www.realmenrealstyle.com/quality-dress-shoe-guide/ - Click here to read the article - How To Spot Quality Dress Shoes www.realmenrealstyle.com/dress-shoe-anatomy-infographic/ - Click here to view the infographic - Dress Shoe Construction
My must expensive now, long time didn't invest on shoes: a 90$ shoes gift from my brother.. Poor me, living in China is so expensive and I'm building my future here..
You're missing one of the largest disadvantages of the Blake Stitch. You're literally sewing straight onto the upper every time you resole. This damages the leather, creates additional holes and after 1 or 2 resoles, a pair of blake stitch shoes are going to start falling apart when the stitches stop holding. Blake stitch, is a cheaper, quicker way of putting shoes together, its not more "modern", and its definitely not as high quality. Its a cheaper simpler way of making shoes at a lower cost point, and is useful for lightweight shoes that need to work in hot climates. Apart from this application (e.g. loafers and hot weather shoes), there's literally no advantage to a blake stitch over a welted shoe. Also a welted shoe doesn't NEED to have a thicker sole, or visible stitching my Gaziano & Girlings show barely any visible stitching of any kind.
Though it is true that the resolability of a blake stitch shoe is *likely* shorter than that of a goodyear welt for lacking a welt. You are being disingenuous when you assert that there is no aesthetic advantage. Though you can buy thousand dollar Gaziano and Girlings ....that have a very tight goodyear welt and relatively thin profile you are paying for that with a price that's 5 times a shoe that would have the exact same leather quality (full grain calf skin is the pinnacle here) for just barely the same or better (it's physics less material in the construction means thinner profile potential) aesthetics. Also because there is less material in the bulk of the soul of a blake stitched shoe they tend to be more flexible right out the box and lighter in weight, needing much less break in time. For some people these are must have attributes in a shoe. This is one reason for example why though I think the uppers are great on some Allen Edmonds I think that the aesthetics of the good year welted sole is just not at all to my taste on that and many other brands.... too thick compared to the generally svelte profile of a blake stitched shoe. That said, I would like to see an experiment where a good year welt and a blake stitch shoe are subjected to a continuous set of re-soles just to see if or when one or the other weakens in the sole stitching over time as you surmised. Additionally, if you are concerned about re-solability of a single pair of shoes in my view you don't have enough shoes. You should have in my view at least 4 pair of shoes that you rotate through wearing and maintaining. Doing this reduces the total number of wears per month or year and extends the life of each shoe dramatically. Assuming you don't wear dress shoes every day , at 4 pair you are sure to have each shoe run for at least a decade before needing a resole (longer if you put in sole protectors before wearing)...be it blake or goodyear stitched If you wear them more often you can simply buy more...and thus automatically wear each less and thus extend the life further and so making moot further your subjective arguments..
@@DavidSaintloth thank you for responding on behalf of Blake stitched shoes. I was wondering why the original commenter was so condescending towards Blake stitched shoes... then I saw his insert about his likely $1,000+ gaziano and girling shoes. Obviously you are going to get higher quality shoes when you pay 5x as much like you mentioned, but again that is mostly marginal as you can get very nice quality Blake stitched shoes for under or around $200 now (Beckett Simonon). I also like that you mentioned taking care of your shoes can help them last up to a decade before needing a resole, so even if Blake stitched shoes can only be resolved 1-2 times (even though good quality Blake stitched shoes can be resoled 3-4 times) you are still looking at 20-30 years out of the shoe. I don’t think anyone who paid $200-300 for a pair of shoes is going to be all that upset when they have to stop wearing them in 30 years.
This is easily the best video you have made to date. I spend a lot of time thrifting dress shoes from Nordstrom rack or similar stores as I have been able to find tons of steals and I have always been able to feel and tell the difference in leather. It's amazing to feel the difference between good and bad leather once you know what you're doing. The fake stuff almost feels laughable by comparison. Knowing a little more about stitching has been extremely helpful and will uses these tips in my hunt as this was an aspect I was always a little unsure of. I will definitely have to keep an eye out for the Blake stitch.
Excellent explaination. I do have 25 year old shoes. Yes there is a break in period with blisters, but that’s only a month. My grandfather worked in the shoe industry had his own tree and bespoke a pair for me when I was still living at home.
Having watched the video. I realised that subconsciously I consider these when I go shopping and when I did this check on the stuff I already own, I found that most of them are indeed good quality. Great vid Antonio!
