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

[apropos]

Originally Posted by upnorth

I believe all goodyear welted shoes are gemmed and by extension, all Carminas. Maybe DW can confirm this.
Nope.

 

[banis]

Originally Posted by upnorth

I believe all goodyear welted shoes are gemmed and by extension, all Carminas. Maybe DW can confirm this.
Vass, being goodyear welted, IIRC correctly is not gemmed. However, I may be mistaken.

 

[srivats]

Originally Posted by banis

Vass, being goodyear welted, IIRC correctly is not gemmed. However, I may be mistaken.

You are right ... vass is hand welted and no gemming.

 

[Mr. Pink]

Originally Posted by srivats

You are right ... vass is hand welted and no gemming.

http://the-last-shall-be-first.blogs...r-welting.html

Machine welting (using the Goodyear welting machine) usually, possibly always, involves gemming.

 

[teddieriley]

Awesome. I'm quite impressed by Carmina. I'm going to Spain at the end of the month. I really don't know how I'm not going to leave with five new pairs of shoes. I'll probably have to have some of them shipped home.

 

[Wes Bourne]

Alas, none of those are mine... Carmina website has been updated fairly recently and now displays more shoes/boots than previously shown, as well as many of their lasts.

 

[teddieriley]

Yes. Apparently they opened a new shop in Barcelona on Passeig de Gracia. Score. And i'm picking up that brown suede/leather spectator.

 

[Achillus]



Alas, none of those are mine... Carmina website has been updated fairly recently and now displays more shoes/boots than previously shown, as well as many of their lasts.

Wonderfull .

 

[VRaivio]

...finally they've updated their website. I had no idea Carmina had so many models and lasts -- and for ladies, too. Now if I only had a lady to shoe up...

Here's some Appreciation in boot form: derby boot, model 797 in mid-brown (as in not Cigar or Ravello) shell cordovan, Forest last, leather soles. As for price-quality ratio, Carmina brings the most bang for one's buck in RTW shell cordovan models. Do forget Alden.

 

[hendrix]

beautiful. the last is perfect

 

[Newcomer]



Originally Posted by w.o.e.is.me.

​

On the right =

It all starts with a trip to Paris...

Sure, the Eiffel Tower, Louvre and Notre Dame are must see attractions. However, no trip to Paris is complete (as far as SFers are concerned) without a visit to Carmina.

The 'soldes' were on, but alas, the following pair was not on that list. C'est triste.

More pictures, including lickable soles, are included in the spoiler.

 

[VRaivio]

hendrix: thank you. I had one pair of Carmina dress brogues in Forest last, but I feel this last looks much better with boots. It's actually very contoured, very much like G&G's last 06, only suitable to those with narrow ankles.

 

[DWFII]



Originally Posted by banis

I don't know whether Carmina is gemmed or not and I don't have information about amount of handwork. I may ask Betty Albaladejo those questions, if she agrees to answer them. As for welting, all Carmina's shoes are Goodyear.

I believe all goodyear welted shoes are gemmed and by extension, all Carminas. Maybe DW can confirm this.

Technically speaking Goodyear welted refers to a process which typically involves gemming. Any shoe that is advertised as being Goodyear welted should be suspected of using gemming. The original Goodyear welted shoe relied on a rather complex and not very functional method of cutting two channels in a leather insole and folding them up perpendicular to the surface of the insole. I am not sure how many factories still use this method but it was more or less abandoned in favour of the gemming years ago. I would suspect that there are not many machines left that can cut and fold the channnels. But the term Goodyear welted" is based on the a machine invented by a fellow named Goodyear. It requires a standing rib of some sort. Nine times out of ten if it is Goodyear Welted it is gemmed. There are also machines that can channel an insole and sew an inseam much like a hand welted inseam would be done. It is my understanding that this method is not "Goodyear welted" however. It is something else again. The machines that do this are few and far between and are difficult to control especially on narrow toes. Vass is hand-welted...they are not Goodyear welted. If someone says they are, they are misusing the terminology--I read the book, cover to cover.

 

[malat]



Originally Posted by w.o.e.is.me.

​

On the right =

I was in Paris in May and bought the second pair from the left. I wanted those suede/calf onces on the right, but the only size they had was a half size too small. Bummed. I still might order them, though I've fallen in love with the walnut Carmina pair that I did score.

 

[KObalto]



I wanted those suede/calf onces on the right, but the only size they had was a half size too small. Bummed.

Me too. I really liked those shoes, but none in my size. I walked out with nothing, but my wife scored.