High Gloss vs Leather low-quarters

RancidRancid

5-Year Member
Joined
Oct 6, 2011
Messages
109
Exactly what the title says.

What are the advantages and disadvantages of both

In your opinion what should someone get?

Thanks :smile:
 
Personally, I always preferred leather because I found they breathe better and it was easier to repair the inevitable scratches and scuffs. I didn't mind shining shoes, though, so leather was the better and more durable option for me.
 
Last edited:
They both have their advantages. The leather ones breathe and form to your feet better, as mentioned above, but you do have to shine them. The plastic ones are nice because you don't have to shine, but they look really tacky in my opinion. They also don't breath well at all and once they get scuffed, you are stuck with it. Are you lazy and want to take the windex to shine your shoes, or are you willing to put in a little time for a better formed and fitting shoe? Each person is unique.
 
RancidRancid, I don't think rooks at Norwich are permitted to have high-gloss shoes, so you may have only one choice. Things may have changed, but you should probably double-check. High-gloss shoes and Stay-Brite brass have historically been an upperclass privilege.
 
Thanks for all the replies. I was planning on leather but I've never shined shoes before; I think the high gloss look a little.. Off

This is all it said on the norwich website
"Shoes must be a low‐quarter black tie shoe. Leather or high gloss may be worn. For examples, visit Bates Footwear."
 
My DS is a new Cadet at Norwich, Class of 2015 and he has the high gloss shoes. They are acceptable and work just fine. They are Bates and he has been able to get all scuffs off them.

p.s. I don't think he's lazy. Those were the ones that he was issued for Sea Cadets and they work just fine. He has had no problems.
 
Hmmmm . . . I guess "shoe shine parties" are a thing of the past! In my day, we weren't allowed to wear high gloss until recognized.

In any event, the really good thing about high-gloss shoes are that they are better for walking around in the snow during the winter months enroute to class, etc. (the leather shoes always seemed to get salt stains on them, as I recall). I'm not sure how "blister prone" the high gloss shoes are, so I can't say whether leather would be better in, say, August.
 
My son took Bates leather low-quarters to The Citadel in August. They walk through so much water that by the Winter Furlough the leather had cracked and they wouldn't keep a shine. We replaced them with Bostonian Denvers, which are still leather but a higher gloss, and they take and maintain a shine much better than the Bates. Just make sure, whatever you get, that you break them in.
 
Back
Top