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How did brands like Doc Marten, Allen Edmonds and Birkenstocks survive?
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Date: August 16th, 2025 4:23 PM Author: Dave Prole They suck (http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5763109&forum_id=2)#49190590) |
Date: August 16th, 2025 4:24 PM Author: butt cheeks (✅🍑) I see Birkenstocks everywhere these days, at premium prices too tbf their sandals are really comfortable |
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Date: August 16th, 2025 4:31 PM Author: Dave Prole My wife has some ultralight version that resemble Crocs
Absolutely disgusting |
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Date: August 16th, 2025 4:32 PM Author: butt cheeks (✅🍑) the plastic ones are ghastly I have a pair made out of cork with leather straps, they look hippy dippy but I really like wearing them |
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Date: August 17th, 2025 2:28 PM Author: See Ex. C at Bates No. 000001 (gunneratttt) birkenstocks rock. best sandals out there. they've got the market corned on "comfortable, high quality sandal for people that don't care if they look like nerds." dads, hippies, etc. but now they're actually considered stylish and i see them everyone.
who tf is wondering why birks are still around? they are more popular than ever. |
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Date: August 17th, 2025 3:29 PM Author: David Justice tp (http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5763109&forum_id=2)#49192243) |
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Date: August 18th, 2025 7:26 PM Author: definitely weirder than the gen pop median tp (slop til you drop) I burn through a pair a year. Can't imagine ever wearing crocs or flip flops. (http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5763109&forum_id=2)#49195375) |
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Date: August 16th, 2025 4:31 PM Author: Ass Sunstein hdy (http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5763109&forum_id=2)#49190605) |
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Date: August 16th, 2025 9:39 PM Author: .,.,.,.,,,,..,...,.,.,.,,..,.,.... (http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5763109&forum_id=2)#49190983) |
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Date: August 17th, 2025 3:31 PM Author: David Justice tp (http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5763109&forum_id=2)#49192245) |
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Date: August 16th, 2025 4:53 PM Author: ~~(> ' ' )> What's the issue with Allen Edmonds?
I have some from about 15 years ago that I still wear sometimes. |
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Date: August 16th, 2025 4:58 PM Author: Edgar Allan Poe ((zurich is stained)) They’re just not that good quality or stylish. The Charles Tyrwhitt of shoes. Alden is more expensive but way better and worth it. (http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5763109&forum_id=2)#49190677) |
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Date: August 16th, 2025 7:35 PM Author: peeface except for shell, don't see the point of Alden. they make a lot of clunky looking shoes and a lot from resurfaced leather. for the same price i can get something brit or italian that's nicer.
AE is okay quality, at an okay price, with strong distribution. in a lot of places the nicest dress shoe you can get. bought a pair of black Park Aves earlier this year because i was in a third tier city and needed something i could wear with black tie on very short notice.
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Date: August 16th, 2025 9:40 PM Author: .,.,.,.,,,,..,...,.,.,.,,..,.,.... (http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5763109&forum_id=2)#49190987) |
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Date: August 18th, 2025 3:50 PM Author: gedood persoon what are the go to shoes you recommend over shit like AE (http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5763109&forum_id=2)#49194831) |
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Date: August 18th, 2025 6:46 PM Author: peeface own a ton of shoes, but not really a shoe autist.
i get regular compliments on a pair of cheap ass brown Barker oxfords. usually the dress shoes i throw in my luggage when i travel. they look very unremarkable to me, but no other shoe gets the same reaction.
have some Aldens that i never wear because they are heavy. same with Loake.
have some AEs and Grensons that i rarely wear because they make my feet hurt (and I think Grenson has gone down hill in quality, too).
have some Crockett & Jones which feel nice and seem okay made, but they are basically clown shoe length so i don't wear them much.
have some John Lobbs and Ferragamos that i wear when I am around shoe autists. you can see the leather and stitching are great - but who cares, why is anyone looking that close at a shoe.
my favorite black tie shoe is a pair of Marc Jacobs i picked up about a decade ago. but it looks like they don't make any decent mens shoes anymore (or maybe any decent shoes at all.)
