10 Best Thrift & eBay shoe deals 2016-2018

In this video I show you what I consider my 10 best thrift or eBay shoe deals from 2016 though October of 2018! I also give you some tips to help you find deals of your own. Here are a couple videos I reference or that are related:
"Which Polo Ralph Lauren shoes are Best?"
• Which Polo Ralph Laure...
"Buying Allen Edmonds on EBay? What to look for with sole wear..."
• Buying Allen Edmonds o...
"What is a Closed Channel vs Open Channel Stitched Sole?"
• What is a Closed Chann...
"Shoe construction: Goodyear Welted shown"
• Shoe construction: Goo...
Music: "Tropical House"
written by Yuriy Bespalov (freemusicpublicdomain.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0
creativecommons.org/licenses/b...

[@georgebulbakwa9017]

You are one of the people that actually convinced me to go for quality shoes. Always wanted one but couldn't justify spending for them. Found your channel mid pandemic in 2020 and the thing that convinced me was the wide feet. It always sucks to try to find wide shoes especially if one foot is a noticeable size difference from the other. Been going through your earlier stuff and this one resonated with me with trying to find something that fits. I decided to support a local bespoke shoe maker so they don't go under during the pandemic for my first pair of quality shoes and I fell in love. I tried their made to measure to trial how they fit before I decide to go full bespoke and they delivered. I'm a 7.5 wide on the left and 7.5 narrow on the right. Normally I go for 8 and the left is tight on width but long and loose on the right. Finally found the justification with the fit along with how cheap it is to bring quality shoes back to near new condition rather than buying a new pair of mediocre shoes. Thanks for your video, Bob and if you'd pardon my pun, more power to you.

[@CobblerBob]

Wow! What a difference in feet! I’m glad the info helped, that warms my heart! 👊🏼

[@JohnEZang]

I used to work for a transitional work program as a job coach with a group of people volunteering at Salvation Army 3 days a week. Needless to say I found some gems of all kinds. Got me into thrifting everything from t shirts, shoes, toys records, furniture etc.. Shoes were def very hit or miss (especially men’s lol) but when I hit it was usually something special. One day I found 2 pairs of AE park aves possibly worn once. One pair was made for brooks brothers that I got rid of and the other was a black pair of park ave I kept (they have that little tag near the inside ankle so I’m not sure how old) I’m more of a boot/sneaker guy but a pair of AE Norwich single monk straps were my first pair of fine leather shoes. Purchased online when I landed my first real job after college. Haven’t worn them in years and it’s time for a resole. Very comfortable leather shoes. Always love AE. Great content by the way!

[@savvylifestrategies9445]

Great finds, Bob. It also demonstrates your ability to recraft/restore used shoes. I am an AE and J&M fan. I have about ten pairs of AE shoes/boots and two pairs of 1850 J&M chukka boots. I bought them new on sale.

[@timgeist1450]

Thanks for the great tip about Goodwill auctions! Went there right after watching your video and found an as new pair of AE Park Avenues with AE trees and bags. Just won the auction for less than half the AE retail. They have the leather/rubber combo sole, which should work great here in the Pacific NW! Love your videos. Thanks for the shoe education.

[@djtaylorutube]

The best bargains are sometimes the ones where people have neglected the shoe, never used a shoe tree and it looks all creased and bent. Even better if they've caked on the wax and now it looks to them like the leather is cracking. My cheapest pair so far has been £6 and after stripping the wax, soaking the leather and letting them dry with some shoe trees in, they're as straight as when they were new. Another pair of Loakes had worn out soles and although the leather is only binder leather and were only £11. I had a pair of Dainite soles put on because in the UK, I wanted a pair of bullet proof shoes for winter and these serve the purpose brilliantly. The uppers just need a brush to shine and are suitably waterproof, along with the rubber soles, i've got something to wear that's smart enough on the crappy weather days without compromising my far more expensive leather soled shoes. Got some great boots last weekend in a charity shop for my wife, a mere £4.95. Buffed up really well.

[@bonkersblock]

Dude! I went to goodwill boutique and score two pairs of brunello cucinelli dress shoes with rubber soled for 30 dollars each! Looks barely used, amazing what people donates these days, those shoes goes for at least $1,100 each..

