All posts in Footwear

Why Quoddy Mocs?

by oxford cloth button down on May 12, 2023 in Footwear with 7 Comments

It’s time for me to get a new pair of camp mocs. My Sperry camp mocs (see above) are dying. The footbed is starting to disintegrate. I’d get another pair, but Sperry no longer offers this style so I’m stepping up my camp moc game this time around. I had narrowed my options down to the Quoddy Canoe Moc or Rancourt Gilman Camp Moc. I ended up going with Quoddy and here is why.

When it comes to looks Quoddy and Rancourt camp mocs are very similar. I did notice a handful of differences. The most notable to me is the soles. Rancourt use brown soles whereas Quoddy uses black. I prefer the brown, but this could be because my Sperry’s have brown soles and I’ve grown accustomed to it. Another difference is the spacing of the eyelets. The second set of eyelets on the Quoddy camp mocs are spaced a little further apart than the Rancourt. In terms of overall shape the Quoddy mocs appear to have a more rounded toe box than Rancourt and a lower profile (might be better for my feet). In this category Quoddy scores points for the toe box shape while Rancourt gets points for the brown soles. I will call it a tie.

Now let’s take a look at the price. Rancourt camp mocs are $268. Quoddy are $249. Quoddy also offers 20% off your first purchase. Rancourt does offer a great deal every year where they crowd source pairs for right around $160. The downside is that you need to know your size in advance and the wait time is 2-3 months. Here Quoddy gets the edge for first time purchasers and Rancourt gets the win for repeat customers.

Next up is availability. This was probably the biggest factor for why I chose Quoddy. I thought that Rancourt would have camp mocs in stock and ready to ship. I really liked the Carolina Brown Rancourt. I probably would have bit, but on closer inspection it says that they will be ready in 10-12 weeks. Quoddy on the other hand had them ready to go now. Another point for Quoddy.

I picked Quoddy because I could get them now and it didn’t hurt that they were a little cheaper ($230 delivered). I went with the brown as I thought they’d be more versatile than the red sole (which I love) of the whiskey colored pair. Even though I like the whiskey color a little better. I hope that sharing my painstakingly neurotic decision making process will be helpful to anyone that is in the same boat. I am wafting to take delivery of my new mocs so I can’t offer a review just yet, but know that it’s coming.

Bass Weejuns 2020

by oxford cloth button down on February 16, 2020 in Footwear, Men's Clothing Reviews with 17 Comments

I am a fan of Bass Weejuns. I know that they are cheap, disposable, and overall poorly made shoes. I also know that there are a lot of nicer options (Alden, Rancourt, Allen Edmonds) for penny loafers out there. Knowing all of this I was still a fan and recently needed replace some badly worn Weejuns.

Not only do I like cheap Weejuns, but I generally opt for the even cheaper outlet versions currently called Walters. They are virtually identical except for the price and the cut out shape on the strap. I made a trip to my local outlet mall to grab a pair of the brown and a pair of the burgundy. I picked up a pair of the burgundy (see above) and I am happy with them but I was disappointed to learn that they were no longer offering an outlet Weejun in brown. They did have a tan pair. It was an awful color.

I really needed a pair of brown Weejuns a lot more than a pair of burgundy ones. My brown pair are my go to loafers. So upon returning home I hopped online and ordered a pair of the non-outlet Logan Weejuns in brown. They were $110 which is $40-50 more than I paid for the outlet Weejuns. Despite the cost difference I was happy to have a pair on the way.

Then they arrived. First, the sizing was way off. They are between a half and whole size larger than my other pairs. The second issue is the leather. While the burgundy are known for being plasticky (I call them plastic shell cordovan) the brown have always been closer to real leather. However the current version of brown is now as plasticky as the burgundy. I was not thrilled to say the least. Next comes the shape. It may be due to sizing but the toe box looks awfully narrow and long. This narrowness along with the length makes the toe box seem square. Needless to say I was not thrilled and they will go back.

Like I said, I like Weejuns. They have the best shape, fit me well, they are affordable, and they are always accessible (I hate trying to buy shoes online). However the fact that the brown leather is now on par with burgundy leather (if you can call it leather) and the shape is starting to shift I might have to look for an alternative. Before I stray too far I will probably return to the outlet to checkout the beefroll version in brown.

Brown Bass Weejun 2020 — Brown Bass Logan Weejun 2020

2020 Bass Weejuns Comparison — 2020 Brown Bass Logan Weejuns vs 2020 Outlet Burgundy Bass Walter Weejuns

Brown Bass Weejun Loafers 2020 Toe Box — That toe box looks a little square to me.

