Quality Of Grenson Shoes

[SuitedDx]



I came across a pair of Grenson Bleasdale boots in The Natural Shoe Store about a year and half ago. They'd cheaped out on the brass hardwear (the eyelets and ski hooks) - nowhere near the quality of the old Rose line boots. Grenson were a good maker, but they've gone downhill. There's no way I'd buy from Grenson now.

Prompted me to check out Grenson again and it seems they have the G-zero line which looks like it's made in England with the old fancies probably like the Rose line. Anyone own a G-zero shoe?

 

[Northampton Novice]

I have a pair and they are very nicely made. They aren't as good as the original Masterpiece models of which I have two, but then again these were made a while back and everything was better back then

 

[entrylevel]

TBF without knowing too much about this I can tell the leather on my pair of finn is poor quality relative to a more expensive pair, it's all kind of scaley and hard?? Not really sure what this means, but it reeks of cheap. I feel kind of mislead because the leather looked really nice in the pics online (lol). Still, they're seem to be constructed well enough for me to be just about satisfied, for the £100 I paid I think they're fairly decent.

 

[jamierdonald]

I think it'll have that feel because they probably use corrected grain leather instead of full grain. They have certainly gone down in my eyes in that past few years. That said, the shoes are probably of a better quality than most high street versions.

 

[Bullitt]

Grenson has different collections: G-zero and G-one are made in England and might be good quality. However G-two, the most popular line, is made in India.

I have a pair of Archie is from the G-two collection and the quality of the leather is poor, I don’t think they will last long and age beautifully. The retail price, around £200, is far too high. When I compare them with other options in this price range like Loake 1880, Sanders or Herring, Grenson G-two is not a good choice. I am glad I did not pay full retail price for them.

My other pair, the Glenn model, is from a line produced in cooperation with Barbour. The leather is a bit better, but the construction does not convince me. I bought them because of the unique leather and waxed cotton combination and I will not wear them very often.

A couple of English heritage labels follow this trend: outsourcing production, increasing prices, investing more in marketing, decreasing quality and hoping nobody will notice, having a trendy store in Shoreditch…

 

[rossjamesparker]

Totally agree with Bullitt on all points. I have some Grenson G2 range semi-brogues and Loake 1880 semi-brougues, bought a month apart for alternating on office days. Two years later, the Loakes still look new, and the Grensons are beginning to look ropey. I also have to polish the Grensons twice as much, as the leather really doesn't hold its lustre. It also seems to react worse when it's caught in the occasional rain shower.

On the positive side, the Grenson leather is lighter, which has helped on work trips to hotter climes, and can be marginally more comfortable for the occasional 3 mile stroll between airport gates.

However, if you have £200 to spend on new shoes, it's Loake 1880 all the way. Pair them with some charcoal full-calf superfine merino Pantherellas and you're going to have smart feet for a good time to come.

 

[labravajazz]

Grenson have so many grades its hard to generalise on quality.
Try any made for Paul Stuart - Stuart's Choice Grensons and you won't be comparing to Loake!
I have some Chukkas that compare very favourably with Edward Green that I also have
And Chelseas that fit like a glove, great last, really good leather and finish,
seem to me more like CJ handgrade than 1880s
..... FWIW

 

[BatmanEsq]

I'll certainly second the notion that older Grenson's seem superior to modern-day versions. But that is often the way of the world - unless quality and craftsmanship remain constant, and output is unaffected - there will always be changes.

Everything is always in the eye of the beholder! But Grenson's are much better than most high street shoes, that's for sure!

 

[kaizo]

Hi I am planning to buy Bert in Black for my next shoes but when I tried a UK6 (which is what I usually take) in the Liverpool Street store the laces closed completely and I felt a bit of room. So here is the question:

• Do you think I should size down by a whole of half a size?
• Apparently Grenson shoes become very soft over wear and the size relaxes. How much should I consider this size wise (how much should I size down by)?
• What's your verdict on Bert?

Thanks in advance.

 

[havingaraveup]

Hi I am planning to buy Bert in Black for my next shoes but when I tried a UK6 (which is what I usually take) in the Liverpool Street store the laces closed completely and I felt a bit of room. So here is the question:

• Do you think I should size down by a whole of half a size?
• Apparently Grenson shoes become very soft over wear and the size relaxes. How much should I consider this size wise (how much should I size down by)?
• What's your verdict on Bert?

Thanks in advance.

Verdict on the Bert is that it's 400 dollars and probably made in India along with most of Grenson's offerings. Don't be fooled by the "Grenson, England" stamp on the sole, as if you look closely on the inside there will be a sticker that says "Made in India." On top of that the last isn't very sleek. personally I've never been a fan of the folded seams but some people are. However overall I would not buy this shoe. There are cheaper shoes made in england that will be higher quality.

 

[kaizo]

Hi thanks for the reply. The one I am looking at is 185 pounds though. I think you may be confusing it with the identical looking shoes made by Grenson's designer's original line that is made from better leather (which does cost about 400USD). Which I presume is made in England. The cost aside how does it feel? Did the leather break in to the degree that it changed sizes?

 

[havingaraveup]

It's actually the same as the one liste don the US site, it's just 385 on the US site and 185 pounds on the UK site. I don't own the shoe, and none of these are made in England. Go with Loake 1880 or Shoemakers over Grenson. That is my only advice. These will look terrible quickly.

 

[othertravel]

Can somebody link the good quality Grenson shoes?

 

[Pingson]

http://www.grenson.co.uk/en_gb/shop?cat=22

The G.Zero and G.One collections are both of good quality, don't know about the rest.

 

[havingaraveup]

http://www.grenson.co.uk/en_gb/shop?cat=22

The G.Zero and G.One collections are both of good quality, don't know about the rest.

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