Official Fiorentini + Baker Thread

[a la mode]

I was looking for an exclusive thread on just Fiorentini + Baker and could not find one. I just bought the Elf's and I could not be happier. These boots had a perfect fit the minute I put them on. Anyone have any experience with any other Fiorentini + Baker footwear as these fit so well and look so good that I am considering buying more Fiorentini + Baker!
*note* I have absolutely no association with the company nor do I work in retail - I just love my new boots!

 

[alexksquared]

keep us updated on how they wear in, I have been looking at getting some 745's for a while now

 

[a la mode]

keep us updated on how they wear in, I have been looking at getting some 745's for a while now

Will do. The 745's look amazing as-well!

 

[tellure]

I'm a big F+B fan.. I have a pair of Elf boots that I wear pretty much all the time. They're really general purpose, work with a lot of different stuff.

And damn they're comfortable. I do wear 'em with an insole for a bit more cushion, but I do that with all my other boots (e.g. Shoto, Officine Creative) and these are still the most comfortable for me. The lining leather is really soft and the split at the top of the boot gives the foot a big range of motion without pressure on the calf. They also wear in pretty well.. even after 2 yrs of heavy wear the outside still looks pretty new (some pics further down - medium brown suede). The heel liners / stitching did eventually break down, but the cobbler was able to stitch 'em back up.

I kinda wonder about where the quality of this brand is headed though. The new Elf's I handled at Barney's felt a bit less well-made than the older ones.. the old pair of black leather ones I had were much softer.


Just for kicks, here are some pics of F+B's I've owned / sold:















Kinda wish they made the Elf's in more leather colors though (as opposed to suede).. saw this grey leather one on their website a couple years ago but I've never seen it in a store. Probably long gone:




There are some grey suede ones out (in Europe at least.. link) that look kinda cool - pics below. Only problem is that grey suede tends to get dirty and not look that great IMO. I have a pair of the Esso model in grey suede which I haven't worn that much and they're already a bit dirty.

 

[a la mode]

I'm a big F+B fan.. I have a pair of Elf boots that I wear pretty much all the time. They're really general purpose, work with a lot of different stuff.
And damn they're comfortable. I do wear 'em with an insole for a bit more cushion, but I do that with all my other boots (e.g. Shoto, Officine Creative) and these are still the most comfortable for me. The lining leather is really soft and the split at the top of the boot gives the foot a big range of motion without pressure on the calf. They also wear in pretty well.. even after 2 yrs of heavy wear the outside still looks pretty new (some pics further down - medium brown suede). The heel liners / stitching did eventually break down, but the cobbler was able to stitch 'em back up.
I kinda wonder about where the quality of this brand is headed though. The new Elf's I handled at Barney's felt a bit less well-made than the older ones.. the old pair of black leather ones I had were much softer.
Just for kicks, here are some pics of F+B's I've owned / sold:

Kinda wish they made the Elf's in more leather colors though (as opposed to suede).. saw this grey leather one on their website a couple years ago but I've never seen it in a store. Probably long gone:

There are some grey suede ones out (in Europe at least.. link) that look kinda cool - pics below. Only problem is that grey suede tends to get dirty and not look that great IMO. I have a pair of the Esso model in grey suede which I haven't worn that much and they're already a bit dirty.

Wow thanks for pointing out these different styles and variations, I never knew Elf's existed in these colors!

 

[tellure]

Here's a couple more.. from Madison (link):

Brown nubuck? This site calls it "Bernabeu":



Dark brown leather:

 

[onijo84]

I find F+B boots to be decent beaters if you get them on sale for > $200+ . They are somewhere in the range of OC & N.D.C. I have the GO2 in suede. Got them because the shape was great and the price was reasonably low. I personally feel that their older models were well constructed compared to the recent ones. Not a big fan of their boots shape though. No issues with the construction on the pair i have. Staying up well. The guy over at Gimme shoes told me that they do stay up well and it was one of the reasons why they continued stocking F+B. I just hope they can keep up and at least bring their quality a notch higher to the likes of N.d.C.

 

[1234]

Just got a pair of the elf boots as well. For $425 I am very impressed. Look great and feel awesome.

 

[a la mode]

Just got a pair of the elf boots as well. For $425 I am very impressed. Look great and feel awesome.

Good to hear. They are amazing boots, I am still loving mine and wear them whenever I can.

 

[lasciv]

i'm a serious boot fetishist and my F+B Elf gives me total vascular eclipse.

 

[a la mode]

LOL - Great Post!

 

[tellure]

Just wanted to mention that this french shop seems to have pretty good prices on F+B. The Elf in light grey (pictured above) is ~US$320 after shipping I believe, which is a lot cheaper than buying here in the US.

http://www.basalt.fr/shop/liste.php?id_fabricant=16

I have no affiliation with this store

 

[TACO_FLAVORED_KISSES]

Thanks for the heads up. Any idea on customs though?

 

[tellure]

Not sure.. only time I've bought boots from Europe it was from Stylebop and their prices include duties. You could try and figure it out from the Harmonized Tariff Schedule but you might go blind trying to figure it out..

 

[Sybaris]

received a pair of black leather elfs in the mail this week and agree with other posts, they're great looking but the construction is a bit questionable. One boot is a little difficult to get on but fits fine. The other you can see on the bottom where the cobbler put two tacks a little high, took them out and put them in line with the others. Nobody will ever see that but still, maybe they should have sent them to an outlet store.