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Date: August 16th, 2025 9:40 PM Author: .,.,.,.,,,,..,...,.,.,.,,..,.,.... Aldens fucking suck and only stay in business because of the mass delusion of the tradfag crowd (http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5763109&forum_id=2)#49190986) |
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Date: August 18th, 2025 5:24 PM Author: Edgar Allan Poe ((zurich is stained)) how do you mean they suck? the way they look? fair enough, but that is subjective. i am a huge fan of the big clunky shoe look. i have a bunch of the barrie and trubalance lasts, which are both like boats.
quality? ljl, no. alden quality is superior. i have pairs that are like 15 years old that i have worn regularly and aside from having to have them resoled now and again they're like new and actually look new if i just polish them. by contrast, i have had allen edmonds and the heel starts to fall off the shoe after 3-4 years and the leather gets visibly worn and cracked after a while. never had any issue like that with aldens. |
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Date: August 18th, 2025 5:25 PM Author: jew hater (goofy jewish faggot) (http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5763109&forum_id=2)#49195048) |
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Date: August 16th, 2025 7:38 PM Author: Dave Prole I have like 10 pairs of them from a decade ago and will never buy dress shoes again
Just wondering how they survived |
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Date: August 16th, 2025 4:55 PM Author: ghee (http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5763109&forum_id=2)#49190676) |
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Date: August 16th, 2025 5:03 PM Author: Die Hard 2: Die Harder White people can be fiercely loyal to weird things. Until they become devastated economically and stop caring and the brands have to fend for themselves (http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5763109&forum_id=2)#49190683) |
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Date: August 16th, 2025 6:53 PM Author: bloomington (🦬) Dr Martens killed their English production 20 years ago and moved to China
The made in England ones I had in high school were decent quality. The made in China ones I got in college were shit |
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Date: August 16th, 2025 7:00 PM Author: CapTTTainFalcon *Allens Edmond *Birkensstock |
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Date: August 16th, 2025 9:40 PM Author: .,.,.,.,,,,..,...,.,.,.,,..,.,.... (http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5763109&forum_id=2)#49190988) |
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Date: August 16th, 2025 7:02 PM Author: Bob Rooney how did any shoes over 40 bucks survive. (http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5763109&forum_id=2)#49190812) |
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Date: August 16th, 2025 9:41 PM Author: jew hater Tasteless, goofy jews (http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5763109&forum_id=2)#49190990) |
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Date: August 17th, 2025 2:29 PM Author: See Ex. C at Bates No. 000001 (gunneratttt) you have a handful of hoodies, tshirts, and sweats that you rotate only when your mom mentions you're starting to stink. (http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5763109&forum_id=2)#49192090) |
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Date: August 17th, 2025 4:21 PM Author: jew hater Lmao @ this 45 year old shitskin stomping around in doc martens like a retard
Fuck you, nigger |
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Date: August 17th, 2025 4:24 PM Author: ,,,,....,..,...,....,. I don't know shit about shoes. What's the XO shoe if not AE / Alden? (http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5763109&forum_id=2)#49192369) |
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Date: August 17th, 2025 4:42 PM Author: ataraxic that's precisely how they "survive." cut costs, creep down into mass market territory, roll the dice on their brand equity carrying sales, and shift spending from r&d and high-quality COGS into marketing to increase the EV of that bet as much as they can. it always ends up with them on the sale rack at macy's or dsw but that can still be profitable within reason. cutting margins by a few percentage points but increasing sales a few times over can make a lot of $$$ for the execs if they don't fuck it up. they "survive" as ghosts of themselves.
this is exactly why almost every iconic brand clothing brand has gotten fucked in the past 50 years. brooks brothers, abercrombie, etc. once the owners shift from their legacy stewards to pure investors nobody gives a fuck anymore. nobody but the original stewards would put in the time and effort to preserve the brand purely as an act of stewardship and artisanship, without getting paid for it. unless they remain in the family or with people who really care for it, it will go to investors and they will either try to get their nut or give up entirely. |
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Date: August 17th, 2025 5:26 PM Author: Dave Prole (http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5763109&forum_id=2)#49192498) |
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Date: August 17th, 2025 4:44 PM Author: ,.,.,:,,:,..,:::,...,:,.,..:.,:.::,. have you seen those TikTok videos explaining how 'luxury goods' now cost like 25-cents to manufacture in Asia?
