I go through about a belt a year now. Because I always seem to end up with this crap you describe. Even if I try to avoid it. Guess I need to do a better job looking... Or just lose some weight so I can use that same belt for another 15years.
The shoes were $100, because they retail for $400-$500, but when I purchased them they were 10 years old and in good condition. I have since been wearing them quite regularly, and they still look as new as the day I got them.
I used to spend $100 a year on typical men’s shoes, not realizing how wasteful it all was. Leather is an amazing material when it is cared for, and it can be a very eco-friendly clothing solution to our throwaway culture of petroleum products.
I am now sold on quality leather shoes, because they are in fact cheaper and better for the environment than any petroleum shoes when properly cared for (for the simple fact that they can last 10 to 20 years).
The cork soles and the leather will slowly morph to your foot shape as you use them, so they get more comfortable as you use them. My most comfortable pair had its last manufacturing run in ~2005 (“lauderdale”).
Sneakers for $179 and dress shoes are priced at $249.
Like you said amazing quality shoes last for several years when given proper maintenance.
Business attire is also top notch from this brand competing with similar Brioni suits for a 1/3 of the price.
Once again, go to Etsy and search for full grain leather belts. I spent about $70 on mine. This is one of the markets where you'll get a much better product working with a local craftsman than shopping with a brand name.
I highly recommend them. These belts will last a lifetime.
I've been in the market for new belts for a year now, so the glut of hides is good news. Time to stock up for another century!
I've had very good full grain leather belts in the past. Now that I know the market situation I'm going to search for a big (cheap) piece of full-grain cowhide and cut my own damn belts out of it. Belts aren't hi-tech. It isn't as if we're talking about making a 5-nm chip here; more like "cow chip" tech.
I'm in Texas now so there are probably cowhides all over the local flea markets and wholesale shops.
"How to Make a $90 Belt for Only $23":
https://www.primermagazine.com/2012/learn/how-to-make-a-90-b...
discusses where to buy leather and tools (that will last the rest of your life) and how to make the belt. Also...
"How to make a $100 belt on the cheap": https://www.reddit.com/r/malefashionadvice/comments/k6uro/ho...
where you'll find tips on finishing the leather too.
- - - -
> TIP CUT C125
> Round
> English Point
> Taper
- - - -
> Belt length:
> * DO NOT USE YOUR PANTS SIZE *
> 25
> 26
> 27
- - - -
It's better if you:
1. Explain which options are recommended for what kind of customer, or which options go together better in a set.
2. Don't expect checkout customers to work in your leather belt shop.
What does C125 mean? Why is it prominent in the checkout?
If you're not meant to use your pants size, how about a sizing guide?
The tip cuts make sense to me. You can either go rounded, have a point, or go with a taper. The image changes based on which one you choose.
They have a sizing guide on the product page where they use your old belt as a base for measurement.
As for point number one, I feel like that's a matter of preference, specifically because fashion is subjective.
I mean, I agree with the sentiment of your comment, specifically they could definitely do more user friendly things, but I figure most of their customers are into bespoke products and are okay with doing research on their own or are informed.
I'm not that person though- I just clicked on a picture of a belt on their homepage, so "C125" is a random string to me.
Is "C125" the thing I want to order or the opposite of that thing? I forget.
I also wouldn't know they have a sizing guide on their homepage, because I'm on their checkout page already.
I know that sounds silly (and pretty much incompetent of me as a buyer), but there are a lot of eComm sites, a lot of places to buy belts, and busy lives for customers.
You either hold the customer's hand through checkout, or you bleed abandoned carts.
I found a comment online that goes:
> Tapered
> - easier grip to pull/cinch the belt
> - easier to get through the loop Rounded
> - 5" less excess going through the loop.
> - great if you are sharing belts (if the smaller person is wearing the belt in its tightest setting, they won't have the excess talked about in first bullet point)
Little notes like this would go a long way during the checkout process.
I personally thought that the tip cut might have been more of an aesthetic preference than one of practicality.
(1) https://www.aliexpress.com/item/32816882257.html?spm=a2g0o.p...
(Not sure how this varies across other non-US western countries)
As in, lower than domestic parcel rates inside the USA, typically in the range of $1 - $2.
I believe Trump mentioned considering re-negotiating that deal recently, which nobody has objected to.
But it probably should go away. It creates this weird imbalance where shipping things from China to the US can be cheaper than shipping something to your next door neighbor.
NPR's planet money had an informative and fun episode on the topic. https://www.npr.org/sections/money/2018/08/01/634737852/epis...
After getting fed up of of cloth like deteriorating "leather" belts, recently i looked closely and ended up with a timberland (stamped india) "genuine leather" (means not leather again) belt. In comparison, the timberland used stitching to attach the buckle while my old spanish belt used two hefty rivets to attach the buckle.
I think we do still make things excellently... it's just for the 1% (maybe when i was young in the u.s. i was the 1% in the world at the time).
Here is a quick overview of leather grades:
https://www.heddels.com/2014/06/overview-guide-leather-grade...
Then you see a quality brand you remember from 40 years ago who once sold proper thick hide belts. Comes for a similar premium price that has you thinking it's the real thing still. You can have something that looks the same - for a couple of years. Except it's bonded leather, with a cheaply plated buckle, made in China or Vietnam.
The leather goods shop, that sold only pukka items, in town is long gone. As is the shopkeeper who could advise which leather would suit your need best, and order in special niche items. There might be a real maker somewhere online, selling at artisan (ie absurd) prices. You may never know it as everyone else is trying to imply their crap is that too.
Something like a site with "leather teardowns" on products?
Alternatively, what would be a good non-invasive non-destructive method to detect its actual leathernness? Something like Atomic Dielectric Resonance scanning? It may sound absurd to construct an ADR scanner to buy a leather item on a sporadic basis, but the device could be rented (for a miniscule price, with a deposit in escrow to ensure return) say at a bio-shop... Or somehow build it into a phone, using its radio spectrum?
You might also have luck checking out cobblers. Some of them make belts and other leather goods on the side.
As a tangent, Vivobarefoot is a shoe company that makes very high quality leather shoes. I bought a pair of their brown low-tops and have worn them everyday for work for 4(+) years. Other than looking slightly worn they function as new. No affiliation, just impressed with the craftsmanship.
Good leather is good.
I've bought Vivobarefoot (mostly when they're on sale) for over 7 years now, and the build quality of their shoes are really hit-or-miss — while the leather doesn't wear, some of their soles tend to puncture or flake within months.
The pair I'm currently wearing daily, their Soul of Africa Gobi, has been going strong for over a year now.
Their Stealth and Evo series of running shoes (not leather) are rubbish. My Evo died after 131 km/81 miles of running — normal running shoes should last at least 2-3 times of that.
I wonder if the country of production plays a part in build quality.
My Evo also got trashed pretty quickly, but I had a pair of Neo that lasted around seven years before I finally wore through the sole. Have a couple from their Primus line for the past year or so that seem to be holding up well so far.
[1] https://theleatherguy.org/collections/leather-belt-blanks
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Life-belts/s?k=Life+belts
Belts for life??
Definitely buy it for (life belts, wallets, etc).As an extreme example, a napkin sketch by Picasso is not valued relative to napkins.
If the creator makes a belt just the way I want it, that’s worth a couple hours pay to me.