I can’t refuse.
Yeah I mainly consider “preowned” but not worn as strong candidates. Anything with substantial wear will be even a better deal but have further trade offs to be dealt with
@@Shellvedge yeah, and I’m not as into the super high end dress shoes. So, saving up for a pair of Alden’s or Oakstreet Boot makers is more do-able than C&J etc. great video though! Happy holidays to you and yours!
In September purchased a pair or Church's black captoe oxfords, Tods brown Oxfords & a pair of CJ Conistons. Total cost £39. Sold all 3 for a profit of £350 within 2-months then brought a preowned pair of gently worn CJ Islay boots for "free". In the past, I have purchased new, but never again. Loss too much on Acme shoes that have little or no value retention in the UK until you are prepared to deeply discount. If you are on a tight budget go preowned. You cant catch leprosy and all the break in has been done for you.
Yeah there are 2 completely mindsets here though, as a buyer wanting the best possible deal but then a seller not wanting to deeply discount. The reason preowned is valuable is because it’s like a new car, no one wants to pay over 50% when buying second hand. On the flip side, when buying acme, or any shoe of that caliber there should rarely be a case when you’d need to sell. And if you do, you’re going to take a bath on any shoe at that price considering most who spend upwards of $2k, aren’t spending $2k on eBay.
@@Shellvedge The mindset evolved rather than running parallel. For me it boils down to managing risk when paying full whack. Thankfully, I have the availability to action my intention.
I'm an avid buyer of pre-owned but I'd say it has to be on a pair you've tried before so you are certain of the size and you have to draw the line on the amount of use. Some people ask ridiculous things things based on the dire conditions but every now and then you find a pearl. I got 2 carmina cordovan pairs and a C&J handgrade that i love and I was able to bring them back to life with little effort (and they were in great condition)
I’d think quite the opposite. If you’ve never tried it on and can’t try it on, finding a clean preowned at half the price of a new shoe that is out of try on distance, the preowned route offers plenty of benefits to minimizing the $$$ at risk.
I think buying preowned is great if the shoe is discontinued. Although, I'm not crazy about wearing shoes that someone else has already worn. There are definitely some great deals out there and you just need to consider budget/wear. I recently purchased some vintage 90s Florsheim Imperial Longwings in cordovan #8 and I love them.
Very nice! Yeah there’s definitely aspects of it that you have to trade off for the discounted price but in some circumstances it makes a lot of sense!
Best experiences: Carmina Color #8 Shell Cordovan Bluchers for 150€. The sole didn’t have a lot of life left unfortunately. Ludwig Reiter Suede Loafers for 100€. Fit me very well. Drakes Suede Chukka 100€, good fit Astorflex Chelsea 100€, fits very well Alden Color #8 Loafers for 70€. I restored the shine and resolved them because the instep was too high. I got Grant Stone boots for 180€. They are too wide for me I think. I can wear them but I will probably try to resell them. I might lose some money there.
I purchased 3 great pairs of shoes, 2 on Ebay and one on Poshmark, Allen Edmonds MacNeils in Black Shell Cordovan NOS $250, Allen Edmonds MacNeils in Shell Cordovan Color 8 for $285. and a New pair of Alden Dover PTB in Navy Suede for $289.
Oh wow, yeah Poshmark, Mercari, and some of those types of sites I’ve had a few bad experiences buying or selling on. So I have just stopped using them. But great to hear!
Preowned shoes are fine... but there are a couple of things to remember: 1) ALWAYS disinfect the shoe first. You don't want to be catching some nasty and hard-to-kill toe fungus because for forgot to sanitize the inside of the shoe before wearing and 2) the wear pattern of the outsole will be adapted to the other person's unique stride and weight distribution, so if the sole has any wear on it, it may be worth replacing immediately even if it's still in relatively good condition. Just some things to consider. Otherwise, I think buying used is a great option and good for the environment to boot. Yeah, yeah. I know. I deserve the boot for that terrible pun and this one as well, lol.
THANK YOU for point #1. I can't stand these youtube boot/shoe reviewers who are like "even though these aren't my size, I like them and think they have a lot of value." Like... wtf? Buy shoes that fit
@@Shellvedge I blame brick and mortar salesmen. Those guys always fit people into terrible shoes and insist they'll "stretch." So many guys like me grew up with this idea that dress shoes are supposed to hurt
I like to break in my shoes MYSELF. After a year of wear they feel like socks because the insoles and the uppers are perfectly matching MY feet. There is something very special about a shoe like that - nothing compares to that feeling of a broken in shoe like that. If I can not afford a G&G, I won't cry and buy a Carmina, YEARN, TLB, JF, Meermin, Briddlen, CNES, BLKBRD,.... But to wear an already broken in shoe is not for me. I rather have a new pair of a more affordable price than a used high end shoe. You can even get an gorgeous Antonio Meccariello shoe from their Argentum series for around 450 to 600 Euros. So why would I pay 750 for an already broken in pair? It simply never made sense to me. 👞👞👞👞👞👞
Yeah I think those are fair points. At risk of stating that obvious, not all preowned shoes are used. In that case, you still get everything you’ve just described as why you prefer new, yet at a fraction of a price more often than not. For Meccariello, I believe that’s his Roma collection. All argentum is Handwelted and starts a little higher than that.
