Carmina Shoes - Definitive Thread (reviews, advice, sizing, etc...) - official thread.



DWFII said:

Handmade Shoes for Men by Laszlo Vass

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Wonderful book well worth the purchase price.



kev777 said:

Fantastic thread with some beautiful shoes !! Anyone with both Carmina's and Edward Greens care to comment on how they stack up against each other? I'm in the market for a couple of pairs of shoes and was just going to get EG's job done but after all the recent instances of "bad press" i'm thinking if Carmina is anywhere near the quality i may just let them have my hard earned. I know it can be a very subjective subject but any thoughts would be helpful.

Shoes i have in mind is calf brown double monks & brogue (EG would be Westminster & Inverness).

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Newcomer said:

May be able to help you here. Let me start by saying that EG's are objectively a better brand of shoes. If money is not an issue, I would recommend EG's. However, although nicer, EG's are more than twice the price and I do not feel that they are really worth the premium. I find that Carmina hits the sweet spot in regards to price and value. I would go for carmina if you find a last that fits and appeals to you.

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Agreed. I bought the EG Westminster the day after I bought my Carmina pair at the stores in Paris. I can say that the EGs have slightly better finishing, but the Carminas are such an incredible value and the last fits my feet perfectly. The Carmina pair is probably my most comfortable pair of shoes and I end up wearing them far more often than the EGs.



Schweino said:

What price range are they in by the way?

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In Paris, my Carmina's were ~270 Euro [for the Spectators]. That translated to about $400, cheaper than C&J handgrade.

PhiloVance said:

A quick search of sf posts on Carmina pulls up posts from old hands like Ken Pollock putting the quality somewhere around C&J benchgrade and Peals for BB. 4-5 years later, has the quality really gotten that much better to almost EG standards in terms of craftsmanship/leather? That seems to be a pretty big leap to get from C&J mid-tier to EG quality . . . I remember that I was never really into the lasts when I saw them at BG or Barneys - but the lasts seem to have improved, perhaps the craftsmanship/leather quality has as well.

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Well, not exactly sure what the quality used to be, as I have only been exposed to Carmina for about 8 months. I find the lasts to be very elegant I love the Rain, Forest, and Inca], I have found them to be exceedingly comfortable, and they have many of the same details as shoes way above their price range. In particular, the closed channel stitching is a nice touch. The leather quality on EGs does seem superior though, as does the antiquing and finishing. For example, this happened on my Carmina's and I sure hope that it would not happen on EGs:

malat said:

Agreed. I bought the EG Westminster the day after I bought my Carmina pair at the stores in Paris. I can say that the EGs have slightly better finishing, but the Carminas are such an incredible value and the last fits my feet perfectly. The Carmina pair is probably my most comfortable pair of shoes and I end up wearing them far more often than the EGs.

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+1. I guess at this point in my life I would not splurge again for EGs, unless I really liked the model. Carmina's are going to be my day-to-day shoes.



clee1982 said:

you can buy carmina in BG or Barneys, since when?

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I recall seeing them in person somewhere in the city - this was at least a few years ago, IIRC. Perhaps not BG or Barneys, could have been Saks, I just dont recall the location. There must be st least one NYC retailer . . .

When this kind of in your face promotion of a 2nd tier brand happens I never know if it is just an innocent band-waging phenomenon or whether there are commercial interests driving it

Carmina has been discussed here for ages and now all of the sudden it is being compared to EG. Carmina shoes are -I believe- an unknown quantity to most people in SF, unlike EGs.

What are the lasts for Carmina shoes that are available/used in the last few years, are you familiar with the range of models (have you had access to a Carmina catalogue,) have you handled any of their shoes, etc

In essence: get a grip, otherwise this seems like a silly season thread

PS: Kev , why don't you go an buy some Grenson masterpieces from your mate Tim. Buy British



countbaron said:

When this kind of in your face promotion of a 2nd tier brand happens I never know if it is just an innocent band-waging phenomenon or whether there are commercial interests driving it

Carmina has been discussed here for ages and now all of the sudden it is being compared to EG. Carmina shoes are -I believe- an unknown quantity to most people in SF, unlike EGs.

What are the lasts for Carmina shoes that are available/used in the last few years, are you familiar with the range of models (have you had access to a Carmina catalogue,) have you handled any of their shoes, etc

In essence: get a grip, otherwise this seems like a silly season thread

PS: Kev , why don't you go an buy some Grenson masterpieces from your mate Tim. Buy British

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It is not being compared to EG per se, but I am rather touting why it is an excellent choice as a mid-tier product. The lasts fit me better, they are an excellent value, and I am just saying that for $700-800 more I do not really see where my money is going. Carmina's suede in particular is beautiful, and their calf is also lovely. With C&J, I have found that the lasts are much less elegant than EG. With Carmina, on the other hand, I think that they have some of the most pleasing lasts. EG uses better leather, they are made in England, and they are normally finished better. But for me, with their rising prices, I find that EG is getting to the point that they are just not worth the premium. Further, a lot of SF members have claimed to have problems with EG's quality control and their customer service--two reasons why I, personally, prefer 'luxury' brands. No one is saying that EG makes an inferior product; in fact, quite the opposite is true. However, when I sit both of the products side-to-side, a difference is not so apparent as to justify the premium. As such, I have no qualms wholeheartedly recommending Carmina. Also, the forum has always [to my knowledge] espoused Carmina's shoes, normally ranking them above C&J. Carmina has only recently become much easier to acquire, through The Armoury and through their own website. This is probably why Carmina is being discussed more as of late.