I subscribed to you a few months ago. I am recently retired from the military and I am to transitioning into civilian jobs. I am working hard to learn the best way to present myself to employers and other professionals (I am also trying to keep my wife impressed with my appearance). I appreciate your help in this area. I often give younger men advice on how to be of a respectable and responsible adult. You are giving me information to pass on to them. Thank you for your time and effort.
mida42 these are the type of comments that should be made... not some random trolls by people all over TH-cam. Good to know you are still learning Sir. Have a good day
Thank you Antonio. I've learned a lot this video. One of the major things I took out of this is I personally don't need a goodyear welted sole, but a blake. The pros and cons of them both really helped in that realization and I got to thank you because I have been having a hard time accepting and/or justifying spending so much money. I always want to buy the best possible and for me, it's awesome to know I don't need the "best". Love the content, love the advise, very grateful.
Great topic and as always well done video. My wife has noticed the quality of my clothes I'm purchasing and so have other woman. The style has refined my look. Thank you!
Hi Antonio, I've been subscribed to your chanel for more then 2 years and watched almost all of your videos. I really like how you manage to explain everything in a simple and understandable way yet so detailed and professional. I've learnt a lot from your videos and I can tell you, my freinds, coworkers and my family members now ask me for advice about fashion, what to wear with what, what not to wear, etc. In the last year I've come in contact with people who are experts when it comes to suits and shoes and they were pretty surprised about the level of my fashion knowledge which made me extremely proud. Once again, thank you very much, good Sir. p.s. Since I live in Serbia and can't always afford expensive stuff (I consider 300$ for a pair of shoes a lot), I try my best in finding clothes that match your advice with the price I can pay.
Great information Antonio. I have always preferred the Blake Stitch for a more stylish look and comfort. The Goodyear Welt does give a bit more weight and size to the shoe which I personally do not prefer. I never knew what the construction names were and how it was built until now. Thanks for sharing!
Awesome video! I am a complete novice when it comes to the different types of shoes and their construction and this video made the subject a little less murky. Thanks!
People generally think Italian shoes are the highest quality, they are very well made, however I will have to say the British make some of the finest real leather shoes that last generations as well.
Main reason why you hear Italian shoes more often is the price. British shoes tend to run more costly than Italian, but the Anglo-Saxon/British shoes are lovely. I practically drooled over a pair of Crockett and Jones's recently. My bad the Cheaney's were the much cheaper pair of British shoes that I liked as well :D.
I have a pair of brogues my grandfather bought and wore in 1957. I wear them multiple times a week, and have resoled them since receiving them. Definitely quality! Very few scuffs and scratches in the leather too.
I like this a lot. I tend to buy allen edmonds because I live in wisconsin and visit their stores. This was very helpful in understanding shoes. In the past I would go through 3 pairs of dress shoes a year, which was getting very expensive. They were cemented, and the bottoms would come off. With my allen edmonds (and I am assuming all well made shoes), it is have been a while, and they still look like new. There was more upfront cost, but in the long run I will be saving money
Allen Edmonds make good stuff! The one store of their's I have been in was great too. Really knowledgeable sales people, which is super refreshing change from the typical shoe store where the employees know nothing at all about what they are selling.
Just bought $500 aud made in England doc martens on sale for $300 AUD. $500 is worth it cause these will last me at least five years and ten+ with care. But $300 is a steal! How can you turn that down
Great video, although a bit commercially flavoured. Loved the explanations, keep up the good work! Also, your speaking is very understandable and the explanations given are clear to understand!
Antonio! Thanks for this post! I'm not sure if you had planned this before or if it's something you thought about recently. I previously suggested you teach your audience about this. Thanks for making the video.
This is my first time watching this video. I just bought some brown lace up boots finally from Thursday Boot company today as well. I have to learn some of these terms more and guess what, I spent about $200 for a Goodyear welt! Praise the Lord!
When I was a cadet in my country's Naval Academy, we used Blake stitch shoes for everyday wear. A common problem was that after a few months (2 or 3) we had stepped so much over the thread that it wore out, leaving the sole hanging when we lifted the affected shoe. It was such a common problem that we even had a cobbling shop available to repair the shoes whenever that happened. I think it's a problem that could happen to anyone who uses the same Blake stitch shoes every day because it's part of their uniform or because it's a pair they love, so I would advice you to constantly check any shoes built that way, in order to have them repaired when the thread is beggining to wear, since it would be very uncomfortable to have that happen on an important date.
I like the blake stitch as they are cost efficient but still maintain comfort, You just have to be a little wary of snow as this could lead to some leakage. Very informational video it was very entertaining Antonio!
I had glued/cemented dress shoes. They were good-looking, very confortable in the beginning and very water-resistant. I loved them and planned to keep them a long time. But their soles quickly wore down and : no way to repair them ! Cost per wear was actually terrible ! So now it's Goodyear-welted shoes, always. I could consider Blake-stitched summer shoes, even though they won't survive many resoles.
great lnfo cement better for my broken back i thought a shoe was just a shoe now i know better and why i lean towards liking shoes with that construction
Antonio, Another good video. Have been absorbing your content to plan my new style. Two questions related to this video: 1. Can you comment on buying shoes online vs. in a store? I'm reluctant to buy online because I want to try the shoes on my feet before I buy them. Particularly if I'm going to spend $250+ dollars. As you state, shoes from different manufacturer's feel different. 2. Please comment on buying more expensive/well-built shoes for longevity vs. wear-n-tear on uppers. While I take good care of my shoes, I find the uppers get scuffed up enough over time they don't look as sharp and polishing doesn't clean them up. Could that be just the leather quality?
