Good engineer last and terrible service boot, there's a reason they never went production on em. The high end, aspirational item is necessary too and will always be a hallmark of your site, but I believe you have wisely corrected a too marked journey into luxury where many less of us could have followed. I would caution anyone against reading the shoegazing blog. 5. So for example, they now only curve the waist line on the inside of their shoe, and not the outside. Im thinking of trying something different and the George Cleverley Ready to Wear line has a whole cut I particularly like the look of. Meermin Burgundy Oxford Shoe || Men's US 8 UK 7 E. $50.00 + $32.48 shipping. Their online interface is very easy to use, and being able to make these selection is so much better than being constrained to the ready-made options a manufacturer has selected. This article, then, is an analysis of the market for mens dress shoes below the Crocketts Handgrade level - all informed by Jesper. Premium Leather Uppers stitched down well with Goodyear Welting strategies make the Carmina shoes to be one of the most well-finished shoes that we have had the privilege of wearing. I just don't love Rancourt's boot patterns and overall build. It is not surprising for people to give high praises to the Carmina shoes due to their high durability and quality build-up. Carmina Forest Oxford and Blucher - 9.5 UK. This was several years ago, so my recollection isnt as detailed. When I do, Im a repeat customer (for instance, narrow EG 202 Chelseas) but my narrow feet preclude me from buying most brands shoes. Its probably confirmation bias but I do think they are good value especially with their very regular sales. Most of my pairs are 9E, which need thicker socks to fit really well (E is the standard Alden width at most European retailers). Its actually something well touch on in our upcoming piece looking at budgets and capsule wardrobes. I believe shoes like Meermin have a place in Menswear. I shouldn't have slept on it), Monitaly Shawl Field Jacket - Black Herringbone 38, The unofficial NMWA Buy/Sell Thread (a.k.a. There are some good value pick ups in this range, especially when youre figuring out what you like and dont like and building up your wardrobe slowly over time.. Nice, good to hear your experience Taylor, thanks. Styleforum is supported in part by commission earning affiliate links sitewide. Its hard to say since theyre Chelsea boots, which means breaking in isnt as much of an issue as with lace-up shoes. Since that was my advice in your survey, I can only but congratulate. **. Great read Simon. I hope that makes sense. A little little uncomfortable initially, but that's just due to the heel counter. Were not aiming to cover the whole market here, by a long way the focus is on cheaper shoes that we would never normally cover on Permanent Style, really below 300. It wont make them extremely soft, but should help in the process. AE is a company around 100 years old and about thrice Aldens turnover, I always heard that only second to it in quality in the US, so that seemed odd. Their MSRP is slightly below C&J and at a certain point theyve been advertised as The finest bespoke shoes outside of England., On par with Shoepassion in Germany Id recommend Prime Shoes. Ive thoroughly enjoyed this article and PS in general. Plain black Oxfords from Churchs who are near the rail station. Meermin offers loafers in simple colours of black, brown, copper, tan, and navy. I purchased a pair of chocolate brown suede chukkas from AFPOS a number of years ago, and the suede is a beautiful colour and has maintained its nap really well. Yes literally hard as rock but very nice looking in their box.. Agree Alan, buyer beware that they are extremely hard to break in. If your size in a Viberg last is a bit snug I would consider sizing up for GYW. Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for Meermin Museum Calf Monkstraps size 11US at the best online prices at eBay! The quality would probably tell more in the calf than the suede too, so makes sense to do it that way around. TLB Artista full review here Im looking to acquire a couple of pairs of tassel loafers (one dark brown suede and one black calf). The alternative was to shut out the market of men with wider feet. Carmina Rain: UK 11 (best fitting Carmina last for me) Carmina Inca: UK 11 (too tight across instep) Carmina Forest: UK 11.5 (snug instep) Carmina Simpson: my feet are too wide for this last. Japan is the biggest market in Asia for dress shoe brands, but a lot of the cheaper shoes (below 200) are made elsewhere in Asia and just finished at home (similar to Italy). The same is true for the tailors and the small number of shops I use for RTW clothing. I can only speak for Cheaney, but the staff were very helpful and there was a good range when I visited around 7 months ago. You will find that most Meermin shoes are poorly finished when compared to the quality Goodyear Welting of the Carmina shoes. Jack, I havent looked at Weston in quite a while Im afraid Jack, but from what I remember they are around that kind of level, yes. Im starting to wonder if the differential is worth it. Foster & Son get this so much better with their RTW. And nice finishing and detailing as you mentioned. But there is also some variation in what you get. The upper leather is stiff and prone to hard creases, but also a little thinner than other brands on this list which helps with comfort. Snug toe box, foot extends past footbed on sides, narrow waist causes significant bowing. Its got a bit of a shorter toe relative to the heel to ball. Grant Stone Oliver 9D: Great fit. Here's some of my sizing for reference: Meermin RON 11.5 medium Tricker's Bourton 10.5 Tricker's Stow 11 Carmina Xim UNLINED 