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

[miamidoc]

Just a thought to those who may or may not have tried, but Soller last feels to me a nice balance of tighter heel, width up front with an refined silhouette. They look narrow, but shockingly accommodate my wide forefoot well.

 

[stook1]

Just a thought to those who may or may not have tried, but Soller last feels to me a nice balance of tighter heel, width up front with an refined silhouette. They look narrow, but shockingly accommodate my wide forefoot well. View attachment 1480877

I agree with this, although I would say that they are a bit more pointy than oscar and forest. Very workable with a storm welt but with a flat welt they are more dressy looking, in my view, since Carmina tends to trim the welts very closely.

 

[Trakl]

Just a thought to those who may or may not have tried, but Soller last feels to me a nice balance of tighter heel, width up front with an refined silhouette. They look narrow, but shockingly accommodate my wide forefoot well. View attachment 1480877

Soller is a great, fairly generous last, but in my opinion wouldn't work e.g. as a monkey boot.

 

[stephenaf2003]

Oh - THIS is cool. Here's my vote for the "perfect last": Forest EEE shape everywhere (i.e., instep, toe box, ball-width), but with a waist and heel that more closely resemble that on the Sineu last. My input and supporting explanation, for whatever it's worth, written hereunder. * TRIGGER WARNING *

Carmina has a wide range of lasts, but nothing in the wide-but-sophisticated category. We need that. Why? Most of your SF readers/participants are based in the USA. We're not European. We're taller, heavier, broader, chunkier, drink beer, eat steak, wrestled in high school, and our feet have evolved to support that general build. While chisel-toed, narrow, elongated, elf-looking lasts are popular among Euro circles where men mostly look like some sort of half-grown offspring of Timothy Chalamet and Eddie Redmayne, that just doesn't work here. So, where does that leave us in terms of last options?

We need a last that's wide enough to fit our broad feet, but without the chunkiness of the lasts that typically correspond (e.g., literally everything Alden makes, and that's why they're horrible). We need a last that's generous fitting, but not block-box looking (e.g., Llubi and Detroit are atrocious looking, but very comfortable). We need a last that's versatile, meaning that it can adapt to formal and casual scenarios, without compromising on comfort and tailored fitting - a last that's roomy enough to wiggle your toes in, but not voluminous in the arch and heel cup to the point where you feel like it might slip off. Imagine a last that is wide enough where it matters, but tapered in the waist to provide close-fitting arch support and tailored in the heel to provide a secure heel cup.

In my opinion, and after trying on several lasts on more than twenty Carminas that I own and love, an adaptation of the Forest EEE with the tapered waist and closer, more sculpted heel cup of the Sineu last would easily meet the criteria described above. Forest EEE is wide enough and roomy enough to feel like you're wearing sneakers, but the extended width also applies to the waist and heel cup, making both less tailored. If @Carmina could just modify the Forest EEE last to correct the extended volume in the waist and heel cup area, then we're in business. That's what we need (or at least what most Americans need).

Thoughts?

 

[Neville Southall]

View attachment 1480940

With this approval and tacit endorsement, I can now die in peace.

 

[Phoenician]

I can't say I agree with these comments on a new last.

Post-COVID, I plan to alter my wardrobe, to include footwear. I'd urge Carmina to adopt a poulaine last. Sure, they were outlawed in London in 1463, but their time has come again. If Carmina opts not to, it's going to throw this whole look off for me. How will I be able to work without my trusty falcon (or likely in my case, pigeon), resting gracefully on my arm. The flowing hair, and the Donald Duck look of shirt-with-no-pants, exudes a professionalism not seen in modern times. While I'm not keen on the bells on the end of the poulaine as shown here, I will say that for my taste, he isn't making use of peacock feathers, which is obviously a fashion faux pas.

That said, I urge us to steer the conversation for a new last back to the poulaine; we'd all be better for it

 

[Patrick1053]

I can't say I agree with these comments on a new last.

Post-COVID, I plan to alter my wardrobe, to include footwear. I'd urge Carmina to adopt a poulaine last. Sure, they were outlawed in London in 1463, but their time has come again. If Carmina opts not to, it's going to throw this whole look off for me. How will I be able to work without my trusty falcon (or likely in my case, pigeon), resting gracefully on my arm. The flowing hair, and the Donald Duck look of shirt-with-no-pants, exudes a professionalism not seen in modern times. While I'm not keen on the bells on the end of the poulaine as shown here, I will say that for my taste, he isn't making use of peacock feathers, which is obviously a fashion faux pas.

