The Ultimate Toronto Thread

[maebach]

Hey everyone, reminder of the SF Toronto meetup this Thursday at S&M (Toronto st.). Time is 630-830pm. Raptors game starts at 9pm, so everyone will be home/at the bar in time for the match!

 

[RogerP]

For me, buying shoes online is a non-starter. A few years ago I swore that I would never again tolerate imperfectly fitting and uncomfortable shoes. They have to be comfortable from day one and remain that way, otherwise I won’t bother, no matter how beautiful and high-quality they might otherwise be.

I don’t see how I could achieve this with buying online. I’ll try a large number of shoes before buying any, and even then, I’ll return them if I feel any hint of discomfort after wearing them again at home for a longer time. Especially since sizes and lasts vary so wildly, even for the same brand. To replicate my current approach online, I’d probably have to order several dozen different types and sizes before I’d have a decent chance of finding something satisfactory.

Probably 90% of my shoe purchases on line. I think I've returned one pair on the last 5 years because they didn't fit. Your suggestion that several dozen orders would be required to establish decent fit certainly runs contrary to my experience and likely the collective experience of the forum as well.

 

[gmehra]

Probably 90% of my shoe purchases on line. I think I've returned one pair on the last 5 years because they didn't fit. Your suggestion that several dozen orders would be required to establish decent fit certainly runs contrary to my experience and likely the collective experience of the forum as well.

could be part of the reason leatherfoot died out. people were excited at first but once everyone figured out their sizing you can just order online. a brick and mortar store can never compete with the selection that you can find looking at the hundreds of sites all over the world

 

[gs77]

could be part of the reason leatherfoot died out. people were excited at first but once everyone figured out their sizing you can just order online. a brick and mortar store can never compete with the selection that you can find looking at the hundreds of sites all over the world

They really have not been restocking much since I moved to Toronto and started visiting them, which was 2013. Even when they moved to that spooky house on Avenue Rd, which I was hoping is a new beginning for them. And their on line presence was practically nonexistent.
B&M nowadays is more of a showroom for on-line presence. I think they couldn't have survived with their model.
People that know the difference between CJ and Church's are more likely to be confident buying online.
People that don't, are more likely to go to Harry Rosen.

 

[Viral]

For me, buying shoes online is a non-starter. A few years ago I swore that I would never again tolerate imperfectly fitting and uncomfortable shoes. They have to be comfortable from day one and remain that way, otherwise I won’t bother, no matter how beautiful and high-quality they might otherwise be.

I don’t see how I could achieve this with buying online. I’ll try a large number of shoes before buying any, and even then, I’ll return them if I feel any hint of discomfort after wearing them again at home for a longer time. Especially since sizes and lasts vary so wildly, even for the same brand. To replicate my current approach online, I’d probably have to order several dozen different types and sizes before I’d have a decent chance of finding something satisfactory.

you're doing something wrong.....

 

[gmehra]

They really have not been restocking much since I moved to Toronto and started visiting them, which was 2013. Even when they moved to that spooky house on Avenue Rd, which I was hoping is a new beginning for them. And their on line presence was practically nonexistent.
B&M nowadays is more of a showroom for on-line presence. I think they couldn't have survived with their model.
People that know the difference between CJ and Church's are more likely to be confident buying online.
People that don't, are more likely to go to Harry Rosen.

why would you buy from them if you already know your size. they would carry maybe 20 styles of carmina, carmina.com has hundreds. what are the chance they have a makeup you like more than what is available on carmina.com

 

[RogerP]

could be part of the reason leatherfoot died out. people were excited at first but once everyone figured out their sizing you can just order online. a brick and mortar store can never compete with the selection that you can find looking at the hundreds of sites all over the world

I bought several pairs from them over the years, including 2 pairs of St. Crispin's.

 

[RogerP]

Hey everyone, reminder of the SF Toronto meetup this Thursday at S&M (Toronto st.). Time is 630-830pm. Raptors game starts at 9pm, so everyone will be home/at the bar in time for the match!

I'll be there right at 630 and can't stay more than an hour - hope most of you guys will be early arrivals!

 

[gmehra]

I bought several pairs from them over the years, including 2 pairs of St. Crispin's.

I believe Saint Crispin's had a different business model back then. Now you can go to www.saintcrispins.com use their customizer and order anything you want for cheaper than what leatherfoot was selling for.

 

[shoewarma]

Couldn't find the answer to a question I had searching the thread. So, I will ask you guys. Any recommendations for a good tailor in the Burlington and Oakville area that does great work on suits? Someone who won't break the bank, but will do a quality job. I've used Jamal on Upper Middle for a number of things like casual jackets, chinos, and jeans, but it's just not good enough. Thanks.