the mark up is like 9,000,000 %
a $20k Chanel bag costs like $5 to produce. |
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Date: August 18th, 2025 11:54 AM Author: ,,,,....,..,...,....,. Those videos are made by counterfeiters who will sell you a fake $20k Chanel bag "direct" for $50 or whatever. (http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5763109&forum_id=2)#49194374) |
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Date: August 18th, 2025 12:21 PM Author: rick'claim panama (1) i paid $90 for a watch strap made out of this material. looking at the cost of 1 sq foot of it, i actually don't think the markup is out of line for what a business would charge for the finished good
https://www.rmleathersupply.com/products/shinki-hikaku-shell-cordovan-veg-tanned-natural |
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Date: August 18th, 2025 3:46 PM Author: ~~(> ' ' )> Xo thoughts on Thursday Boot Company? (http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5763109&forum_id=2)#49194822) |
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Date: August 18th, 2025 7:17 PM Author: bloomington (🦬) A couple years back I fell in love with their Legend chelseas so I copped a pair.
Sizing wasn't great. I wear a 10 in sneakers so I got the Legends in 9.5 but they still felt too loose. So I returned them for 9s. And those felt a tad too tight, but maybe bearable?
So I went on a long walk with them to break them in and absolutely murdered my feet. Horrible blisters on my heels, even had blisters on my toes. And now I couldn't really return them because they were clearly worn a bit.
So I kept them. They were good for short jaunts, which was my intended use case for them anyway - I wanted boots that I could just slip on because I'm too lazy to lace up some of the Iron Rangers I own.
By now they've broken in more and I probably could wear them for miles without murdering my feet. And I've gotten a ton of compliments on them. So overall it hasn't been a perfect experience but I'm still a fan.
I'm not even really blaming Thursday for the sizing being off - I think that if you're squarely in between sizes on chelseas you're basically fucked no matter the brand. Lace up shoes are more forgiving. |
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Date: August 18th, 2025 7:18 PM Author: unhygienic gay melvin Because when companies die, PE firms swoop up and buy the "brand" at a discount. (http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5763109&forum_id=2)#49195355) |
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Date: August 18th, 2025 7:19 PM Author: unhygienic gay melvin Re AE: "In 2006, 90% of the shares in the company were bought by Minneapolis-based investment firm Goldner Hawn Johnson & Morrison for $100 million.[7][8] In 2013, the company announced that it would be acquired by private equity firm Brentwood Associates.[9] In December 2016, Caleres acquired Allen Edmonds from Brentwood Associates for $255 million.[10]" (http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5763109&forum_id=2)#49195356) |
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Date: August 18th, 2025 7:20 PM Author: unhygienic gay melvin Re BS: "In February 2021, the American-French investment company L Catterton and the family holding Financière Agache, the private equity firm backed by Bernard Arnault's LVMH, acquired a majority stake in the German sandal manufacturer Birkenstock. The parties have agreed not to disclose the purchase price or other details of the transaction. According to media reports, they had agreed to buy Birkenstock in a deal that valued the company at about €4bn.[45] Christian and Alex Birkenstock retained minority ownership and remained responsible for production in Germany.[46]" (http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5763109&forum_id=2)#49195359) |
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Date: August 18th, 2025 7:21 PM Author: unhygienic gay melvin Re DM: "The private equity company Permira acquired R. Griggs Group Limited, the owner of the Dr. Martens brand, for £300 million in October 2013.[30] For a time Dr. Martens footwear was sold under a "for life" scheme, under which it would repair or replace worn-out DM shoes forever for a price somewhat more than twice the normal price for a pair. This offer was available in 2016, but was withdrawn for new sales from May 2018.[31] After Permira purchased Dr. Martens the former brand president of Vans was hired as CEO.[32]" (http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5763109&forum_id=2)#49195361) |