TLDR: EG is an objectively better shoe, but the premium is not worth it to me.



w.o.e.is.me. said:

On a much less inflammatory note...some real gems from Carmina's Paris store. The guys there were a real pleasure to speak with, as well.

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Looks like they offer shoes for most style-segments, from very traditional to hideous green. I even saw a pair or two that look like they came from some of Fritz's sources. I'll sure stop there the next time I'm in Paris. I wonder if they carry 3EEE +?



countbaron said:

PS: Kev , why don't you go an buy some Grenson masterpieces from your mate Tim. Buy British

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When the "masterpiece" line is available i almost certainly will. As regards Carmina im genuinely in the market for a pair of Double Monks and am seriously considering the Carmina's and am merely asking peoples experiences against other makes. This is largely due to the fact that i will almost certainly be buying them blind. Comments like that of "malat" therefore are very informative.

As for the above if "Tim" was my friend i probably wouldnt be buying them now would i ? A couple emails doesnt a relationship make

Isn't count baron Petrus ?

For the prices discussed above - has the VAT been applied to the prices or are all the prices above before VAT? Also, anyone happen to know what the VAT is on Carmina's? Do they fall into the luxury goods category?



aj_del said:

Isn't count baron Petrus ?

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I can assure you I am not Petrus, whoever that may be. I would like a bottle of Petrus though

This Carmina hype is just weird. I wonder if there will be a lot of Carmina's being listed in B&S in the near future or if this is a long term promotion effort. The Spanish economy sure can use the help.

I am probably being paranoid but there is this big timer Spoo fella in the Balearic Islands, which by coincidence is where Carmina are based

Anyway, who cares it doesn't seem any one is buying/selling anything in this forum anymore so it is all to waste

I would like to see stats regarding B&S forum completed transactions (volume and rate) before and after the changes. Funny thing I doubt even the SF 'owners' have the tools to do that analysis - I may be wrong



countbaron said:

I can assure you I am not Petrus, whoever that may be. I would like a bottle of Petrus though

This Carmina hype is just weird. I wonder if there will be a lot of Carmina's being listed in B&S in the near future or if this is a long term promotion effort. The Spanish economy sure can use the help.

I am probably being paranoid but there is this big timer Spoo fella in the Balearic Islands, which by coincidence is where Carmina are based

Anyway, who cares it doesn't seem any one is buying/selling anything in this forum anymore so it is all to waste

I would like to see stats regarding B&S forum completed transactions (volume and rate) before and after the changes. Funny thing I doubt even the SF 'owners' have the tools to do that analysis - I may be wrong

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Up until the last six months, there has really been no way to acquire Carmina save going to Paris / Barcelona / Madrid / etc. They only have five certified shops, and about 5 years ago they essentially pulled out of the North American market. This is why you are hearing hype about the brand. They are now easily acquirable through The Armoury and Carmina's new e-commerce site. The same phenomena occurred when Vass became readily available back in 2006 I believe through Andrew Harris and Gabor Halmos. When you introduce a product en masse that was hitherto unavailable to most consumers, it is only natural that there will be a hype or at the very least a discussion about the product.



Newcomer said:

Up until the last six months, there has really been no way to acquire Carmina save going to Paris / Barcelona / Madrid / etc. They only have five certified shops, and about 5 years ago they essentially pulled out of the North American market. This is why you are hearing hype about the brand. They are now easily acquirable through The Armoury and Carmina's new e-commerce site. The same phenomena occurred when Vass became readily available back in 2006 I believe through Andrew Harris and Gabor Halmos. When you introduce a product en masse that was hitherto unavailable to most consumers, it is only natural that there will be a hype or at the very least a discussion about the product.

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Thanks for your candor. I know understand what is going on

Lets get the Carmina bandwagon going.

One horrible thought just occurred to me: is the Vass phenomenon in SF just a product of similar hype?. Where is Fritzl?

And why is Kev on the deal- is he selling these newly-to be anointed SF approved shoes?

If I was to be really paranoid, I would equate the recent anti-EG threads with this new Carmina Esales outlet.

I would be impressed with the level of long term planning going on here. On the other hand we are talking big bucks for a just a few straw man (EG) posts

All raise to Carmina ;the new Vass

well, for better or worse there is going to be a London based retailer carrying them

http://www.carminashoemaker.com/web/shops_world.php?lang=eng

looks like to be these guys, except not opened yet
http://www.spencerhart.com/



clee1982 said:

well, for better or worse there is going to be a London based retailer carrying them

http://www.carminashoemaker.com/web/shops_world.php?lang=eng

looks like to be these guys, except not opened yet
http://www.spencerhart.com/

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I'm quite chatty with the guy at the Spencer Hart concession in Libertys - I might pick his brains over it.