That said, I urge us to steer the conversation for a new last back to the poulaine; we'd all be better for it


View attachment 1480961

seems a little stubby

 

[Trakl]

I can't say I agree with these comments on a new last.

Post-COVID, I plan to alter my wardrobe, to include footwear. I'd urge Carmina to adopt a poulaine last. Sure, they were outlawed in London in 1463, but their time has come again. If Carmina opts not to, it's going to throw this whole look off for me. How will I be able to work without my trusty falcon (or likely in my case, pigeon), resting gracefully on my arm. The flowing hair, and the Donald Duck look of shirt-with-no-pants, exudes a professionalism not seen in modern times. While I'm not keen on the bells on the end of the poulaine as shown here, I will say that for my taste, he isn't making use of peacock feathers, which is obviously a fashion faux pas.

That said, I urge us to steer the conversation for a new last back to the poulaine; we'd all be better for it


View attachment 1480961

Ok, I might have to forget about monkey boots and go for poulaines instead.

Or better yet, Turkish toes with lasted shoe trees.

 

[Phoenician]

I can't say I agree with these comments on a new last.

Post-COVID, I plan to alter my wardrobe, to include footwear. I'd urge Carmina to adopt a poulaine last. Sure, they were outlawed in London in 1463, but their time has come again. If Carmina opts not to, it's going to throw this whole look off for me. How will I be able to work without my trusty falcon (or likely in my case, pigeon), resting gracefully on my arm. The flowing hair, and the Donald Duck look of shirt-with-no-pants, exudes a professionalism not seen in modern times. While I'm not keen on the bells on the end of the poulaine as shown here, I will say that for my taste, he isn't making use of peacock feathers, which is obviously a fashion faux pas.

That said, I urge us to steer the conversation for a new last back to the poulaine; we'd all be better for it


View attachment 1480961

Also, I'm not sure if that's a sword on this hip or he needs to see a proctologist and have that removed

 

[zag73]

Ok, I might have to forget about monkey boots and go for poulaines instead.
View attachment 1480970

Or better yet, Turkish toes with lasted shoe trees.
View attachment 1480982

They wear these in serbian villages ???

 

[Phoenician]

Ok, I might have to forget about monkey boots and go for poulaines instead.
View attachment 1480970

Or better yet, Turkish toes with lasted shoe trees.
View attachment 1480982

Funny you should mention that; had an argument with my wife recently. She was claiming the Hagia Sophia is the most iconic thing in Turkey; I was arguing it was their use of lasted shoe trees.

 

[miamidoc]

I drew a rough sketch on my phone approximating the feedback posted so far.

Blue line is Forest EEE last. Black is Sineu. Proposed design—Keep the Forest EEE in the middle/vamp. Blend it into the Sineu in the heel cup and toe. I erased the wider Forest EEE blue line around the heel. Perhaps tighten the waist a bit more +/- make a semi spade sole where forest EEE transitions to Sineu heel cup?

Food for thought and discussion.

 

[emiratiAL]

Am I the only one who thinks Carmina has enough variety of lasts?

Not only in lasts - which at the latest count was 31 on their website - but also in soles (19), leathers (46) and colours (29). It's a bit overwhelming for the someone without the knowledge that those on SF have, or the customer of a more casual variety.

As someone with a passing interest in their shoes (I own two pairs of Carminas) from the outside looking in I think they would be well served by optimising their line a bit.

 

[smartbrother]

Am I the only one who thinks Carmina has enough variety of lasts?

Not only in lasts - which at the latest count was 31 on their website - but also in soles (19), leathers (46) and colours (29). It's a bit overwhelming for the someone without the knowledge that those on SF have, or the customer of a more casual variety.

As someone with a passing interest in their shoes (I own two pairs of Carminas) from the outside looking in I think they would be well served by optimising their line a bit.

 

[goalaso]

Am I the only one who thinks Carmina has enough variety of lasts?

Not only in lasts - which at the latest count was 31 on their website - but also in soles (19), leathers (46) and colours (29). It's a bit overwhelming for the someone without the knowledge that those on SF have, or the customer of a more casual variety.

As someone with a passing interest in their shoes (I own two pairs of Carminas) from the outside looking in I think they would be well served by optimising their line a bit.

A new last would be an interesting experiment, but I'm still just modestly hoping for some unglazed shell