Anyone ever hear of Cobbler Union?

[golfinz]

Cool, keep us posted! I emailed them with a few questions and Daniel responded right away, which is great!

@europrep What are your thoughts of the loafers? How do they compare, to say Carmina? They are similar in price

 

[Merchiston]

Will do. I also found Daniel very helpful but now I just want the boots to actually arrive! Ah well, patience maketh the man.

 

[V1KTA222]

Subscribed to see how this develops. The split and cap toe country calf boots look pretty good!

 

[V1KTA222]

@Merchiston just saw that you have some Louis boots incoming. Would be great to see some pics and hear your fit advice compared to other brands when you get them in!

 

[europrep]



Cool, keep us posted!  I emailed them with a few questions and Daniel responded right away, which is great!

@europrep
  What are your thoughts of the loafers?  How do they compare, to say Carmina?   They are similar in price

I have only had the opportunity to wear them a few times. Break in period was fairly quick. I find them sturdy and well made so far. I'll provide an update after I have had the chance to wear them more. I do like a lot of the styles offered online.

 

[Merchiston]

My Louis finally arrived today - I have not yet had a chance to take pics but overall I am very pleased with them.

The quality seems very good and the fit seems pretty much bang on for me. I generally take a 7F and have fairly narrow feet and sometimes have to go down to a 6 1/2 for some makes and styles especially bluchers. I was therefore a bit worried that the 7s I ordered would be too roomy but they are a far more more slender boot than I expected which is perfect for me.

The one area that I am not sure of is the vibram sole. It is a studded sole like danite but the compound seems quite soft. This makes for a very light boot but I have no idea how it will wear - I will just have to see!

I will send on pics when I can but they certainly are worth a punt if you are looking for a versatile, elegant boot.

 

[LeBeef]

My Louis finally arrived today - I have not yet had a chance to take pics but overall I am very pleased with them.

The quality seems very good and the fit seems pretty much bang on for me. I generally take a 7F and have fairly narrow feet and sometimes have to go down to a 6 1/2 for some makes and styles especially bluchers. I was therefore a bit worried that the 7s I ordered would be too roomy but they are a far more more slender boot than I expected which is perfect for me.

The one area that I am not sure of is the vibram sole. It is a studded sole like danite but the compound seems quite soft. This makes for a very light boot but I have no idea how it will wear - I will just have to see!

I will send on pics when I can but they certainly are worth a punt if you are looking for a versatile, elegant boot.

Sounds promising! Would you be able to compare sizing to Allen Edmonds, Alden, or Carmina?

 

[rewver]

Hi All,
I’m a long time listener, first time caller. It might seem like this is a fake paid for review since it’s my first post, but as I’ll start posting more (i.e. actually posting) from now on you’ll see that it’s no. As a disclaimer, I have no relationship with Cobbler Union at all and I paid full price for my shoes (and didn’t tell them they I would be posting a review).

I decided to go for Cobbler Union as I thought their shoes look good, better than AE’s, so I pulled the trigger on a pair of double monks. They cost $390 at the time of writing. I went for the double monks as I thought they looked good, but they’re not one of CU’s more adventurous pairs.

Looks: Well, judge for yourself, but I think they look good. My biggest issue is the different amount of siding color on the heel (pics below). One is black and the other basically brown, I assume they should both be black. I have some edging color myself, so I’ll give it a go, but I’d rather it was done correctly in the first place. However, overall I think they look pretty decent.

Quality: Again, overall pretty good, but there are some issues. First the heel color. Some weird leftover piece where the welting ends (was easy to pull off). The punching of the holes in the strap isn’t great. Bubbles/dark spots on the bottom of the sole. Slightly split leather on the strap buckle holding leather. Some dye/paint on the top of the buckle. The inserts also feel slightly different between the left and right shoe, nothing major, but I could tell there is a slight something. Don’t get me wrong, the overall construction is pretty nice, I've highlighted every problem that I could see and took a pic. The stitching is good. But they’re not what you’d call perfect. Do they compare to $700 shoes like the site claims? No, no, they don’t. Do they compare well to other $400 shoes? Yes.

Fit: I think they fit just slightly smaller than the stated size. I’m a 10D and the length was correct when wearing thin socks, where as I usually have to wear thick socks to get a tighter fit. Wearing thick socks was very tight, although not uncomfortably so. The toes could also use another 1-2mm just to give a little room. They are new, so they should fit a little better over time. If you are between sizes I’d say go for the +0.5 size.

Other thoughts: I like them, I’m going to keep them. I like the site’s free return policy, that was really the only reason I actually ordered them rather than just looking at them. They are very stiff, but they are very new. I have seen other double monks say that they are a slip on shoe (these are my first double monks). There is no way these are ever going to slip on, you have to undo the strap to get your feet in. They are comfortable to wear. Ideally I’d like to try the 10.5 just to see how they fit, but I think the 10’s are a good enough fit to stick with as long as I wear the thin socks.

I guess the big question is would I order from them again?: Maybe – Probably. I don’t think it’s a 100% yes, I don’t think their claim of comparing to $700 shoes is correct, but they are good for the price. However, there are a few brands around the $400 mark that make some good shoes, so CU has some competition for my next purchase. From looking at the shoe in detail it does not seem like a shoe that is going to last 30+ years like some people claim with other brands. But I could see these still being good in 10 years if you take care of them. I also like CU’s style/looks over the likes of AE or Alden (… because I’m not 50), so that’s a CU plus.

Conclusion: I’m happy enough with my purchase, I’ll keep an eye on how they hold up though before I order another pair, but I think the quality is about what I’d expect for the price.

http://imgur.com/a/PM9ny

 

[Merchiston]

Sorry, I have no personal experience of those makes - I am on the other side of the pond and my shoes and boots are mostly Church's, Cheaney's, Loake, RM Williams and Meermin. The closest in fit are probably my Loake Kemptons which are 7F and my RM Williams Craftsman again a 7F (although that is a narrow fitting for RM Williams). These are very approximate though as they are all very different boot types.

The sole is vibram gumlite which I have never come across so will be interested to see how they wear. They are very comfortable.

 

[rewver]

After wearing them for a day I have to agree with other posters that they are very comfortable. When sitting I forget that I have them on, when standing I do feel a little tightness across the toe box (right foot is the 10D sized foot, left is 9.5D US) but they are still comfortable. I am slight worried about the longevity of the shoe though due to the not so great finishing. Hopefully it is just the finishing and not the quality that is not great.

 

[Merchiston]

Here are a couple of rather bad images of my Louis boot. The finishing seems fine and my only niggles are (1) the final eyelet at the top of the shaft which seems pointless as below it you have speed hooks and (2) the boot shaft could be a bit narrower for me - it does not lace up quite as snugly as I like. I have mentioned my slight concern with how the sole will wear but still have not worn them enough to get an idea.

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[VRaivio]

I had a look at this new maker's site a few months ago and liked what I saw. Didn't pull the trigger, though, as I've so many pairs already.

 

[europrep]

I would say their designs give them the biggest edge at this price point. A lot of their models/designs give the vibe of a higher end shoe.

 

[Merchiston]

I would agree. I think you get the quality you pay for so was not swayed by the $700 shoe for $400 bit. However I liked the design of the boots and also the service so I went with the Louis boot rather than a meermin shell boot which was my other option at the time. So far I have not regretted that decision at all.

 

[Merchiston]

Out and about with my new boots. First full day with them on (very full - 6am to 8pm for trip to Cardiff and back). Held up well although was glad to take them off when I got home.