Advantages of a $1000 Pair of Shoes



hendrix said:

Man, I wish I could just make up facts whenever I wanted...

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So you're saying Carmina's own half price diffusion brand is on par with their mainline?



Superfluous said:

Carmina's own half price diffusion brand

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what are you talking about?



hendrix said:

what are you talking about?

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they both belong to the Albaladejo family. I guess there's a know how transfer but they are both independent operations. right?



BrizzleCizzle said:

Okay. So now I'm thrown for a loop. I'm familiar with AE and Alden -

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how do they stack up, quality wise, against C&J, Carmina, Meermin, and Vass? Literally, a 1 to 6 ranking would be awesome. And after what point does the price start reflecting simply the quality of materials or intricacy of craftsmanship? I'm looking at the next pair, and that WAS going to be Alden, but now that I've looked at Meermin (and their price points... cheaper than Alden for even the linea maestro), I'm wondering about devoting funds towards maybe a more expensive, but more worthwhile pair. Thanks for any clarification.

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imo, when you're already familiar with these two brands, you're good to go.

It's a mind trip. Once you've spent $1,000 on a pair of shoes it becomes a whole lot easier the next time. And style and quality are just as important as fit or else we'd all by wearing crocs. Nowadays I will only buy JL Prestige.

But in substantive terms, there is no way that a pair of EG/JL is worth $1,000. Markup is probably 350% or more and the wankery about 874 individual movements etc needed to make a pair is obvious nonsense.



Superfluous said:

So you're saying Carmina's own half price diffusion brand is on par with their mainline?

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that's not true. Carmina and Meermin are not related. It's like Puma and Adidas.

We are all missing the bigger picture here:
1. How many shoes do you currently own?
2. In what colours?
3. In what styles?
4. For what occasion?

Then you can discuss comparisons between the different brands at different price points. Fit, is of course paramount, but you do want some variety - in both colour and style - to mix and match with your wardrobe.

Also, unless you try all these shoes on, why shell out $1,000 for "quality" which you may not have the experience to judge or recognise at this stage.

He is doing it the new China way. High price tag=high quality. It is obvious from the OPs postings that he is either not bothered, too lazy or incapable of acquiring the requisite knowledge.

Reminds me of the scam of refilling Grange bottles with Bin 389.

No wonder annual Bordeaux consumption in China is 10x the annual production volumes of the Bordeaux region.



Putonghua73 said:

We are all missing the bigger picture here:

Spoiler: Warning: Spoiler!

1. How many shoes do you currently own?
2. In what colours?
3. In what styles?
4. For what occasion?
Then you can discuss comparisons between the different brands at different price points. Fit, is of course paramount, but you do want some variety - in both colour and style - to mix and match with your wardrobe.
Also, unless you try all these shoes on, why shell out $1,000 for "quality" which you may not have the experience to judge or recognise at this stage.

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no, we don't. it's his money. he wants to spend it, now.

fritzl said:

no, we don't. it's his money. he wants to spend it, now.

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mr monty said:

It all start with the fit, then quality and looks

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Well no. A very high quality pair of army boots is still a pair of army boots.

Fit matters and for obvious reasons should be the number one thing but quality? If it looks like crap and you won't wear it it's crap.

I think that whilst you may notice some difference between the $500-$1000 black captoes, this is not the best place to capture the main difference between price points.

Where the $1000 shoes tend to come into their own is with unique lasts and designs. You pay the upcharge because you want a design or colour not available in a cheaper brand's collection.

My compulsion to 'upgrade' was largely borne from a desire to own shoes in the JL7000 last and using EG crust leather, unique burnishing or using museum/ misty calf. Sometimes it can be something as small as an extra row of stitching, when you see it you know that buying an alternative shoe would be second best. You feel compelled to purchase the object of your desire.

Of course, along with the design comes improved quality (usually, Berluti is a point of debate for example). A pair of Saint Crispins gently cups the waist of your foot whereas a pair of C&J merely accomodates it (in my experience). Unfortunately, once you notice the improved quality and comfort, it is hard to go back. You'll end up buying the more expensive brands, even in relatively boring styles because you become familiar with the brand.

Unless one of these expensive shoes has really jumped out at you, I wouldn't bother buying a pair. Stick with a mid-priced maker. You'll probably get more satisfaction per dollar that way.



Petepan said:

He is doing it the new China way.  High price tag=high quality.  It is obvious from the OPs postings that he is either not bothered, too lazy or incapable of acquiring the requisite knowledge.

Reminds me of the scam of refilling Grange bottles with Bin 389.

No wonder annual Bordeaux consumption in China is 10x the annual production volumes of the Bordeaux region. 

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FYI, your remark sounds rather racist. Not sure if you really want to come off this way. Perhaps you do.



jerrybrowne said:

FYI, your remark sounds rather racist. Not sure if you really want to come off this way. Perhaps you do.

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Not only am I stating facts, I am not stating anything new which are not readily apparent to any observer of the worlds fastest growing market. You should also read up definition of racism. My comments apply to people from a geographic location, which is China, and not aimed at people of a particular race eg Chinese, of which, you may like to know, I am also one.

I heard from a secret forum member, 'THE MORE EXPENSIVE THE SHOE THE BETTER THEY ARE AND NAME BRANDS ARE BEST THE MORE PEOPLE KNOW ABOUT THEM THE BETTER THEY ARE'