L.L. Bean captoe shoes, thoughts?

[nathanb]

Hello everyone,

I am trying to slowly upgrade my wardrobe. I need to have some black dress shoes this summer for my sister's wedding. I want to get something nicer that will last longer and can be reused if possible. I don't have a lot of funds available. I saw these shoes and that they were on sale (plus an extra 20% off right now). They are goodyear welted and leather lined.

http://www.llbean.com/llb/shop/71101?attrValue_0=Black

What are your thoughts? Are these good shoes?

Thanks,

 

[musicman1951]

While I have no personal experience, I know people who purchased L.L. Bean shoes and were happy. They have a very good reputation for standing behind their products.

Taste is, of course, a very personal thing - but I don't find these shoes particularly attractive. If you like them then that's obviously neither here nor there. I would recommend Johnson and Murphy Aristocraft captoes at one of their many outlets. They run about $200 and will last a very long time and look very good. Cole Haan outlets usually have wingtips in the Bean price range.

It certainly would stretch your budget, but I think you'd be happy in the long run.

 

[jpakstis]

The nice thing about LL Bean is that you can return them at any time for any reason. I had a pair desert boots from there that I wore for about two months and ultimately decided that they weren't for me. Returned them in store with zero hassle.

As for these shoes, having them Goodyear welted is nice because you can get them resoled. And you're looking at the black ones, right? The fact they are on sale is a plus. I'm trying to think what other shoemaker has dress shoes with Goodyear welted soles at that price. They look like full-grain leather, but obviously I think you would need to check them out in-store.

 

[eliev]

You can't go wrong with L.L. Bean. I get stuff from them all the time. I thing the shoes look nice.

 

[redrako]

They look like very nice shoes.

As Josh mentions, the fact that they appear to be can be resoled is terrific. Good shoes over time are a tremendous value. You take care of the leather uppers by regularly cleaning and polishing and as the soles and heels wear down, you can simply get them replaced.

 

[JoshuaNY]

I like them and you can't go wrong with a goodyear welt. I notice they are burnished leather so they will have an antiquish look. They may not take polish as good as non burnished leather. Just something to think about.