Hey, Antonio! Great video! I loved it! Please, make more of this types of videos to teach us how to discern quality items from the rest. Also, your book "Dress like a Man" is awesome! I learned a lot from it! Thank you for the great work!
AWESOME AWESOME AND AWESOME. Would be great if you have a video showing us how to identify some aspects of a well made pair of shoes, including craftsmanship and material
I had a couple shoe care questions, 1. if your leather outdoors get wet from rain, let's say, and they dry it is that detrimental to the upkeep? if it only gets wet once a week or so, if that, is that ok? how can you care for the shoe before the drying process occurs? 2. with the new Ace Marks shoes, they have the option of having a blue outsole, is this "cool" I couldn't find anything online in terms of style factor. thanks!
Thanks, Antonio, this helped a lot. However, I had already watched one of your dress shoe videos that touched on this subject a while back. With that knowledge, I bought a good year welt from Ted Baker for a low cost. Because of that video, I knew what to look for, so cheers.
Hi Antonio. I live in a country where it rains quite a bit and often. Could you please give some pointers on how to take care of a good dress shoe, before, during and after such conditions. Thank you.
Real Men Real Style omg thanku Antonio for ur rply..this is my second ever comment on a youtube video..and i got a rply from u ! amazing.. i watch all ur videos regularly, will b commenting regularly on ur videos from now on
About the Blake stitch I would mention that it can be resolved to a certain point, the stitching is blind and done with a machine so everytime is re-soled new holes are added to the upper, eventually cutting the upper itself
I do a lot of shopping at thrift stores. Could you make a video showing us how to discern each type of shoe construction just by looking at the shoe? I know there are a lot of cemented shoes that put fake stitches to make them look like they are Blake Stitched. I have no idea how to tell them apart. Thanks!!
Thanks for the recommendation! My advice is to have your phone handy and search for the brand and model of the shoe if there's any information that would be available from the web before purchasing it. Like you mentioned, it can be faked so don't trust your eyes so easily :)
Curt Alford Although this may not be 100% accurate, check if there are stitchings on the bottom and along where the upper and the sole meets. If stitchings can only be found on the bottom the shoe is either cemented or Blake stitched. If there are stitchings both on the bottom and along where the upper and the sole meets, check if the SPI(stitches per inch) matches that on the bottom of the sole. Basically, u want to make sure that the density of stitches u have along where the upper and the sole meets are the same. In that case the shoe is more likely to be Goodyear welted.
Yep basically this. 1) are there stitches on the sole 2) are those stitches real (look on top and see if theres top stitching, and if it matches the same number of stitches per inch/cm as the bottom) if the stitch size doesn't match, it'll be fake and most likely a cemented shoe. 3) if stitching only runs part of the way along the sole (e.g. doesn't run under the heel), then its not goodyear welted.
The heel that you pointed to is called the counter and the part of the shoe that is between the toe cap and the vamp is called the foxing I think . Keep up the good work .
Good video Well here in Chile is hard to find high quality shoes Florsheim and Aldo seem like good choices In the oxford they have a sleek design and good quality I keep a shoetree in each one and regularly use conditioners
Very informative. I find myself buying shoes for my nephews and this video really helps. I didn't check out yet that AceMarks website but hopefully I will find what I need. The problem buying shoes is that our family falls on shoe size that are small. I'm an adult but I fit size 5 to 5.5. I even can fit size 4 on boys sneakers. My nephew is size 7.5 (but not on men's size). I tend to find it in boy's size. It's frustrating because it's hard finding him a good shoe on the men's category. I have to do some conversion each time I buy his shoe.
Hey Antonio I believe that moulded shoes has all the advantages such as flexible, waterproof and durable. but cannot be resoled. shoes such as ecco and timberland. I believe its worth mentioning the moulded construction too. :-) Overall a great video. Blake stitching was new for me. So thank you.
All of this is new and I've learned. Still wondering if it's possible to get a dress shoe to feel and perform like a sports shoe given the different construction, appearance and materials? - money no object.
great video, i like buying good looking leather shoes but i've always had a hard time discerting the qualty between the good ones abd the bad ones and price is not always an indication
Hi Antonio great video but I found some Goodyear welted shoes from Samuel Windsor at a very affordable price I have ordered both the classic Oxford and penny loafer
They are fantasic quality but they do scuff pretty easily but apart from that they are great and they come very shiny so there is no need to polish them i just waxed them for protection howevr the shoes could be considered bulky but I personally like the solid buit
I would love to see a video of your wardrobe and see how you arrange it and what kind of clothes you have there. You also had a video where you said quality over quantity, I would therefore love to see what kind of quality you talk about. Also what do you think is the right thing to do when you are gifted for example a t-shirt that does not fit properly and you don't use it. Love ur vidoes, really inspiring.
