Nice to see you back. I missed your content.

The social experiment you did here is so interesting Bob. As a shoe enthusiast I had the exact same prediction as you that the Cobbler Union shoe would be rated the most highly. I was completely dumbfounded by the result! This just goes to show how differently we shoe people think and feel about shoes compared to the average consumer. Personally, I don't have any John Lobb but do have a collection of other shoes that are not as high-end but still certainly of great quality, including brands like Vass, Carmina, TLB and Crockett & Jones. However, every time someone visits my home and I ask them which shoe is their favourite, they almost never pick any of the aforementioned brands. I think Meermin is the brand that has got the most vote, which again just boggles my mind. In your experiment specifically though, I would point out one factor that you may not have addressed which I think has contributed to the women's decision-making process. I think more than one of them has mentioned how "soft" the leather is on the John Lobb, and also how the leather on the Cobbler Union doesn't feel as good. I feel like that's primairly due to the difference in style. A loafer should probably have softer leather compared to an Oxford which is a more formal shoe, requires a better shine and is generally more structured. The polish you've put on the Cobbler Union may have also made the leather feel stiffer, especially on the toe (I think Stacy touched on this). Anyways some food for thought here!

While I like cars too. I Love your shoe videos. I have learned so much about shoes from you. While I don't have the same loyalty to Allen Edmonds that you have, your knowledge about shoes is amazing and I want to say thank you because you have value to me.

The Numbers inside the shoes are : on the right first digit = size , a letter (E) for the fit (or could be EE for a large feet) , and it should be 4395 for the last , on the left size of the shoe another number is craftmen or quality control identification , got 2 pair of theses and they are awesome ,goes with everything, jeans, chinos, suit, even with shorts in summer .

Enjoyed the video Bob. Really cool thrift find--honestly an amazing find. I wasn't familiar with John Lobb so I appreciate the info and review of your pair. I'm somewhat familiar with men's dress shoes and if doing the blind ranking via video or images I probably would've ranked the Cobbler Unions first, the Lobbs second and the Bostonians third--if I'd done the ranking in person I likely would've ranked the Lobbs first based on appearance and feel of the leather with the Cobbler Unions second. This upload is the first one in quite a while that KZfaq has shown me despite being being subscribed with "all" notifications selected. I haven't checked out your car content yet but I'll give it a look--I know if it's on this channel it'll be high quality stuff.

When you say that John Lobb has Royal Warrant and is the most expensive shoemaker in England, it's different John Lobb. There are two. The Warrant holder is John Lobb Bootmaker of London and their shoes are a hell of a lot more expensive as they only do bespoke. Think $10k. What you have here is John Lobb Paris, their RTW offshoot that is owned by Hermès (originally set up as a shop in Paris, later acquired by Hermès). They are made in a factory in England, but not the the workshop of John Lobb. They just have a license to use that name.

What I learned is that brown boots are generally regarded as more upmarket. That alignes with my feelings when I look at people. They generally look better in casual styles with ligh-brown boots.

Finally the cobbler is back!

Good to see you talking about shoes again!

Sweet! The kind of content that drew me to your channel, I followed your advice and have been finding some sweet thrifts.

The cost of a pair of shoes comes a distant second to how well (or not) a man looks after them

The real question is how did you get it for $15?!?

Welcome back! Missed yourshoe content

Great video!

Cobbler Union looked to slick for the women. John Lobb had the understated quality.

Frankly, what you really pay for is brand, construction, craftsmanship and material. If you don't know the brands, you can't put value on them. All you can do is look at the country of origin. Construction is largely hidden and can't be properly evaluated without taking the shoe apart and you need expert knowledge. If you know leather, you can tell something. But what it really comes down to is how well the shoe ages. And knowing e.g. glove leather doesn't really equip you to judge shoe leather. It shouldn't surprise anyone that laymen have a hard time as the real quality is largely hidden. At best, you can look at craftsmanship. Things like consistent spacing, blemishes, etc. You'd need shoes that are the same style, same type of leather, same colour, worn for similar time/ distance and with original soles. You should be able to tell the cheapest shoe by craftsmanship, blemishes and wear. But as you go up, it becomes trickier. Especially certain pairings. You could definitely pick them to trick people. Personally, I don't think John Lobb Paris is particularly good value. There are better shoes for that kind of money.

Hey Robert! Like yourself I’m a big fan a AE shoes and I love your content. I’ve seen everyone of your shoe videos at least once! When you started to drift away from shoe content I admit I was a little disappointed but I understand you’ve got to do what your passion about. KZfaq isn’t a viable source of income for most creators so you should make video’s about the things that get you excited. Because of your absence from shoe content this inspired me to make my own content and start a channel. It would be a honor if you checked out some videos and told me what you think I can improve on.

Funny Video, just like watches women don't know or care about our shoes, lmao

Bob did you say Hermes that should say it all?

Didn’t matter the content Were still here cheer u on Srry ur views dropped

John Lobb, overpriced, over rated and just a status symbol for shoe snobs!

i doubt it but who cares what they think lol