Carmina Shoes - Definitive Thread (reviews, advice, sizing, etc...) - official thread.

[Nashville1986]

I have a question for everyone. I finally got my MTO cordovan jumper boots in Argmanac over Christmas. One of the boots has a very obvious color difference on the same piece of cordovan on the side of the boot. To me, it is an obvious flaw. I know cordovan can change color over time, and not all cordovan tans the same, but I've never seen something like this on the same piece of leather. What is everyone's thoughts? Is this an obvious error? Should I just live with it? Will it get less noticeable over time as I break them in?

 

[budapest12]

I think it’s just the way the shell took the dye. I think it looks fine, personally, and will not be very noticeable with wear, especially over time. I expect others may disagree.

 

[zag73]

I have a question for everyone. I finally got my MTO cordovan jumper boots in Argmanac over Christmas. One of the boots has a very obvious color difference on the same piece of cordovan on the side of the boot. To me, it is an obvious flaw. I know cordovan can change color over time, and not all cordovan tans the same, but I've never seen something like this on the same piece of leather. What is everyone's thoughts? Is this an obvious error? Should I just live with it? Will it get less noticeable over time as I break them in?
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Looks like a flaw to me. But, I’m no cordovan expert. Maybe the colour will even out over time? Polish maybe?

 

[stook1]

I have a question for everyone. I finally got my MTO cordovan jumper boots in Argmanac over Christmas. One of the boots has a very obvious color difference on the same piece of cordovan on the side of the boot. To me, it is an obvious flaw. I know cordovan can change color over time, and not all cordovan tans the same, but I've never seen something like this on the same piece of leather. What is everyone's thoughts? Is this an obvious error? Should I just live with it? Will it get less noticeable over time as I break them in?
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I've seen this several times from different makers and have more than one pair with similar inconsistencies. Personally, I think it's basically normal for lighter color shell, although obviously not preferable given the choice. Given that it's on the shaft, I suspect it won't be noticeable.

Will it always be like this, ie. With time and wear? Hard to say, my guess is in the near to mid term, yes. Eventually with a lot of wear/time it may well fade.

 

[flylikeneagle]

I've seen this several times from different makers and have more than one pair with similar inconsistencies. Personally, I think it's basically normal for lighter color shell, although obviously not preferable given the choice. Given that it's on the shaft, I suspect it won't be noticeable.

Will it always be like this, ie. With time and wear? Hard to say, my guess is in the near to mid term, yes. Eventually with a lot of wear/time it may well fade.

+1

My whiskey harlech has this issue on the shaft of each boot.

 

[Nashville1986]

+1

My whiskey harlech has this issue on the shaft of each boot.

Did your C&J's even out any over time? Honestly for a $1,200 pair of MTO boots I don't think it's acceptable and I'd send them back except for the fact that I need them for winter. Carmina already delayed the initial shipment a month and said I'd have to wait another 3 months for the pair to be repaired and returned so it would be about 6 months from order to final product.

 

[madhat]

I have a question for everyone. I finally got my MTO cordovan jumper boots in Argmanac over Christmas. One of the boots has a very obvious color difference on the same piece of cordovan on the side of the boot. To me, it is an obvious flaw. I know cordovan can change color over time, and not all cordovan tans the same, but I've never seen something like this on the same piece of leather. What is everyone's thoughts? Is this an obvious error? Should I just live with it? Will it get less noticeable over time as I break them in?
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It's fairly typical of shell. I actually enjoy it as it adds more personality through more color variations.
It will even out with time as the whole boot darkens. (We fight and fight for lighter colors, but with time they all turn brown)

 

[mugenlove]

General advice is... really depends where you are with the idea of shell cordovan and how much wear it’ll have. Some like variance since there’s natural variance to begin with and it’ll even out and fade with hard wear. Others find shell to have standards that naturally come with such a high price tag and treat it that way as well - so a more flawless - rare occasion shoe. I don’t think either is wrong. I’m tend to straddle the two opinions - but I generally like the depth of shell

 

[flylikeneagle]

Did your C&J's even out any over time? Honestly for a $1,200 pair of MTO boots I don't think it's acceptable and I'd send them back except for the fact that I need them for winter. Carmina already delayed the initial shipment a month and said I'd have to wait another 3 months for the pair to be repaired and returned so it would be about 6 months from order to final product.

