Extraordinary. Good arch support, toe box is low, but not too low, and just an all around comfy fit from day 1. Meermin shoes come with rubber shoe soles that are hardworn and really sturdy. 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. Former Affiliate Vendor Threads; a Locked Forum. Some of the shoes on sale are factory seconds and its not something they outrightly advertise. Crocketts uses good quality raw materials, particularly the upper, but the make is a bit simpler. Im a regular customer of both Jermyn Street shops and the customer service Ive consistently experienced over many years has been exceptionally good, significantly better than Ive experienced in some other, more expensive establishments that will be well known to readers of this blog. 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. They look nice but if I know Ill be in shoes the entire day and might walk a bit I do not wear them. Im sure PS readers would disagree! I'll update this list as I get new stuff in too. So yes, you get more durable suede shoes higher up in the price ranges. - 8 (very voluminous, though) Carmina- Robert- 8 Carmina- Rain- 8 Carmina- Forest- 8 Carmina- Soller-8 . Grant Stone Leo 9D: Great fit all around. But they belong in a different category, a quality level down., France, Germany, Italy: Loding, Orbans, Velasca, Shoepassion. 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. 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. You could specify any combo you wanted (dark navy to black, or dark purple to black, etc.) Rancourt 115 9D: Great fit. Maybe something in the weight of the shoes or its balance, but nothing apparent in construction. From time to time you find great deals for +/- USD 600. Can add that you can find a review of Carlos Santos here on Shoegazing: https://shoegazing.com/2015/09/06/review-carlos-santos-7201-braga-cognac/. They also have choices of colours for those who want to make their outfit pop, with bright and lively colours including red, green, and bright blue. Customers complain that the Meermin shoes are often poorly finished. This is the next level down of Spanish brands, more on a par with the Swedish start-ups in terms of quality, but much bigger organisations. Is it enough to justify the extra 75 quid per pair? Again, a big thank you to Simon and Jesper for the article. Thanks, Simon, Ive read those already. On the raw materials, you get oak-bark tanned soles, you get the top level of upper, and so on. I have a pair of 9D shell chukkas that fits well, but after 2 months still has a little heel slip. The toe length isn't excessive either. Hi Peter yes its something weve talked about regularly, and theres a dedicated page on it here. Hello Simon, it would be interesting to have an additional piece about brands a tier above those, e.g. There is decent toe room in spite of how tapered the chisel last looks. 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. Looking forward to this. Thanks for the response. Finally somebody else who has experienced Meermin shoes as very hard to break in. Brannock Size: 10D/E with flat feet and extra wide around instep. My issue with C&J is that the range of G fits has been reduced significantly. Viberg 1035 8.5: Its a great looking last, heel is massive. Carminas are better than Meermin shoes today because of one major thing: Better Material Quality. If you can spend that extra 100-150 I sincerely recommend buying a pair of shoes from Carmina or TLB Artista. @ Matty, if your initial post was relatively friendly and good natured Im sure you would have gotten a similar reply. And the soles are much more flexible too, more similar to a Blake stitched shoe than a Goodyear welted one. The Brannock size (heel-to-toe) will be the top parent comment. Slightly low instep and volume. I think calling things cost-effective when you just mean cheaper would be a needless euphemism. Vass, TLB Artista, even Meccariello. 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. Notes about feet: Low instep, low arch, wide-ish with somewhat splayed toes. Bought before I understood my size. Can you please comment on the poor quality of English soles mentioned. G&G is easy. Renav Goods Co A-1 Unstructured 42: Good fit for summer, but maxes out at Chup sock thickness. Although classed as subs, most of the time you would be hard pushed to see why. Thursday Dress last 9.5D: Quite narrow, I wear thinner socks with these. If I may add to this discussion, i recently purchased a pair of burgundy penny loafers from morjas. They can be found on many websites for less than 300( e.g. That may change in the future though, with the higher-end ones like Miyagi Kogyo trying to make it abroad. I wear the same size in rain shell as in xim unlined. The Hand-Welting construction of these shoes makes them be very good dress shoes that can fit into any wardrobe quite easily. If I could make a bespoke last from these shoes I would. I dont think it is available outside of Japan though. 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 also had disappointing experiences with Myrqvists quality. 