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

Originally Posted by SpooPoker

Click to expand...

Holy hot ****.

+1, I like the green a lot!

Originally Posted by Nick A

Click to expand...

Amazing... Really love that color and style. Haters gonna hate.

Originally Posted by Mr. Moo

Click to expand...

I don't like any of those monks.

+1

I don't think the slickness of G&G complements Double Monks - Too delicate.

Hi folks
Just finished my translation of the shoe dissection article. I'm posting all of them here for some cohesiveness. Again, better quality files are attached below. Enjoy

Thanks again, Nutcracker. Great job!

I 2nd that, very nice job

I can't agree with the "ratings hexagon" at the bottom left of each brand that rates Alden the same as G&G overall.

I agree - it does seems surprising. I have no direct experience with Alden shoes so can't comment but others on SF have put them alongside Church's shoes for quality - so quite some way off Gaziano and Girling.

I take these "ratings" with a large pinch of salt - its all so subjective.

Thanks nutcracker - it makes me happy imagining the commentary being narrated in Iron Chef voices.

Thanks Nutcracker I really learned something from these.

Although G&G have by far the most elegant shoes of the 4, it appears JM weston shoes use more traditional techniques and less man made material. For instance the toe stiffenner looks like leather and not thermoplastic. Also as commented on in the article there is no gemming but a rib cut along the sides of the insole were the thread can be put through. This means that nowhere is glue holding the shoe shape (unlike the other 3 shoes).

Question: Anyone know what the gemming like strip is on the bottom of the insole, and that lies on the inside of where the gemming whould have been if it was present (middle upper picture)

This really surprises me as I never thought of JM weston as a great shoe!

Originally Posted by kolecho

Click to expand...

I can't agree with the "ratings hexagon" at the bottom left of each brand that rates Alden the same as G&G overall.

Originally Posted by Leather man

Click to expand...

I agree - it does seems surprising. I have no direct experience with Alden shoes so can't comment but others on SF have put them alongside Church's shoes for quality - so quite some way off Gaziano and Girling.

I take these "ratings" with a large pinch of salt - its all so subjective.

Well, G&G did rate the same as Alden in cost vs. performance. Since G&G costs significantly more than Alden, by logic, an equivalent cost vs. performance rating would indicate that they perform significantly better that Aldens in order to maintain that ratio.

Originally Posted by Xenon

Click to expand...

Question: Anyone know what the gemming like strip is on the bottom of the insole, and that lies on the inside of where the gemming whould have been if it was present (middle upper picture)
Gemming. The technique that is touted here is actually an earlier version of what we call Goodyear welting today. A machine is used to cut two opposing "slits" in the insole and the leather is turned up to form a ridge or (loosely) a "holdfast." At first glance this might seem a good approach, but turning those "flaps" of leather upward strains the fibers in the leather...actually breaking some of those closest to the 90 degree bend at the base of each flap.

Because this was a source of problems--the "holdfast" breaking--a canvas or linen reinforcing strip (gemming) was added. That's what you are seeing in the deconstruction. Eventually the channeling of the leather insole was itself dropped as one step too many for maximum profit. Additionally, cutting the insole like this required a thicker insole and a leather insole--precluding the much cheaper leatherboard(or fiberboard) insoles that are now commonplace.

I just received my first pair over the weekend from Nick

Originally Posted by kolecho

Click to expand...

I can't agree with the "ratings hexagon" at the bottom left of each brand that rates Alden the same as G&G overall.

foreign fanboyism

Love this thread.

Nutcracker, very nice post, cheers!