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Folks,
I resisted doing this for a few weeks, but now I feel slightly compelled to say something. I was hesitant to do so, for a number of reasons, one of them being the love that people here on the AC, the other being that some of the issues involved are my own problem.
For years I had heard all about the quality of the shoes made by a well known vendor in Canada, and had read many posts here that illustrated a preference towards Land versus some of his competitors. In fact, many of my Pards wear his shoes. So, when it came time to get a new pair of shoes, I naturally turned to this vendor.
I have been getting by on a well worn out and now decrepit pair of brogans. I was/am eager to finally get a pair of decent boots. There was another reason. I'm 31 years old, but I have been working since I was 13. Years of being on my feet on set have already taken their toll. I need a pair of well made shoes. As a father, and as a television producer who does not get to enjoy this hobby more than 2 or 3 times a year, my time is limited. I owe myself a decent set of footwear.
So, in Mid-April I ordered a pair of Land's workman's boots, those that resemble the Lapham shoes from "EoG". Things got off to an awkward start almost immediately. It took 3 or 4 attempts to place my order using Mr. Land's website. Maybe I'm dimwitted or something, but I use numerous other self pay websites and have never had the frustration that I had with that website. I was finally able to get my order in by third week of April.
I will say that Mr. Land was prompt with email correspondence, something that may be of help to some of you who have lately expressed trouble getting him on the phone.
My shoes arrived in June, which I feel was a very reasonable turnaround. That night when I opened my box and pulled out my shoes, I was a little disappointed. Instead of the brass tipped laces that were advertised (and still are for this item as I write this), my shoes came with a pair of modern cotton laces with the plastic tips you might find on a pair of sneakers or a low end pair of modern dress shoes. These are not laces that I would take to an event.
When I asked Mr. Land about this via email, he informed me that he no longer offers these boots with those laces and that if I didn't like that I could cut the plastic tips off myself. End of discussion.
I spent about a week trying to figure out where I could get a decent pair of laces for these boots and finally turned to MB&S. Long story short, I expect a pair of laces to arrive any day now. A lot of people told me, well just go on down to your local drug store and get a pair of 99 cent leather laces; well if you're familiar with the Lapham shoe, you'll know that the eyelets don't allow for this. So, the nice folks in Missouri are making them for me. Also, you will see on their website that the upper on these shoes appear to be rough out - not the case with the shoes I received.
But, they won't be here in time for this weekend's event. So, three months and $150.00 or so later (factoring the laces) I am going to have to look forward to wearing the same pair of old worn out shoes that hurt my feet for 2-days. Or not got at all, which puts my pards out. Its one of only 2 events that I will get to attend before the year is out. I'm not made of money, each purchase I make I must do so very carefully. I have a small family that I support. I also know that in the next few years I will only have so much time to enjoy a hobby that took me years to get into, afford etc. I don't have time to waste or money to simply burn.
I would not feel this way if perhaps I'd also got better customer service. I didn't like the snarky response to my query about the laces. Is the economy so great that vendors feel that customers are expendable? I did not like the "un-user friendly" nature of the website, which was made to seem my problem. Lesson learned here - I won't order from them again. Also, If you advertise something, stand by what you say and what you illustrate.
-Sam Dolan
I resisted doing this for a few weeks, but now I feel slightly compelled to say something. I was hesitant to do so, for a number of reasons, one of them being the love that people here on the AC, the other being that some of the issues involved are my own problem.
For years I had heard all about the quality of the shoes made by a well known vendor in Canada, and had read many posts here that illustrated a preference towards Land versus some of his competitors. In fact, many of my Pards wear his shoes. So, when it came time to get a new pair of shoes, I naturally turned to this vendor.
I have been getting by on a well worn out and now decrepit pair of brogans. I was/am eager to finally get a pair of decent boots. There was another reason. I'm 31 years old, but I have been working since I was 13. Years of being on my feet on set have already taken their toll. I need a pair of well made shoes. As a father, and as a television producer who does not get to enjoy this hobby more than 2 or 3 times a year, my time is limited. I owe myself a decent set of footwear.
So, in Mid-April I ordered a pair of Land's workman's boots, those that resemble the Lapham shoes from "EoG". Things got off to an awkward start almost immediately. It took 3 or 4 attempts to place my order using Mr. Land's website. Maybe I'm dimwitted or something, but I use numerous other self pay websites and have never had the frustration that I had with that website. I was finally able to get my order in by third week of April.
I will say that Mr. Land was prompt with email correspondence, something that may be of help to some of you who have lately expressed trouble getting him on the phone.
My shoes arrived in June, which I feel was a very reasonable turnaround. That night when I opened my box and pulled out my shoes, I was a little disappointed. Instead of the brass tipped laces that were advertised (and still are for this item as I write this), my shoes came with a pair of modern cotton laces with the plastic tips you might find on a pair of sneakers or a low end pair of modern dress shoes. These are not laces that I would take to an event.
When I asked Mr. Land about this via email, he informed me that he no longer offers these boots with those laces and that if I didn't like that I could cut the plastic tips off myself. End of discussion.
I spent about a week trying to figure out where I could get a decent pair of laces for these boots and finally turned to MB&S. Long story short, I expect a pair of laces to arrive any day now. A lot of people told me, well just go on down to your local drug store and get a pair of 99 cent leather laces; well if you're familiar with the Lapham shoe, you'll know that the eyelets don't allow for this. So, the nice folks in Missouri are making them for me. Also, you will see on their website that the upper on these shoes appear to be rough out - not the case with the shoes I received.
But, they won't be here in time for this weekend's event. So, three months and $150.00 or so later (factoring the laces) I am going to have to look forward to wearing the same pair of old worn out shoes that hurt my feet for 2-days. Or not got at all, which puts my pards out. Its one of only 2 events that I will get to attend before the year is out. I'm not made of money, each purchase I make I must do so very carefully. I have a small family that I support. I also know that in the next few years I will only have so much time to enjoy a hobby that took me years to get into, afford etc. I don't have time to waste or money to simply burn.
I would not feel this way if perhaps I'd also got better customer service. I didn't like the snarky response to my query about the laces. Is the economy so great that vendors feel that customers are expendable? I did not like the "un-user friendly" nature of the website, which was made to seem my problem. Lesson learned here - I won't order from them again. Also, If you advertise something, stand by what you say and what you illustrate.
-Sam Dolan
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