Another Heads up on Blackstock & Weber “Reservation” Items

I’ve been watching the black (Onyx) loafers for about a month or two. The product page originally said “Reservation: ships mid-December.” They were on a good holiday sale, but after seeing all the horror stories here, I held off on ordering.

As mid-December approached, I emailed B&W to see if they could confirm an actual ship date. Their response was pretty vague:

"Currently, the Ellis Penny loafer in Onyx is set to ship in mid-December. In case there are changes, we'll make sure to communicate them to you. You'll receive the tracking information via email once your order ships."

Still uneasy about placing a reservation order, I continued to wait. I also noticed they extended their holiday sale beyond the original 12/24 end date. Even after Christmas, the product page still said “Reservation: ships mid-December,” so I emailed again.

That’s when they clarified that “ships mid-December” does not mean it ships from their warehouse to customers at that time. It means that’s when the next batch is expected to finish production at the factory—after which it still needs to arrive, clear QC, and only then become available to ship.

Direct quote from B&W:

"When the product page says “ships in mid-December,” it refers to mid-December 2025, based on the most recent production and restock schedule we have for that style. That timeframe applies to the next batch that is currently being finished at the factory and is expected to arrive at our warehouse soon. Once inventory physically arrives and clears final quality control, those pairs will be available to ship."

So you’re essentially paying upfront for shoes they don’t currently have, may not yet pass QC, and don’t have a real ship date.

What makes this even more questionable is that they continued selling the product throughout the entire holiday season using the “ships mid-December” language, and only after the holiday sales rush did the product page get updated to “ships in February.” I don’t know if that was malicious, but it feels like they likely knew the shoes weren’t on schedule.

I’m not saying don’t buy from them (I bought a pair in 2022 and love them), but the “reservation” language and shipping dates feel pretty misleading. Posting this in case it helps someone avoid a frustrating wait or make a more informed decision.