Shoes that have stitching on the sole but not the well, is that to look expensive or most likely Blake stitching that you described?? Thank you for the clarity.
Hey Antonio, awesome video... one quick question, which would be your top 10 formal shoe brands? I'm trying to find the perfect brand for me but I only know a couple and who better to help out than the man himself!
Thank you for sharing more awesome content! I'm informed about Dress Shoe Construction/Build from reading your articles specifically the "Differences Between $40 And $400 Dress Shoes | Cheap Vs Quality | Buying Leather Footwear". Moreover could you have information on "how to spot/determine these qualities on finished shoes/products being offered in the market when information on how the shoes were built, leather used and stitches etc are absent" Big fan from the Philippines, Cheers!
Great video and very informative as always, Antonio. Thank you so much. I liked the dark blue w/black shoes and the dress boots. How would you suggest to pair those kind of shoes? What kind of pants would be better? On the other part, and speaking of pants, what are the differences between Khakis and Chinos? Not sure if you've covered this question before. Greetings from Mexico!
www.realmenrealstyle.com/quality-dress-shoe-guide/ - Click here to read the article - How To Spot Quality Dress Shoes
www.realmenrealstyle.com/dress-shoe-anatomy-infographic/ - Click here to view the infographic - Dress Shoe Construction
I do! Now that I'm back home I'm trying to get back into research mode......
Hey Antonio, what is the current theme song of your videos called?
Real Men Real Style. I just ordered my first pare of ace marks 😊😊😊
Thanks for enlightening me with knowledge.
My must expensive now, long time didn't invest on shoes: a 90$ shoes gift from my brother..
Poor me, living in China is so expensive and I'm building my future here..
You're missing one of the largest disadvantages of the Blake Stitch. You're literally sewing straight onto the upper every time you resole. This damages the leather, creates additional holes and after 1 or 2 resoles, a pair of blake stitch shoes are going to start falling apart when the stitches stop holding.
Blake stitch, is a cheaper, quicker way of putting shoes together, its not more "modern", and its definitely not as high quality. Its a cheaper simpler way of making shoes at a lower cost point, and is useful for lightweight shoes that need to work in hot climates. Apart from this application (e.g. loafers and hot weather shoes), there's literally no advantage to a blake stitch over a welted shoe.
Also a welted shoe doesn't NEED to have a thicker sole, or visible stitching my Gaziano & Girlings show barely any visible stitching of any kind.
Absolutely right. The style is called closed channel stitching.
Shrink1061 yeah he is just selling us acemarks at this point lost my respect for him
Though it is true that the resolability of a blake stitch shoe is *likely* shorter than that of a goodyear welt for lacking a welt.
You are being disingenuous when you assert that there is no aesthetic advantage. Though you can buy thousand dollar Gaziano and Girlings ....that have a very tight goodyear welt and relatively thin profile you are paying for that with a price that's 5 times a shoe that would have the exact same leather quality (full grain calf skin is the pinnacle here) for just barely the same or better (it's physics less material in the construction means thinner profile potential) aesthetics.
Also because there is less material in the bulk of the soul of a blake stitched shoe they tend to be more flexible right out the box and lighter in weight, needing much less break in time. For some people these are must have attributes in a shoe.
This is one reason for example why though I think the uppers are great on some Allen Edmonds I think that the aesthetics of the good year welted sole is just not at all to my taste on that and many other brands.... too thick compared to the generally svelte profile of a blake stitched shoe.
That said, I would like to see an experiment where a good year welt and a blake stitch shoe are subjected to a continuous set of re-soles just to see if or when one or the other weakens in the sole stitching over time as you surmised.
Additionally, if you are concerned about re-solability of a single pair of shoes in my view you don't have enough shoes. You should have in my view at least 4 pair of shoes that you rotate through wearing and maintaining. Doing this reduces the total number of wears per month or year and extends the life of each shoe dramatically. Assuming you don't wear dress shoes every day , at 4 pair you are sure to have each shoe run for at least a decade before needing a resole (longer if you put in sole protectors before wearing)...be it blake or goodyear stitched If you wear them more often you can simply buy more...and thus automatically wear each less and thus extend the life further and so making moot further your subjective arguments..