[@CobblerBob]

Erik Stronghold 😲 I’ve never heard of them so I just went to their website... 🤯

[@saadabdullah4245]

WTFFFFF

[@zefdin101]

Thanks for sharing Bob. I loved the tips. I find that if you have an eye for quality and some basic knowledge of the kind of things that interest you, bargain hunting can be a heck of a lot of fun. I have some great buys I have come across.

[@PaulCarterTCM]

Hey Robert I really enjoy your videos. I put them on while I'm doing admin work and get a lot of useful info. Cheers

[@jameszak7582]

Bob, I have watch several of your videos and have been inspired. I am typically more of a Red Wing boot and Selvedge denim guy, but I just received my first pair of Allen Edmonds from an Ebay seller for $ 6. I'll clean them up and put new top lifts and they will great! I am quite excited.

[@StarWarriorMusic]

I have to say my best find happened just the other day. I found a pair of Allen Edmonds Cambridge wingtips in shell cordovan! I paid a measly 8 dollars for them! To be fair the soles have seen a lot of wear but I don't work in an office environment so I don't wear dress shoes everyday. So even if I spend 200 to get them resoled I am inly in 208 bucks on a 700 dollar pair of shoes. Love the video bob!!

[@CobblerBob]

Sorry, somehow I missed your comment! That’s amazing! I have found a few pair of shell Cordovan shoes before, but never in my size!

[@StarWarriorMusic]

@@CobblerBob better late than never eh? Lol! I have found other pairs not my size as well. Moved them on to others at a fair price. Most of my shoes have been thrifted though. Love the hunt and finding a pair for pennies that would have cost upwards of a thousand new

[@bronovalter391]

Vintage Goodyear welted Bostonians are one of the great bargains out there, I paid $25 for a pair of cap toed, oxblood, brogue oxfords in the same shape as the Allen Edmonds in this video - new to almost new, never worn on pavement. It was money well spent. Previous to this find, I had overlooked Bostonians as not up to snuff. No more. Now I keep my eyes out. I'm looking forward to watching your videos on restoring shoes, so I can keep my shoes looking their best. P.S. I have a pair of Johnson and Murphy Heritage that are almost identical to your Aristocrats. Of course, not the level of an Aristocrat, but the Heritage is a very nice shoe. One of the most comfortable that I own. I like woven leather too. It takes casual to the next level! I like the nice shoes/jeans/sport jacket/killer socks look.

[@CobblerBob]

Sorry for the late reply... YES, agree, the Made in USA vintage Bostonians are great and very underrated. In fact, I felt so strongly about that, I made an entire video on Thrifting Bostonians! kzbin.info/www/bejne/m5y7f4tqiLOSrpI

[@bronovalter391]

@@CobblerBob I had seen that video before but watched it again. I has lots of great information! Even when the leather is corrected, there is a big range of quality and I feel the corrected leather of vintage Bostonians and Johnston and Murphy are higher quality than what you see today.

[@r.mercado9737]

Great teaching process! Semper Fi

[@jrlee31]

Great video! I hope you can make another with just all your McAllister shoes.

[@HoglyStevenson]

SHHH! you are giving away all the secrets Robert!!!

[@frankrodriguez8990]

Love your videos. Hey on shoes that fit you tight you should invest in a 2 way shoe stretcher. Most AE you can strech 2 sizes and not affect the leather. When I find good deals like you that are slightly tight I leave them in the shoe stretcher for 3 days straight and adjust them every night.

[@CobblerBob]

Frank Rodriguez I’ve read about them.... but never tried stretchers. That may be a good thing to try with a pair of old top-right shoes!

[@shelbypayne3620]

Love the polos

[@rhdtv2002]

Bought some beautiful Allen Edmonds that only needed a shine for 10. Then I bought some old Sears black brouge wing tip from likely early 80/ or late 70for 10 and I only needed to shine them up and have to my son.

[@edf2953]

Another excellent video Bob! I always learn something watching one of your productions. I recently became a fan of monk strap shoes and not surprised to see a pair of monk strap make it to # 1 on your list. I have a single monk strap Allen Edmonds and currently looking for a double monk strap shoe, preferably on sale. Any ideas on where to look?

