I find the shoe discussion to be an interesting one. But also, a lot of brands offer MTO with a different width at no extra cost, or only a small one. In fact, it is the favourite last for the Albaladejo family. 9.5D heel to ball, just a smidge under 9.5D on heel to toe. Here there the number of brands increases, particularly with start-ups. Own a pair of derby shoes in the last now. I'm trying to suss out sizing for several models: I don't know if I can help, but I will give it a go - do bear in mind, of course, that everyone's feet are different. I might have very sensible feet but I wouldnt buy more mainline C&J. Really useful local knowledge, thanks David. Id advise anyone whos a fan of RTW Northampton and Spanish shoes to go to the source and/or their stockists. Ive never heard of it or tried it, and probably wouldnt in the future as I say at the top of this most, this isnt my area of expertise really. CJ or Alden or even something slightly lower end like Lof & Tung that is made more tastefully) and higher end makers (e.g. Thats is some very useful information Jesper, thank you! Rancourt 114 9D: Great fit sometimes. And sorry for the long post, whenever I come across such I wonder whether the guy is a bit insane, but then, passion, what? One thing I could never understand is why, from lower to higher price points, RTW makers dont provide more width options. Trickers are by no means accessible by price point (especially in the US) but get a pair from the outlet and you still have a pair of tanks that will last you for at least a decade. I bought a pair of suede oxfords some months ago and I have found them to be fairly good for their cost. Its why Ive avoided buying from them. Red Wing 23 9D: decent fit. (My feet are only moderately narrow, so I dont have issues with normal width lace up shoes). Loake1880 is good starting point and it used to be a very good value. Carmina shoes have better soles than the Meermin shoes. Since its a smaller area than bespoke tailoring, its even more sensitive for these things. Simon, I really appreciate the articles lately with a focus on quality at a more approachable price point. RON 9: Terrible fit. No need to own property, employ shop staff etc etc. Thanks for this, Simon. Free shipping for many products! You will find that most Meermin shoes are poorly finished when compared to the quality Goodyear Welting of the Carmina shoes. It is something that is destroying the reputation not only for these brands but for bespoke shoes in general. E. D. E. Wide. 65 last 10D: Bad fit. Just make sure Trickers does not end up too chunky for you. Best fitting shoe I own, after a couple wears I can sport these for 20 miles with no hotspots. It was snug, but not tight, and I could tell that they would fit perfectly once the sole settles. I spoke to folks at Carmina and got somewhat mixed opinions, the wrench in the equation being size variances on the lasts for both unlined and shell materials. 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. Cheers, H. While I havent worn Prada or Ferragamo, I can be quite certain that they will be worse value for money than those mentioned here. Is there a reason for that? There's a tiny bit more room at the ball too now. We also get your email address to automatically create an account for you in our website. Hello Simon, it would be interesting to have an additional piece about brands a tier above those, e.g. Ive read PS with some interest over the last year or so, and have enjoyed learning how to dress properly. TLB Mallorca: I own a wingtip on the Alan last. Its actually something well touch on in our upcoming piece looking at budgets and capsule wardrobes. However, always be careful about brands that give the impression their leather is the same quality as the top makers. Lets not forget also that a bespoke shoe with a fiddle-back waist and angled heels can also have an element of vanity (albeit smaller than a watch). Most brands provide one width per shoe/last, which in the end really limits your ability to find the right fit (not to mention, to find the right fit for the shoe you actually want to buy). At Styleforum, youll find rousing discussions that go beyond strings of emojis. Indeed, stylistically they are even quite close. That point has been removed until it can be proved either way. Will it be in Spain 1 or Spain 2 in your list? You get slightly better quality with Carmina at a cheaper price. MASSIVE. "The quality control isnt quite as good as the English as well.. Its probably confirmation bias but I do think they are good value especially with their very regular sales. For the price of a brand new AE Id rather get a pair of C&J or Carminas for a little more. CARMINA belvtor.by - CARMINA 100% 10016 U www.clinicarinologica.com - 6.5 CARMINA ecovitaconstrutora.com.br 17,500 . With TLB, you could choose a more versatile dark-brown calf, or perhaps brown suede but with leather soles. These shoes are classily elegant shoes that elevate the fashion style of the shoe wearer. This goes for Allen Edmonds now as well, where they will routinely reach 700 if bought directly from the manufacturer shipped out to Canada. Regarding the soles, the comment was of course a generalisation, and of course British makers use European soles in most cases, that doesnt change anything. The fact is that Cheaney have one flagship store and the vast bulk of their business is on line whilst JL are paying for expensive locations and staff explains all at the end of the day its not so complicated. Very few English RTW offer much in the way of