what to look for when buying secondhand leather shoes?
I’m hoping to get a pair of black loafers, and I’m looking at secondhand Aldens to stay in my budget (sub $200 since I’m not going to wear them often). I’m seeing a really wide range of prices, but all the used pairs look roughly the same to me. What should I look for when deciding if the shoes need a good polishing vs a trip to the cobbler?
Any of these listings have obvious red flags (other than the price)?
https://www.ebay.com/itm/203770094554
https://www.ebay.com/itm/134720976469
https://www.ebay.com/itm/225604573175
eBay
737)Alden Penny Loafer Shoes Black Leather Shoes Men’s Size 12 B/D ...
Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for 737)Alden Penny Loafer Shoes Black Leather Shoes Men’s Size 12 B/D EUC at the best online prices at eBay! Free shipping for many products!
eBay
Alden 681 Mens Black Calfskin Leather 12 B/D Penny Loafers | eBay
Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for Alden 681 Mens Black Calfskin Leather 12 B/D Penny Loafers at the best online prices at eBay! Free shipping for many products!
eBay
Alden Black Calfskin Leather Tassel Loafers Slip-On Shoes Mens Sz.1...
Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for Alden Black Calfskin Leather Tassel Loafers Slip-On Shoes Mens Sz.12 B/ D 660 at the best online prices at eBay! Free shipping for many products!
23 Replies
Second pair has a huge gouge out of the toe, I would pass on those
Oh damn. That isn’t something you can fill in.
Thanks, I completely missed that
Many people find it really hard to nail the fit when buying online, and with loafers really you have to nail the fit.
Anyways in generaly I look at:
- Any gouges, scratches, etc in the leather? Some stuff is no big deal, some stuff is not really fixable.
- Any split seams, split stitching, etc?
- Is the leather frayed right at the top where your feet go in and out?
- How does the sole look like inside? Sometimes you can see where all the nails are showing, that means the cork layer is completely gone and it needs a resole.
- How does the sole look like outside? Are there holes? Are the toes and heels worn out? Again, it can need a resole.
That lets you know how much work the shoe might need. You have to budget that in. If you're just buying something for $30 you might only want to wear it a dozen times then resell and you don't care, but if you wanna keep it, a resole can add anywhere from $60 to ... well, multiples of that. Some folk have a rule of thumb of 1/3 the price of the shoe for a recondition, eg, an alden shoe will cost you $200-250 to resole etc etc, so a "screaming deal" for $50 that needs immediate resole is much worse than a "this shoe has a lot of life in it" for $150.
Beyond that obviously there's the question of: will this fit me, and do I like the style? That's much more individual. Brannock size is good to know, and then you have to google how every company's shoes fit (and often the fit differs between lasts.) So for example, I know that I am comfortable in a 9 D (B/D) alden shoe with a hampton last, but that doesn't mean I will be comfortable in any 9D shoe or boot, some will be too small or too big in one respect or another. Even from the same company, a different last can mean a significantly different fit.
I look for the code written inside the shoe and research it. See if the info I find is problematic for me.
Then sometimes there's other stuff like "they said it's shell, but that looks like calf to me." In other words, not all descriptions are accurate. Some ignorance, some scams.
A few things I’d add to gimp and jibba’s comments: the heel pad is a pretty good tell for wear. You can polish up shitty uppers but you can’t hide a super worn heel pad (how much of the gold text is still legible and is there any discoloration).
For the soles I look at the channels where the stitching is. The more wear the soles have the more worn down the channel/stitching will be in certain spots.
Uppers: watch out for pairs that are heavily polished/shiny. It’s a bitch to clean up shoes with a ton of polish caked on.
I’d pass on the black penny loafers. Those look like they are on the Copley last and not the regular van last.
Pass on the full strap loafers because the inside heels are shot. The tassels are a solid bet. Heels look like they have a decent bit of wear but that’s usually a cheap fix. You could ask for a better pic of the heel. Also, fair warning: the tassel loafer last (Aberdeen) is notoriously hard to size correctly. It runs a bit narrow and short imo.
Pass on the full strap loafers because the inside heels are shot. The tassels are a solid bet. Heels look like they have a decent bit of wear but that’s usually a cheap fix. You could ask for a better pic of the heel. Also, fair warning: the tassel loafer last (Aberdeen) is notoriously hard to size correctly. It runs a bit narrow and short imo.
