Gaziano & Girling Appreciation & Shoe Appreciation Thread (including reviews, purchases, pictures)

My day is ruined/

What brand are the nefarious socks. I guess we need to know the compositon, as well.



jhcam8 said:

What brand are the nefarious socks. I guess we need to know the compositon, as well.

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Yeah, I was wondering that myself. I have a few pair made of bamboo...they don't squeak, however.

I guess it's not impossible but this is the first time I've ever heard of socks being the issue...if they are.

I wonder what the insole is or has been tanned with?

No, it is not the socks. It is any socks. The insoles are just really slick like they have been sanded down and shalacked.

Ah - can you add thin insoles?



patrickBOOTH said:

No, it is not the socks. It is any socks. The insoles are just really slick like they have been sanded down and shalacked.

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Maybe it's time to stop wearing leather socks?

First deliveries of my 8-pair spring order, with modified fit as per Dean. Haven't walked around in them yet but thought I'd get some pics up... why doesn't the GF-1 pancake lens have a stabilizer??!!!!

Grant TG73 Vintage Rioja
Cambridge MH71 Cedar Suede

That suede...



UnFacconable said:

Maybe it's time to stop wearing leather socks?

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It is pB you are talking to after all....

medtech_expat said:

First deliveries of my 8-pair spring order,

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Yeah, well my g/f is getting tired of the shell cordovan diaphragm.



medtech_expat said:

First deliveries of my 8-pair spring order, with modified fit as per Dean. Haven't walked around in them yet but thought I'd get some pics up... why doesn't the GF-1 pancake lens have a stabilizer??!!!!

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I'm surprised you haven't gone bespoke. Once you go bespoke, you can't go back. Also if I were in Paris I would be curious to try Delos. Hint hint nudge nudge.

I find the GF1 pancake to be really fast. Do you need a stabilizer under good lighting?

medtech_expat said:

First deliveries of my 8-pair spring order, with modified fit as per Dean. Haven't walked around in them yet but thought I'd get some pics up... why doesn't the GF-1 pancake lens have a stabilizer??!!!!

Grant TG73 Vintage Rioja
Cambridge MH71 Cedar Suede

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May I ask what's modified in terms of fit for your MTO orders?



poorsod said:

I'm surprised you haven't gone bespoke. Once you go bespoke, you can't go back. Also if I were in Paris I would be curious to try Delos. Hint hint nudge nudge.

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I've been meaning to check out both Delos and Gomez and will get around to it at some point. But with G&G and StC modifying their lasts for what is already a very, very good fit (not to mention the finishing to bespoke standards) I think that full-on bespoke for my situation would be significantly diminished returns that I'm diverting elsewhere (e.g. Duret, Seraphin). The pancake lens works great for me outdoors or even indoors with natural light; I haven't yet mastered indoor lighting... I need to pick up Photography for Dummies during my next trip home.

chogall said:

May I ask what's modified in terms of fit for your MTO orders?

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More arch support both right and left, and tighter fit around the right heel.

medtech_expat said:

...
More arch support both right and left, and tighter fit around the right heel.

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If you don't mind my asking, how was that actually written up on your order sheet? I had a very similar issue when I got fitted by Dean last month. When I tried on the fitting pair the fit on the right was perfect but on the left I had some heel movement at the back of the show as I walked (the back of the shoe flapping around slightly) which was odd (to me) since based on Dean's measurements my left foot is half a size larger than my right foot so in theory the left should have been over-snug if anything and the right be the one most likely to have such issues.

Dean said it was probably due to arch differences and that he would make a mod on the left shoe to anchor my heel more firmly but when I looked at my blue copy of the G&G order slip the "Special Instructions" just say "1/8 heel lift - l/foot only". To my inexpert eye that doesn't really seem to tally with the discussion about arches but maybe it's just Dean's shorthand but I'm interested to know how your adjustments were specified.

If this spec is a simple raise of the left heel then I assume that such a heel lift is done inside the shoe rather than on the visible heel stack(*). I know that 1/8 inch is only about 3mm but it would still bug me a bit if that was done outside the shoe so that, when stood side by side on a flat surface, the top of the heel base was at a different level.

Oh, medtech_expat - I love both those shoes. I've saved your picture of the Cambridge on MH71 as inspiration for when I get to ordering a summer suede pair of shoes. I already have a Grant on TG73 on order. I'm not as brave as you though, I'm doing this very slowly and methodically. I've only ordered 1 pair right now to check fit and finish, then my next order will probably be 2 more pairs to check consistency of fit and finish, and then I'll let loose with orders for 3 or 4 pairs at a time. If things pan out as I hope then I plan to bin almost all of my existing shoe collection in favour of G&G. I'd guess from your user name that you're very familiar with dose titration; at least with the significant lead times on each order my approach does allow me to titrate up my spending in an orderly manner!

Which does bring me to one last question - what was the lead time on your first two pairs? Dean quoted me 4.5 months when I placed my order on 23rd August. Unfortunately 4.5 months from 23-Aug spans Christmas and New Year so I'm expecting more like 5 months unless they manage to bring the lead time down a bit and get it out before Christmas.

- Julian

(*) Someone please feel free to correct my terminology here if it's wrong - I'm still learning.

Nick A said:

A good discreet solution to your concerns. Topy soles.

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Thanks for that Nick. The picture is most helpful, it is nice to see a picture that shows how toppy-ing the sole allows the fiddleback waist to be maintained. To my eyes at least, this seems a much better solution than going for a danite sole. Am I correct in assuming that the fiddleback is lost on all of the 4 alternative soles listed on the G&G MTO section or are some or all of them purely a sole treatment as in the picture above?

For me I love the two-tone oak bark sole so much that for now my plan is to stick with the standard construction and, if I feel that I have an issue (maybe because, as DWFII warned, the oak bark tanning uses synthetics so I don't get the hoped for "nap" on the sole) then my first experiment would be to "toppy" the heel only (i.e. put that toppy ridged rubber on just the heel lift) and take it from there. If I was to specify (or if not possible at production then retro-fit myself) a toppy sole then personally I would do the heel as well simply for aesthetics. When the standard oak bark sole has the leather colour at the front then the leather heel colour balances it, with just the middle section being black, but when the toppy on the sole turns the front all black I would blacken (by rubberising) the heel as well to give an all black look (as in the Deco) but that's just my aesthetic preference.

When I ordered my Grants I did have a conversation with Dean about whether to metal-cap the toe to protect against toe wear and whether there was anything that could be done to try and slow down the rate at which I wear down the back of my heels. In both cases we decided to stick with the standard sole & heel and address any issues, if they arise, via retrofit modifications so if I'm unhappy with the traction then I can start experimenting with solutions to that at the same time. I suspect it'll be fine, but it's very helpful to explore some options in advance.

By the way, was that toppy-ing on the Sinatra done at the factory or is it something that you (or a customer of yours) had done afterwards.

- Julian

P.S. For what it's worth, I am already feeling guilty that I'm not placing orders through you! It's just that I live within easy reach of the Savile Row store and, while I'm experimenting with fit, it's nice to be able to consult directly with Dean or Tony when they are in residence so that they can offer opinions on the fit, plus I get to look at the shoes in real life before ordering. Once I get up and running then I might look at mail order, it seems clear from comments here that you're a class act, and G&G are very good at not undercutting their channel; the price I paid was identical to the MTO on your site (or it might even have been a few quid more, maybe because of the fit modification).