![]() ![]() I selected a chocolate semi-brogue, and he got a navy suede tassel loafer. ![]() Materials & FitĪs stated above, Paul and I both ended up getting suede shoes. They retailed at $425, and that was in 2006. The rest was done by machine, albeit by a highly-trained artisan in England. In my early days in the footwear industry, my company sold a gorgeous shoe that was “Benchmade in England.” This was legally true but a bit sneaky, as “benchmade” is synonymous with “handmade” and only about 20% of the work on those shoes was done by hand. ![]() In fairness, Samuel Windsor is not the only company to use this terminology in such a way. I have no doubt that trained human hands did indeed carefully guide these shoes through shoemaking machines over a multi-step process. But handmade? Unless a shoe is fully bespoke, then it’s highly unlikely that such a claim is true. There’s no way it’s true for a shoe that costs even $800.įully bespoke shoes or ultra high-end shoes like John Lobbs that cost well over $1000 per pair are handmade. There’s no way it’s true for a shoe that costs $350. It’s worth noting here that these shoes claim to be “handmade.” While I would never call anyone a liar over this, there is no way that this is technically true for a shoe that costs $79. There was also a pre-paid return shipping label, which I thought was convenient. The shoes also came with a plastic-but-sturdy shoe horn, a pamphlet with company information, and an additional set of laces. The shoes themselves were carefully wrapped in branded paper and each thoroughly stuffed with paper to help them maintain their shape. What’s In The Box?įor a $79 pair of shoes, I was impressed by what came in the box. I got a brown suede semi-brogue from the Classic Collection and Paul got a navy blue suede tassel loafer from the Prestige Collection. To read more about Goodyear welt construction, see our piece on Grant Stone shoes. Point being: there’s a difference between collections, but not in the construction. The company’s flashier designs and evening shoes are from this line. The only difference is that the Prestige Collection uses a higher grade Italian leather on the upper and sock liner, and has more padding in the sock. Samuel Windsor offers two collections of shoes: Classic and Prestige, retailing for $79/pair and $99/pair, respectively. Samuel Windsor Classic & Prestige Collection Review The quality of the product itself is fine, but the customer service is really what impressed me the most. Overall, I have to say that Samuel Windsor makes a decent shoe for the money. Given that my son’s day care has essentially increased my rent by 80%, I appreciate a company that keeps a man like that in mind.īut what about quality? While I love a good deal, I’m also a firm believer in the saying, “You get what you pay for.” Were these guys serious about selling Goodyear welted shoes for as low as $79? This is precisely how I approached shoes made by Samuel Windsor, a British company that makes a full line of clothing and shoes that’s designed for guys on the tightest of budgets. I’m nicer than that, so I would have just been politely skeptical. Until a few weeks ago, if you had told me that I could buy a pair of Goodyear welted shoes for under $100, I’d have laughed in your face. There is often an elevated price tag for shoes that are made in this way. This is because it’s a method that allows a shoe to be resoled many times over without causing damage to the upper. Goodyear welt construction is considered by many to be the be-all and end-all of shoe construction methods. For high-quality, comfortable, and affordable dress shoes, we recommend checking out Beckett Simonon. The Samuel Windsor shoe brand as we knew it when we purchased and reviewed the following pair of shoes has now shut down. ![]()
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