[@CobblerBob]

Ed F 🙏🏼 thank you! You aren’t gonna find those thrifting so it’s going to have to be eBay, or Allen Edmonds directly. It looks like they discontinued the Mora 2.0 double Monk Strap, and only sell the St John’s double Monk strap, which is on sale right now (11/27/18) for $340. That’s not a bad price of you really want them. Get on their email list to keep up with AE factory sales. Factory 2nds are a possibility too (flawed AE shoes sold by AE at a significant discount). Pay attention to which last # the shoes that you already have are built on, and the ones you are shopping for are built on. If the ones you have and the ones you are seeking out are built on the same last, you’re in great shape, you’ll know even without trying them on that they will fit. If the ones you were purchasing are built on a last number different than the ones you already have, that’s gonna make it a little trickier. Look up “All about lasts” on Allen Edmonds website.

[@edf2953]

Hi Bob, thanks for the very quick and thorough response! Your advice is spot on correct. I do like the look of the St. John’s and have been following the AE sales and have had prior good luck with AE Factory Seconds. I just acquired an AE Strand in Walnut, Factory Second, for $230. What’s interesting is that I cannot find anything at all wrong with the shoes. I’ve examined each shoe thoroughly and absolutely nothing wrong with either shoe. Thinking AE goofed in identifying these shoes as Factory Seconds. Anyway, it worked out for me. Another interesting AE ‘discovery’ on my part. I do track the identifying number of the last of each shoe i purchase. I recently bought a First Quality AE Fifth Avenue in Oxblood in a 10 D, my normal size. Well, it fit extremely tight and it took 3 weeks of breaking in walking inside on carpeting to decide to keep the shoes. I then purchased the aforementioned Strand, 10 D in Walnut and it fits like a glove. Couldn’t ask for a better fit. Same shoe size, same last and for me personally, one shoe fits perfectly and the other shoe was very snug. In the end both shoes worked, which I am happy with since I’ve been eyeing both the Fifth Avenue and the Strand for quite some time. Thanks again for your advice and input. I look forward to seeing new content from you, so I hope you keep the videos coming! Best regards, Ed

[@BassFishing81]

Ed F I too love monk straps. I have the Franciscan, Warwick, and just pulled the trigger on a pair of Brooks Brothers Peal and Co (made by C&J) single monk straps that went down to $250 brand new 3 weeks ago. For double monks I like the Saint Johns. shoebank.com/FactorySecondInventory.php?STY=2927S&DIM=D&SIZE=090 If you're willing to spend more (or wait and save up for them), there are these from C&J that are really unique: www.lyst.com/shoes/crockett-and-jones-crockett-and-jones-harrogate-double-monkstrap-shoe-in-dark-brown-dark-brown/?product=ABBCLQH&_country=US&size=UK+10.5-US+11.5&atc_medium=cpc&atc_content=USA-PLA-Crockett%2Band%2BJones%2BSlip-ons-Clothing%2B%2526%2BAccessories%2B%253E%2BShoes-Stilton%2B%2528fixed%2529-no&atc_country=USA&atc_source=google&atc_grouping=Google-PLA&atc_campaign=USA-PLA-AllBrands&sem_id=A916641744&atc_type=pla&gclid=Cj0KCQiA8_PfBRC3ARIsAOzJ2upvHxKQKccafH2J39nx5bDGNcWEKtwsfiEXGRIe7KREATYbGTYRilgaAjTVEALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds

[@GamingDrummer89]

A couple of things I was wondering about buying used dress shoes: I try keep my costs at or below $120 after tax, so with brands like J&M, Allen Edmonds, Cole Haan, etc. I will pretty much always rely on buying used, factory seconds, or deeply discounted shoes. I also don't go below the quality of brands like Florsheim (modern), Clarks, or Rockport, but I know I should also have one or two pairs from brands that are a step or two above those. Although there are factory seconds and deeply discounted models, I don't want to knock out used shoes from my options. My main query about this: with buying shoes used and not in-person (like on Ebay), have you ever had to ask the awkward question, "do the shoes stink"? I've seen pictures of people wearing some types of dress shoes with what looked like no socks, and it seems like that just makes people's feet smell five times worse than normal (and likely doing the same thing to the shoes), so I don't want to get shoes that have been worn in that way. What do you do to make sure you don't get smelly shoes by accident? Also, those J&M quarter brogue with the toe medallions are right up my alley! Gotta keep an eye out for some of those in the future, especially if they're at a price as low as $25!

