EKM

I popped into the The Last Footwear store (41 Cuba Street, Wellington) this weekend with an eye to seeing if they had any New Zealand made mens shoes. I was led directly to a range of McKinlays shoes, and ended up purchasing a pair of ‘Cargills’ for the sum of $249.

Previously, I have purchased Hush Puppies for my formal shoes, and found the quality to vary wildly between excellent and downright shoddy. So, in a complete lack of fairness, I’m giving the McKinlays exactly one chance to show themselves to be better. The leather and general all round construction is somewhat heavier than I’m used to, being more on par with a pair of safety boots than office shoes, so I have high hopes.

The downside of this heavier construction is that the shoes will need wearing in before they can be called “comfortable”. I’m hoping the corresponding advantage is that I have found a pair of shoes that will handle my endless traipsing around Wellington for more than a year before deteriorating past the point of public acceptability . The retail assistant had told me tales of shoes from the same company that had lasted ten years, and promised me that when the soles had worn out, I could return them to the store and have them resoled by the factory, for much less than a new pair. I hope these shoes turn out to be equally as sturdy.

I shall report more in six months or so once they have a bit more wear on them.