James writes: "I have never been a huge cole haan fan—their stuff is nice but a little more than it should be, and i hate all their nike air soles and stuff. but look: take a look at the shoe called the 'caper' that has elastic goring so you can wear it laceless. loves it. Answer: Nothing against the children who probably make Cole Haan's shoes since Nike took over, but we've also been disappointed in their output of the last few years. The Cole, Rood & Haan vintage line does look great; we particularly like the antiquing and other interesting finishes. But it's going to be a while before we trust anything from the brand enough to shell out $300+ for it.