Dress Leather Shoe Experts: Why are these Carmina shoes finely crinkled?

[rubbercow]

All,

I recently purchased a set of Carmina calf balmoral whole-cuts based on research and a forum query.

I maintain my shoes and always use a shoe tree, that while not lasted, is well fitting.

I've seen wrinkles, creases, and occasionally crinkles (toward the end of shoe life just before it finally cracks). However I've never seen crinkles within eight days of wear, and never this badly. They started on the first day, and have grown worse each day.

Is this a leather quality or issue?

Is the leather dehydrated?

Am I perhaps doing something wrong?

Any suggestions? Please let me know. Thank you.

 

[Alvinbmx]

It looks fairly normal.

I am just wondering if the shoes are actually too big for you or you are always bending your toes while seated.

 

[Papa Doble]



All, I recently purchased a set of Carmina calf balmoral whole-cuts based on research and a forum query. I maintain my shoes and always use a shoe tree, that while not lasted, is well fitting. I've seen wrinkles, creases, and occasionally crinkles (toward the end of shoe life just before it finally cracks). However I've never seen crinkles within eight days of wear, and never this badly. They started on the first day, and have grown worse each day.

Spoiler: Warning: Spoiler!

Is this a leather quality or issue? Is the leather dehydrated? Am I perhaps doing something wrong? Any suggestions? Please let me know. Thank you.

So you distinguish between "wrinkle" and "crinkle" (apparently "a wrinkle or crease found on the surface of something")? In my experience, calfskin gets micro creases like these (shell cordovan doesn't, but does sometimes get extensive "rolls", which is a matter of taste). Unfortunately yours are forming in a few places, but provided they fit well, I don't think this could be avoided.

 

[MyOtherLife]



It looks fairly normal.

I am just wondering if the shoes are actually too big for you or you are always bending your toes while seated.

My thoughts exactly.

 

[HughJ]

Another vote for normal. I can't see any cause for concern.

 

[GBR]

Absolutely normal, nothing to be concerned at or complain about.

 

[Fred G. Unn]



Absolutely normal, nothing to be concerned at or complain about.

+1. Trees will help (as you mentioned). Wrinkles are always going to be a little more eye-catching on a wholecut as there is nothing else to draw the eye, so that might be why they seem overly prevalent to you. Are they too big? Did you try a size down?

 

[WiredandTired]

Not the same company, but my AE Kenilworth PTBs creased like that. The shoe is slightly large. I put a fair amount of wear into them. They are by far the worst looking creases of all my shoes.

I am unclear if this is because its because its a plain toe with no additional leather to provide support or mask the additional creasing. If I were to buy another ptb, it would be in shell for this reason, prefer rolls over the micro crease.

Creases aren't close to the toe at least to my eye, so it's not too long.

 

[Quadcammer]

normal. without the toe cap, it seems wholecuts crease more or its just more noticeable

 

[MyOtherLife]

Quad raises a good point. A toe cap would have an insert of some kind that would resist wirnkles and also the cap line would draw the eye away from instep wrinkles. Wingtip toes and broguing would also serve as eye-catching. With a wholecut, one single piece of leather makes the upper of the shoe (not including the tongue) and it is literally like having a second skin over the foot, revealing the wear signature of its owner. Personally, I would wear a wholecut sparingly and not as an everyday shoe.

Welcome to Styleforum rubbercow.

 

[rubbercow]

These are all excellent answers, and they all make sense.

Answers to questions in case anyone is following:

They're actually my exact size, right down to the width (that was part of my surprise).

I do not actively fold my toes under when sitting at my desk, but I'll watch for that behavior. I may be doing so without realizing it.

I was defining crinkling as fine wrinkling, although I now realize that is not accurate.

Thanks all.