Aquila Harlen Leather Derby Dress Shoes - Cognac/Light Brown $99 with Free Shipping @ The Iconic and Myer

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Luckypenguin on 17/06/2023 - 07:18 theiconic.com.au (1351 clicks)

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A classic Derby shoe is an essential in every mans wardrobe. The Harlen Dress Shoe is our go-to when you need a classic everyday Derby.

Gender: Men
Fabrication: Leather Upper/Rubber Sole
Leather upper
Cement construction
Synthetic & thunit sole
Kid Leather lining
Made in China

The Iconic:
https://www.theiconic.com.au/harlen-dress-shoes-1708658.html…

Myer:
https://www.myer.com.au/p/aquila-harlen-leather-dress-shoes-…

shineyourshoes

https://www.youtube.com/c/TheElegantOxford

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THE ICONIC

MYER

• 

  sol3x on 17/06/2023 - 09:46

  Can Aquila owners comment on Aquila shoes, do they get worn out quickly?
  And its comfort level compared to Florsheim and the likes?

  Thanks in advance.

  • 

    wormarts on 17/06/2023 - 11:55

    +4

    Garbage.

    They sit at that awkward price point… better than mega cheap shoes, cheaper than proper quality shoes.

    So a false economy. It’s a shame. I’ve had a few pairs of work shoes from Aquila before in my more ‘frugal’ days, and I wish I just got a proper pair for $600-700 or whatever. Sounds insane until you realise this Aquila crap falls apart AND is still crap quality, just isnt as el cheapo as a $30 pair.

    EDIT: I expect bargain hunters may be triggered by my post. Power to you, but anyone not living from dollar to dollar would be best served by getting a real pair of shoes, and not these.

    • 

      MajorGaz on 17/06/2023 - 12:43

      +2

      Any examples?
      I've had Aquila shoes in the past and they have been pretty good for the price.

    • 

      adventurouslion on 17/06/2023 - 12:55

      +2

      I’ve been buying Aquila shoes for years and I’ve had one boot have it’s sole split and that boot I have had for 8yrs before that happened.
      I’m not sure what shoes you are buying or what the level of care you show to them but I’ve never had an issue with Aquila, from a pair I paid over $600 for to a shoe in their AQ range that was priced just over $100.
      Obviously every boot/shoe maker have base stock and they may differ in quality and materials but for me, their track record in regards to my boots, probably a dozen over a 20 odd year time frame , for one defect ( a boot that is 8yo, speaks for itself, for me.
      I have boots made in Europe which my Aquila boots are more than comparable and stack up against them.
      Like a lot of things, people should take note of the materials that are used to build almost anything and shoes are no different.

      • 

        Igaf on 17/06/2023 - 13:50

        Agree.

        You can get (an extra?) $20 off by joining The Iconic's mailing list iirc.

    • 

      Luckypenguin on 17/06/2023 - 13:33

      I know more than a few work colleagues (office workers) who swear by their RM Williams even though they've already doubled the cost of their investment with resoles. The only positive argument I have for shoes at that price point is that less material is consumed with resoling than replacing an entire shoe. They may be a cheaper option if you are paying full price for the $200-300 shoe.

• 

  Trishool on 17/06/2023 - 09:53

  +1

  Got a pair of Aquila, although I paid about $350 for them and they're very comfortable, much better than Florsheim by a mile, and look much better as well. I rarely wear them so can't comment on whether they wear out quickly or not. At this price you can't go wrong.

  • 

    Ciderfizz44 on 17/06/2023 - 10:56

    +4

    $350 for Aquila, blimey.

• 

  garage sale on 17/06/2023 - 10:03

  hmm says can’t be returned unless faulty so make sure size is right ….

  • 

    Luckypenguin on 17/06/2023 - 10:17

    Does the Myer link say the same?

• 

  donmonster on 17/06/2023 - 10:23

  Up to 17% cashback with Shopback via Myer also. Thanks OP great shoes.

  • 

    hi5 on 17/06/2023 - 10:46

    8.2% for footwear

• 

  MrBr0 on 17/06/2023 - 12:37

  If you look on the aquila website there are two types of their shoes. Made in China and made in Italy. As commented above these are poor quality and made in China.

  On their website they have an Italian section https://www.aquila.com.au/mens-shoes/italian-made

  Go into one of their stores and ask to see the Italian range and you will see and feel the difference. These cheaper ones are not doing their brand any favours

  • 

    Igaf on 17/06/2023 - 14:06

    Your opinion that they're 'poor quality' or have you had some experience worthy of sharing?

    • 

      Bmazzymaz on 17/06/2023 - 21:48

      I went through 3 pairs of their boots in less than 6 months. 2 pairs of bronson boots had the heels separating after a couple weeks of wear and one of the pairs had the heel stack nail heads coming through the insole. Not worth the annoyance. Give their customer support a thumbs up though.

• 

  tman2020 on 17/06/2023 - 13:15

  +1

  Don't buy the China made ones, poor leather, cement construction. Better of paying a bit more and getting goodyear welted - Meermin, Loake, Allan Edmonds etc. Yes much more expensive but you pay for the quality and durability (change soles/heal when needed, cant do this on the cement ones).

  On the other hand, for $90 with SB can't go to wrong I suppose. Will last a year or so if worn occasionally

  • 

    Luckypenguin on 17/06/2023 - 13:19

    +1

    Will last a year or so if worn occasionally

    Not even close to the truth (and by that I don't mean that they will last less than that).

