************* STYLEFORUM X EPAULET NEW YORK TRAINERS/SNEAKERS **************



rydenfan said:

No!!! They can't sell out yet, I still don't know my size

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You know you can buy and update the size until the 13th right...?



ReversoLover said:

You know you can buy and update the size until the 13th right...?

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He doesn't know because he doesn't bother to read the earlier posts. I do hope mike will post sizing recs soon though.

Thank god the other colors are sold out so I can stop agonizing over a second pair I can't afford.

Man, I wish I'd seen this thread sooner! Navy kopped, but would love to have gotten in on either oxblood or cigar as well!

Nice stuff. No clue why navy is the least popular but I'm happy because it was my first choice and the only one still left along with black.

To change the size I suppose we just email the generic Epaulet email id?



ReversoLover said:

You know you can buy and update the size until the 13th right...?

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budapest12 said:

He doesn't know because he doesn't bother to read the earlier posts. I do hope mike will post sizing recs soon though.

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Lawlz

Got myself some oxblood. I rarely wear sneakers, but these are the exact medium I was looking for!

Very nice. I've long wanted a pair of unlined shell sneakers that were resolable.

@budapest12

Yes, let's hope that they do sell out soon.



emptym said:

Very nice. I've long wanted a pair of unlined shell sneakers that were resolable.

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Lol! Not sure if serious but they're not.

emptym said:

Very nice. I've long wanted a pair of unlined shell sneakers that were resolable.

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I don't believe these are resoleable. However I've read here and from Mike that the gum sole is solid and has a good longevity...Wearing them very often might change that though.. Not sure...

As far as sizing, I'm still wondering with my size pick...I picked size 11...Mike told me that he'd advise the same size as my Jack Purcells. Epaulet tried to normalize the fit with the Jack Purcell / Chuck Taylor sizing. Mike said it's not identical, but most customers have achieved a great fit by ordering the same size that they take in those shapes.

My Nikes are always 11.5 but they are 1/2 size bigger than true to size. My C&J boots are 10 UK, 11 US...But my Nikes 11.5 is marked as 45.5 Euro. My Jack Purcells are U.S. 11 and 45 Euro...The cigars I kopped are size 11 and euro 44.5..All these Euro inequalities have me scratching my head but my Jacks do have room to spare so I will trust Mikes prognostication...Hopefully Mike will settle this once and for all...

Happy hunting...

I wish the navy sneaks were a deeper blue. They look light on the site....

Add a touch of black polish. Will darken them right up

While it's something I've never attempted before, I will kop and do that...If I may ask you, after I put a thin layer on, should I leave it on for a few minutes before wiping it off or be like Danielsan, wax(polish) on wax off quickly? Any danger of going too far on the color change? Don't want black sneaks....


That's a great recommendation...Thank you!....

Hey guys!

Thanks so much for all of the orders! Man, this has been REALLY exciting for both us and for Fok, I can't believe the response, and we're extremely grateful for your support! I know that there's a lot of questions to answer, so let me try to hit all of them:

COLOR AVAILABILITY
Cigar, Cognac, and Oxblood are sold out. I've put together a wait list just in case we have some cancellations on them, but it's already pretty deep (over 75 names just for Cigar), so at this point, I'm going to close that. We will absolutely be able to do another run in 2015, so they'll be another opportunity down the road

There's about 20 units of black remaining and about 20 units of navy.

PRICING
I'm really glad that you guys find the pricing reasonable - that was very important for both me and Fok. Selling quality pieces with a strong value is crucial for us. I've had a few guys ask how it's possible, and there's three reasons:

1) All Epaulet-branded merchandise is sold direct to customers. We therefore eliminate the wholesale markup. We're also conservative with markdowns and discounts, thereby allowing us to set the initial retail pricing lower at the start

2) As this was a group buy project and a collaboration we worked to make the pricing really attractive, and just took a slim margin on it overall

3) The lowest Euro rates in years REALLY picked a killer time to happen. As of today:

1.00 EUR = 1.25140 USD
1 USD = 0.799105 EUR

We finalized the pricing when the Euro started to dip and we've already paid in our deposit on the production, thereby locking in that rate. Hell yes.

SIZING
Sizing isn't an exact science as two guys with the same sized foot might have two different preferences for how their shoes fit, but our "formula" has proven effective so far. To hit some of the comments:

1) The great thing about sneakers like these is that the sizing is easier compared to goodyear welted shoes and boots. They can be a little bit big or a touch small and still wear very well. So don't stress out about it too much.

2) A lot of guys find that both Chuck Taylors and Jack Purcells fit fairly true to size. In general, we've found this to be a good recommendation, and you'll most likely wear the same size in the Tennis Trainer that you take in these shapes. If you find that you're taking one size in Chucks and one in Jacks, then you're safer going with the larger of the two.

3) In terms of shoes, we'd recommend sizing up one from the Carmina Forest-Rain-Oscar-Robert last. Size up one half from Alden's Barrie & Tru-Balance last. Go for the same size that you wear in Aberdeen and Leydon.

4) We shipped out about 150 of our calfskin and suede Tennis Trainers. Our return rate was very low, and most customers found that the sizing worked well. The only significant issue was from guys with very wide feet. If you take a significantly wide last (like Alden's EEE), and you typically find that most footwear feels too narrow for you, then these will probably feel too narrow as well. Trying on something like a Jack Purcell would be a good move in this case. If you can get that shape to work, then the Tennis Trainer will as well.

5) Basketball and Running shoes are a poor size comparison overall. The shape really varies a lot from shoe to shoe and brand to brand.

6) Common Projects is also a poor equivalent for these. Both of our shoes share the same soles, but they have very different lasts and different production facilities. I personally find the CP last to be a bit too narrow at the toes, so we worked to make this last a more true fit. Many guys who own both have told us that the Tennis Trainer has a more comfortable fit.

RESOLING & THEIR PLACE IN YOUR WARDROBE

As far as I know, these cannot be resoled. They're certainly "baller" sneakers, but still sneakers in construction. As Fok pointed out, the Margom soles are very hard wearing. If you have a decent footwear rotation, then these are going to last quite a while.

We do a large Alden business here, so a lot of my customers are into resoling their shoes and wearing them hard. Our original delivery of Tennis Trainers was met with some skepticism by some of our regulars. So I often told them my rationale behind our sneaker collection. We sell great trousers, jeans, and chinos. I think that our welted shoes jive very nicely with them in quality, price, and look. I don't think that too many guys pair up their $235 flannels with a fresh pair of bicycle-toe Kenneth Coles. Or, hopefully they don't.

I like sneakers, but I was generally disappointed with what was out on the market. I own all sorts of technical Nikes, a few pairs of Jack Purcells, and an ancient pair of Prada Sports. They all had limited use in my wardrobe. Certainly the minimal lines of Common Projects and the like were appealing to me, but the fit, materials, and price just didn't work for me. Martin Margiela GAT's are IMO a better product, but they're also priced high for what you're getting. The Tennis Trainer is very comfortable and it works well with a range of looks. It's certainly way more expensive than its mass-market equivalent, but you'll feel an enormous difference when it's on your foot. They're just a pleasure to own.

The level of shoes that you see discussed on Styleforum is a real testament to this community. People talk about VASS, and Alden, G&G, Edward Green, etc. These are largely smaller manufacturers who offer a great quality to price ratio. I wanted to put out sneakers that would match that positioning. They're luxurious and well-made, but free of the bullshit that drives up the price.

"free of the bullshit that drives up the price" - the world needs more of this. Good on ya, Epaulet!