Church's Appreciation Thread

[Lollie]

The Paris stores - as part of the seasonal 'soldes' - have 40% off and a great selection. In particular the Rue Saint Honore store had many different styles including the usual trendier ones they put out for sales but also some very traditional styles in brown and black.

Are the Leyton's on sale?

 

[letsgofire]

Sorry I'm no longer in Paris

 

[thuhoan]

If anyone is interested in some Church's Chelsea boots, I have a pair for sale. Im interested in any offer.

http://www.styleforum.net/t/525902/churchs-houston-chelsea-boots-uk6g

 

[rakuskus]

Any leather quality difference from nevada vs calf vs betis vs non custom grade (exclude polished binder and suede)? How about the featherweight vs non featherweight? Church's shoe line really confusing

 

[Nikola]

Paging @bengal-stripe for the assistance and anyone else knowledgeable enough regarding the pre-prada shoes.

The box says Sandalwood aniline calf, where the Sandalwood is probably just a colour name, however, I am worried regarding the aniline calf. There's also a small "Bookbinder finish leather" booklet that's coming with these 1980s Church's.

So, does the aniline calf and bookbinder means these shoes actually got a acrylic/plasticky layer and that the pores of the calf leather are sealed and hardly polished with regular cremes and also prone to ugly creases?

 

[alexSF]



Paging @bengal-stripe
 for the assistance and anyone else knowledgeable enough regarding the pre-prada shoes. 


The box says Sandalwood aniline calf, where the Sandalwood is probably just a colour name, however, I am worried regarding the aniline calf. There's also a small "Bookbinder finish leather" booklet that's coming with these 1980s Church's. 


So, does the aniline calf and bookbinder means these shoes actually got a acrylic/plasticky layer and that the pores of the calf leather are sealed and hardly polished with regular cremes and also prone to ugly creases?

The Polished Binder booklet comes from another shoes and it isn't related.

The shoes above (I've seen the original listing) aren't Bookbinder.
I think Aniline Calf is the church's name for box calf, aniline dyed is essentially every hide pre-coloured during tannage, opposed to crust leathers.

This kind of leathers have a flat, uniform color and it will take polish like any other full grain leather.

 

[Nikola]

The Polished Binder booklet comes from another shoes and it isn't related.

I think the shoes above are made of box calf, aniline dyed is essentially every hide pre-coloured during tannage, opposed to crust leathers.

This kind of leathers have a flat, uniform color and it will take polish like any other full grain leather.

Thanks a lot. So, you believe the seller had probably just trow in that bookbinder booklet in the photo above from some other pair?

Yes, one of the specs is the uniform color, however I believe I've read somewhere that this type of a leather is hard on accepting any cream and waxes as it has some synthetic layer which prevents even the rain to enter the pores of the shoes. I wouldn't really want that ..

 

[JUAN MANUEL]

I have just recieved a new pair of Consul in 173 last in walnut calf from Herrings (as always ecellent service). With this shoes my Oxfords stock is fullfilled, well, maybe a pair in dark brown will come in the future for navy suits. The 173 last is great for my feet and visually has the perfect balance of heft (without looking like a mailman shoe) or being too sleek. I own a pair of AS Armfield in 109 last in the same colour, but Church's 173 is the winner, eventhough I appreciate Sargent's craft and leather (love the Stepney and Ramsey).

So here you can see a pair of Consul in black in 103 last and chesnut in 73; black, brown suede and walnut in 173 last. All of them in F fit, all of them fron Herring's, the black one in 103 was my first pair of good shoes.

 

[Nikola]

Whoa, nice @JUAN MANUEL .. Always nice to see a guy sticking to what he likes most. I was lucky enough to acquire a pair of a 1984 completely unworn Black Calf 73 G fit lasted Consul, and the quality of those blows out of water the current line of Crockett Jones Oxford easily. I will post some photos when I get my new camera in a couple of weeks .. I was also considering the 173 lasted Consul in brown but was uncertain of their current quality. Seems like there is definitely no love for a post prada styles here ..

 

[Zapasman]

I have just recieved a new pair of Consul in 173 last in walnut calf from Herrings (as always ecellent service). With this shoes my Oxfords stock is fullfilled, well, maybe a pair in dark brown will come in the future for navy suits. The 173 last is great for my feet and visually has the perfect balance of heft (without looking like a mailman shoe) or being too sleek. I own a pair of AS Armfield in 109 last in the same colour, but Church's 173 is the winner, eventhough I appreciate Sargent's craft and leather (love the Stepney and Ramsey).

So here you can see a pair of Consul in black in 103 last and chesnut in 73; black, brown suede and walnut in 173 last. All of them in F fit, all of them fron Herring's, the black one in 103 was my first pair of good shoes.

Clean and nice collection!!. Congrats.

 

[Zapasman]

Whoa, nice @JUAN MANUEL .. Always nice to see a guy sticking to what he likes most. I was lucky enough to acquire a pair of a 1984 completely unworn Black Calf 73 G fit lasted Consul, and the quality of those blows out of water the current line of Crockett Jones Oxford easily. I will post some photos when I get my new camera in a couple of weeks .. I was also considering the 173 lasted Consul in brown but was uncertain of their current quality. Seems like there is definitely no love for a post prada styles here ..

I had them on my hands and they were very well made.

Again, Classic Churchs "Custom Grade" (Chestwynd/Grafton/Diplomat/Consul/etc) are brilliant shoes, yesterday and today. They are manufactured by Cheaney in England under the supervision of Mr. Church (the owner of that company that sold Church´s Shoes to Prada long ago).

 

[EnglishShoes]

Wait, the main Church models are made in the Cheaney factory?

What is made in the Church's factory then?

 

[alexSF]

Wrong information...

Churchs and Cheaney shoes are actually produced in different places and owned by different people.

Churchs family used to own both brands and factories, then sold all to Prada (Bertelli) in the 90's

Later they (Church family) reacquired the Cheaney company.

They are actually completely unrelated companies and they make shoes in two separate factories.

From Cheaney website:

In August, 2009, cousins Jonathan and William Church conducted a management buy-out of Cheaney from Church & Co (by then a wholly owned subsidiary of Prada). They now own and operate the company and are committed to continuing the production of high quality shoes entirely made in Northamptonshire, from the cutting out of the leather to the final polishing, just as it was in 1886."

Where did you found this bizarre information?

 

[Zapasman]

I hope I will find the article for you. I just mentioned the custom grade line as I read so in an interview with the churchs family. Churchs makes shoes for other brands too and if I recall correctly, Prada group reached an agreement with the Church family to produce that line under their personal supervision in the Cheany factory. Give some time to find it, too late here sorry..

 

[Zapasman]

@Alex and @Englishshoes, I must admit that today I couldn´t find the article where I am almost sure Mr Church admits they took over the production of Church´s custom grade line at Cheany at least at the time the article was written. I will keep my search some other day since I am on hollidays. Hope is not in my imaginery as far as I do not like to spread any kind of rumor, specially of this kind and here. I will come back to you as soon as I can. Should I have to apologize, I won´t hesitate to do so. Until then I will admit that is only a presumption.