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). Im a scrooge but think this is crucial to include in your mental budget. Ie if you spend 500 on a pair of shoes youd probably be looking at circa 2,000 for your suit and 150 for your shirt. The last of their chukka didnt fit me, but the suede felt surprisingly good for the price. I do appreciate your recommendations to other blogs/websites/magazines as its not always easy to spot good work in the vast numbers of style websites. Really appreciate the advice. 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.) My Yanko boots I enjoy in the winter months here in New Zealand (about now). An apron toe penny loafer from Orbans last summer that were on clearance for 60 euros. Id put them at around Barker/Loake territory, perhaps slightly better. But Carmina say they dont use them even though Jesper was told they do. Yes they do take a while to break in, but once they were, they ended up being just as comfortable as all my other GYW shoes. Measured as 9.5 D. Will get more detailed measurements after the pandemic, along with a military last fitting. Simon, I doubt even your wealthier readers walk around every day in 500 plus shoes. Grant Stone Alexander 8.5D: Mediocre fit, a little snugger than I'd like across the top of the foot, but a good fit everywhere else. E. D. E. Wide. I once dumped a veritable fortune on a pair of bespoke Berluttis that caused me so much physical discomfort I was left with the impression they had been designed by the Gestapo. Note: I have pretty weird feet, slim waist, slim heels, slightly high instep, and low volume. 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. And nice finishing and detailing as you mentioned. Here in the States, the mark-up on most of these brands, when one can get them, tends to be breathtaking. You may learn more here. Alden Barrie (lined shell): 10D, a little snug at the big toe but great in the ball and very supportive overall. Take for instance Santoni, Prada or S. Ferragamo. Really? to my eye, both look too large for you based on these pics. 55 last 9.5E: Excellent fit with thick or thin socks, this is what boot heaven feels like! CNES has a larger range of casual shoe styles off the rack but Fugashin is more refined with better hand details and more elegant last shapes. 65 last 10D: Bad fit. 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. Finally, this last is fairly conservative, with less sleek lines than the C&J, Carmina, Weston, etc. My personal thoughts are as follows: Loake As the article suggests, the Loake 1880 is the bare minimum you should go for. For the price, Meermins are actually really good shoes.if(typeof ez_ad_units!='undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[336,280],'footslide_com-leader-2','ezslot_16',118,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-footslide_com-leader-2-0'); In the long run, Carmina shoes are better shoes than Meermins. Aha, I see. For Viberg 2005EE 9: (there is a D version available from MTO only) I have these in an old 2013 Sample service boot and the engineer which is what its normally found on. *** Viberg GYW fits just a touch smaller than Stitchdown. There arent many industries where youre so often buying direct from the maker, and having little additional costs along the way. The quality of the leather is identical. Like the arbitrary claim that the soles on English soles wear out more quickly than European ones. If I have fit issues, it is usually due to rubbing on superolateral aspect of the right 5th toe. Alden Barrie 9D: Slightly snug, still comfortable, but my least favorite Alden last so far. I dont really David the piece is deliberately written by someone else, not me, as its not an area I have that much experience with. An interesting read. Given I can purchase a pair of CJ for 650 retail shipped from England this is not a great value. I appreciate that it takes time and skill and thus affects cost, it just doesnt matter a ton to me as it doesnt have a meaningful effect on how the shirt wears or looks. With shoes, up to a certain quite high price point, you get what you pay for and further this is possible to judge objectively. Carmina shoes have better soles than the Meermin shoes. Im keeping an eye open for Skomaker Dagestad Yamagata make-ups in the future. Cork-Injected Midsoles (Extra Comfortable). Its a good time to be a consumer in this area.. On the other hand, Meermins wont last you as long as Carminas will. However, a really bright or unsual patina has never really been my style, and is becoming even less so. Ive decided to get a pair of loafers, which Id wear with flannels, chinos, dark denim and (occasionally) shorts. Im really tempted to name and praise (as opposed to name and shame! Ill be reviewing them separately, as theyre more similar to other shoes weve covered. Pinky toe pinches a touch, * **Meermin Bob** 8UK a hint loose at the heel, but snug at the forefoot, * **Meermin Elton** 8UK very snug to start, much more comfy now, * **Meermin Olfe** 8.5UK could've probably gone down to 8UK but is still pretty comfortable, surprisingly not too slippy. 18 Last 10: Great fit. Allen Edmonds on the other hand has been declining in quality. D. C. D. Medium. 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. He is, at the moment, offering something special forum readers. 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