@@DavidSaintloth thank you for responding on behalf of Blake stitched shoes. I was wondering why the original commenter was so condescending towards Blake stitched shoes... then I saw his insert about his likely $1,000+ gaziano and girling shoes. Obviously you are going to get higher quality shoes when you pay 5x as much like you mentioned, but again that is mostly marginal as you can get very nice quality Blake stitched shoes for under or around $200 now (Beckett Simonon). I also like that you mentioned taking care of your shoes can help them last up to a decade before needing a resole, so even if Blake stitched shoes can only be resolved 1-2 times (even though good quality Blake stitched shoes can be resoled 3-4 times) you are still looking at 20-30 years out of the shoe. I don’t think anyone who paid $200-300 for a pair of shoes is going to be all that upset when they have to stop wearing them in 30 years.
My point exactly!
how convenient that you preferred the blake stitch out of three when acemarks only uses that method with their shoes
yup nothing more than a biased commercial.
Great video. I'd take a Goodyear welted shoe over a Blake stitch every day of the week and twice on Sunday though.
Thanks for sharing your preference!
Wow can't believe I missed this one. I was the one who suggested this a month and a half ago! Thank you Antonio!
Bought a pair of RM Williams 10 years ago. Still using it today. ;D
Australian made
Australian made
This is easily the best video you have made to date. I spend a lot of time thrifting dress shoes from Nordstrom rack or similar stores as I have been able to find tons of steals and I have always been able to feel and tell the difference in leather. It's amazing to feel the difference between good and bad leather once you know what you're doing. The fake stuff almost feels laughable by comparison. Knowing a little more about stitching has been extremely helpful and will uses these tips in my hunt as this was an aspect I was always a little unsure of. I will definitely have to keep an eye out for the Blake stitch.
I just started the college life and I'm still learning how to dress well , and I must say Antonio your videos helped me a lot so thanks a lot...
Constantine - this should help: www.realmenrealstyle.com/?s=college
having just finished my first degree and getting ready for the work world, i have to say this channel is giving me a head start on how to look A+
Excellent explaination. I do have 25 year old shoes. Yes there is a break in period with blisters, but that’s only a month. My grandfather worked in the shoe industry had his own tree and bespoke a pair for me when I was still living at home.
Having watched the video. I realised that subconsciously I consider these when I go shopping and when I did this check on the stuff I already own, I found that most of them are indeed good quality. Great vid Antonio!
Super!
I subscribed to you a few months ago. I am recently retired from the military and I am to transitioning into civilian jobs. I am working hard to learn the best way to present myself to employers and other professionals (I am also trying to keep my wife impressed with my appearance). I appreciate your help in this area.
I often give younger men advice on how to be of a respectable and responsible adult. You are giving me information to pass on to them. Thank you for your time and effort.
mida42 these are the type of comments that should be made... not some random trolls by people all over TH-cam. Good to know you are still learning Sir. Have a good day
mi
Finally a RMRS video that isn't clickbaity and annoying. oh how I've missed you.
Which videos do you think are clickbaity?
Thank you Antonio. I've learned a lot this video. One of the major things I took out of this is I personally don't need a goodyear welted sole, but a blake. The pros and cons of them both really helped in that realization and I got to thank you because I have been having a hard time accepting and/or justifying spending so much money. I always want to buy the best possible and for me, it's awesome to know I don't need the "best". Love the content, love the advise, very grateful.
Glad you find it useful.
great Antonio following your work for more than 6 months now u help me shape up my life. thanks
Great topic and as always well done video. My wife has noticed the quality of my clothes I'm purchasing and so have other woman. The style has refined my look. Thank you!
Was reading this from Kenya. I have taken a new love for shoes and this was very informative.
Hi Antonio, I've been subscribed to your chanel for more then 2 years and watched almost all of your videos. I really like how you manage to explain everything in a simple and understandable way yet so detailed and professional. I've learnt a lot from your videos and I can tell you, my freinds, coworkers and my family members now ask me for advice about fashion, what to wear with what, what not to wear, etc. In the last year I've come in contact with people who are experts when it comes to suits and shoes and they were pretty surprised about the level of my fashion knowledge which made me extremely proud. Once again, thank you very much, good Sir.
p.s. Since I live in Serbia and can't always afford expensive stuff (I consider 300$ for a pair of shoes a lot), I try my best in finding clothes that match your advice with the price I can pay.
I was following your videos for a year now but this video made me to subscribe. Well explained and thank you.
Great information Antonio. I have always preferred the Blake Stitch for a more stylish look and comfort. The Goodyear Welt does give a bit more weight and size to the shoe which I personally do not prefer. I never knew what the construction names were and how it was built until now. Thanks for sharing!
Awesome video! I am a complete novice when it comes to the different types of shoes and their construction and this video made the subject a little less murky. Thanks!
Thank you!
People generally think Italian shoes are the highest quality, they are very well made, however I will have to say the British make some of the finest real leather shoes that last generations as well.
Main reason why you hear Italian shoes more often is the price. British shoes tend to run more costly than Italian, but the Anglo-Saxon/British shoes are lovely. I practically drooled over a pair of Crockett and Jones's recently. My bad the Cheaney's were the much cheaper pair of British shoes that I liked as well :D.