No not yet. I've worn it less than 10 times over the course of the 10 months I've owned the pair, so it's still relatively new . I'm the only one who notices it though. Initially I too was unhappy with my Harlech (which had a couple of other cosmetic imperfections) and considered contacting C&J, but just let it go in the end. At this point I love the boot, and am glad I didn't ask for it to be remade. Had I paid $1200 (versus $800 for Harlech) I may have handled the situation differently. If you're not happy with it, may be you can ask Carmina for a discount (partial refund)?

 

[JoeBlack0]

I have a question for everyone. I finally got my MTO cordovan jumper boots in Argmanac over Christmas. One of the boots has a very obvious color difference on the same piece of cordovan on the side of the boot. To me, it is an obvious flaw. I know cordovan can change color over time, and not all cordovan tans the same, but I've never seen something like this on the same piece of leather. What is everyone's thoughts? Is this an obvious error? Should I just live with it? Will it get less noticeable over time as I break them in?
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Well it is not “minor” but personally I wouldn’t contact them because of the place where it’s located. In this case I don’t think it subtracts from the aesthetic but if this boot was something special for you I would understand if you tried to get a remake of a partial refund

 

[stephenaf2003]

I have a question for everyone. I finally got my MTO cordovan jumper boots in Argmanac over Christmas. One of the boots has a very obvious color difference on the same piece of cordovan on the side of the boot. To me, it is an obvious flaw. I know cordovan can change color over time, and not all cordovan tans the same, but I've never seen something like this on the same piece of leather. What is everyone's thoughts? Is this an obvious error? Should I just live with it? Will it get less noticeable over time as I break them in?
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Now this it seems to me, is an example of what sometimes occurs during the shell tanning process. Apparently it bothers you, so it’s really just a matter of you figuring out how much it does. I’ve got a few pairs of light colored shell with irregularities. On one pair, I like it because the leather on that pair to me is just normal variation that occurs during the tanning process. On the other pair, I hate it because that particular pair is just an example of the makers lack of concern during the clicking process. I kept both though.

 

[masernaut]

I have a question for everyone. I finally got my MTO cordovan jumper boots in Argmanac over Christmas. One of the boots has a very obvious color difference on the same piece of cordovan on the side of the boot. To me, it is an obvious flaw. I know cordovan can change color over time, and not all cordovan tans the same, but I've never seen something like this on the same piece of leather. What is everyone's thoughts? Is this an obvious error? Should I just live with it? Will it get less noticeable over time as I break them in?
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Oof. That looks terrible. I would not accept that. For the MTO and price-tag, Carmina should remake that or give you a significant discount.

 

[stook1]

I have a question for everyone. I finally got my MTO cordovan jumper boots in Argmanac over Christmas. One of the boots has a very obvious color difference on the same piece of cordovan on the side of the boot. To me, it is an obvious flaw. I know cordovan can change color over time, and not all cordovan tans the same, but I've never seen something like this on the same piece of leather. What is everyone's thoughts? Is this an obvious error? Should I just live with it? Will it get less noticeable over time as I break them in?
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Following up on my prior message, here's an example of one of mine. While it's not as big of a color variation, it is on the vamp. Full disclosure, these were bought as seconds quality, however I am almost 100% sure it wasn't because of this issue. There was a fairly significant (and odd) tooling mark, I suspect from horween actually, on one shoe that I was able to work out. It was a very clear/big/significant defect. This issue below doesnt bother me, I just see it as natural variation.

 

[Jazzmenco]

 

[serbarristan]

Can’t stop wearing these