Yeah I think those are fair points. At risk of stating that obvious, not all preowned shoes are used. In that case, you still get everything you’ve just described as why you prefer new, yet at a fraction of a price more often than not. For Meccariello, I believe that’s his Roma collection. All argentum is Handwelted and starts a little higher than that.
I've been getting a lot more than 50% off for great shoes but not for the most obvious ones like G&G. Such brands are overpriced on the used market, imo.
Yeah it’s a tough generalization to make. In my experience, brands like GG, EG, CJ, you can definitely find great deals are unworn pairs or barely worn pairs via eBay because there are so many of them out there. I’m sure there is a large portion of those sellers asking too much for the pairs but who am I to judge?
I started buying preowned shoes this year. It's a no brainer especially if you're on a tight budget. Some great tips here :)
Great to hear! Yeah it can be a welcomed alternative
This post couldn't have been more timely, as I'm considering purchasing some preowned always-impossible-to-find Ravellos. The "ick" factor has thus far prevented me from buying used shoes, but you've given me some food for thought (and additional sites to visit). Thank you!
Fantastic! Yeah honestly you can sanitize them if they’re worn heavily but I’ve never really gone that far. A few wears isn’t much to clean up and out
Living 6 hours away from a real shoe store has gotten me into trying the pre-owned market for some of the reasons listed in your video. Whether it's a new style or a new maker getting hands on experience is invaluable. I've developed a habit of trying a pre-owned style/maker then buying the same shoe new. Reselling the pre-owned shoe and taking a 10%-20% hit is better than buyer's remorse on a $1200 shoe. It would be nice to see and example of your process from browsing to shining a pre-owned purchase in a future video.
Yeah that’s definitely a better approach than taking a risk on a very expensive shoe for the first time!
I had some great scores over time, viberg 2020 bastion oxford, red wing work oxford that is actually a derby and merchant. Sometimes is useful and safer to get pair used so you can see signs of creasing or rolling of the leather
Hi - thanks for this video! So I bought a pair of pre owned Alden color 8 wingtips. They fit well. The leather upper is in good but not great shape - has some dents. Anyway I can help smooth out the upper leather? I already sent them to Alden for refurbishment. The uppers still need some work - shoe would look beautiful if leather could be smoothed out further . Any suggestions?
Here check this one out ! th-cam.com/video/vvrdLkEtstU/w-d-xo.htmlsi=tomslPh3oKkQecGy
Picked up my first pair of loafer as a pair of Alden off ebay for just under $200 including shipping. I did get them re-soled after a year and did have to put in some time to get the in sole to re-mold to my foot. Worth it though! Plenty of years of life left. Even though it was a positive experience, I think I’ll just wait and save for new shoes in the future unless I come across a deal I can’t refuse.
Yeah I mainly consider “preowned” but not worn as strong candidates. Anything with substantial wear will be even a better deal but have further trade offs to be dealt with
@@Shellvedge yeah, and I’m not as into the super high end dress shoes. So, saving up for a pair of Alden’s or Oakstreet Boot makers is more do-able than C&J etc. great video though! Happy holidays to you and yours!
What is that brown split toe derby shown in the video?
Curious if you have any cleaning process for the inside of the shoes?
Rubbing alcohol or acetone and a thick cloth
In September purchased a pair or Church's black captoe oxfords, Tods brown Oxfords & a pair of CJ Conistons. Total cost £39. Sold all 3 for a profit of £350 within 2-months then brought a preowned pair of gently worn CJ Islay boots for "free". In the past, I have purchased new, but never again. Loss too much on Acme shoes that have little or no value retention in the UK until you are prepared to deeply discount. If you are on a tight budget go preowned. You cant catch leprosy and all the break in has been done for you.
Yeah there are 2 completely mindsets here though, as a buyer wanting the best possible deal but then a seller not wanting to deeply discount. The reason preowned is valuable is because it’s like a new car, no one wants to pay over 50% when buying second hand.
On the flip side, when buying acme, or any shoe of that caliber there should rarely be a case when you’d need to sell. And if you do, you’re going to take a bath on any shoe at that price considering most who spend upwards of $2k, aren’t spending $2k on eBay.
@@Shellvedge The mindset evolved rather than running parallel. For me it boils down to managing risk when paying full whack. Thankfully, I have the availability to action my intention.