New Tretorns Plus…

by oxford cloth button down on May 13, 2018 in Footwear, Lifestyle, Men's Clothing Reviews, Style with 5 Comments

I just scored a new pair of Tretorn Nylites. I went with the Nylite Plus’s as they have more padding…and were all I could really find. I also thought that I remembered reading that these were truer to the original than the previous model which you know that a trad loves to hear.
You might be wondering what happened to my old Nylites. Well let me tell you that not all things survive being washed on hot (aka they shrank), but I do still have them. Below you can see them (old-bottom) compared to the new pair (new-top). The new pair has a lot more padding (meaning some) around the ankle and even more support in the footbed than the old model. For someone like me who needs support in a sneaker this is great. The sole of this shoe does look a little larger (width) and it is by about 1/16 of an inch which I don’t love, but will probably quickly forget. I do think that the larger and more elongated logo on the old navy pair looks better. The old pair is also floppier, but we will see how the new model breaks in.

So truer to the original and more comfortable??? I am sold! Truth be told I have only worn them once, but they were comfortable straight out of the box. I have actually never had a pair of truly comfortable minimalist canvas sneakers so lets just say that I am thrilled. I imagine that they will get a lot of use this summer. Before I go I did find where I read about the Nylite Plus’s being truer to the originals. It was over at Sid Mashburn. I have included that below,

It’s the old-school Nylite we know and love — the ultimate icon of Swedish athletica — but better. And by “better,” we really mean “truer to the original.” Tretorn brought back the padding on the sides and footbed for a more comfortable tennis shoe… think more sneaker, less slipper. And the inside is designed specifically with a more sweat-resistant, light-pile, eco-friendly French terry, which is great to wear (you know it) sockless.

Sid Mocs

by oxford cloth button down on November 12, 2017 in Footwear, Men's Clothing Reviews, Style with 3 Comments

I have written about my adoration of camp mocs on more than one occasion. I currently own 2 pair, but I still have a gap to fill. While making my rounds on the web last week there was a pair from Sid Mashburn that caught my eye.

First let’s cover why I love camp mocs. You can wear them year-round while their cousins the boat shoe are generally relegated to warmer months (Not that I always adhere to this. See Boat shoes with socks). They are also a little more rugged than their cousin. I would call boat shoes the blue blazer with gold buttons with a little more prep connotation while camp mocs are the slightly more trad tweed jacket. Also, they look cool. Real cool.
Why do I need another pair? As I said, I have 2 pair. One pair are Sperry gold cup 1-eye boat shoes. The other are L.L. Bean Signature camp mocs. The Sperry’s are great without socks, but a little too tight with socks while the Bean mocs run big one me and I can only wear them with heavy duty wool socks. You see where I am going. I something in between. Here is where the Sid mocs enter the scene.
Since I don’t have any experience with this shoe I will let Sid tell it,

Somewhere between Native Americana and New England… and handsewn in Portugal? Go figure. A higher vamp and a slimmer shape make these a little more polished than your average camp moc. They’ve still got the traditional leather lacing and rubber sole. The harder you wear them, the better they get. (Especially sans socks.)

Overall I think the Sid mocs ($150 – see here) look like contenders. Like the shape. I like color. What I also like about them is that the price is high enough that I will expect decent quality, but does not venture into Rancourt or Quoddy territory. Not that I don’t eventually want to head that way.

When to Say When

by oxford cloth button down on October 29, 2017 in Footwear, Lifestyle, shoes with 17 Comments

This week I put my old Weejuns out to pasture. This is not easy for me as I don’t always know when to say when. I mean almost never. I am pretty sure that a lot of you out there can relate. There is a fine line between well-worn and over-due, but I seem to miss it quite often.
I have been wearing my current pair of Weejuns for right around 3 years (see above). To some of you this may sound like no time at all and others an eternity. For the most part I am desk jockey so they don’t see much action outside of the walk from the parking lot to the office and back. I will be honest. While I don’t walk in them a ton I am very hard on my shoes. Monday through Thursday I rotate between two pair of Weejuns, but I end up wearing my brown pair 75% of the time. I also do not use shoe trees. I told you that I was going to be honest.
After reading the paragraph above I am sure it is clear to you that I needed new loafers (and better shoe-care habits!). It was clear to me that I probably needed new shoes, but if I had not found a new pair of Weejuns in my closet I doubt I would have made the leap.

This is actually where I could use some advice. What measurement if any do you use to know when a clothing item needs to be moved out of the starting line-up? This does not have to be limited to shoes. It could be for shirts, sweaters, trousers, sport coats, suits, etc. Please help a trad out!