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The Difference

An interesting article was passed my way by The Trad the other day. In February 2007 (when $ was much stronger vs. â‚¬), New York Magazine asked the age-old question “What makes one loafer worth several hundred dollars more than another?”

To explain the answer they took apart penny loafers by J.M. Weston and Bass Weejun. The dissection is brutal but makes the point; there is no substitute for quality materials and craftsmanship.

I think Cosmo Castorini expressed it perfectly when he said,”There are three kinds of pipe. There’s aluminum, which is garbage. There’s bronze, which is pretty good, unless something goes wrong. And something always goes wrong. Then, there’s copper, which is the only pipe I use. It costs money. It costs money because it saves money.”

And that’s basically how I feel about great shoes. They cost money. They cost money because they save money.