I'm an avid buyer of pre-owned but I'd say it has to be on a pair you've tried before so you are certain of the size and you have to draw the line on the amount of use. Some people ask ridiculous things things based on the dire conditions but every now and then you find a pearl. I got 2 carmina cordovan pairs and a C&J handgrade that i love and I was able to bring them back to life with little effort (and they were in great condition)
I’d think quite the opposite. If you’ve never tried it on and can’t try it on, finding a clean preowned at half the price of a new shoe that is out of try on distance, the preowned route offers plenty of benefits to minimizing the $$$ at risk.
This week I bought a pair of cordovan carmina shoes for €250, one good shine and good as new.
That’s a great deal!
I think buying preowned is great if the shoe is discontinued. Although, I'm not crazy about wearing shoes that someone else has already worn. There are definitely some great deals out there and you just need to consider budget/wear. I recently purchased some vintage 90s Florsheim Imperial Longwings in cordovan #8 and I love them.
Very nice! Yeah there’s definitely aspects of it that you have to trade off for the discounted price but in some circumstances it makes a lot of sense!
Best experiences:
Carmina Color #8 Shell Cordovan Bluchers for 150€.
The sole didn’t have a lot of life left unfortunately.
Ludwig Reiter Suede Loafers for 100€. Fit me very well.
Drakes Suede Chukka 100€, good fit
Astorflex Chelsea 100€, fits very well
Alden Color #8 Loafers for 70€. I restored the shine and resolved them because the instep was too high.
I got Grant Stone boots for 180€. They are too wide for me I think. I can wear them but I will probably try to resell them. I might lose some money there.
I purchased 3 great pairs of shoes, 2 on Ebay and one on Poshmark, Allen Edmonds MacNeils in Black Shell Cordovan NOS $250, Allen Edmonds MacNeils in Shell Cordovan Color 8 for $285. and a New pair of Alden Dover PTB in Navy Suede for $289.
Oh wow, yeah Poshmark, Mercari, and some of those types of sites I’ve had a few bad experiences buying or selling on. So I have just stopped using them. But great to hear!
Preowned shoes are fine... but there are a couple of things to remember: 1) ALWAYS disinfect the shoe first. You don't want to be catching some nasty and hard-to-kill toe fungus because for forgot to sanitize the inside of the shoe before wearing and 2) the wear pattern of the outsole will be adapted to the other person's unique stride and weight distribution, so if the sole has any wear on it, it may be worth replacing immediately even if it's still in relatively good condition. Just some things to consider. Otherwise, I think buying used is a great option and good for the environment to boot. Yeah, yeah. I know. I deserve the boot for that terrible pun and this one as well, lol.
THANK YOU for point #1. I can't stand these youtube boot/shoe reviewers who are like "even though these aren't my size, I like them and think they have a lot of value." Like... wtf? Buy shoes that fit
Yeah shoes that don’t fit are the downfall of traditional footwear. It undermines everything that’s great about good shoes.
@@Shellvedge I blame brick and mortar salesmen. Those guys always fit people into terrible shoes and insist they'll "stretch." So many guys like me grew up with this idea that dress shoes are supposed to hurt
@@GatorAidMedical yeah there are many reasons but that’s an all too prevalent one!
I like to break in my shoes MYSELF. After a year of wear they feel like socks because the insoles and the uppers are perfectly matching MY feet.
There is something very special about a shoe like that - nothing compares to that feeling of a broken in shoe like that.
If I can not afford a G&G, I won't cry and buy a Carmina, YEARN, TLB, JF, Meermin, Briddlen, CNES, BLKBRD,.... But to wear an already broken in shoe is not for me. I rather have a new pair of a more affordable price than a used high end shoe. You can even get an gorgeous Antonio Meccariello shoe from their Argentum series for around 450 to 600 Euros. So why would I pay 750 for an already broken in pair? It simply never made sense to me. 👞👞👞👞👞👞
Yeah I think those are fair points. At risk of stating that obvious, not all preowned shoes are used. In that case, you still get everything you’ve just described as why you prefer new, yet at a fraction of a price more often than not.
For Meccariello, I believe that’s his Roma collection. All argentum is Handwelted and starts a little higher than that.
Yeah I think those are fair points. At risk of stating that obvious, not all preowned shoes are used. In that case, you still get everything you’ve just described as why you prefer new, yet at a fraction of a price more often than not.
For Meccariello, I believe that’s his Roma collection. All argentum is Handwelted and starts a little higher than that.
I've been getting a lot more than 50% off for great shoes but not for the most obvious ones like G&G. Such brands are overpriced on the used market, imo.
Yeah it’s a tough generalization to make. In my experience, brands like GG, EG, CJ, you can definitely find great deals are unworn pairs or barely worn pairs via eBay because there are so many of them out there. I’m sure there is a large portion of those sellers asking too much for the pairs but who am I to judge?