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

[ThinkDerm]



Brooks Brothers "346" pants. (Gasp)

between those and your dkny pants... hah!

next you're gonna tell me today you are rocking greg peters golf from tjmaxx

 

[Concub1ne]

i've wondered the same . . . . to the point i have a slight suspicion the volume buyers could either have first crack at production runs or 'tanning' is done to their specification.
there just seems to be too much shading consistency with certain brands for it to be otherwise.

Seems like it's not just certain producers that get consistency, certain retailers of sometimes unreliable makers also get a much more narrow range of results when they order.

Theorizing below.

If I were in horweens shoes (no pun intended), with a somewhat unreliable end result of tanning, it would make sense for me to offer batches that would be rejected by demanding buyers to less demanding buyers at a discount. Saves me the trouble of refining my process or tossing the hides, and lends one of my customers a bit of extra profit margin. On the buyers end they in turn can similarly let their volume customers get exactly what they order, while telling smaller customers that they'll take what they're given, it being an "artisanal" product and whatnot. Seems like a winning angle as long as end consumers don't make too much noise.

Of course I'm just thinking out loud here, and may in fact be speaking out of my posterior. Still though, I'd be interested in some opinions. Why would a producer not do something similar? Please chime in if you have an answer to the original question as well.

 

[Cuttingboard]

I have a stupid question: Since the Shoe Mart now carries Carmina, are the lasts the same shape and size as the ones that they send to the Armoury, Skoak and EPaulet? They are not seconds are they? Just curious because if I buy a Simpson lasted shoe from the Shoe Mart, it should fit the same as a Simpson lasted shoe from the Armoury. Just curious about shoe mart since I have never bought from them.

 

[Mr. Six]



I have a stupid question: Since the Shoe Mart now carries Carmina, are the lasts the same shape and size as the ones that they send to the Armoury, Skoak and EPaulet? They are not seconds are they? Just curious because if I buy a Simpson lasted shoe from the Shoe Mart, it should fit the same as a Simpson lasted shoe from the Armoury. Just curious about shoe mart since I have never bought from them.

They're not seconds. The Rain lasted shoes that I tried on at Shoe Mart fit the same as the Rain lasted shoes that I ordered directly from Carmina.

 

[SeamasterLux]

Teaser sent by Carmina in Paris (Albaladejo) that just got in my MTO order (80208 on a Rain last)

 

[diglett]

^ Croc accents?

 

[SeamasterLux]

^ Croc accents?

Yes indeed

 

[Cuttingboard]



They're not seconds. The Rain lasted shoes that I tried on at Shoe Mart fit the same as the Rain lasted shoes that I ordered directly from Carmina.

Thanks, I found your pics from shoe mart, I only have Carmina's in the Rain last, how did the Simpson last fit you? Did you have to size up a .5 size from the Rain last and did the shoe look too long on your foot?

 

[Mr. Six]

^ I took the same size in Simpson and Rain, but I have a fairly narrow foot with medium instep. The Rain last is a little loose for me in the forefoot but not enough to size down. I find the Rain last to be sleek but deceptively wide. I haven't had enough opportunity yet to wear the Simpson lasted shoes to say for sure how well they fit. They/'re certainly narrower than Rain. I might not be the best person to use as a guide on this.

 

[Cuttingboard]



^ I took the same size in Simpson and Rain, but I have a fairly narrow foot with medium instep. The Rain last is a little loose for me in the forefoot but not enough to size down. I find the Rain last to be sleek but deceptively wide. I haven't had enough opportunity yet to wear the Simpson lasted shoes to say for sure how well they fit. They/'re certainly narrower than Rain. I might not be the best person to use as a guide on this.

I appreciate your input...I don't have a wide foot either and the rain last is a hair wide but very comfortable. I'll order two sizes and return the one that doesn't fit.

 

[ethanm]

I don't have any Rain shoes but I do have Simspon and Alcudia pairs and I imagine they are lasts that simply won't work for some people. I have to wear insoles with a lot of my shoes because of a narrow heel but Simson/Alcudia lasts fit like gloves. Based on that I think that people will have problems with them like I do with less narrow lasts.

 

[Cuttingboard]



I don't have any Rain shoes but I do have Simspon and Alcudia pairs and I imagine they are lasts that simply won't work for some people. I have to wear insoles with a lot of my shoes because of a narrow heel but Simson/Alcudia lasts fit like gloves. Based on that I think that people will have problems with them like I do with less narrow lasts.

Thanks E!

 

[Cuttingboard]



Gentlemen, I just left The Shoe Mart, where they were unpacking their first pairs of Carminas. I picked up a pair of black austerity brogues on the Simpson last. Here are some iPhone pics of what they have available.

Six - are the cap toe brogues in the pic tan or brown? I need a light color for spring and summer and their website pic makes the shoe look brown. I'm looking for something like this:

 

[Patek]

Anyone heard any update from the Epaulet group buy boot order from November?

Still waiting on my grey suede wingtips and winter is almost over.

 

[Mr. Six]

Gentlemen, I just left The Shoe Mart, where they were unpacking their first pairs of Carminas. I picked up a pair of black austerity brogues on the Simpson last. Here are some iPhone pics of what they have available.

Six - are the cap toe brogues in the pic tan or brown? I need a light color for spring and summer and their website pic makes the shoe look brown. I'm looking for something like this:

They might not be exactly the same as the color of the shoes from The Armoury, but they're close. I think Carmina calls it calf cognac (they have the model in their site but not their webstore). From memory and my photos I think it's pretty close to tan--closer to tan than to medium brown.