An Interactive Photo "Review" of M. Andrews shoes

I was given a free pair of shoes by @SartorialLuxury , a recent Affiliate Vendor. He didn't ask for any sort of review; he just wanted a few established members to try out his shoes. He asked for suggestions in thread.

This occurred around the time that Passaggio Cravatte thread was winding down and was very focused on the nature of gifts to reviewers, shilling, etc. I figured I'd use this as an opportunity to try a bit of an experiment, so I put myself forward as a volunteer.

The problem is, of course, that it is difficult for a reviewer, upon receiving a gift, to be unbiased. And even if he manages to do so, anything positive he has to say is (and perhaps should be) met with some skepticism. Even if the reviewer tries his bet to remain objective, the gift itself will color his take on it.

So this is not a review.

Instead, I have taken a series of pictures, some of the shoes out of the box, the others after four wears in eight days. I tried to capture any issues I noticed. And this is where you guys come in. Anything you guys notice about the pictures, please request a close up, and I'll oblige. If you want a certain angle, or the shoe twisted a certain way, just ask, and I'll provide. For example, the leather is really pliable, so I took a picture of my finger pressing down on it and then a second picture after I removed my finger.

I won't editorialize in the slightest, one way or another. So my silence on any subjective issues shouldn't be interpreted as anything more than that.

So.

Here we go.

Out of the box:










Please keep in mind, one of my feet is smaller than the other. After four wears (shoe trees, but no polishing):

I dig the color....

The wear and tear seems perfectly normal. The crease formed around the vamp(?) area may have me concerned. I have yet to see that much on my shoes.

Also if you're going to keep them, I would suggest rubber soles on the front half of the shoes.

Very interesting stitching and antique work. They look to be well made. It's interesting that the leather is that soft. The wheeled edges look well done. The last is very sharp looking as well. I'd be interested in what @DWFII thinks.

So what are we talking about here, blake construction? Some of the shoe details you highlighted would indicate sloppy detailing and inspection, and I would say the leather does not seem like it's of good quality/cut. The burnishing seems nice enough (if you like such things), how is the comfort?

Not my cup of tea for multiple reasons including aesthetic & material (and possibly construction though that's harder to tell from pics). Depending on price point, they look as if might fill a niche for others' wardrobes. Mind you, I think I buy fewer than one pair of shoes a year on average these days, so not exactly a target customer!!

From the website, they're blake/mckay - which I'm happy to see a bit more of just so that not everything is GYW. I'd also like to see DWF or someone chime in about the leather wrinkling on the vamp. Is this a loose fibre mat and therefore something of an off-cut?

I don't like the burnishing myself, but the last is stylish in a casual, youthful kind of way. The leather wrinkling like that indicates it's come from a cheaper area of the hide, and the pattern alignment (facing to toe cap) is off on the right shoe. You have displayed a cut or scratch on the inner quarter of one of them.

If you do like that painted patina style, and there's no reason not to, then there's definite potential here. But I'd caution that at this price point, it's way over the goodyear welted shoes of Septieme Largeur - who have the customisation options and large selection already - and right up against other stylish newcomers like J Fitzpatrick, who uses damn good leather and has obsessive quality control.

I'm not saying this isn't a good company. But I suspect it will take some time and experience to sharpen up the QC to the point where the cost is justified. Frankly, I think his Italian supplier might be giving him the bottom of the barrel right now. I wish him luck though - it takes balls, money and a lot of effort to bring even a small selection to market like this. I hope it works out and he goes from strength to strength.

From the heels, zoomed

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jssdc said:

From the website, they're blake/mckay - which I'm happy to see a bit more of just so that not everything is GYW. I'd also like to see DWF or someone chime in about the leather wrinkling on the vamp. Is this a loose fibre mat and therefore something of an off-cut?

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DWFII said:

If that's the case, there is way too much room in the forepart of your shoe. That, as much as anything is causing the creases to form as they are. But the quality of leather is also a factor. It may be great leather, in general and very supple, but it is poor shoe leather. Those creases around your thumb tell the whole story.

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JubeiSpiegel said:

how is the comfort?

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Can't really speak to this, as I don't really have a point of comparison. This is the only blake constructed shoe I own, and I can't really compare the comfort of it to the comfort of GYW, as blake is generally more comfortable (and this isn't an exception)

Claghorn said:

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Holy granny knot, Batman. http://www.styleforum.net/t/393780/be-a-classy-gentleman-tie-your-shoes-symmetrically

Sorry for the delayed participation. I wanted to share this conversation with my cobbler prior to jumping in so that I properly address some of the questions that have been asked. I would like to thank @Claghorn for agreeing to experience and share my shoes in this manner.

I'm going to start with the quality of the leather. The leather that is sourced for the production of these shoes is an Italian baby calfskin, hand selected by my cobbler "primarily" for it's soft and supple texture. Contrary to what has been suggested our leather is of excellent quality, very soft and pliable, and very durable. Pressing down on the vamp of almost any shoe will create the effect that is pictured in this thread. I actually visited Nordstrom yesterday and was able to reproduce this effect on virtually every pair of dress shoes in their selection including Allen Edmonds and Magnanni. Also, please consider that our leather must have certain properties, unique to my cobblers preference, in order to best accommodate the process he uses to hand color and finish our shoes.

I will agree that our styling can be considered forward for those who prefer traditional brands and lasts. I am a young professional and wanted to create a product that would appeal to those of similar taste while being non offensive and in a "gray" zone for those who are more conservative. My styling is comparable to brands such as Santoni or Berluti while purposely being different from brands such as Alden, Crockett and Jones, etc.

We use the Blake construction method for obvious reasons. Our shoes are designed with a sleek silhouette that is flexible and comfortable out of the box, while at the same time providing superior stability that will last and can be resoled with the same ease as a Goodyear welt.

Are we talking about cobblers or cordwainers here?

In any case

I make it a point to not criticize other makers directly. I am going to try to abide by that in the following remarks.

As mentioned, a "cobbler" is a shoe repairman...not a shoemaker. Not having the experience or skill to make shoes, a cobbler is not qualified to judge the quality of leather or its suitability for making shoes.

As a shoemaker...a cordwainer...I shy away from leathers that are too soft and incoherent in the fiber mat. Such leathers may be top notch, for some purposes, and very soft and supple, but they are not suitable for making shoes, in my professional opinion.

The photo above indicates that the grain surface of the leather over the joint is moving under the thumb at a different rate than the corium. Typically we only see that in leather that has been cut from the belly or far up in the shoulder. Again...as mentioned in the Leather Quality thread...manufacturers are forced by their own priorities to sometimes use what would ordinarily be called "offal" in places where only prime should be considered.

I suspect tannage has an effect but if the leather behaves...or "tells"...like offal the tannage is an unhappy one.

And the grain scars and blems, shown in the photos above, only reinforce the suspicion that the leather in question is not prime or suitable for making anything but the most "ordinary" shoes.

We can comment ...and disagree...about whether the leather is good quality or not, but the results speak for themselves. This thread wouldn't exist if the leather was breaking-in normally or attractively.

Parenthetically, we need to distinguish between Blake and Blake-Rapid.

Blake is sewn direct from the insole to the outsole. The threads holding the shoe together are in a direct line to be worn away, even if they are concealed.

Blake-Rapid is sewn from the insole to a midsole that extends beyond the margins of the vamp an appropriate amount to function as a "welt"...to which the outsole is subsequently sewn. The critical stitches are, ideally, never exposed to any wear whatsoever.

Resoling Blake-Rapid is more or less as easy as resoling a welted shoe.

Resoling a Blake, esp. with any finesse, is not so simple outside of the factory.