Are Loake seconds shoes worth buying?
In a word, yes. The shoes Loake will class as a second or sub will normally be a shoe with a very minor mark or defect, but they have such high standards that the majority of the time you wont see anything noticeable that you would consider makes them a second.
When you buy Loake seconds shoes are you getting an inferior product?Certainly not. With any pair of Loake shoes it can take up to eight weeks to make, some 130 skilled craftsmen, up to 75 shoe parts and over 200 different operations. So it would be a real shame if we can't still honour the craftsmanship that goes into them by ensuring the shoes still see life somewhere.
Due to their high standards most our seconds don't have noticeable marks or defects, if anything it will most likely be that the tongue of the shoe has a hole in it which we notice seems to be the most common defect found. Or it's simply just a return they've had of a brand new shoe.
So the majority of the time when you're wearing them there are likely are no real noticeable defects and you are basically getting a brand new shoe at a very low price.
Clearly these Loake seconds we have are superb value for money and so are truly worth buying.
What about the Loake seconds which do have noticeable defects?
We like to say that it adds character to them which is really true.
Shoes are made to be used and so any noticeable marks are usually no worse than ones you will most likely make yourself within the first week of wearing them. Even the most careful of us will add wear and tear to the things we use over time. One thing to be said about Loakes though is they typically stand the test of time and so wear very well, so even with signs of use a good pair of Loakes shoes can last your lifetime if you look after them and get them resoled when necessary.