+1....we are lucky enough to have a store locally, excellent service...don't buy anything else anymore.
For those of you that have an Amex card..... Go to member benefits... then offers for you.... scroll down and you'll see that Amex has a deal if you buy a pair of Allen Edmonds for over $249 you'll get a $50 credit. With the AE sale I just picked up a pair of Strands for the net price of $199.
Loake are superb shoes - not quite on par in my opinion with Church but a great every day shoe - hope this helps.
I'm a big fan of Alden shell cordovan. Cordovan is a leather, not a color, and I prefer the way it looks and wears to more traditional leather. It's not to everyone's taste, but it's worth looking into to see if it's for you.