I came to Raleigh from Oklahoma for a conference and inadvertently left my dress shoes at home,…read moremaking boots my only option to wear with a suit. "Rough-looking" is a massive understatement for the condition of my boots, so I went to Ealdwine for some shoe polish, and saw that the product had changed quite a bit over the past few years. I had a few questions about leather conditioner, how much polish to use, etc. (stuff like that), and Mr. Gray took the time to show me everything, on my boots at that. The difference is tremendous, and I'm not JUST talking about how my boots look now. For a business owner to take time out of his day, literally get his hands dirty, and go to such lengths for a customer who might come to Raleigh every five years or so... It speaks volumes about Mr. Gray as a person and business owner. I'm now more informed, equipped with some really good polish, and won't feel so embarrassed about wearing beat-up boots with a suit.
Another cool thing, assuming most will be looking/shopping for more than shoe polish, the store's beautifully designed, and chockablock with some of the finest in men's clothing and beautiful footwear. Mr. Gray personally helped with the design in many of the latter (Alden's handmade in Massachusetts), so I definitely feel like I was in good hands, and had definitely come to the right place.
Great owner. Top notch products. Perfect service. Great experience.