Vanguard Curry Voucher Shoes - Not correct

[xray328]

So I ordered the shoes for the blues uniform via the Curry Voucher, assuming it's the same shoes (the only shoes) on the Vanguard website, these:

http://www.vanguardmil.com/products/civil-air-patrol-male-patent-leather-dress-shoes-uniform?variant=1153474796

This is what I got instead:



The item number on the receipt is CAP2800U.  If you search Vanguard for that item number it gives you CAP2800NM, the shoes I should of gotten.

Any ideas?

[Jakemiller31u]

Get Vanguard on the phone and let them have it for giving you the wrong product. Vanguard has screwed up so badly forever. You can't just tell them you have to yell at them for them to understand you.

A buddy of mine kept getting his orders messed up so he gave them a call and ended up yelling and they replaced his order to get him the right things. Also, every time he orders from Vanguard he gets free 2 day shipping.

[xray328]

I'm not sure who to blame.  Is CAP only authorizing these hideous shoes with the new Curry Voucher?  They were pretty comparable in price ($40/$43.25).

The problem seems to be that these are Rothco 5085's...

http://uspatriottactical.com/rothco-uniform-leather-oxford-dress-shoes-5085

Versus the 5055's:

http://www.rothco.com/product-details/rothco-uniform-high-gloss-oxford-dress-shoe

I can't stand Vanguard at this point.  Every time I get a uniform item it's the wrong size (It's what I ordered, but I'm guessing at sizes) and I have to pay return shipping both ways (almost $20).  I'm doing this for two kids and it's getting ridiculous.  Not to mention that Vanguard exchanges take forever.  I returned a few things a couple weeks ago, They received it Jul 3, I just got it today 12 days later.  It's 2 days shipping...it really takes them 10 days to process a return?  Encampments next Friday, I'm not sure what I'm even going to do here.

Does Vanguard (as a corporation) even care? They have a monopoly on CAP uniform items.  If we want to use the Curry Voucher, or any voucher for that matter we have to go through them.

[SarDragon]

They call them patent leather, but I think they are really what used to be called Corfam, a basically plastic upper. You don't really want these. The real leather ones, while harder to get that great shine on, are much more durable, and much more comfortable. If the shoes fit, let him wear them. You'll be happier in the end.

[vorteks]

... Does Vanguard even care?

No they apparently don't. It's not hard to get it right, but as you pointed out they have virtually no incentive to win/retain our business since the alternatives are few to none. It's really a shame that CAP didn't require higher standards in whatever deal they made with VG.

[cnitas]

It looks to me like you and X-ray are on point.  You got the 5058's (black) instead of the 5055's (high gloss).  As you mentioned, the voucher says it was supposed to be the high gloss version.

My daughter got the High-gloss version with the Curry voucher last month.  While not the most fantastic shoe you can buy, they seem fine to me for how much she is going to be wearing them.

I wonder if they are out of stock of the gloss and sent you low gloss instead. 

Only thing you can do is to call them and see if they can rush you the proper pair, or break out the polish and go to town on them before shipping out to encampment.

[xray328]

It looks to me like you and X-ray are on point.  You got the 5058's (black) instead of the 5055's (high gloss).  As you mentioned, the voucher says it was supposed to be the high gloss version.

My daughter got the High-gloss version with the Curry voucher last month.  While not the most fantastic shoe you can buy, they seem fine to me for how much she is going to be wearing them.

I wonder if they are out of stock of the gloss and sent you low gloss instead. 

Only thing you can do is to call them and see if they can rush you the proper pair, or break out the polish and go to town on them before shipping out to encampment.

The folks in their CAP section are doing their best from what I can tell, they just seem overworked/understaffed.



If I want to get those to even be close to a spit shine finish it's going to require a ton of work. The factory finish needs to be removed with a green scouring pad/saddle soap, then they need to be dyed, and only then can I even start the several hour long polishing process.  Not looking forward to that...at all.

The voucher and my invoice says they are supposed to be poromeric which from what I can tell are the high gloss no shine version.

[xray328]

Spoke to them, they are confused as well. They said they don't sell a non shiny shoe and need to investigate exactly what happened (supplier issue?) They are being great about it though and said they will get the proper shoes out today.  I really should emphasize that the folks in the trenches over there are doing their best and have been great every time I've called, I think it's just a management issue.

[vorteks]

If I want to get those to even be close to a spit shine finish it's going to require a ton of work. The factory finish needs to be removed with a green scouring pad/saddle soap, then they need to be dyed, and only then can I even start the several hour long polishing process.  Not looking forward to that...at all.

I would never deprive my cadet the privilege of shining his own shoes and boots. Not ever. It's part of the CP experience! And he can't blame it on me when he fails the uniform inspection at encampment.

[xray328]

The spite shine 101 class has been taught, trust me. Here's the kiwi, here's a cotton ball and some water, have fun. I think this would require the advanced level course though. [emoji5]️

And with that being said, that would make for a great before and after picture.

[SarDragon]

If the shiny shoes go to encampment, they will come back looking trashed. I would never recommend poromeric shoes at that activity.

[vorteks]

... And with that being said, that would make for a great before and after picture.

[xray328]

If the shiny shoes go to encampment, they will come back looking trashed. I would never recommend poromeric shoes at that activity.

Don't they just wear them for pass and review?

[SarDragon]

It's pass in review.

Since I haven't attended an encampment in a while, I cannot honestly provide an accurate response to your Q. If I was sending my kid to encampment, he wouldn't be going with the shiny shoes. There are much more important lessons to learn there than shining shoes.

[arajca]

If the shiny shoes go to encampment, they will come back looking trashed. I would never recommend poromeric shoes at that activity.

Don't they just wear them for pass and review?

It depends on the encampment. They all have specific training items, but how those are met can vary greatly.

[Ned]

It's pass in review.

Total off-topic drive-by nitpick.

"Pass in Review" is the command of execution given by the commander of troops as part of a parade or review to actually start the march in review.  Usually after the presentation of the command and / or the presentation of any awards or decorations.  See Chap 7, AFMAN 36-2203.

We do not normally describe ceremonies by using one of the many commands of execution that are given during the ceremony.  For instance, at a regular squadron meeting we talk about Opening or Closing Ceremonies, not a "Fall In".

So that big "cadets-march-in-a-square formation thingy at the end of encampment" is most likely a Graduation Parade (a parade is any review with honors), and most decidedly not a "Pass in Review."

I know return you to your regularly scheduled Uniform Thread, already in progress. . . . .


Ned Lee
Goodnatured Nitpicker

[SarDragon]

Thank you. I sit corrected, and enlightened. 

[xray328]

As do I,  thank you sir.

[PHall]

If the shiny shoes go to encampment, they will come back looking trashed. I would never recommend poromeric shoes at that activity.

Don't they just wear them for pass and review?

The students at the CAWG Encampment wore blues for parts of two days in addition to graduation day.
And the one's with the shiny shoes didn't seem to have any problems with keeping them shiny.

[xray328]

Vanguard shipped them next day air, got here this morning, all's good.