I LEARNED ALOT. I HAD NO IDEA OF THESE THREE TYPES OF SHOES. THIS VIDEO HAS ALOT OF EDUCATION AND THAT MAKES ME GIVE IT A THUMBS UP.
this is a great piece of work! we need more videos about how to spot quality issues in other items too! awesome stuff!
I know what to ask about when I purchase my next pair of shoes as a result of this video. Thank you, Antonio.
I have a pair of brogues my grandfather bought and wore in 1957. I wear them multiple times a week, and have resoled them since receiving them. Definitely quality! Very few scuffs and scratches in the leather too.
What brand is it?
Real Men Real Style no Idea! any markings on it have been worn off.
Looking to buy quality dress shoes for the first time..incredibly informing..looking for Blake stitch now
Which Is More Popular? A Wing Tip, Or A Cap Toe? Also What Do You Think Of The Danish Ecco Shoes? Please Reply.. Thank You.
I like this a lot. I tend to buy allen edmonds because I live in wisconsin and visit their stores. This was very helpful in understanding shoes. In the past I would go through 3 pairs of dress shoes a year, which was getting very expensive. They were cemented, and the bottoms would come off. With my allen edmonds (and I am assuming all well made shoes), it is have been a while, and they still look like new. There was more upfront cost, but in the long run I will be saving money
Exactly! Invest in quality and it will last longer.
Allen Edmonds make good stuff! The one store of their's I have been in was great too. Really knowledgeable sales people, which is super refreshing change from the typical shoe store where the employees know nothing at all about what they are selling.
The sales person I dealt with had 25 years of experience. She had a lot of good comments about the shoes, and why they should be fitted as they were.
I love Allen Edmonds. Classic and last forever.
Just bought $500 aud made in England doc martens on sale for $300 AUD. $500 is worth it cause these will last me at least five years and ten+ with care. But $300 is a steal! How can you turn that down
the video is very informative .... so if a stiching is visible does it mean it's a goodyear welt
Great video Antonio! Im an Allen Edmonds enthusiast ..thanks for the info
Great video, although a bit commercially flavoured. Loved the explanations, keep up the good work! Also, your speaking is very understandable and the explanations given are clear to understand!
Glad I checked out older vids...
I'm man enough to admit this was all new to me. My thanks.
Antonio! Thanks for this post! I'm not sure if you had planned this before or if it's something you thought about recently. I previously suggested you teach your audience about this.
Thanks for making the video.
This is my first time watching this video. I just bought some brown lace up boots finally from Thursday Boot company today as well. I have to learn some of these terms more and guess what, I spent about $200 for a Goodyear welt! Praise the Lord!
Excellent and concise! So glad I saw this video before buying. Thx!
When I was a cadet in my country's Naval Academy, we used Blake stitch shoes for everyday wear. A common problem was that after a few months (2 or 3) we had stepped so much over the thread that it wore out, leaving the sole hanging when we lifted the affected shoe. It was such a common problem that we even had a cobbling shop available to repair the shoes whenever that happened.
I think it's a problem that could happen to anyone who uses the same Blake stitch shoes every day because it's part of their uniform or because it's a pair they love, so I would advice you to constantly check any shoes built that way, in order to have them repaired when the thread is beggining to wear, since it would be very uncomfortable to have that happen on an important date.
For sure!
Have no clue how I ended up here but damn this guy is cool and knows his stuff! Well spoken
I like the blake stitch as they are cost efficient but still maintain comfort, You just have to be a little wary of snow as this could lead to some leakage. Very informational video it was very entertaining Antonio!
I had glued/cemented dress shoes. They were good-looking, very confortable in the beginning and very water-resistant. I loved them and planned to keep them a long time. But their soles quickly wore down and : no way to repair them ! Cost per wear was actually terrible ! So now it's Goodyear-welted shoes, always. I could consider Blake-stitched summer shoes, even though they won't survive many resoles.
the definition of quality is your videos
great lnfo
cement better for my broken back
i thought a shoe was just a shoe
now i know better
and why i lean towards liking shoes with that construction
Antonio, Another good video. Have been absorbing your content to plan my new style. Two questions related to this video:
1. Can you comment on buying shoes online vs. in a store? I'm reluctant to buy online because I want to try the shoes on my feet before I buy them. Particularly if I'm going to spend $250+ dollars. As you state, shoes from different manufacturer's feel different.
2. Please comment on buying more expensive/well-built shoes for longevity vs. wear-n-tear on uppers. While I take good care of my shoes, I find the uppers get scuffed up enough over time they don't look as sharp and polishing doesn't clean them up. Could that be just the leather quality?
Visit the store and try it on.
Thanks Antonio ! I have been meaning to get a dress shoe for a while now and this video really helps !
