There are different levels to Goodyear welt shoes, especially for women as it hasn’t taken off in quite the same way in women’s fashion circles. But in short, I would say yes, they are absolutely worth it. If you get the right pair, the leather will stack up to the construction, and you’ll have them for 15+ years. Some brands I recommend for women are:

RM Williams. The OG Chelsea boot, and still some of the best out there.

Crockett and Jones. Exceptional pedigree, and a number of classic and daring styles.

Meermin + Carmina. Owned by the same family, they make shoes at slightly different price points. Meermin has a really good MTO program. Carmina is known for their unique lasts and their general elegance in design and construction.

Redwing is a bit of a toss up in terms of quality; some pairs still rock, but there have been many recent horror stories about them in the last decade or so. But the styles are classic and very good.

St. Crispins, John Lobb, and Edward Green are some of the highest level shoemaking brands, for hardcore enthusiasts only. Beautiful, to be sure, but oh so expensive.

Yeah I’ve been looking into it.

Amazing! In that case, shinola is full of shit. Glad to potentially get this baby working again tho!

I don’t know what to tell you dude. I have a model that my uncle bought early on in the brand’s life so maybe they’ve changed the casing since then. I’ve taken it to multiple watch repairmen in the large city I live in and they’ve all told me the same thing that shinola told me. Re: Seiko 5, the case back can be opened by anyone with a small screwdriver, so I’m not sure what you meant by that. Regardless, I’m just trying to give a warning to other folks who had high hopes for a nice looking watch like Shinola makes. They co opted Detroit’s reputation for American made goods to hock their shit watches for high prices, and that bums me out.

It’s not the mechanism but the casing itself. The shinola casings can only be opened with a specific machine that shinola and their affiliate watch repairmen have access to. It’s not a case that anyone could open, like my Seiko 5.

Regardless of the movements reliability with other makers, what I experienced was far below the standard lifespan of any other battery power watch I’ve owned before.

Ahhh fuck that is a bummer!

It’s worth reading the article “Seinfeld isn’t funny”. It talks about how shows like Seinfeld and the Simpsons aren’t considered funny anymore cause all their jokes are old, when in fact those show invented or popularized those jokes in the first place. Seinfeld is certainly a tremendous example of this. Start later in the series, then watch the early stuff after. Maybe watch a couple of well loved episodes.

Check out icebreaker merino wool button up shirts. The last one I found had some nice stretch to it

Lol yep! These days local custom leathers are hard to come by, especially done right. If you got the money tho, they age better than any luxury brand!

Himel bros makes some of the best and most sought after leather jackets in the world and Dave himel makes them all in Toronto! Expect to pay like you’re buying the best tho, cause you are!

I like RM Williams Cuban heal boots. Expensive but lasts many many years. My aunts pair are in their 3rd decade. They have a great custom program that would allow you to have the side zip if you don’t love the Chelsea boot style.

Oooh they’re great!! Nice taste, those bags are very timeless. Also I love the brown-green colour way D&B favours!

I’ve heard that early Brunelleschi Cuccinelli cashmere (pre 2000’s) is exceptional. If you can get your hands on it secondhand, it has a long life. Similarly, vintage cashmere that’s made in Scotland is fantastic.