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

[Shawl Lapel]

I must say that indoors my navy Adelaides look similar to black and I also pair them with all trousers except navy and green ( with sport coats).
It’s only outside that they show their true character. It’s just a beautiful and versatile colour. Here is another pic in the wild...

View attachment 973542

These are gorgeous. Are the facings non-shell?

 

[ERok32]

Ya..... so I pulled the trigger on the Carmina MTOs.... I think they will add some uniqueness to my wardrobe.

 

[007Bond]

Ya..... so I pulled the trigger on the Carmina MTOs.... I think they will add some uniqueness to my wardrobe.

Congrats we can both post pictures when we get them.

I may want to sell the card wallet if anyone is interested, I have an Ashland shell wallet so I really have no use for it.

 

[Gabru]

These are gorgeous. Are the facings non-shell?

Thanks, yeah the facing is navy pin grain leather

 

[Fab75]

Congrats we can both post pictures when we get them.

I may want to sell the card wallet if anyone is interested, I have an Ashland shell wallet so I really have no use for it.

I can be interested by the wallet drop me a message

 

[jet-stream]

NSTs today:

 

[007Bond]

OK the in stock loafers finally showed up.

Ordered on 4/25 delivered on 5/15, 3 weeks for an in stock item there is room for improvement here. Imagine I'm luckily 1 day shipping from NYC if I was in CA it would have taken an additional 4 days to have shown up.

Anyways these were ordered to be house shoes. I am hoping that these Carmina house shoes last longer then past Allen Edmonds. Really I use to be very much into AE but I had several shoes fail, so I started looking elsewhere and landed on Carmina. I wear house shoes a few hours a day, just indoors, and not everyday. So they get limited use I would say the equivalent of 1 full day a week of wear. In the past I have had Allen Edmonds last average 6 months and then they have to be trashed due to falling apart. I have had AE house shoes last as little as 3 months. Again only wearing on hardwood, carpet, and tile indoors so should last a long time. In fact I would say the average Wal Mart slipper outlast the AE of late. Before someone asks why I wear house shoes it's because if I don't after a few weeks I start to get pain in both my feet that last the whole day. So the support of a shoe as opposed to bare feet helps and eliminates the pain.

My goal is a good shoe with support, rubber sole for the house, that last a reasonable amount of time given the cost. That's why even though the Wal Mart shoes seem to last as long or even longer then the AE's they don't have good support.

Initially I can say the Carmina loafers are way more supportive and comfortable then anything in the past. The overall construction thought not Goodyear welted (seems to be Blake) is top notch. Only time will tell how they stack up for house shoes against AE but my initial thought is they will last longer. At least I am reasonably sure they will not be busted out at the seams like the previous AE's.

As you can see with very little wear this pair of AE shoes I bought for house shoes literally fell apart at the seams. Do note this is the 4th pair of various AE's that were purchased for house shoes that fell apart from various seams (and not with the same point of failure).

As you can see there is no real wear, the shoes are used mainly on the floor in the background of the pic. There is no reason for shoes worn indoors for limited use should fall apart in just several months.

Do note that this in not a AE bashing post as they do make some good shoes, at least in the past. Most of the shoes that I had fail were not made in Wisconsin, but a few that the heels fell off of were. I think even AE fans that also own Carmina have to agree the overall quality of Carmina vs AE is better. Yes before someone points it out true AE especially on sale is much cheeper in cost vs Carmina. I really am not interested in the initial cost I am interested in quality that last over time. This pair of Carmina's cost me 2 times what I paid for any of the AE shoes I purchased for house shoes. If it last just 1 year I am at the very least equal, if it last longer I am ahead of the game. But I do know this, starting day one this Carmina is more comfortable, so that alone if it only last a year is worth the difference.

 

[Mykii]

Did the Navy shell MTO get extended by 5 days? Or did I misread the initial cutoff. I had just decided to pass, for the sake of my wallet, and now the impulse is back on.

 

[007Bond]

Did the Navy shell MTO get extended by 5 days? Or did I misread the initial cutoff. I had just decided to pass, for the sake of my wallet, and now the impulse is back on.

Yup looks like they just added 5 days. Maybe if they don't have enough orders they extend it a few days in hopes of getting more. I wish I knew the threshold (how many are needed for a run). But if this is a go I hope this extension does not delay my order with the new shipping delays to the US things take to long already.

 

[Mykii]

Yup looks like they just added 5 days. Maybe if they don't have enough orders they extend it a few days in hopes of getting more. I wish I knew the threshold (how many are needed for a run). But if this is a go I hope this extension does not delay my order with the new shipping delays to the US things take to long already.

For what it is worth, I wouldn't worry too much. I spoke to the boutique in NYC, and they said there are circumstances where they will take orders after the MTO finishes (basically, if the boutique is ordering-in a boot for you to determine size at no-cost, and you're waiting on that). So there could well be orders added after the MTO finishes, so in a way they take orders semi-rolling.

Would anyone be interested in a re-run of the olive green shell (Carmina custom) WTB that was done for the reddit GYW community a few years back? I reached out to Carmina and they said they would take suggestions for MTOs for assessment by the factory, and if there is a larger pool interested this would presumably also increase the odds of it being done.

Source: https://imgur.com/r/goodyearwelt/3sOUF

 

[Blastwice]

For what it is worth, I wouldn't worry too much. I spoke to the boutique in NYC, and they said there are circumstances where they will take orders after the MTO finishes (basically, if the boutique is ordering-in a boot for you to determine size at no-cost, and you're waiting on that). So there could well be orders added after the MTO finishes, so in a way they take orders semi-rolling.

Would anyone be interested in a re-run of the olive green shell (Carmina custom) WTB that was done for the reddit GYW community a few years back? I reached out to Carmina and they said they would take suggestions for MTOs for assessment by the factory, and if there is a larger pool interested this would presumably also increase the odds of it being done.

Source: https://imgur.com/r/goodyearwelt/3sOUF
View attachment 975123

Absolutely.

I've been lusting after this boot for a long time and hate that I missed it the first time.

 

[Mykii]

Absolutely.

I've been lusting after this boot for a long time and hate that I missed it the first time.

I wasn't 'into' shoes when they were done. So I'm sad I never got the opportunity to nab them.

Thanks for your interest, I'll see if anyone else responds in the next 24h-48hrs and email the Carmina rep back. If anyone has any changes or suggestions, also feel free to start discussion.

EDIT: For instance, the original mock-up was on a natural storm-welt. All pics have since disappeared of this mockup, except one low-res version from 2-3yrs ago I found archived by google that sort-of illustrates what difference this would make aesthetically. Personally, I think the antique-edging works well with green, but I'm going to drop this here anyway.

 

[Fab75]

Why not this looks great

 

[Fab75]

Yes looks great

 

[Twas]

For what it is worth, I wouldn't worry too much. I spoke to the boutique in NYC, and they said there are circumstances where they will take orders after the MTO finishes (basically, if the boutique is ordering-in a boot for you to determine size at no-cost, and you're waiting on that). So there could well be orders added after the MTO finishes, so in a way they take orders semi-rolling.

Would anyone be interested in a re-run of the olive green shell (Carmina custom) WTB that was done for the reddit GYW community a few years back? I reached out to Carmina and they said they would take suggestions for MTOs for assessment by the factory, and if there is a larger pool interested this would presumably also increase the odds of it being done.

Source: https://imgur.com/r/goodyearwelt/3sOUF
View attachment 975123

What last? Thanks