Awesome to know it helps! Thanks for watching!
Nice video!
Thank you so much for this video Antonio! Really needed something like this! :)
Thank you Rafael! I'm glad you find it useful!
Hey, Antonio! Great video! I loved it! Please, make more of this types of videos to teach us how to discern quality items from the rest.
Also, your book "Dress like a Man" is awesome! I learned a lot from it! Thank you for the great work!
Thanks for the support - Appreciate it!
Antonio, you have really helped me elevate my sartorial game.
These videos are amazing, they're such a big help.
That's awesome to know Jacob!
Learned a lot. You are my kind of Teacher/Instructor/
Style Mentor. Thanks
Just bought two Aldos last week for my new teller job~
AWESOME AWESOME AND AWESOME. Would be great if you have a video showing us how to identify some aspects of a well made pair of shoes, including craftsmanship and material
Antonio, can you tell us what's that watch in the intro (00:36). I've seen it so many times, and I always loved it, but never remembered to ask you
powmod I am also interested what watch is it!
powmod its nice
powmod even me too
Invicta S1 Rally - model 23599 or model 16009. Cheers
Falkner Blitz cheers dude
these are the best type of videos! Assume members of your audience knows nothing about the subject and teach!
cheers!!!
ron:)
Thanks for dropping knowledge, Antonio. I respect how succinct your videos are.
Everyone knows that Goodyear is by far the best construction.
I had a couple shoe care questions, 1. if your leather outdoors get wet from rain, let's say, and they dry it is that detrimental to the upkeep? if it only gets wet once a week or so, if that, is that ok? how can you care for the shoe before the drying process occurs?
2. with the new Ace Marks shoes, they have the option of having a blue outsole, is this "cool" I couldn't find anything online in terms of style factor.
thanks!
Thanks, Antonio, this helped a lot. However, I had already watched one of your dress shoe videos that touched on this subject a while back. With that knowledge, I bought a good year welt from Ted Baker for a low cost. Because of that video, I knew what to look for, so cheers.
I'm glad you know your way through my channel! I appreciate that!
Great video Antonio. Very informative. I'll definitely check out Ace Marks for my next pair of shoes.!
Sounds great!
Hi Antonio. I live in a country where it rains quite a bit and often. Could you please give some pointers on how to take care of a good dress shoe, before, during and after such conditions. Thank you.
Make sure to follow the proper guide to caring for your leather: www.realmenrealstyle.com/clean-condition-polish-leather/
never given much thought about a shoe ! n how its constructed ! great info Antonio! thanku
You're welcome! Glad you like that little bit of info :)
Real Men Real Style omg thanku Antonio for ur rply..this is my second ever comment on a youtube video..and i got a rply from u ! amazing.. i watch all ur videos regularly, will b commenting regularly on ur videos from now on
Shoes can make or break an outfit and since they tend to take a lot more wear than other clothing items, it's good to get quality ones.
It's said that the shoe makes the outfit. And the outfit makes the man. So the shoe must truly make it all.
About the Blake stitch I would mention that it can be resolved to a certain point, the stitching is blind and done with a machine so everytime is re-soled new holes are added to the upper, eventually cutting the upper itself
Excellent video. Great information that will make me a more informed consumer. Thanks.
You're most welcome!
I do a lot of shopping at thrift stores. Could you make a video showing us how to discern each type of shoe construction just by looking at the shoe? I know there are a lot of cemented shoes that put fake stitches to make them look like they are Blake Stitched. I have no idea how to tell them apart. Thanks!!
Thanks for the recommendation! My advice is to have your phone handy and search for the brand and model of the shoe if there's any information that would be available from the web before purchasing it. Like you mentioned, it can be faked so don't trust your eyes so easily :)
Curt Alford Although this may not be 100% accurate, check if there are stitchings on the bottom and along where the upper and the sole meets. If stitchings can only be found on the bottom the shoe is either cemented or Blake stitched. If there are stitchings both on the bottom and along where the upper and the sole meets, check if the SPI(stitches per inch) matches that on the bottom of the sole. Basically, u want to make sure that the density of stitches u have along where the upper and the sole meets are the same. In that case the shoe is more likely to be Goodyear welted.
Spot on. The legwork makes shopping worth it.
gentleman gazette has some good videos what to look for at a thrift store.
Yep basically this.
1) are there stitches on the sole
2) are those stitches real (look on top and see if theres top stitching, and if it matches the same number of stitches per inch/cm as the bottom) if the stitch size doesn't match, it'll be fake and most likely a cemented shoe.
3) if stitching only runs part of the way along the sole (e.g. doesn't run under the heel), then its not goodyear welted.
Very helpful video Antonio, and just in time before graduation, time to shop
Great timing! Congratulations too! :)
Great video now I know what to look for when buying formal shoes
I didn't know much about dress shoes until know, you help me out a lot thanks Antonio!!