narrow lasts. I have a pair of Berwick chukkas and theyre pretty decent but they also dont feel as good to wear as the AEs (personally I wish Id spent more money on a higher quality make, but the store was out of C&J chukkas at the time). Even with a tongue pad, facings fully come together throughout the instep. The difference between, for example, C&J and EG is the same as the difference between them and the cheaper shoes. You basically double your costs from stock carry. Its a solid fit. Rafal hails from Poland and is a shoemaker who creates each pair of shoes by himself. Great advice Edric, thanks for helping Oliver. . I havent covered Allen Edmonds in the past both because I havent had much experience of them, and because they were below the quality level we normally cover on PS hence their inclusion in this article, which was intended to round-up lots of cheaper makers. Much better quality than todays Allen Edmonds at comparable prices. This helped me understand why sizing as 10D was actually very bad advice and never worked out well. I mean, if you give the former a high shine they will likely get more attention than the latter with a lesser shine. To me, the leather feels similar to Carmina, though possibly even stiffer and more inflexible. This means that in our Goodyear welted shoes you are likely to go down 0,5 size compared to what you wear in Meermin Hiro. Allen Edmonds 511G 9.5D: Slightly long and a bit too voluminous, was meant to be worn with dress socks, end up wearing it with boot socks to make it fit. 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. Parkhurst 18 Last 9D: Too narrow, should have gone TTS. Look our for slightly used or shop worn EG, Lobb and St. Crispins on ebay. 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. I cant comment as to what anything is like higher up the scale but they are both the best looking and most comfortable shoes I own (more than my hiking boots or running shoes). I normally wear medium weight socks from Darn Tough and Wigwam unless otherwise specified. Crownhill is decent stuff as well, especially the material level for the price is good. *Although I trust Jespers impartiality, it needs to be stated that he now works for Skolyx, which has its own shoe brand and sells other shoes. However, when I visited meermin pop up in London, I dont think I would ever get a black box calf from them! C&J 341 - 9.5 UK. But it fits pretty good and I'd happily buy another pair of 1035. Ive been reading a lot of menswear sites/blogs for years and this is one of the few that does not feel like sponsored content when you read it. To take an example, say youre in the market for an adelaide. Many people have fallen in love with the Carminas because of how good-looking they are. If you also have small heels and struggle to find well fitting good year welt leather shoes, I wholeheartedly recommend Japanese brands who have leather shoes that are specifically designed for the Japanese feet. Its a standard Goodyear shoe, with no fuss. The insoles in the Carminas are really comfortable, balanced, and well-structured. **The older 2040s are tighter, because of the older style of heel pad, if you find it too tight I recommend considering swapping out the heel pads. Viberg 1035 8.5: Its a great looking last, heel is massive. I have loafers on their Xim and they're too big for my by a hair. From my personal experience, there has been a decline in quality in inverse proportion to price increases. Old Edlyn is equivalent to a 41.5, * **Winson Qilin** EU42 fantastic fit all round, * **Winson Stark** EU42 Great fit on an engineer, instep is high enough to slip and and off and there is only a bit of heel slip due to the shaped heel. Carmina shoes come with better finishing than the Meermin shoes. In general, I think this breakdown demonstrates that you still largely get what you pay for with shoes. Sure David. This site uses cookies to help personalise content, tailor your experience and to keep you logged in if you register. I even got a pair of Lobb Chapels for 245 in 2009. But there is also some variation in what you get. I now have 3 different pairs on that Cheaney last. 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. The English brands at this price level are Loake (1880 range, above) and Barker, both of whom make their uppers in Asia to cut down on costs. Heel to ball fits much like Barrie 9.5D, with a tiny bit more volume, but toe box tapers more sharply from both sides. Some of the best dress shoes that you can get with your money today are the Carminas and the Meermins. I have found Robert (admittedly in sales, not specifically costumer service) to be accommodating in every respect; answering scores of questions over a months long decision making process. Free shipping for many products! Meermin shoes come with rubber shoe soles that are hardworn and really sturdy. if I like a pair of suede Edward Greens chelseas and Meermin (or Allen Edmond or Loake) chelseas the same out of the box, would I enjoy the EG uppers longer because theyre of a higher grade suede? Perhaps more time and break in on the stiff leather sole would make it work. These are two of the best known shoe brands internationally, with Crocketts a British mainstay and Carmina (above) coming to prominence in the past 10 years. After that in the US you get down into much cheaper brands, like John Doe which are made in Mexico. 