    • 

      Igaf on 17/06/2023 - 14:09

      +1

      The bs you read about shoes on this website is legendary.

      • 

        tman2020 on 17/06/2023 - 14:36

        +2

        They are crap. Worst leather ever, if you can even call it that and the soles don't last more than 6-12 months if worn every other day - rubber soles. Aquila and Florsheim were ok lower mid tier shoes 20 years ago but since moving production to China they are on par with $30 Big W shoes. The fact they are more than 50% off some imaginery RRP tells you much. Dont compromise what you wear on your feet esp if on for long hours. And nothing else than leather soles on dress shoes.

        • 

          Igaf on 17/06/2023 - 14:59

          @tman2020: Your overblown opinion is exactly what my comment is about. My Hush Puppy Bounce shoes with rubber soles are very comfortable, unlike my RM boots.

        • 

          user27 on 17/06/2023 - 20:20

          @tman2020: What would u recommend

          • 

            tman2020 on 18/06/2023 - 00:59

            +1

            @user27: Price vs quality - Meermin classic range. Around $300 with shipping from Spain.

            Loake 1880 range if you can find when on special for under $350 is also good.

        • 

          Luckypenguin on 19/06/2023 - 14:44

          @tman2020: So we've gone from 'if worn occasionally' to 'worn every other day'. Kind of a big difference there.

      • 

        adventurouslion on 17/06/2023 - 16:13

        +1

        Exactly, makes you wonder how they come to the conclusions they do.
        On one hand they tell all and sundry particular made shoes are garbage and cheap $&@% and to stay away from them, yet how would they know unless they consistently bought cheaply made shoes and they always fell apart on them. 🤷‍♂️
        Personally I find it hard to believe most of the negs, most have no proof and when asked to show some type of proof they go quiet.

        • 

          Igaf on 17/06/2023 - 16:18

          +2

          @adventurouslion: There are quality differences, just as there are huge differences in how people treat their shoes from the moment they take them out of the box. I take most of the comments with a grain of salt. Craft beer snobbery, wine snobbery, car detailing snobbery, oil snobbery, shoe snobbery - the list is long and growing.

          • 

            tman2020 on 17/06/2023 - 17:21

            +1

            @Igaf: For potential buyers - these shoes are crap and I'm talking from experience. They didn't last more than a year. They fell apart and never molded to the foot. Maybe a got a bad pair that tells you much about QC but it's the last Aquila i will be buying.

            • 

              Igaf on 17/06/2023 - 21:12

              @tman2020: What does fell apart mean? The sole separated from the leather upper? Why didn't you take them back? If they were looked after that would be obvious I'd have thpught.

              • 

                tman2020 on 17/06/2023 - 23:05

                +3

                @Igaf: Yep, upper on the right shoe separated from the sole and the rubber started to brittle after 10 months. What i found unusual was the leather started to crease after a few wears and they lost shape. Like all my shoes they were looked after - cedar shoes trees, decent shoe cream and conditioner, good clean after wear, worn once or twice week, if that. Got them a bit cheaper than this price and they were taken back for a refund.

                I had good experience with Aquila in the past. My first pair were blake stiched oxfords back in the late 90s and they were decent quality. My go to for the past 15 years have been Meermin or Loake when able to get them online from the UK for a very good price but Loake put a stop to that for Aussie customers. I was in need for some light brown colour shoes just after Covid and found these on special at the time. Same with a pair of Florsheim Chukkas I got around the same time, the sole spilt after 6 months. But Florsheim is not the same company it was and all their shoes are made cheap in China.

                Anyway, my point is better to get good quality shoes and pay a bit more as in the long run its better on the pocket. I still have my RM Williams Craftsmen I bought in 1998, a few creases on the leather but still going strong. I do re-sole them every couple of years and they are very looked after. Unfortunately they are now overpriced and the quality is not the same as it used to be. I got a pair about 18 months ago from one of the last good Iconic specials and could immidiatly tell the diffrence. For me, worth the $350 I paid but definitely not $600+.

                Sorry for the long post.

                • 

                  user27 on 17/06/2023 - 23:33

                  @tman2020: Thanks for that, from someone who has never owned shoe cream, conditioner and wouldn't know a shoe tree from a gum tree, I appreciate your feedback.

                • 

                  Igaf on 18/06/2023 - 10:57

                  @tman2020: Wrote on another post that on one pair of my Au made RM's the leather tore at the toe crease (one boot only) after about 2 years. They were also very well looked after. Happens with every brand but probably more often now with leather and production from particular areas.

                  • 

                    tman2020 on 18/06/2023 - 11:23

                    @Igaf: Yeah I agree, quality has dropped and price just goes up. The stiching on my newish RMs has some imperfections and some glue residue here and there. Quality was so much better before they sold to LVMH. Lets see what Twiggy does with brand now apart from raising the price. Better alternatives for Chelsea boots at that price point.

                    • 

                      Igaf on 18/06/2023 - 11:34

                      @tman2020: RMW is owned by Aussie mining billionaire Andrew Forrest & wife and has been for more than 2 years iirc. Don't know how far down the track they are, nor whether boots were ever made OS but the promise was to make all RM boots in Australia

                      • 

                        tman2020 on 18/06/2023 - 12:09

                        @Igaf: Yes, I should have said Andrew Forester instead of referring to him by nickname - Twiggy.

• 

  alg1979 on 17/06/2023 - 13:39

  +2

  I have these shoes and they are complete trash. Don’t buy them, the leather is possibly the worst I’ve had on a pair of shoes - total garbage shoes