You're welcome!
The heel that you pointed to is called the counter and the part of the shoe that is between the toe cap and the vamp is called the foxing I think . Keep up the good work .
Good video Well here in Chile is hard to find high quality shoes Florsheim and Aldo seem like good choices In the oxford they have a sleek design and good quality I keep a shoetree in each one and regularly use conditioners
Great sponsor incorporation. Well done.
I love the history you implement in your videos!
hey Antonio
I love your content and it reallyhelps me to dress sharp, please keep up the good work!
Really appreciate that Jonas!
Great video Antonio, like always.
real men wear Goodyear welted
Definitely
English hand made
MrVinceChannel real men wear hand welted shoes
What do you mean? Young guys who wear sneaker are not men?
Real real man wears Norwegian storm welt
Antonio, great lesson learnt throughout this video.
Blake stitching could be done by hand. However, Blake stitching the toe part of a shoe is difficult and slow. Thanks so much for your analyses.
Excellent and informative good. Was not familiar with the Blake stitch.
Great video. Could you do one on spotting junk vs quality watches?
Very informative. I find myself buying shoes for my nephews and this video really helps. I didn't check out yet that AceMarks website but hopefully I will find what I need. The problem buying shoes is that our family falls on shoe size that are small. I'm an adult but I fit size 5 to 5.5. I even can fit size 4 on boys sneakers. My nephew is size 7.5 (but not on men's size). I tend to find it in boy's size. It's frustrating because it's hard finding him a good shoe on the men's category. I have to do some conversion each time I buy his shoe.
Hey Antonio I believe that moulded shoes has all the advantages such as flexible, waterproof and durable. but cannot be resoled. shoes such as ecco and timberland. I believe its worth mentioning the moulded construction too. :-) Overall a great video. Blake stitching was new for me. So thank you.
Excellent video. Keep up the content!
All of this is new and I've learned. Still wondering if it's possible to get a dress shoe to feel and perform like a sports shoe given the different construction, appearance and materials? - money no object.
thank you very much. I'm going for blake stitch!
great video, i like buying good looking leather shoes but i've always had a hard time discerting the qualty between the good ones abd the bad ones and price is not always an indication
Good to know.
I think I'd go for the blake stitch if I can.
Solid work man. Thanks for educating me on shoes
Welcome!
Appreciate for the Information you provided, I had no idea before this video.
In about 2 months I will buy a pair of shoes from there .
All the information were interesting and useful for future investments in a quality pair of shoes
very informative. I've been curious about all of this for awhile, glad you did a video on it!
Thanks for watching!
You should do videos like this for other types of clothing. That would be really helpful for a lot of people, myself included.
Another excellent informative video.
Hi Antonio great video but I found some Goodyear welted shoes from Samuel Windsor at a very affordable price I have ordered both the classic Oxford and penny loafer
What's your take on the brand?
They are fantasic quality but they do scuff pretty easily but apart from that they are great and they come very shiny so there is no need to polish them i just waxed them for protection howevr the shoes could be considered bulky but I personally like the solid buit
How about a video on dress socks. I look forward to your positive response.
this was extreamly informative- awesome
I would love to see a video of your wardrobe and see how you arrange it and what kind of clothes you have there. You also had a video where you said quality over quantity, I would therefore love to see what kind of quality you talk about.
Also what do you think is the right thing to do when you are gifted for example a t-shirt that does not fit properly and you don't
use it.
Love ur vidoes, really inspiring.
Good idea!
I was waiting for this topic! Thank you
Awesome!
Shoes that have stitching on the sole but not the well, is that to look expensive or most likely Blake stitching that you described?? Thank you for the clarity.
Here you go: www.realmenrealstyle.com/quality-dress-shoe-guide/
Hey Antonio, awesome video... one quick question, which would be your top 10 formal shoe brands? I'm trying to find the perfect brand for me but I only know a couple and who better to help out than the man himself!
Check my recommended brands here: www.realmenrealstyle.com/complete-recommended-product-checklist/
Thank you for sharing more awesome content!
I'm informed about Dress Shoe Construction/Build from reading your articles specifically the "Differences Between $40 And $400 Dress Shoes | Cheap Vs Quality | Buying Leather Footwear".
Moreover could you have information on "how to spot/determine these qualities on finished shoes/products being offered in the market when information on how the shoes were built, leather used and stitches etc are absent"
Big fan from the Philippines, Cheers!
I'll add it to my queue. Cheers!
Great video and very informative as always, Antonio. Thank you so much.
I liked the dark blue w/black shoes and the dress boots.
How would you suggest to pair those kind of shoes? What kind of pants would be better?
On the other part, and speaking of pants, what are the differences between Khakis and Chinos? Not sure if you've covered this question before.
Greetings from Mexico!