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KarlHungus

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Dear All,

A shameless repost of my sizing questions and the answers I got on the other thread.
I figured out that this might be a better place to ask them.

Currently, I own one pair of Carmina shoes on the Forest last in size 8.5 UK. These shoes fit me very well from heel to ball.
However, the toe box tapers in way too early for my feet. My toes are squeezed together so badly that I can only walk for a couple of minutes in these shoes before my feet start to cramp.

Therefore, I am looking for a last that fits similarly to Forest from heel to ball, but provides far more toe space.
To be more exact, I am not necessarily looking for a last:
- that is higher in the toe box;
- that is wider at the ball;
- that is significantly higher volume in the toe box.
Rather, I am looking for a last that tapers in later and, preferably, is also more asymetrical (more width/straighter on the big toe side).

I have made extensive use of the last comparison tool, but I am aware of the loss of information that occurs when projecting the 3D last shape on a 2D plane.
Nevertheless, by combining the projections from the last comparison tool with the information in this thread and the other sizing thread, I came to the conclusion that Oscar and Soller are probably my best bets.
Oscar appears to fit pretty similarly to Forest from heel to ball, but I'm afraid that its toebox is still too tapered for me.
On paper, Soller appears to offer the most toe space of all Carmina lasts, but at the expense of a (far?) bigger heel and instep.

Do you think that any of these lasts (or any other Carmina last) could work for me? Or am I better off looking elsewhere?

For your reference: I did not yet encounter a RTW last that fits me well.
TLB Mallorca's Howard last in 8.5 UK is the closest I got. This last is a bit too big in the heel and instep, and still too tight in the toes, but works quite well for me with non-captoe shoes in a soft leather and the usage of a tongue pad.
I did not try anything yet above Carmina's price level.


Thank you for the advice.
You mention that Llubi might have a lower instep; this is somewhat surprising to me because I've seen many people mention that Llubi has a high instep and is the roomiest of all Carmina's lasts.
When you mention instep, do you consider purely the height under the vamp or rather the total volume under the vamp?

And to be honest, I don't find Llubi to be a particularly attractive last. It's perfectly fine in top-down view, but this small up-turn at the very tip doesn't appeal to me at all. Then again, I do have the same issue with my TLB Howards and it doesn't really bother me when they are on my feet. So it is something I am willing to overlook to obtain a proper fit.


Thank you for the advice.
Rain will not work for me: the heel and instep are too big and the toebox is too narrow.

With thick socks (I want to order a boot), I can/should size up to 9 UK on the Forest last.
I imagine that this will be similar for the Oscar last, but will not apply to Soller. What would provide me with the most toe space: Oscar in 9 UK or Soller in 8.5 UK?

I have read somewhere on this forum that Oscar provides a bit more big toe room than Soller, whereas Soller provides more room for the pinky toe. This is something that definitely biases me towards Oscar but I would gladly hear your opinion on this.

Thank you for your advice.
I have only tried Oscar and Soller in same size so can't speak directly to the comparison, but the way the two lasts fit me is similar enough that I think Oscar in half size larger will certainly be roomier overall. YMMV of course
 

BurgundyOxfords

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Dec 5, 2016
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Great, thank you! I will go for Oscar 9 UK.
I have that same issue. My toes make up the widest part of my foot. Also I have low instep borrow waist of foot. 🦶 <- this is how my foot looks like an emoji

I wonder if llubi is better for me than Oscar due to ? tighter lacing ?

Please post your experience once Oscar arrives.
 

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