[@CobblerBob]

Matt W - I’ve had a lot of people express this same concern. I can honestly tell you in several years of thrifting, I don’t think I’ve ever ONCE picked up a pair of shoes that smelled. Not once. Bacteria requires moisture to grow, and these shoes are always bone dry by the time they hit a thrift store. Now, I have seen some shoes that looked moldy, and I of course avoided them. As a precautionary measure I do have a spray bottle with 50% isopropyl alcohol & water that I spray inside the shoes just to be sure and kill any lingering bacteria. Also, some of those people are wearing “no-show” socks. You can purchase extremely low cut socks specifically for wearing with loafers where you don’t want to see the sock.

[@GamingDrummer89]

@@CobblerBob Thanks for the reassurance! How about eBay? Same story? I guess if push came to shove I could also buy aftermarket insoles and replace the old ones. I honestly have a major aversion to any feet beside my own, lol. Any aftermarket insoles you'd recommend? And I tried searching eBay for those aristocrafts, but it seemed like they were either just regular 1/4 brogues with no medallion or wingtips with a medallion. I honestly don't like wingtips much...I feel a quarter brogue cap toe, especially with a medallion, could stretch further and be worn with anything from jeans to a more formal suit than you could wear with wingtips. I also like 1/2 brogues, at least the ones without huge brogue holes and no broguing along the outside of the foot hole.

[@asadb1990]

A week ago i found a johnston murphy 59 11566 shoe in size 13 from goodwill for $9.79. The fit was perfect. And the upper, sole and midsole is all leather. Min wear on the soles. I wasnt sure if its goodyear welted or stitching is fake. I couldn't find much about them online.

[@fredcdobbs823]

Mr Powers, Great B-24D photos (see story of tailgunner/S/Sgt Paul Cybowski); looks like Privateer versions also. Can you ID the rubber trim "wheeling" atop the sole stitching? Mine are coming off the inner front of my $1.00 flea market Bostonian Florentine monk strap slip-ons; worth fixing?

[@CobblerBob]

Fred C Dobbs -I’ll check the story out! I love watching anything on the WW2 aviation. it’s so hard to tell without actually seeing the damage... most of the Bostonian Florentine line shoes I’ve seen have glued on leather soles, so I think the part you’re talking about is actually the decorative welt. Check out Steve’s channel “Bedos Leatheworks. It’s probably repairable, but the sole would probably have to come off, and source a new welt, and both would have to be Re-glued on. It’s all a matter of how much a cobbler would charge, and how much you’re willing to pay, unless you’d like to tackle it yourself. Getting a new welt will probably be really difficult. I’ve found that materials like that are generally only sold to professional cobblers. Many of those repair materials are not sold my supply companies to the general public.

[@LB-kr5ku]

You sure got lucky with your local thrift pick ups. I’m not sure I would have the same luck.

[@CobblerBob]

Louis Berry - since I travel locally for work, I usually stop in stores probably 4-5 times a week, I would say 5 out of 6 trips I turn up empty-handed. I just pop in a lot.

[@ThePlumbum1]

Bob, I just subscribed to your channel. I wish I found it sooner. Question: Do You sell shoes on eBay? If so, give us the link.

[@CobblerBob]

Uncle Warren - thankbyou!!! And pls send me an email to rpowers3 at neo.rr.com...

[@MrSquire10]

Nice vid. Unrelated question-you mentioned a favorite brand of shoe trees in a recent video: what was it? Thanks! PS, I’m stoked to receive my recent thrift: a pair of Alden 974s in shell cordovan. Great shape and WAY below market!

[@CobblerBob]

MrSquire10 - Allen Edmonds is my favorite brand. You thrifted a pair of ALDENS IN SHELL??!! 👊🏼😲👍🏼 I found one pair once at a thrift store, but they were not even close to my size so I didn’t keep them.

