I would note that although the shoes I own have tight sole stitching, C&J models without pinking on the soles (for example, the Sydney with rubber soles) are noticeably less sleek. No more Stows for me. Permanent Style is the UK authority on classic and luxury menswear. Not a big difference though. @ Matty, if your initial post was relatively friendly and good natured Im sure you would have gotten a similar reply. Notes about feet: Low instep, low arch, wide-ish with somewhat splayed toes. Also I heard that they are actually trying to improve or change things constantly. Carminas Quality Control is definitely another trait that makes these shoes better than Meermin shoes. To take an example, say youre in the market for an adelaide. A pair of EG Chelseas bought today are just as good as a pair bought ten years ago as will be a pair bought in ten years time. People need to understand that expensive shoes will always give you your best return over time, especially when theyre taken care of properly. Im going to give Cheaney (great value in the sales) a try instead. Theyre all Spanish except Septieme Largeur, which is French but made in Spain. 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). I suspect the 1035 in 9.5 would fit me perfectly. Chunky, comfortable, and with nice make but the suede itself is nothing special, certainly worse than Crownhill in the same price range. Look our for slightly used or shop worn EG, Lobb and St. Crispins on ebay. She tried Orbans but they were stiff as hell. Quality control seems to be non-existent. Quoddy maliseets in lined suede: 11D, fits amazingly. I have some upcoming which Ill be updating once arrived. Wearing socks, stand on a piece of paper with your feet against the wall. I wonder how much more comfortable it would be. Many thanks, Left foot was okay. Nobody wants a bad fitting pair of strides but at least they wont cause you physical pain. See and interact with all Instagram stories @PermanentStyleLondon. Maybe even a philosophical one. But they are still good value for money. Good arch support, toe box is low, but not too low, and just an all around comfy fit from day 1. Similar wide heel to the 1035. After trying on shoes in Trading Post, the fit is so much better than any western brands Ive ever tried. Seemed comfortable at first but the more I wore it, the more I realized it just doesn't work for me. Out of the two shoe brands, however, Carmina shoes come forth as the best shoes in this discourse. 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. They also have thin rubber soles throughout, which some people like more, but is cheaper as well.. Travel Shoes Poll: What shoes do you bring with you on short trips? Shoe makes are easier than almost anything to compare in this respect, because you get something more at each level. In my experience, AE is not second to the former neither in leather quality nor make, and features more comfortable footbeds (especially vs Carmina), only it is not as sleek. if(typeof ez_ad_units!='undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[250,250],'footslide_com-medrectangle-4','ezslot_6',108,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-footslide_com-medrectangle-4-0');The top-grade Shell Cordovan Leather material used to make Carmina shoes is surely one of the best in the world for dress shoes. Thats the opposite advice I received on rain from someone else. Definitely wish Viberg made more boots on this last. Many thanks Simon as usual for the very informative article. 3. Onderhound New Buteo 41.5: Volume is a little high, but the width and arch length are bang on. on that curve of diminishing returns. I think that chukka looks nice. Hi Peter yes its something weve talked about regularly, and theres a dedicated page on it here. All leather if even sanded a tiny bit to remove flaws in the skin is corrected. But if the heel is good to start with, it doesnt matter so much if it can flex and adapt. I'll try to be fairly comprehensive Not sure why this is the case. NWT Pual Smith Linen, Cotton & Silk Blend Neck Tie in Navy w/ White Polka Dots from MR Porter, New w/ Tag $200+ Brioni Italian Made Woven Silk Purple Paisley Neck Tie from Bergdorf Goodman, Vintage Dunhill English Made Black Leather Long Wallet. At least in the States, TLB comes in less expensive than C&J even after the customization upcharge and even if you select the higher-quality Artista line. Berwick is very good quality and seems to be stealing some of Loakes market share in the U.K. Prices at the well known shoe store near Victoria undercut Loake. Other than that, interesting article. Meermin Burgundy Oxford Shoe || Men's US 8 UK 7 E. $50.00 + $32.48 shipping. There is no question that the 2 pairs of EGs I have are simply fantastic and of higher quality that CJ and Carmina. Way too narrow and painful all around, last too tapered for my taste. Was no question about it in any of the cases). Dedicated to informing, teaching, and sharing. The double monks a little harder but getting there. Carminas are better than Meermin shoes today because of one major thing: Better Material Quality. Some heel slip until broken in. That would be much less possible for me at higher price points. 