benf
Senior Member
- Joined
- Dec 31, 2015
- Messages
- 193
- Reaction score
- 67
Unfortunately this is the market norm although there’ll be exceptions. Even EG, JL and G&G do not include trees. Only JL top-line and StC include trees (lasted in the latter’s case) in the price but u effectively ‘pay’ for it anyway.FWIW, I love how Paolo Scafora looks, but I cannot justify the spend when they do not come with shoe trees. I know that in the end it's about 10% of the price, but that is actually what bothers me at this price point: it feels a bit absurd that shoes of that level would not come with their trees to begin with. I take it as an insult. It makes me feel like I am being nickel & dimed, which I find unacceptable with that level of shoe.
Trees is a popular topic of discussion and a lot of ppl do use generic trees in the EG and G&G.
Since I first across SF and my interest in shoes, i’m in the fortunate position of having both EG (*2) and G&G (*5).I only have two GG (sold the one on TG73, too tight in same size as MH71, up size was too long, kept the MH71), I love them on picture, in person I thought they were striking at first, but now after while I can't say I found them as "special". Right now I got one shoe from Antonio Meccariello that has tighter waist (and pretty much everywhere) vs. GG and no worse finishing than GG (at least as far as I can tell). so yes GG has very striking last design, but I'm not sure they're as special as some think they're.
The latter and AM may have comparable levels of quality and finish, one is ‘Made in England’ and the other is Italy. On that basis alone, one’d expect to pay a premium for the former. Some of the premium can be quantified and somewhat justified (higher labour and land costs) whilst the rest is reputational (COG, marketing and aesthetic). Also I suspect the profit margin is somewhat higher for English brands whilst a lot of Italian and Spanish companies remain family owned.
In terms of EG v G&G, I prefer the latter for its aesthetic and finishing. By design, the latter’s last is relatively unforgiving and thus exclude some buyers. But I find their lasts and patterns less conservative looking and certainly more ‘striking’. The tight and beveled waist is something not available in the standard EG line. Also I find their standard colours (ie not patinated) richer than EGs.