Ah, so that’s what’s wrong with that pair 🤣
Thanks for all the detailed advice, everyone! I’m starting to think I should save up and buy new to avoid dropping a couple hundred dollars on a used pair when I don’t know what I’m doing
There are plenty of great options and deals on eBay (especially on those three models - they tend to be some of the less expensive models on eBay). If you have the patience set up a saved search for your sizes. If you live near a retailer it’s definitely worth getting sized.
If you find anything in particular you can shoot me a DM - happy help you find the right pair.
Of all alden shoes, I think loafers tend to sell for the least amount, or are priced lowest outside of auction, yeah. Great set to buy, just ... hard to know your fit perfectly unless you try on in store
I’d say that only applies to calf models and some things on the Aberdeen last. Suede and shell LHS tend to do well. Shell tassels are usually a solid deal but suede is a bit more.
Fair
I'm'a go to the alden store, buy a pair of something to treat myself, but try on like 8 things I want so I know my sizes, and pick em up on ebay. Including loafers. :P Mine do not fit well, heel slips out too easily.
I went to an Alden store recently and got fitted for the LHS and tassels. The person working there suggest I get the same size for them both, but I thought the tassels would be better going up a half size
I think people size down LHS
a half size, is what I have heard.
Yeah, I was 11.5 E Van last and 11.5 D Trubalance last
I thought the 11.5 E Aberdeen last was too tight, but he said that’s how leather should feel vs suede
That’s all sorts of odd. Fwiw, I sized up in my shell tassels but did van size for suede
Fat fingered. That should have been 11.5 D trubalance
Ah ok lol. I’m a 10D in trubalance/barrie and 10.5 in van. 10E brannock
I can't imagine someone wearing the same size in aberdeen and van
I've yet to meet someone that isn't TTS aberdeen
Here's an example: https://www.savvyrow.co.uk/collections/latest/products/23-0689-shipton-heneage-brown-brogue-toe-calf-leather-shoe-rrp-300-uk-8f
Savvy Row
23/0689 shipton & heneage brown brogue toe calf leather shoe (rrp £...
Save £££s. Condition: EXCELLENT - shows very minor signs of wear from occasional use but has no significant flaws. See photos. Estimated size to fit: UK 8, US 9, Continental 42 Our stock ref: 23/0689Unpacked weight: 990g
Wholecuts, and since they say connnaught inside, quite possibly a C&J product though hard to figure out, for 45 quid, great right?
But check the inside of the sole, see all those bumps?
Those are the nails, so the thing needs a resole. Now you're talking 45 quid + depending on your choices, one to two hundred bucks to do the work. And suddenly those maybe-C&J wholecut oxfords aren't nearly as good of a deal, right?
wholecuts are generally a terrible style of shoe but I'm confident those are at least bench grade if they are C&J (maybe better)
The filler is probably struggling a bit but given the condition I'd have no issues wearing those as-is
There's always the question with used stuff: why is a person selling it? With shoes, the answers are pretty much:
- Bought something that didn't fit, cannot return
- Bought something that somehow disappoints, cannot return
- Over it
- Need to free up space
- Need to quickly make a few bucks
- Too worn to want to keep wearing, not interested in spending the $$ to resole/refurbish/renew
Now in the last case, one man's "too worn" can easily be another man's "it's fine for another two years" or "wow, this thing just needs an hour of casual brushing, polishing, etc while I watch TV plus some new laces and it'll be dope" but in this case I think we can agree it needs a sole sooner rather than later. Just an example of what to look for, because the condition is quite good
I actually like wholecuts ............. in theory. Haven't yet found "The wholecuts for me"
I suspect my foot could fit in it without being too pissed off by the nails but I wouldn't ever really be happy looking at them when I put them on, before I do a resole, you know what I mean?
And I suspect the "RRP 300 quid" was like, RRP back 25 years ago. It does seem almost pointless to make a wholecut with any quality lesser than benchgrade. But the vendor obfuscates who makes their shoes. (I looked it up.) Just because it has the name doesn't necessarily mean it's not some sort of coincidence or minor dishonesty. I think a proper enthusiast could look at the sole and inside the shoe and tell us based on the nail pattern and writing. Overall if it's $800 to buy a similar one today, being $250 into them with a new sole can be a good deal considering the respectable overall condition
I think 300GBP ~20 years ago can get you bench grade lol
I remember when Indys were $400
They're like $650 now yeah? I want a pair of suede ones... missed 3 boots in a row on ebay... sigh. But yeah, I am guessing that shoe is a couple decades old, which would allow original RRP to match benchgrade back in the day. Plus "375" turns into "300" in one's memory after 20 years :P