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. You might also care more with a dress oxford than a casual loafer. 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. Even more troubling is that I found no review by an established website stating so. , yet they settle for shoes at a, relatively speaking, much lower level. JF main line would definitely be in Spain 1. 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. Overall, Carmina shoes are better than Meermin shoes. 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. Like the arbitrary claim that the soles on English soles wear out more quickly than European ones. Its also (if im not mistaken) the only brand that advertises the fact that they use full-grain leather from reputable tanneries on all their shoes (admittedly, based on the price, they probably use the cheaper cuts of leather, but from those tanneries nonetheless). The Rain 7.5EEE was okay but not great - more tight than comfortably snug, and I'm not sure if they would break in well for me. So much so, that one of the heels fell off during normal use. When I do, Im a repeat customer (for instance, narrow EG 202 Chelseas) but my narrow feet preclude me from buying most brands shoes. With Carmina you can get a more refined shoe - closed-channel stitching, a more bevelled waist and so on. Bored of counting likes on social networks? Theres so many men who more or less only buy bespoke tailoring, and who can spend enormous amount of money on watches etc. HIRO 9: Terrible fit. Wesco MP1339 9E: It's alright, toe box is really low and the gusset take up volume running the whole way up the boot as it is fully gusseted. Its just the next level up. Thin socks preferred due to somewhat narrow toe box. Snug in thick socks. And it seems like, that level of service pervades the company. 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. And they are one of the very few brands offering something for the ladies. Unfortunately they offer less Goodyear welted shoes these days. I would agree that some change has happened since Stollenwerk sold the company to an investment fund, they seem to have gone into the greed and certainly for some cost cutting somewhere to make up for the handicap of making in the US. Tried an 8.5E on a 2014 manufactured pair and its better than the modern ones, but the taper is a bit more aggressive so I'd prefer a 9 in much older or "OG" 2030. Carmina shoes are better than Meermin shoes when all things are considered. In terms of value I would say CJ handgrade. The quality of the leather is identical. Perhaps other readers can. Where C&J excels is in the breath of their offering, but the overall quality wouldnt differ significantly between the two. Vans Old Skool/Era: 11D, solid out of the box. Simon, I really appreciate the articles lately with a focus on quality at a more approachable price point. Well done for covering affordable RTW brands instead of bespoke that few will be able to consider. For someone who was a first time buyer of Northampton shoes, that process was indispensable. These Meermin shoes are comfortable, fashionable, trendy, and highly durable. My personal experience I can unreservedly recommend Allen Edmonds (the Strand in particular). Still tapered in in waist and heel for a comfortable lock in, but with more room in the toe box and at the ball. But it fits pretty good and I'd happily buy another pair of 1035. As someone who has purchased a few of these brands, I found this article to be very interesting and accurate. Allen Edmonds is a shoe company and will always be known as such. Nick horween has spoken at length about this, so shell cordovan chromexcel etc are technically corrected grain. Also, as this pair is the kind of a pair of is, this hasn't been in the easiest environments. I did have a little heel slip in the beginning that went away. Good arch support that's sculpted to he foot instead of the PNW Ladder rung shape. The nicest pair of shoes I own is a pair of JM Weston oxfords (from their main line, not the Blake line), and I have to work to tell the difference between the two (Weston has shaped heels, for example). 