Epaulet x Carmina MTO - Page 39

Hey guys, anyone care to comment on the width of the Inca last? I usually run US 8E, wondering if it'd be tough to cram my foot into a normal width 7UK.

7.5 UK would be better, and it would be a snug fit.

I doubt 7 UK will work for you.

Wearing a pair on the Inca last right now (Epaulet's double monk). Went with 10 UK since 11 D Barrie is a little on the large side for me, and 10.5 D Barrie works in a shoe for me (my feet are on the far edge of D width). 10 UK Inca is a tight fit for me and I'm waiting to see what happens when the sole breaks in a little bit. The soles on these Carminas are very stiff. Will probably go with at least a 10.5 UK in the future.

Is it the length or the width that's the issue for you or both?

Carmina x Epaulet Status

Hey guys, just want to check in quickly with everything going down.

1. I decided to pull the Shell Bal Boot preorder for now. We had one taker, and he's been refunded already. I think that we were jumping the gun with this, and really, late May isn't the ideal time to get a style like this delivered. I've got Carminas coming next week (Shortwings and Double Monks), and a big delivery in mid-April that will include the Snuff Suede Austerity Brogues.

I have Shell Cordovan reserved for the Fall, so we don't have to worry about the availability of leathers. Let's revisit this preorder in mid May. The Austerity Brogue guys will all have their shoes, and we'll have a larger group of Carmina owners to pool from. We can do one, two, or more designs for the Fall and have a very concrete delivery in September - which will be perfect timing for a piece like this. And if you have something in the Rain, Inca, or Forest last, then you can be confident of your sizing in this piece.

2. Huge thanks to mymil for that awesome photo post! If you're interested in sharing it more, I'd suggest forwarding that to LA Guy, they'd probably put that on the main Styleforum blog as a guide to caring for shell cordovan boots. The photos and the notes are really great.

3. I'm planning a small restock in late May of caramel calf, black calf, and saddle shell double monks. We typically run sizes 7UK through 11UK. If you need a bigger or smaller size than that, drop me a PM and we can special order you a pair. They'll be final sale as a special order, but you'll get them at the usual price.

We're right on track for the planned mid-April delivery. I know that all of the leather is cut and the shoes are in work. We're not messing around!

I've owned two shoes with Dainite soles and I found them to be very tough. In my experience, they outlasted most leather soles that I've worn.
Yes, they use steel shanks in all of their goodyear welted shoes and boots. Carmina does run true handsewn styles too, and those are most likely made without the shank. But everything that we carry from them is Goodyear welted.
I think that it's going to be a tough fit. You'd probably want to go up to a 7.5UK in that. For the Forest last (which will include the shell bal boot), we can actually order a 7UK wide for you.
Thanks for picking up the double monks! You can expect that they'll break in a bit if you feet need them too. I'd suggest wearing them with the thinnest possible socks for the first few times that you wear them. You can always have them stretched a bit by a shoemaker if you need to, but they should be an easier fit after the break in period. It's a good idea to buy double monks a little snug at first so that they don't slip off of your heels down the road.

It's the width. The buckle straps have three holes and I'm using the last one on both.

The length feels fine and I think the widest part of my foot falls pretty well in the shoe. But my guess is that if you are an E width, then the Inca is going to feel really tight for you at the sizing you mentioned.

That being said, I really am waiting for the soles to give a little on mine. I think that will really show the fit.

My guess is that the extra length going up half a size is going to be well worth the extra width.

Great. My feeling is that they will work out for me. Definitely wearing very thin socks with them for break in.

I was going to put myself down for a 10.5 UK on the Balmoral Boot in the next day or two, but I'm also fine waiting for September delivery. Makes a lot more sense from many perspectives. As long as there is an all shell option, then I'm in when these come back around.

those black double monks have been in my dreams lately.

Cool, thanks for your understanding. I have a few other interested guys, but i think that it's best not to rush things. We've got those awesome Austerity Brogues en-route soon too.

The good news is that I've got shell on reserve for Fall. We can offer preorders on the bal boot in both Saddle and Chestnut. And we can absolutely do that Navy Jodphur boot too. Getting the leather won't be an issue, so we can comfortably commit to a September delivery - right at the start of the season. There's gonna be some good boots heading our way!

So much for placing a preorder today. Looks like I'll have to wait a few months.

Mike, don't forget about the non-shell brown calf/suede combo balmoral boot that at least some of us are waiting for...You know the boot I am talking about.

If you've got a running list of interested parties, count me in for that one.

I posted the pic, so I'm definately down for that one. I think Mike wants a pair himself, along with a few others. I think this one is a definate go.

Oh believe me, I haven't forgotten that one! We're definitely going to run it. I'll have some other surprises up my sleeve too.

And, I've got some shell pics to show you:

Here's my "Salinger" Saddle Shell Double Monks after a few months of wear and one round of Saphir Renovateur. The color is already significantly darker than where they started.





And here's some shots of my Edward Green double monks in Navy Shell Cordovan. Now I'll say that these are darker than any Navy shell shoes that I've seen before. They're really only a shade or two off of black. But typically, Navy shell makes up pretty dark. So the Jodphur boot in question for the Fall will still be very wearable, and it won't be a really strong shade of blue.





Imagine these with brown edge trim....