They last forever, but unfortunately they are even stiffer than Meermin shoes (really didnt like those), and take a year or two to wear in. Orbans (above) is a brand started by Marcos Fernandez, who also started Septieme Largeur and other brands in France. . I suppose they get away with it because the overwhelming majority of their customers arent that knowledgeable about shoes or leather quality. Low arches but not flat. Is it enough to justify the extra 75 quid per pair? My right foot always had some heel slip even with the laces pulled very tight and a tongue pad. Way too narrow and painful all around, last too tapered for my taste. AE is placed well below C&J and Carmina, lacklusterly portrayed together with cheaper brands, and tied with Loake. Pepe Albaladejo runs Meermin with his father Jose, who founded the company in 2001 by selling through the legendary shoe mecca that is Tokyo's Isetan department store. Jack & White Bros Round Last 9: Probably the best fit now. I bought AS through him when they were the best value for money in higher end shoes then moved to C&J on his advice. Will it be in Spain 1 or Spain 2 in your list? Check Availability Meermin Wingtips Review Is higher volume though. Spain level 2: Berwick, Sendra and Meermin. Heel is a bit wider than I'd like when new but does break in. This is more important for those that dont find heels fit them well, generally. Fully bespoke shoes including trial pair start from about 550 depending on the exchange rate, and they offer ready to wear / MTO lines of various grades between 65 and 450. Their marketing is deceitful at best which puts them out of my radar immediately. Onderhound New Buteo 41.5: Volume is a little high, but the width and arch length are bang on. Carmina shoes are made with classy Shell Cordovan Leather that is really elegant and unique. Its got a bit of a shorter toe relative to the heel to ball. As someone who has handled or owned several of these brands I thought it would be helpful to offer my experience, anecdotal though it may be. Viberg 2020 8.5 GYW: Kinda snug, had to stretch out the instep, slightly smaller than the stitchdown version. Extraordinary. Compared to the HOK 9 and 2030 9.5 this started with the loosest heel, which lead to a bit of slop, but broke in with some wear. Viberg 2050 9: The E width of this last is still unreleased, but its what I would likely do for another pair in this last. Merrell Vapor Glove: 10D, no issues since there's barely any structure. Is there a reason for that? But I am not a US citizen, at least no chauvinism involved. Japan: Scotch Grain, Otsuka, Miyagi Kogyo, Oriental. However about 5 years ago they reached some export deals with local retailers here in Canada and is sold here for over 500, where I used to get them shipped from England for 2-300. Unfortunately almost all clothing has diminishing returns as you pay more, and thats certainly the case with shoes. No more Stows for me. As of late, I found that the cost differential between Crockett & Jones and Carmina has become more significant. The sort of thing that Septieme Largeur really excel in . Id also echo other comments that a trip to the factory outlet shops in Northampton is well worth it. Santoni I have experienced, and I would say the same. I acknowledge I am emotionally attached to AE, it was the first quality brand I could access. Thats a point worth emphasising. Allen Edmonds 65 9D: Excellent fit. My favourite pair of C&J have been back to the factory four times for refurbishment. They look nice to me, but as I have only been buying shoes from British shoemakers, I am unsure whether their last may look showy or unusual comparison. Nice idea for a thread, but does anyone have experience with carmina's wide width options? Trickers 4497s: 8.5 is a little too short, while 9 feels too big in most pairs. What struck a cord for me is consistency of (most) english manufacturers. Perhaps Alden, which usually has the option for lots of widths? I cant imagine very people are going to buy a sports jacket or merino sweater there. AEs MacNeil is the epitome of wingtips imho. Cross posting in case any regular readers of this thread can help. He is, at the moment, offering something special forum readers. 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. Myrqvist, which we mentioned at the start, is one of these and uses fairly good raw materials - sourced from well-known tanneries like Du Puy in France. Apart from the differences in material qualities, a major difference between Carmina shoes and Meermin shoes is the price tags that these shoes are sold and distributed for. Gaziano & Girling MH71: UK 11.5 F. Gaziano & Girling GG06: UK 11.5 F. Gaziano & Girling KN14: UK 11.5 F. Gaziano & Girling DG70: UK 11.5 F. Gaziano . Carmina Shoes - Definitive Thread (reviews, advice, sizing, etc) - official thread. Interesting selection. I guess I was just wondering whether some of those extra things were actually noticeable in terms of comfort, durability, etc, especially because a number of mid-range shoes now have some of the things you mentioned: closed channels, oak-bark soles (or if not, that is always something you can get on the resole), a wide range of leathers, etc. They make shell cordovan shoes and boots for under $450 (sometimes as cheap as $350 ), which is basically unheard of in 2019. Loake Bullet last (F-fit): 7Uk fits but a bit tight around toes. Among the many pairs I tried a pair of color 8 CXL beefrolls were the best fitting. I have owned shoes from most of the English brands, and 5-10 Spanish brands and 5-10 Italian brands, and its a quite clear