[@MrSquire10]

Well these were on eBay, not at a thrift store, but the price was pretty low-$160 for shoes in great condition. So what was that brand of shoe tree you mentioned in your n one of your videos?

[@CobblerBob]

Sorry, I misread your message! Ollieroo. They’re available new on eBay or Amazon. I like the twin tube ones with the full heels.

[@anarchyinanaheim8079]

Any suggestions on how to clean the insides of a used shoes?

[@CobblerBob]

Anarchy In Anaheim I usually first spray them with a 50/50 mix of isopropyl alcohol + water as a disinfectant. I put it in a dollar store spray bottle and do only 1-2 pumps per shoe and do NOT wipe the insides down when the alcohol is wet (it may remove or smear any logos or lettering). Let it dry. They typically they don’t need more than just wiping down with a damp cloth, but you could use Renomat or even a mild household cleaner on smooth leather. I think you could use Kiwi Suede Cleaner on suede linings.

[@BobbyReed]

Allen Edmonds Park Avenues @ a local (Los Angeles) thrift. Near perfect. Exact 8.5D for me. $10. Boom. Someone must have died.

[@baberoot1998]

Nice British tan Polo monk straps. (Especially for only $15 bucks). I wonder however, since they were made in Italy, (obviously they are not actually made by Ralph Lauren), I wonder who the manufacturer actually was? It would be interesting to know what Italian company manufactured them. Nice video. You have a new subscriber and get a like.

[@CobblerBob]

Thank you! I actually did an entire video on that, although I wasn’t able to definitively find out the answer: kzbin.info/www/bejne/nJicp2aMZtlpd6s

[@baberoot1998]

@@CobblerBob Thanks for the response, and for the link. I will definitely be watching the video. (I have always wondered who the actual manufacturer is of names like Ralph Lauren, or Brooks Brothers, or J. Crew). If I am not mistaken, Brooks Brothers and J.Crew, state that Alden makes their shoes. But I could be wrong on that. Anyway...thanks again for the response. Watching your linked video soon.

[@surinderjitsingh8954]

Keep thrifting

[@stevenjm12]

you look like John Turturro

[@CobblerBob]

TherealPatrickBateman 😂🤔 I just need wavy hair I guess? LOL.

[@engineer4life787]

Hey Bob do you recommend shoe trees in all your shoes ?

[@CobblerBob]

Engineer 4life - AB-SO-LUTELY!!!! The two best things one can do to maintain their shoes are use shoe trees, and keep them polished. kzbin.info/www/bejne/hIqtnoyYmrqDeNk It’s an older video so the production quality is not great. Also, my favorite shoe trees are by the brand Ollieroo are not in the video as I found the brand after the video was done. They’re on eBay from seller Ollieroo or on Amazon. I like the twin tube ones will the full vamps and brass knobs.

[@CobblerBob]

Engineer 4life - AB-SO-LUTELY!!!! The two best things one can do to maintain their shoes are use shoe trees, and keep them polished. kzbin.info/www/bejne/hIqtnoyYmrqDeNk It’s an older video so the production quality is not great. Also, my favorite shoe trees are by the brand Ollieroo are not in the video as I found the brand after the video was done. They’re on eBay from seller Ollieroo or on Amazon. I like the twin tube ones will the full vamps and brass knobs.

[@jorgeresnik9317]

Robert! Instagram and blog??

[@CobblerBob]

Yes - @rvp_bob_powers on Instagram. My apologies for missing this comment!

[@mkkm8540]

Sound quality not good

[@CobblerBob]

mk km my apologies, it’s something I’ve been struggling with. I’ve reached the limit of my current equipment. The audio is picked up either by the iPhone mic or the mic on my Apple earbuds if I use them. Then when editing the videos with Windows Movie Maker, I always boost the volume as loud as the software will go, and it’s still a little quiet at parts. It seems like the spoken audio is the quietest. To get It any louder I have to separate the audio from the video, convert it to mp3, Open it with Audacity, amplify the audio, then bring the audio back into the video, then match it up to the video. It’s just a lot of extra work that I often don’t have time for being that this is a hobby that at this point does not make me money, and not my livelihood. I’ll try to get better...