Crockett & Jones MTO Central

[stephenaf2003]

So, a few of my thoughts on this subject. I love C&J, after all I’ve got more of them in my closet than any other maker. But, ultimately fit is more about a persons particular foot. So, I don’t hold it against a maker if their lasts don’t fit my feet well.

Alden makes great shoes, they do have lasts that fit me well, but finishing on their higher end stuff is just really not good. The Alden army unfortunately has allowed them to take exorbitant liberties with what passes as first quality.

C&J also makes great shoes, most of their lasts fit me well, and their finishing is miles better than Alden, especially on their higher end shoes. C&J also are at reasonable price points.

EG just rapes their customers in terms of cost, though I must admit I do own quite a few examples, their build quality is excellent, finish is exceptional, and the lasts I have from them do fit me well.

Carmina for my feet is the perfect balance. Their lasts are varied and many, the ones I choose fit me well, their finish is superior to all but EG, and the price point for their higher end stuff hits my sweet spot. When I wear my Carmina’s they get more comments from randoms, than any of my shoes except my Zonkey Boots. Carmina’s shoes just pop, their styling is amazing. Their break in for me is just as good as any of my other shoes. They also are great at engaging with their customer for feedback, and quickly responding in the marketplace to that feedback. (AE is making great strides in this area lately).

But I do understand the love for C&J, because they make classic,(read conservative), shoes as well as any maker. They have great lasts, great build quality, and they do it for a great price.

But, if I’m being honest, I think comparisons really reflect more about our particular ID, than they do about the shoe makers ability to deliver quality footwear. Honestly, at this level they are all really great shoes.

 

[vmss]

I agree with comments here about the makers. I am quite surprised how Carmina is still going strong after so many new makers hit the market in the recent years. I would have thought that Brands like Meccariello, LT, SoH, scafora etc would steal some customers market share, but still seems that AE, Alden, CJ, Carmina and EG are still going strong.

 

[Rodolphe]

but find Carmina's attention to detail second to none

That's exactly what I note when I received my Jumper boots. The seams where more regular and delicate than those of my Coniston. But, the leather is more qualitative on the Coniston.

The last is incredibly elegant for a pair of boots on the Jumper, but the Coniston last (famous 325 last) is more confortable and the the ankle is better maintained.

That's my experience with this 2 brands, in fact...

 

[flylikeneagle]

That's exactly what I note when I received my Jumper boots. The seams where more regular and delicate than those of my Coniston. But, the leather is more qualitative on the Coniston.

The last is incredibly elegant fo a pair of boots on the Jumper, but the Coniston last (famous 325 last) is more confortable and the the ankle is better maintained.

That's my experience with this 2 brands, in fact...

My experience with Carmina is exclusively with Shell cordvan, which is also largely the case for my experience with C&J (I have the Coniston in suede, rest are shell). Obviously no difference in leather in this case since both makers source their shell from Horween. In terms of sheer comfort C&J definitely beats Carmia any day, however I've only tried Carmina's Forest last so other folks may have different experience

I'll say in ending I feel lucky to have access to so many great makers. I'm very partial to shell cordovan, hence I stick to C&J, Carmina and Alden for the most part. They're all distinct in terms of styling and character and I wouldn't rank any one maker above the other at this point. Now, if C&J or Alden were to follow Carmina and offer special GMTOs allowing customers to customize (i.e. pick any sole, any leather, any hardware etc) without MTO upcharge AND also offered a wider selection of rare leathers that would change things for me. Then I would probably pick C&J/Alden over Carmina due to fit.

 

[Rodolphe]

Now, if C&J or Alden were to follow Carmina and offer special GMTOs allowing customers to customize (i.e. pick any sole, any leather, any hardware etc) without MTO upcharge AND also offered a wider selection of rare leathers that would change things for me. Then I would probably pick C&J/Alden over Carmina due to fit.

If Crockett could make a custom sale like Carmina, it would be just perfect, exactly !

 

[nishant]

If Crockett could make a custom sale like Carmina, it would be just perfect, exactly !

Trust me when I say, CJ would never want to because based on how they are doing, they don’t need to.

Carmina would love to be a CJ if they could..