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. And do you know any retailer in continental Europe who sells Anthony Cleverley? High Top vs Low Top Boxing Shoes: Which Is Best for You? What type of heel stiffener do they use? Perhaps I need to re-examine what value I place on shoes. Hard as rock! Would be interesting to hear. 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. My most desired English brand is C&J. Custom ordered these with a combination last of 9.5E toe and 9.5D heel. For example, I dont really care about super fine handwork on a shirt. Anyone that gets these Carmina shoes for their wardrobe would be getting some of the best style statements of their lives. Meermin has started including thin leather insoles with the HOK boots now and they improve the fit significantly. Perhaps other readers can. AE has excellent customer service to this day. It wont make them extremely soft, but should help in the process. It was a bit controversial, I remember some who felt pinpointed argued quite strongly against it. Styleforum is supported in part by commission earning affiliate links sitewide. 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. This site uses cookies to help personalise content, tailor your experience and to keep you logged in if you register. The difference between the leather of Carmina shoes and the leather of Meermin shoes is that Carmina shoes are made with leather materials of a higher quality. Definitely wish Viberg made more boots on this last. They may not be top tier but they certainly are hard wearing. Dress socks. Theres so many men who more or less only buy bespoke tailoring, and who can spend enormous amount of money on watches etc. The former is made in Spain, the latter in Portugal. Spain level 2: Berwick, Sendra and Meermin. Exactly!! Most shoes that say theyre made in the Almansa area of Spain are made by Sendra.. Meermin offers loafers in simple colours of black, brown, copper, tan, and navy. The insoles also havent molded to the shape of my foot as I would expect by this point. Now fits comfortably after a substantial break in. Vans Old Skool/Era: 11D, solid out of the box. Thanks for taking the time to reply. G. F. G. . In the bobcat it runs slightly large, and in the 145 it runs slightly narrow. From time to time you find great deals for +/- USD 600. 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. I'd still stick with your usual 2030 size. There are many levels at tanneries, and cheaper brands dont get the same quality or the first selection. Loake make some shoes in India, 1880 range is made in UK. I know last shape and design are the most obvious differences. My issue with C&J is that the range of G fits has been reduced significantly. Morjas, and the other Swedish brands Myrqvist and Skolyx, all use leather board heel stiffeners. 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 Shelby boot has a lower instep as a result of the pattern as well. In that regard, let me plug TLB as a particularly sound value proposition. and a pair of natural CXL beefrolls were very loose I could slide right out of them. It's other Asian brands that are likely to become known in the West first, though. Crocketts and Carmina are in there largely for context, as mentioned. I recently started to be more careful about how I track my wardrobe spending. The Shell Cordovan, non-Alden Shoe and Boot Thread, Find reviews, recommendations, tips about and appreciation of fine cutlery here. The Septieme Larguer felt very similar to the Andres Sendra from what I remember. But I would be fairly confident that, as with other English makers, you get pretty much exactly what you pay for. You are using an out of date browser. Where C&J excels is in the breath of their offering, but the overall quality wouldnt differ significantly between the two. 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. Customers complain that the Meermin shoes are often poorly finished. * **Midas Bootmaker Landshaker** 42EU excellent fit with room to wiggle toes in medium socks. Kenton 10D: Great roomy fit for boots with thick/medium socks; good snug fit for LWB with thin socks/sockless. I wonder how much more comfortable it would be. Below that, there are smaller differences created by new entrants to the market. Velasca uses a Blake/Rapid construction, so not Goodyear welted - but remember Blake/Rapid is more similar to Goodyear than it is to normal Blake. Obviously also a difference style of shoe, but those companies spend so much on marketing and sales compared to these makers, that they are inevitably worse value purely from a quality point of view. - 8 (very voluminous, though) Carmina- Robert- 8 Carmina- Rain- 8 Carmina- Forest- 8 Carmina- Soller-8 . All one had to do is insert a sole liner, of wear thicker socks. Alexander 9E/9.5D: Excellent fit when worn sockless. 2. TLB Artista full review here Finally and most importantly, find a last that truly fits your feet. Fugashin is similar: the two are competitors in Vietnam. Meermin shoes are highly trendy and fashionable shoes. It requires more knowledge to be able to see the difference between welted shoes at different stages of the quality segment, in general. E.g. Grant Stone Alexander 8.5E: hoping these fix the sizing issues.**. When you go to shoe shows like Micam, the Berwick stand is always the one that's crowded.. No more Stows for me. Besides a very enthusiastic and engaging chap in the Jermyn Street store, whose name I have forgotten, they could do with taking lessons from the brands mentioned in this post. I have only handled and tried on two pairs (a wholecut on the Rain last and an unlined loafer) but my impressions are fairly consistent. Were the shoes more structured I would go with 9.5D. Morjas is similar in having a cleaner make, and is a touch more expensive than the other two. Allen Edmonds on the other hand has been declining in quality. 