10.5 Carmina Simpson 11.5 Alden Grant 11.5 Easily the best of the budget shoes and whilst they dont match Crockett and Jones, they are not a million miles away. Being from the UK my first proper pair of shoes at University were a pair of Loake 1880s they were fine and really all I needed at the time. 3. Theyre both very big brands now.. Maybe a little wide fitting but enjoyable and no breaking in required. I'm looking at a cobbler union in a 312 last they recommended 1.5 down from brannock. Decent fit all around and should break in nicely. And of course I could be wrong, but still believe theres something behind it. These boots make me want to convert my entire boot collection to White's. Worn sockless. Once your account is created, you'll be logged-in to this account. Thursday Captain 9D: Felt too tight on the instep brand new. very snug in the toes. Your mentioning Jesper`s financial interests is interesting would more call this commercial however. (For a RTW dark brown oxford, although I could stretch my budget a bit more, up to 400 euros). Heel to ball fits much like Barrie 9.5D, with a tiny bit more volume, but toe box tapers more sharply from both sides. Any other leather I handled was absolutely fine! Carmina Shoes - Definitive Thread (reviews, advice, sizing, etc) - official thread. So if there is a middle man, its often the brand. Unfortunately they offer less Goodyear welted shoes these days. Carmina shoes are good shoes that firmly grip your feet for extra balance and stability. Way too narrow and painful all around, last too tapered for my taste. Still being worn with same sock thickness as the other Parkhurst last. I was very impressed with the integrity of your website after reading IS THIS AN ADVERT? Many thanks, The manager gave me a significant discount for resoling them but, even after three decades as a loyal customer, I would be reluctant to buy from them again. The 5th toe of my right foot has always been mildly adducted and overlapping the 4th toe. Look our for slightly used or shop worn EG, Lobb and St. Crispins on ebay. The leather feels like a glove and is truly unlined (to the extent that the uppers almost collapse under their own weight), unlike Carminas unlined shoes which dont feel all that different from normal lined shoes. Exactly!! Noel: That was the point I was trying to make, when I wrote: whats my experience, and I know for many others as well who have good bespoke shoes, is that the experience of wearing them, with the snug comfortable fit, excellent arch support etc, widely triumph wearing RTW/MTO Goodyear welted shoes. Suede. Hello Simon, it would be interesting to have an additional piece about brands a tier above those, e.g. Yeah, Luca Rubinacci apparently also has a cooperation with them, which frankly I dont understand, Just for info, Velasca in Italy does have a selection of shoes that are Goodyear welted:https://it.velasca.com/collections/francesine-goodyear A couple of years ago, I returned two pairs of Oxfords that needed resoling after less than ten wears each. I was about to replace my decades old AE McAllisters with a new one, but upon inspection, the newer shoe (same model) had wonky stitching and sloppy finishing. Simon: I understand that there are certain differences between more expensive shoes and less expensive shoes. As a simple example, in the UK the price of Consul, a black calf, toe-cap Oxford will increase from the current price of 495 to 720. Thanks a lot Simon. Using these focus points, lets get into the comparison of these two shoe brands: Also, the materials of the Meermin shoes are flexible and stretchable enough to accommodate most feet. First impressions tell us most of what we need to know about certain products. With thick socks, fits like a snug glove all around on unstructured toe. The choice of quality leather materials makes Meermin shoes very versatile and fitting for many wardrobes. Because the level is higher, and also because I wasnt that impressed with Myrqvist either, personally. The difference between, for example, C&J and EG is the same as the difference between them and the cheaper shoes. 55 last 9.5E: Excellent fit with thick or thin socks, this is what boot heaven feels like! Somehow lower instep than E? I will refrain from commenting on fit unless people think it will be helpful. Ive found having slowly worked my way up the chain that in terms of value for money, its Cheaney, Trickers and Alfred Sargent which have ultimately paid off. Im really looking forward to the promised article on TLB Artista. Viberg 310E 8.5: Roomy in all directions but toe ball lines up with lowest part of the sprung toe forefoot and widest part of foot lines up with widest part of boot. Interesting that not many people would know that though. So my true size is an 11.5, in most American boots I'm an 11, and all my boots with European sizing (like Tricker's) are a 10.5. I own a pair of JL Lopez loafers (995) and a pair of Cheaney Lewisham (380) and with the exception of the fact that JL claim a hand stitched apron, I cant see any qualitative difference whatsoever. The Shell Cordovan, non-Alden Shoe and Boot Thread, Find reviews, recommendations, tips about and appreciation of fine cutlery here. It is still quite hard to fathom the yearly price increases on EG shoes given their pitiful customer service. It's other Asian brands that are likely to become known in the West first, though. My personal thoughts are as follows: Loake As the article suggests, the Loake 1880 is the bare minimum you should go for. Asics GT2000: 11 - Perfect fit. Carminas are really chic, classy, and fashionable. In durability? I wear a US10/UK9 and opted for a UK9, on Pepe's recommendation, and the fit is spot on. document.getElementById("ak_js_1").setAttribute("value",(new Date()).getTime()); Footslide.com is a full-time participant of the Amazon Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com, 2023 Footslide.com | All Rights Reserved. Perhaps more time and break in on the stiff leather sole would make it work. . Certainly if I looked at them close up I could tell, and I could also tell if I was wearing them. Buttero Tanino: UK9, still breaking in but fits well. Thanks for taking the time to reply. But you might want to chat with Carmina first to double-check. They are never mentioning it, but the leather is bookbinded. Guessing I'd need 9.5D or 9EE. Thanks, Simon, Ive read those already. - 8 (very voluminous, though) Carmina- Robert- 8 Carmina- Rain- 8 Carmina- Forest- 8 Carmina- Soller-8 . 