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. NWT Pual Smith Linen, Cotton & Silk Blend Neck Tie in Navy w/ White Polka Dots from MR Porter, New w/ Tag $200+ Brioni Italian Made Woven Silk Purple Paisley Neck Tie from Bergdorf Goodman, Vintage Dunhill English Made Black Leather Long Wallet. The big differentiating factor is not business model, but location of manufacture. A couple of corrections on your US list Simon. Interesting ! I have 3 pairs of meermin and they are not hard to break in (aside from heel). I wear a US10/UK9 and opted for a UK9, on Pepe's recommendation, and the fit is spot on. Switching to thin socks gives a very relaxed fit. 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. Below that, there are smaller differences created by new entrants to the market. Carlos Santos are another example of value shoes of great quality to price ratio. Overall fairly similar to TLB but a little sleeker overall, with tighter cut soles, more dense stitching, and (in my opinion) sleeker lasts. Will they last much longer? Its the same width as the 8.5E, but just a smidge longer and is perfect. The ball of my foot is at the widest part of the boot. I would also recommend Thomas George Collection (based in Melbourne) and Crownhill Shoes (Spain), two quality brands who sit at the same price range of Morjas/Velasca and they do great bang for the bucket GW Shoes. Meermin shoes are highly trendy and fashionable shoes. Although classed as subs, most of the time you would be hard pushed to see why. Barefoot, thick socks, whatever. The shoes have a slim bevelled waist (stitched all the way to the heel), a close-cut heel and a leather heel stiffener. I loved the MTO experience there. TLB Mallorca: I own a wingtip on the Alan last. They have a lot of life left in them. TLB also has a new line called Artista*, which is a higher level of quality than any in this article. In India there is Bridlen (below), which makes a very solid, classic-looking shoe. Matty: Late reply, but noticed your comment just now. I still recall trying them for the first time after having worn Carmina for some years and noticed the difference instantly. I recommend .5 down and just accepting that it is a wide pattern. I would also add that instead of trying to prove potential readers wrong, you might accept criticism gracefully and might have more success by doing more research and improving your writing. second chance thread), Carmina Green Shell Cordovan Frankenstitch Captoe Jumper Boot 10.5eee(uk) detroit last, RM Williams Comfort Craftsman or Carmina (Rain Last) Chelsea, *SOLD* Carmina Bourbon Shell Cordovan NST boot 8UK Forest last, Alden Color 4 Shell Cordovan Chukkas - Barrie last size 10 D, Alden x Leffot Saddle Shoe - Unglazed Cigar Shell Cordovan and Snuff Suede - 8D Barrie Last. For the price of a brand new AE Id rather get a pair of C&J or Carminas for a little more. I think one point that was briefly touched on but very important is that the different brands price point will be really different depending where you are. Perhaps if I lived in Spain I would got to a Carmina store to gauge their quality and service. **Renav has inconsistent sizing it turns out. One brand not mentioned were the French company Bexley. Viberg 2030E 9: Specifically for the Halketts which have a trimmed waist and slight pattern changes these are okay in a half size up with boot socks. Please dont take offence, I am just dead curious about it. 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. However, when I visited meermin pop up in London, I dont think I would ever get a black box calf from them! 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. This is interesting my experience is the complete opposite. So, in summary, if you look at the price, most of Carmina's shoes cost 329 or 395 or $475, and for that amount of money, the range of last you get is quite good. Here there the number of brands increases, particularly with start-ups. 4 3 3 comments Best Add a Comment hjordan28141 2 yr. ago I shouldn't have slept on it), Monitaly Shawl Field Jacket - Black Herringbone 38, The unofficial NMWA Buy/Sell Thread (a.k.a. These insoles are advanced comfort systems that are meant to keep your feet comfy and cozy all day. Trickers town shoes, especially the wonderful Belgrave adelaide, top any C&J shoe I have in terms of comfort and build. The soles on the Trickers town shoes wear down quickly. In fact at some point I wondered whether you were being protectionist of Northampton makers by apparently shunning AE, but then I could not see anywhere else that could be like you. Foot extends past footbed on sides. Back to Morjas specifically. 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