Carmina likely bought too much shell and the market is not supporting it ... so reaching the consumer directly is a smart way of getting rid of the expensive shell while running shop, paying employees and making a profit.

Big makers need to run a tight ship to last long .. Look at EG/GG/CJ - limited leather options RTW, lesser seasonal sales and better perceived value of the product. Think of them like Patek/AP/Rolex

Carmina, on the other hand, is like Omega. Tons of products, tons of options, direct sales to consumers but lesser perceived value and of course deeper discounts ..

 

[KaleidoscopicK]

What would you folks wear the Zug Snowden with? I'm trying to visualize how I could wear them and I'm drawing a blank, other than not with a suit. Maybe it's from the lack of sleep...

 

[shoeinvestor]

What would you folks wear the Zug Snowden with? I'm trying to visualize how I could wear them and I'm drawing a blank, other than not with a suit. Maybe it's from the lack of sleep...

I plan to wear them primarily as a hiking boot in the wild where there is a good chance of getting wet boots. Thus it doesnt really matter what I wear them with. But I could well imagine wearing them e.g. with beige autumn/winter pants during the weekends.

 

[stephenaf2003]

Trust me when I say, CJ would never want to because based on how they are doing, they don’t need to.

Carmina would love to be a CJ if they could..

Carmina likely bought too much shell and the market is not supporting it ... so reaching the consumer directly is a smart way of getting rid of the expensive shell while running shop, paying employees and making a profit.

Big makers need to run a tight ship to last long .. Look at EG/GG/CJ - limited leather options RTW, lesser seasonal sales and better perceived value of the product. Think of them like Patek/AP/Rolex

Carmina, on the other hand, is like Omega. Tons of products, tons of options, direct sales to consumers but lesser perceived value and of course deeper discounts ..

The comparison with the watches is really a great loose comparison. It’s also great you used the term, “perceived” its really the key. When one considers Swiss timepieces are pretty bad at keeping time; but those of us who love them purchase them because they are made by hand. And we marvel at watchmakers seeming magical abilities.

I must say I wouldn’t include G&G with those makers. G&G does indeed belong in that rarified air of perceived excellent makers, but they are quite a young company. I believe they’ve only been around since somewhere around 2006.
On the Carmina point, it doesn’t appear Carmina is over purchasing product. As the first few special GMTO’s they ran had limits on numbers of shoes and boots available in the product. They seem to have come back to the well based on the massive demand, for their original special GMTO. What they are doing is truly revolutionary.

 

[Dd1101]

Gents, I am looking at the spreadsheet and see the lindrick on there. I have never done this, do I just add my name to it? And I assume it does not get filled unless we get 12 folks? Price wise it looks to be around $800 us... sorry for all the newb questions. To confirm this is the lindrick boot..

 

[kczsilence]

Gents, I am looking at the spreadsheet and see the lindrick on there. I have never done this, do I just add my name to it? And I assume it does not get filled unless we get 12 folks? Price wise it looks to be around $800 us... sorry for all the newb questions. To confirm this is the lindrick boot..

That is correct. You add yourself to the list for the Lindrick, note your size (but you can email the C&J people, Lauren and Pernilla for sizing help or if you have a retail store, try on something in the 325 last). Make sure you agree with the specs. Once the list meets 12, the organizer should reach out to either Lauren or Pernilla and get the process started.

 

[Mr Stevens]

Man, all of the action on the Carmina thread is making me wonder why it's so much harder to get the C&J GMTOs off the ground. Once you're shelling out the cash for cordovan, the step up in cost isn't much more (sorry, couldn't resist...). @Dd1101 , the Lindrick is beautiful, but give the Dundee some thought. Very versatile and considerably less common. Anyway, it's boot season again, so I thought I'd repost these pics from others to see if we can get a final two back on the list (NB: the MTO would have antique edging - not the natural):

Spoiler: More

 

[Dd1101]

@Mr Stevens i do like the Dundee, but looking for a dressy boot. I have the skye and they have formed a beautiful hue but I love the look of the brass eyelets all the way up with double leather.

 

[chipshot]

Could someone please send me the sheet with all the makeups.. mine was misplaced somehow.

What are we close on?

 

[AdductorMagnus]

Snowdon's missing 4