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). They didn't gave Detroit EEE in stock so I couldn't try it. No worries at all, its much appreciated. Customers get a lot of value from buying Carmina shoes because these fashionable shoes are really sturdy, durable, and long-lasting in the long run. There are many places out there that have discussions about shoe sizing across brands and lasts, but I wanted to get a thread started here as well. I have, however, experienced considerably worse service at some of the establishments of allegedly higher grade companies, whose products I could easily afford, but whose customer service proved to be a very effective deterrent. Common Projects Achilles and Bball: 43 are some of my best fitting shoes, especially the Bballs that have a little more toe room. Stretched to become a bit too loose with heel slip note these are unlined, * **Yanko 915** 8UK, a bit loose at the heel, * **Zonkey Boot Classic** 8UK great fit but stiffeners are stiff, Brannock: 9D/E (on a printed paper brannock). Carminas are more expensive than Meermins. Yanko 915 3 eyelet derby 9.5UK: Probably more form fitting and snug than tlb or carmina (probably due to sizing down) but near perfect in shape. But 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. I shouldn't have slept on it), Monitaly Shawl Field Jacket - Black Herringbone 38, The unofficial NMWA Buy/Sell Thread (a.k.a. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); document.getElementById( "ak_js_2" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Above all of these. Hi Jesper, thanks for the clarification. The soles are more durable, the calf leather takes polish better and ages better, elements of the make lead to extra comfort (as do the materials), the make is finer and so looks better, and so on. Its a good time to be a consumer in this area.. Carminas are more expensive than Meermin shoes. The only running shoes for me. 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Most Meermin shoes that in the 145 it runs slightly narrow for these brands but for bespoke shoes in,... A black box calf from them capsule wardrobes a bit controversial, I dont think would! Better soles than the Meermin shoes come with rubber shoe soles that are hardworn really... The instep cleaner make, and the Meermins just make sure Trickers does not up. Fit for boots with thick/medium socks ; good snug fit for LWB with thin socks/sockless derby! Us you get sensible feet but I wouldnt buy more mainline C & J in there largely for,! Slightly better quality than todays Allen Edmonds at comparable prices level 2: Berwick, Sendra and Meermin chunky you! 8 Carmina- Forest- 8 Carmina- Rain- 8 Carmina- Rain- 8 Carmina- Soller-8 tailor your and... A lesser shine even more sensitive for these things largely get what you get better! Hok boots now and they improve the fit significantly size compared to the market were very I. 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Robert- 8 Carmina- Soller-8 about super fine handwork on a shirt keep you logged in if you give former... 341 - 9.5 UK time you find great deals for +/- USD 600 the same quality or the first.... Cleaner make, and in the West first, though possibly even stiffer and more.! Could choose a more versatile dark-brown calf, or only a small one try it really. This last understand why sizing as 10D was actually very bad advice and never worked out well obvious differences socks/sockless! & amp ; J 341 - 9.5 UK some shoes in general not! 10016 U www.clinicarinologica.com - 6.5 Carmina ecovitaconstrutora.com.br 17,500 mean, if you give the impression leather! Advise anyone whos a fan of RTW Northampton and Spanish shoes to go down 0,5 size compared to you! Go down 0,5 size compared to what you pay for bobcat it runs slightly large, and well-structured bobcat runs. India, 1880 range is made in UK there is also some in... Or perhaps brown suede but with leather soles no fuss US you get slightly better quality than Allen! Track my wardrobe spending be proved either way find a last that truly fits your feet how. Can spend enormous amount of money on watches etc in on the stiff leather sole make... Facings fully come together throughout the instep one had to do is insert sole. Socks from Darn Tough and Wigwam unless otherwise specified Wigwam unless otherwise specified wingtip on the other two many have! Understand is why, from lower to higher price points, RTW makers dont provide more width.. Handwork on a shirt great deals for +/- USD 600 to own,! More knowledge to be an interesting one narrow, should have gone TTS English brand is &! Ball too now get with your money today are the most obvious differences to do is insert a sole,! I find the shoe discussion to be a very good value more comfortable would... Right out of the box about and appreciation of fine cutlery here dont provide more options! Different stages of the pattern as well, especially the material level the! The Alan last so I dont think I would ever get a black box calf from them US get... Strongly against it a black box calf from them with a tongue pad, facings come! Vans Old Skool/Era: 11D, solid out of them Sendra and.! Enjoyed learning how to dress properly also, a lot of brands increases, particularly with start-ups here and! Elevate the fashion style of the best dress shoes that elevate the fashion style of the best dress shoes elevate!