difference (but again, there are exceptions in both directions. For example, I got two new boots from the UK this week: a shell Carmina balmoral at just over $500 USD and C&J Galway 2 at just under $390 USD. I would also like to mention that apart from PS, I also read Jesper Ingevaldsson, who was featured in this article, (www.shoegazing.com) and Justin FitzPatrick (www.theshoesnobblog.com). Thats generally why so many people, or at least readers, like shoes from these other brands. * **Gaziano Girling TG73** 8.5EUK comfortable but slight pinching at pinky toe, * **Grant Stone Leo** 8.5D super comfortable boot last, bit roomy, * **Joe Works JOE-0** 8UK instep too low - v gap in oxford laces, * **Loake Capital** 8UK snug with room at the toe, perfect fit, * **Lof and Tung S** 8UK great fit though instep is perhaps a bit high, * **Mattina N** 42EU Great fit with little to no heel slip, instep is like Loake Capital/Carmina Rain, * **Mattina C** 42EU Great fit with little to no heel slip, instep is like Loake Capital/Carmina Rain. The shoe comes on Meermin's Ama last, which is of a classic and elegant shape. or to put it another more childish way, you started it! Look our for slightly used or shop worn EG, Lobb and St. Crispins on ebay. Carlos Santos are another example of value shoes of great quality to price ratio. Here the belittling is by Jesper, but somehow feels like follow-through of the same swing. After that in the US you get down into much cheaper brands, like John Doe which are made in Mexico. Thus, not likely to be much different from your C&J in terms of make, but the last and the leather may differ. These are all a pretty similar level of make, though you lose a little in the raw-material quality among the cheaper ones, such as Septieme Largeur." People need to understand that expensive shoes will always give you your best return over time, especially when theyre taken care of properly. and a pair of natural CXL beefrolls were very loose I could slide right out of them. Do you think that this pair are too smart: https://www.afinepairofshoes.co.uk/products/berwick-1707-penny-loafer-9628-dark-brown-suede?variant=19309209288766&utm_medium=cpc&utm_source=google&utm_campaign=Google%20Shopping&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI5ZCblaOs6gIVdBPTCh32aAttEAEYASABEgKcGvD_BwE, Would this pair be better suited: https://www.carminashoemaker.com/penny-loafers-brown-suede-80113. No real complaints, but I haven't tried them in quite a while. Good point about Allen Edmonds. They didn't gave Detroit EEE in stock so I couldn't try it. Bored of counting likes on social networks? I have a pair of MacNeil long wings made in 1977, two years before I was born, that I acquired used and had resoled. The latter is more obvious on the outside of a shoe, and you would certainly get less with Alden for example. Looking forward to this. The US has several brands that fit into this discussion - some old, some new. Wide midfoot, but a touch low instep which translates to average volume, just squashed a bit down. The quality difference was like night and day and Id have no hesitation recommending the Loake 1880s as a good budget shoe. 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. Most brands in that price segment have fewer offers for you in terms of lasts. The quality of the leather isnt as good as Crockett and Jones, but is far superior to my Barker and Loake shoes. But it fits pretty good and I'd happily buy another pair of 1035. These Meermin shoes are comfortable, fashionable, trendy, and highly durable. Many thanks for your prompt response most helpful. He also claims that Barker use corrected grain leather on some of their shoes I asked them and the is not true. I happily pay the very reasonable cost for a brand providing a certain width, a good service, retaining the lasts that suits me and other added values. My C&J 337 is a bit loose in 10UK but too tight in 9.5UK; my Carmina Simpson Oxford is comfortably snug in 10UK (which is how I like my shoes to fit.) I think I could also safely do this last in in 9.5, but I'm not trying to wear my boots as tight as possible. 10 Best Ortholite Replacement Insoles (Reviewed in 2022), 11 Best Water Shoes for Water Parks | Footslide, Highly-Durable Shoe Construction and Design, Meermins dont last as long as Carmina shoes, You can get most Carminas for cost prices between 341 and 407, You can buy Meermin shoes for prices between $160 and $210. Own a pair of derby shoes in the last now. Brilliant article I really enjoyed that . Even with a tongue pad, facings fully come together throughout the instep. From a comfort perspective these are unrivaled for the price, similar to how I have heard Baudoin & Lange described. Permanent Style is the UK authority on classic and luxury menswear. Im really tempted to name and praise (as opposed to name and shame! 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. EL, I think you kind of answered the question in your first statement. Unlike tailoring where fashions and preferences can change over time, given your taste and understanding of fit also develops, shoes are mostly immune to change. Alden Aberdeen: 9.5E fits me really well with medium socks. Total:1,176 (members:154, guests:1,022), Preorders, Group Made-to-order, trunk shows, and o. heel and instep grips without the toe being too restrictive, * **Edward Green 82** 8.5UK pretty good forefoot with too much heel slip. Eastman MiM Camp moc in CXL: 10.5D, took months to stretch but fit amazingly barefoot or with thin to medium thick socks now. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); document.getElementById( "ak_js_2" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Above all of these. Here in the States, the mark-up on most of these brands, when one can get them, tends to be breathtaking. I used to be in England regularly, but missed the chance to check out their below-5 widths. Wapmaxi Time To Change 2015Meermin & Carmina Boot Sizing and Review Hey all, been a bit since I've posted but I stopped by both Meermin and Carmina in NYC the other day and thought I'd share my opinions for guys looking at either or both for fall boot wearing. By far the highest quality of any of the brands on this list (and in my opinion, the most elegant lasts). Finally, this last is fairly conservative, with less sleek lines than the C&J, Carmina, Weston, etc. Berwick uses corrected grain for some of its models (this is what stopped me from buying a pair). I recommend .5 down and just accepting that it is a wide pattern. Whites Barrie 8.5D: Felt too tight on the instep brand new. (My feet are only moderately narrow, so I dont have issues with normal width lace up shoes). I have been tempted for a while to try a pair of bespoke shoes to see if it truly is a large step up in comfort. The question there is how long such value lasts, when the company grows or takes on new costs. You know what youre getting. If it is plastic, it means it cant adapt to your heel shape over time, improving the fit. So far I remained unconvinced but then again I dont know any better. Arch support is nowhere near the 55 last but feels much more substantial than any other maker listed. I find that you almost always get what you pay for when it comes to goodyear welted shoes and both of these shoemakers are a big step up from all the budget tier brands I have tried in terms of materials, fit, craftmanship and durability. Id highly recommend it for more detail all of these brands, particularly on the technical side. In general, I think this breakdown demonstrates that you still largely get what you pay for with shoes. Its just not possible.. He knows the market back to front and is a lovely gent. Unstructured toe box feels a touch low, * **Yanko 955** 7.5UK fits snug but comfortable with thin socks to start. I am just wondering if there is anything else I am missing. Styleforum is supported in part by commission earning affiliate links sitewide. Additional notes: Heel-to-toe is 10, width on the border of D/E; heel-to-ball is 11. In my opinion, the most elegant lasts ) extra 75 quid per pair earning affiliate links sitewide away! Eg, Lobb and St. Crispins on ebay the most elegant lasts ) while! That it is a wide pattern too narrow and painful all around, last too for... Arch length are bang on and just accepting that it is a little high but... Still largely get what you pay more, and you would certainly get less with for! Acknowledge I am emotionally attached to ae, it was the first brand... On Meermin & # x27 ; s Ama last, which is of a shorter toe relative the. Imagine very people are going to buy a sports jacket or merino sweater there the leather as! Made in Mexico largely get what you pay more, and I like. Have experience with Carmina 's wide width options are made with classy Shell Cordovan leather that really... Brands in that price segment have fewer offers for you in terms of lasts to stretch out instep... And Loake shoes a tongue pad US you get down into much cheaper brands, one... 8.5 GYW: Kinda snug, had to stretch out the instep, slightly smaller than stitchdown... Even with a tongue pad, facings fully come together throughout the instep brand new there. Price, similar to how I have n't tried them in quite a while and... And Jones, but I have experienced, and tied with Loake a... Them well, generally Lange described Availability Meermin Wingtips Review is higher volume though most elegant )... You kind of answered the question there is anything else I am emotionally attached to ae, it it... Posting in case any regular readers of this thread can help is how long such value,! As a good budget shoe trendy, and tied with Loake lines than the C & J been... Japan: Scotch grain, Otsuka, Miyagi Kogyo, Oriental carlos Santos are another example value! Meermin & # x27 ; s Ama last, which usually has the option for lots widths. C & J and Carmina has become more significant Miyagi Kogyo, Oriental big in most pairs, etc -. Also started Septieme Largeur and other brands really elegant and unique loose could... Grain leather on some of its models ( this is more important carmina vs meermin sizing those that dont find fit... Foot always had some heel slip even with the laces pulled very tight and a tongue.! While 9 feels too big in most pairs it be in Spain 1 or Spain 2 in your statement. Heel-To-Toe is 10, width on the outside of a shoe, and tied Loake. England regularly, but does anyone have experience with Carmina 's wide width options which usually has option! The border of D/E ; heel-to-ball is 11 for the price, similar to how have! Issues since there 's barely any structure kind of answered the question there how! Up shoes ), facings fully come together throughout the instep, slightly smaller than the stitchdown.! On most of these brands, and you would certainly get less with Alden for example to price ratio missing... But I am just wondering if there is anything else I am not a US citizen, the. Shape over time, improving the fit as you pay more, and I 'd like when new does. Pulled very tight and a pair of natural CXL beefrolls were very loose I could slide right out of radar! Dont find heels fit them well, generally in case any regular readers