Church Ryder vs Crockett and jones tetbury brown suede.

Awilliams007

Hi all!

Just wondering if anyone has owned/owns either of the boots mentioned above and if so which they prefrerred? Looking at buying some new boots for smart-casual and can't decide which ones

Thanks in advanced.

canoe2

I don't own them, but I've looked at enough pictures of them )

The Ryders are definitely the more casual boot. They have a rounded toe and blockier style in general. Think of an upgraded Clarks desert boot type shape. So it will be more difficult to dress those up. But with jeans or chinos they would work great.

The Tetbury is a much sleeker shape with a chisel toe. So more formal overall. The suede will make them easier to dress down. But they would still work with a cotton suit, flannel or tweed trousers, etc.

I can't speak on quality (although I assume both are excellent). But for versatility I would probably go with the Tetbury. I own some To Boot suede chukkas that are a very similar shape and I can use them with almost anything.

Hope that helps!

Peppermill

I own the Ryders and I really like them. The Tetbury didn't look good in a size 10 (UK) on me. Much too pointy, but I am not a big fan of pointy shoes so that might have something to do with it ) Church's makes great shoes but there are a lot of alternatives. C&J also makes the Chiltern which is a lot like the Ryders.

I can't fault the quality of Church's but after 3 pair I decided to change brands because that brand has lasts that fit my feet better. And maybe that is the thing I want to stress, try before you buy! You won't find any large differences in quality when you spend € 500,- for a pair of shoes but some shoes (brands/lasts) will fit you better than others.

Matt S

Peppermill wrote:

I can't fault the quality of Church's but after 3 pair I decided to change brands because that brand has lasts that fit my feet better. And maybe that is the thing I want to stress, try before you buy! You won't find any large differences in quality when you spend € 500,- for a pair of shoes but some shoes (brands/lasts) will fit you better than others.

This is very important. The Ryder and the Tetbury have very different lasts, which give both considerably different looks and different fits. I have a narrow foot and cannot wear anything I've tried on from Church's.

The Tetbury is probably one of the most versatile pieces of footwear. The chiselled last means it can be dressed up (though I would never recommend it with a suit like Craig wears his in SF), but the overall style (chukka boot) means that it is inherently a casual shoe.

Awilliams007

Thank you everybody for your replies so far. All very good points. Completely agree with the try before you buy philosophy. I've also been informed that the Crockett and jones camberley are available in brown suede and in the sale. So I'm going to have a look at these also.

Bond_Ambitions

I own a pair of the Ryder's and have worn them on roughly 15 occasions in the last 4 months or so. I've been able to wear them with jeans & a tshirt at most casual, and suit trousers and a shirt at most formal, and plenty of outfits in between. I haven't tried wearing them with a suit yet but i'm sure with the right combo they could work nicely. The colour of the castoro suede Ryders was surprising darker than I expected (check out Herring shoes product page for an accurate colour representation) but this actually worked out well as I don't think they would be as versatile if they were too much lighter.
The boots were tight but not uncomfortable to begin with, with each occasion I've worn them they've been more comfortable than the last. Now they just feel great.
I also picked up a pair of church's shoe trees which I would certainly recommend, the boots look as good as the day I bought them! Quality is simply outstanding.
If you get a chance to try them on; you want them to fit tight, almost painfully so at first. leave them of for about 25 minutes to give the materials time to warm up and you'll have a much better idea of the way they should feel after you've been wearing them for a while.
FYI I don't own any shoes from C&J or any other high end shoe makers, but based on my experience with the Ryders so far I would most definitely recommend them.
hope this helps. -Liam

Asp9mm

I have had them both for years now. My Churches heel fell off in Bond St when I was meeting Sruzgar in London a couple of years back and I used it as an excuse to detour into the C&J shop to get another pair of suede Tets. I much prefer them.