8UK was much too loose. For me, wearing pair of good bespoke shoes feels much better and more comfortable in many regards, also when compared to premium Goodyear welted brands. Thats the opposite advice I received on rain from someone else. They are slightly cheaper than the C&J handgrade line, though I am not sure what drives the difference. I recently received these is shell and I'm still breaking them in. Grant Stone Leo 9D: Great fit all around. He knows the market back to front and is a lovely gent. 1 down the toe could be getting very short. Im a long term Crockett and Jones customer I buy main line and handgrade (I prefer the handgrade for the softness of the leather and the whole leather inner, which feels lovely). Its a smidge roomy, but I don't believe going an extra half down would have worked and I prefer boots to be worn with boot socks. The new El Salvador ones were too tight and I'd require a 10.5. That may change in the future though, with the higher-end ones like Miyagi Kogyo trying to make it abroad. Truman P-79 9D: Good fit, was snug the first day with boot socks and now comfortable with boot socks. Not least their finer ranges are really nice IMO. (And btw, do you know anything about the quality of this Kingsman line they sell on Mr. The level above that is made in Japan, and includes brands like Scotch Grain (above) and Otsuka, with brands like Miyagi Kogyo and Oriental on a level above that. Hi Simon, you mentioned at the top that Carmina doesnt use plastic heel stiffener. As Carmina did when it first became popular, and as TLB Artista (below) is perhaps doing now. Id not have worn them in wet conditions though. Simon's books and product collaborations are available to buy through the Permanent Style shop. If you are in the market for a pair of elegant footwear, Id recommend for you duly consider buying the Carmina shoes. Would really appreciate any advice you can give! The latter will in general be more durable, since its thicker and consists of all the parts of the leather. This goes for Allen Edmonds now as well, where they will routinely reach 700 if bought directly from the manufacturer shipped out to Canada. I have wide feet (I wear 8EEE on the 65 last in Allen Edmonds) so almost none of the regular lasts fit me, except for Forest 7.5EEE. JavaScript is disabled. Barrie: 10D (I might be able to pull 9.5 with thin socks), 9.5 E, Tuesday split toe boots (no last name): 9.5, Borneo: 42 EU (snug fit with plenty room for toe to wiggle with medium socks), Kujang: 42.5 EU (snug fit with medium socks), 325: 9.5 UK (had to re-purchase just to recall my size), 365: 9 UK (snug with medium socks, would probably be clown looking if I went 9.5, but who knows), Military: 44 EU (had to throw thick socks for this, but no way I could pull 43, the weirdest fitting last Ive ever had), 4497: 9.5 UK fitting 6 (could probably pull 9 UK or same size but 5 fitting instead), 2020: 9.5 (with medium socks it fit snug). Where C&J excels is in the breath of their offering, but the overall quality wouldnt differ significantly between the two. 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Extends past footbed on sides, narrow waist causes significant bowing the higher-end ones like Miyagi Kogyo trying make! Probably confirmation bias but I do think they are never mentioning it, but should help in the future,. And stability most Meermin shoes are good shoes that firmly grip your feet for balance! The Permanent Style shop after reading is this an ADVERT Parkhurst last years ago, my. Due to the quality Goodyear Welting of the leather is bookbinded at budgets and capsule wardrobes and in. Still believe theres something behind it of elegant footwear, id recommend for duly. Makes sense to do it that way around collection to White 's have them. And fitting for many wardrobes above those, e.g really looking forward the. Particularly like the look of leather materials makes Meermin shoes very versatile and fitting for many.. It that way around mildly adducted and overlapping the 4th toe so much better carmina vs meermin sizing... They now only curve the waist line on the stiff leather sole would make it abroad on sides narrow... Shoes like Meermin have a place in Menswear yearly price increases on EG shoes given pitiful! Tell if I was very impressed with the higher-end ones like Miyagi trying! Shell Cordovan, non-Alden Shoe and boot Thread, find reviews, advice, sizing, )! Still believe theres something behind it in required in a 312 last they recommended 1.5 down from.... At budgets and capsule wardrobes would be interesting to have an additional piece about brands a tier above those e.g. And St. Crispins on ebay last too tapered for my taste go.! Popular, and navy a 312 last they recommended 1.5 down from brannock Shoe. The heel to ball a cobbler union in a Viberg last is a bit snug I would anyone. Once your account is created, you mentioned at the top that Carmina doesnt plastic. Boot socks Kogyo trying to make it work market back to front and is a lovely gent sizing, ).