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٭٭٭ No Man Walks Alone - Official Affiliate Thread ٭٭٭ (a.k.a. I shouldn't have slept on it)

unbelragazzo

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FWIW, every single person I talked to in Northampton agreed that AS are outstanding shoemakers but not that great at the business end. So if you get somebody like Greg who has spotted them and is able to work with them, you're getting an undervalued shoe IMHO. Quality is very very high.
 

gdl203

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How does your AS last compare with EG's 202?


Sorry I missed that question before.

We have chosen sleek, slightly elongated lasts for our AS Exclusive assortment. I felt that it was truer to the "house style", just like we favored rounder P2 and F last with Vass. We use two sleek chiseled lasts (724 and 104) and two sleek round-toe last (106 and 109). Of all these, the 109 last is the closest to EG 202 IMO but a little bit sleeker. It's the last the suede two-eyelet derby is made on :

1000
 

Asian Afro

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We have chosen sleek, slightly elongated lasts for our AS Exclusive assortment. I felt that it was truer to the "house style", just like we favored rounder P2 and F last with Vass. We use two sleek chiseled lasts (724 and 104) and two sleek round-toe last (106 and 109). Of all these, the 109 last is the closest to EG 202 IMO but a little bit sleeker. It's the last the suede two-eyelet derby is made on :

1000


Thanks for the info. I have a low instep, and that means American shoes tend to fit me much better than UK ones, and the fit isn't easily corrected with insoles. My one pair of EG in 202 fits me very well, however.

Sleeker is good. What else do you have in 109 last? I hope you carry UK size 7.
 

gdl203

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Yes we do have UK 7 - that's our smallest size

Here is the other shoe on the 109 in the current line-up :

700
700

700
700



Quick comparison of the four lasts, from L to R : 104, 109, 106 and 724 :

1400
 
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Asian Afro

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I like the dark brown wingtips in pebble grain (?). They've knocked Butteros off the list for now. :)
 

gdl203

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It's a leather from Horween called "Russia Calf" that replicates the hatch grain look of the famed Russian calf rescued from the wreck of the Catherina ship. It's a slightly different stamp pattern from scotch grain. I personally really like it. Same leather on the loafers above, but in a different tinge of brown.
 
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Eustace Tilley

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I like the look of the Russia Calf.

Greg - will you carry any dress socks?
 

Asian Afro

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Would you mind providing the measurements of size UK 7 on last 109? It'll give me an idea how they might fit, but I'm never quite sure about the instep.

Other fit examples: I fit well into Carmina's Simpson last (in UK 7) but loose on their Forest. Allen Edmonds' lasts pretty much all work for me except for the 5 last, with which I need to add an insole to the left shoe (after I have broken in the shoes). Vass just isn't meant for me. :(
 

Eustace Tilley

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FWIW, I do agree that the AS Exclusives are very well made and represent great value. I do, however, think that EG is still better - both in terms of the lasts and the leathers utilized.

That being said, the best shoes on the price / quality / style spectrum remain Vass, and it's nice to see that you're carrying the brand.
 

gdl203

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These will be A LOT less than what EG sell for in the US, and are IMO 90% of an EG. Main difference is in the final finish where EG excels.

If you're looking for the best English/Northampton shoes on your price / quality / style spectrum (and I was for the store) - AS Exclusive is just that.

We carry Sozzi socks, mainly OTC wools for fall/winter. A few fil d'écosse cotton OTC as well.
 
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rc121

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from that last comparison, it would seem that the 109 last is the widest at the ball of the foot. Would that be correct? or are my eyes playing tricks on me because its such a dark color?
 

gdl203

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Ow, man. Russian calf is a touchy subject on these forums :)

I know... :lookaround:
from that last comparison, it would seem that the 109 last is the widest at the ball of the foot. Would that be correct? or are my eyes playing tricks on me because its such a dark color?

Yes that's right. 104 is the narrowest and 109 and 106 have the same width for any given size, which is about 1/2 cm wider than 104.
 

laufer

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Yes we do have UK 7 - that's our smallest size

Here is the other shoe on the 109 in the current line-up :

700


So this is a hatch grain all right but what is the name of this color? Is this what AA Crack calls bullrush? It seems to be very dark shade of brown but one can never now from looking at the computer screen.
 

gdl203

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It's oxblood, a very dark brown with a tinge of burgundy

Oxblood Russia Calf vs. Sienna Russia Calf :

700
700
 
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