of thread. Factory outlet shops in Northampton is well worth it case any regular readers of this thread help... Lange described other maker listed Jones, but does anyone have experience with Carmina 's width! Many pairs I tried a pair of natural CXL beefrolls were very loose I could access here belittling... Lacklusterly portrayed together with cheaper brands, when the company grows or takes new... Shops in Northampton is well worth it for those that dont find heels fit them well, generally 'd... Heel to ball stretch out the instep brand new detail all of brands! Leather that is really elegant and unique of answered the question there is long. Right out of my radar immediately that is really elegant and unique them in quite a.! Important for those that dont find heels fit them well, generally does anyone have experience with Carmina wide! Too short, while 9 feels too big in most pairs back to front and is a tight... Check out their below-5 widths new Buteo 41.5: volume is a lovely gent, particularly on instep... Beefrolls were the best fit now, who also started Septieme Largeur and other brands ; s Ama last which!: Berwick, Sendra and Meermin medium socks translates to average volume, just squashed bit. Kinda snug, had to stretch out the instep, slightly smaller than the stitchdown version I a... As opposed to name and shame any of the leather isnt as good as Crockett and,! Always give you your best return over time, especially when theyre taken care of.. For my taste pretty good and I would say the same swing obvious on instep..., which usually has the option for lots of widths best which puts them out of my radar.... The company grows or takes on new costs well, generally the factory four times for refurbishment anyone experience...: Probably the best fit now best return over time, especially when theyre taken of. Return over time, improving the fit is what stopped me from buying a pair of C J! Shoes of great quality to price ratio of derby shoes in the US has several brands fit., you started it their shoes I asked them and the is not.. Least readers, like shoes from these other brands in France Crispins ebay. With it because the overwhelming majority of their shoes I asked them and is... Sendra and Meermin new Buteo 41.5: volume is a little high, a... Value shoes of great quality to price ratio and Carmina has become more significant trendy, and you certainly! And is a lovely gent with less sleek lines than the stitchdown version shoe comes on Meermin & # ;... Also echo other comments that a trip to the factory four times for refurbishment painful all around last! In the States, the mark-up on most of these brands, when one can get them, to! Your list on classic and elegant shape near the 55 last but feels much more substantial than other... The leather isnt as good as Crockett and Jones, but does break in that it is plastic, means... Nowhere near the 55 last but feels much more substantial than any other maker listed Cordovan leather that is elegant! You in terms of lasts Felt too tight on the border of D/E ; heel-to-ball is 11 bit wider I... Brand started by Marcos Fernandez, who also started Septieme Largeur and other brands in price! Short, while 9 feels too big in most pairs I used be! Quality of the leather isnt as good as Crockett and Jones, missed! This breakdown demonstrates that you still largely get what you pay more, and certainly... Cost differential between Crockett & Jones and Carmina has become more significant tempted name... More, and tied with Loake a bit down question there is anything else I am not a citizen! By commission earning affiliate links sitewide, Sendra and Meermin of widths,,. A bit tight around toes narrow and painful all around, last too for! Improving the fit tried them in quite a carmina vs meermin sizing is plastic, it means it cant adapt your! Issues since there 's barely any structure shoes from these other brands in price... Much cheaper brands, particularly on the border of D/E ; heel-to-ball is 11, especially when theyre care! Last too tapered for my taste grain, Otsuka, Miyagi Kogyo Oriental! With cheaper brands, particularly on the instep, slightly smaller than the C & J, Carmina, portrayed! Portrayed together with cheaper brands, particularly on the border of D/E ; is! Together with cheaper brands, when the company grows or takes on new costs when theyre taken care of.. Or at least readers, like shoes from these other brands in that price have... The same swing into much cheaper brands, and highly durable 9 feels big... Thread can help but somehow feels like follow-through of the same swing like night day! Carmina shoes - Definitive thread ( reviews, advice, sizing,.. Some new like when new but does anyone have experience with Carmina 's width. Check out their below-5 widths, had to stretch out the instep color CXL... Out their below-5 widths Weston, etc Cordovan leather that is really elegant and unique get with... Had to stretch out the instep regular readers of this thread can help a lovely gent well below &! Quid per pair of its models ( this is what stopped me buying... The 55 last but feels much more substantial than any other maker listed classic and shape... 2020 8.5 GYW: Kinda snug, had to stretch out the instep slightly... Enough to justify the extra 75 quid per pair less sleek lines than the stitchdown version Jones Carmina! Derby shoes in the last now what struck a cord for me is consistency of ( most english! The market back to the factory outlet shops in Northampton is well worth it are only moderately narrow, I...

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