 

[hrv123]

With respect to my contention that Toronto is a menswear wasteland, I am referring more so to the CM landscape and am comparing to other North American cities of similar size and stature, i.e. NYC, SF, Chicago, etc. When comparing availability of different tailoring and shoe brands, Toronto is way behind. Not to mention the overblown pricing which I understand is partially related to Canada's unfair taxation. Toronto has one EG retailer, no C&J retailers, etc. from the shoe perspective. Few travelling tailors visit and when some have, I'm not sure how the reception has been. It doesn't seem like many tailors are clamouring to visit even though they make regular visits to NYC and Chicago which are a one hour flight away. For a city of 3 million plus people with the GTHA having probably 5 million people, Toronto leaves a lot to be desired compared to other similar cities.

 

[hrv123]

Thanks, this is useful feedback. Just to clarify -- do you mean only that your jackets turned out too slim for your personal preferences? Or that they ended up uncomfortably tight or not clean-looking? (I like my jackets slim; in fact slimming them down is an alteration I'd commonly need.)

A bit of both. As I mentioned, I tend to prefer more of a drape fit. By no means do I prefer a baggy fit, but I do like to be able to move throughout the day. He tailored two jackets for me, and the one I felt fit me the best after he was done, he said was too big for me haha. I don't think the smaller one was poorly tailored, but he didn't exactly follow my instructions. I say give him a try, but if you prefer a drape fit, be explicit in your instructions. I also remember that they were quite busy and it took a good 3 weeks for 1-2 jackets and 1-2 trousers.

 

[Viral]

With respect to my contention that Toronto is a menswear wasteland, I am referring more so to the CM landscape and am comparing to other North American cities of similar size and stature, i.e. NYC, SF, Chicago, etc. When comparing availability of different tailoring and shoe brands, Toronto is way behind. Not to mention the overblown pricing which I understand is partially related to Canada's unfair taxation. Toronto has one EG retailer, no C&J retailers, etc. from the shoe perspective. Few travelling tailors visit and when some have, I'm not sure how the reception has been. It doesn't seem like many tailors are clamouring to visit even though they make regular visits to NYC and Chicago which are a one hour flight away. For a city of 3 million plus people with the GTHA having probably 5 million people, Toronto leaves a lot to be desired compared to other similar cities.

Still don't get your point. Maybe Toronto doesn't have a C&J retailer but is that a blocker which prevents you to own them? Maybe you need to be more savvy with sourcing these items and using proxy services to acquire things which you really want. There are many ways around the issue

Like are you seriously ready to drop thousands of dollars but the lack of retailers is stopping you? Not being funny, serious question!

 

[Vuchko]

With respect to my contention that Toronto is a menswear wasteland, I am referring more so to the CM landscape and am comparing to other North American cities of similar size and stature, i.e. NYC, SF, Chicago, etc. When comparing availability of different tailoring and shoe brands, Toronto is way behind. Not to mention the overblown pricing which I understand is partially related to Canada's unfair taxation. Toronto has one EG retailer, no C&J retailers, etc. from the shoe perspective. Few travelling tailors visit and when some have, I'm not sure how the reception has been. It doesn't seem like many tailors are clamouring to visit even though they make regular visits to NYC and Chicago which are a one hour flight away. For a city of 3 million plus people with the GTHA having probably 5 million people, Toronto leaves a lot to be desired compared to other similar cities.

Realistically, how does Toronto compare to other metropolitan cities of the same rank? By "rank" I don't mean just population, wealth, and economic output, but also -- and more importantly -- the cultural and social preeminence of a city in today's world. In this regard, Toronto is at best barely a second-rank city, which it would be absurd to compare with a first-rank metropolis like New York, or even a strong second-rank one like Chicago. (A reality check: how many people live in Toronto who are famous outside of Canada? Approximately zero.)

When compared with cities that would rank similarly in terms of how important they are as a social, cultural, and business hub for today's world elite, I think Toronto in fact looks quite good when it comes to menswear availability. Because realistically, a proper comparison would be with some relatively prosperous metropolitan area in the U.S. Midwest.

As for prices, are they really so overblown given the weak Canadian dollar? 500 EUR shoes would cost 750 CAD even if you just had to pay for the exchange rate.

 

[Vuchko]

Probably 90% of my shoe purchases on line. I think I've returned one pair on the last 5 years because they didn't fit. Your suggestion that several dozen orders would be required to establish decent fit certainly runs contrary to my experience and likely the collective experience of the forum as well.

I would like to know what method you use to figure out well-fitting shoes online, if you don't mind sharing. Do you limit yourself to specific makers and lasts that you know will work from previous experience?

Maybe it's just a matter of people whose foot dimensions are closer to standard being able to find shoes more easily. I don't think mine are very extreme in any way (though I do have a fairly broad foot), and yet, in all of my experience, for the vast majority of shoes I'll find that one size is too narrow and the next one too long.

All that said, my standards are very high. I refuse to wear anything that would make me balk at the suggestion of taking a several hours long walk around town.