Beware of Oliver Cabell Low 1s

I recently bought another pair of Oliver Cabell Low 1s and was so disappointed. The first pair I bought was great, they last me 6 years of occasional wear. Great quality and a good price (originally $175 in 2018 I looked back in my email).

After comparing the two, they are completely different shoes. All they share is the same name. No longer a leather interior of the shoe, a different sole, a much wider shoe, no longer made in Italy (although my original pair was made in Spain), no shoe trees included, the list could go on and on. Sadly the shoes have turned into a junk pair of Vietnamese shoes that could be sold at Walmart for $60. The shoe for some time was priced at $275 then dropped to $200. Which I thought was weird but can now see why. I would much rather pay $275 for the original made in Italy full leather sneaker.

Being in the Private Equity industry I knew there had to only be one explanation for this and I was right after calling around. The company now is backed by a family office. Have to make 20% IRR somehow! Butchering a great shoe is just the outcome.