Review: Pakistani Buckled Brogues

[Piobair]

Hey all - I just received a pair of buckled brogues from the folks at M.H. Geoffrey and thought I'd post a review and some pics.

1) Packaging: Took about 3 weeks (maybe less) to arrive. Maybe one of the most unusual packages I've received, even by Pakistani shipping standards. The shoes were in a plastic bag, inside a cardboard box, wrapped in cloth and sewn shut. Appears that the 40 stamps (no joke) on the box didn't help with rigidity, as the box was smushed when it got to me. It had also been open and inspected by Customs, which wasn't really a surprise. I'm used to unique packaging from this part of the world, and for the $15 I paid in shipping, not too bad. I'd give it a B/B-


2) Brogues - First Impression: Better than I expected, although for under $50 dollars I wasn't expecting much. They were true to the image provided on eBay, although the strap buckles were a bit tarnished. The perforated pattern on the toe was clean and symmetrical, the sewing on the shoes was tidy, and the finish was very shiny. From a distance a strong B+, maybe close to an A-.


3) Brogues - Up Close: Okay, I know that these are supposed to be made out of leather, and parts are... but most of the shoe appears to be some kind of painted canvas or perhaps a very, very thin layer of hide applied to a backing. From a distance it's hard to see, but up close there's a definite checking that comes through the black polish. While it's unlikely that this will ever be spotted by anyone further than 2 inches away from the shoe, the material is a little on the flimsy side, causing the throat of the shoe to bunch when worn. Again, you get what you pay for. Still, I have to give these a C+ as far as materials are concerned. In other words, they did a good job with what they had, but what they had wasn't all that nice.


4) Brogues - The Buckles: Plain toe buckle mounted on pleather "ribbon" is mounted to the vamp with two standard button-snaps. Fairly clean, although I would have liked the option of being able to pop the ribbon off and just wear the buckle (which was clean and well polished) - can't do that with these as it exposes the buttons. The strap buckles were sturdy, and anyone familiar with Pakistani belts has probably seen them before. Some tarnish on them, which I didn't expect. Still, pretty sturdy and better made than anticipated. B.


5) Soles - Wow. Hard to describe them. Definitely not leather. Painted brown! The heel looks to be some kind of crepe or rubber. Not what I was expecting. There's no way these would make it though a wet day at the games, which fortunately you'd never need them for. This is what I would expect if a jr. high drama club was told to make a pair of shoes out of papier mache and tempera paint. D+, only because they fulfill the purpose of protecting the foot.


6) Fit: The final test. I'm really on the fence here. I usually wear a US 10/ UK 9, but was really worried that these would be way big or way small. These turned out to be closer to a 10 1/2, but since I usually wear a pair of socks under my argyles, it was nice to have a little room. I was pretty surprised that they were comfortable, considering that the throat has no padding and the footbed (on of the few pieces of leather) is almost dead flat. An insert might help with this. I wonder what 4 hours at a party will feel like. They feel a bit heavy/clunky. If you have problem feet, these will likely put a hurt on you. The real let down came in the form of the pleather strap, which shoes buckling/pursing near the cut-out. This is an aspect of poor engineering. It's hard to say if this is something that will self correct with time or perhaps a little more bulk in the hose. I'm guessing not, but it's not a deal breaker. I should add that I hate, hate, hate buying shoe on-line. Considering how close the fit was (and the price), I'll give them a solid B. I might have to revisit this after the next black-tie I attend, but for now I'm pretty satisfied.


The Final Verdict: If you plan on wearing these infrequently or to events that are small scale black-tie (but, you know, a little fancier than a t-shirt with a tux printed on it), these are perfect. If I saw them at a costume shop in the states I'd jump on them and probably spend around $75. At the end of the day they're just that - fancy dress. If I had the funds, I would much prefer a pair of Thistle buckled brogues, but there's just too big a gap in price - $47 vs. $185 - for a shoe that I wear infrequently. Were these ghillies, which I probably wear more often than most of my oxfords, I'd say no way, get Thistle or Avriel. But they're not, so for the price and the hope that time and polish will heal most wounds, I give Geoffrey's Buckled Brogues (available through their online eBay store) a B-.