Grant Stone - Official Affiliate Thread

[GrantStone]

Hello and welcome to the Grant Stone Affiliate Thread!

First off, I have been a avid StyleForum user/viewer over the years and have enjoyed learning and seeing the overall interest in menswear in these forums, especially footwear. One of the few places where people delve into the specifics of shoe making, construction and leathers.

Grant Stone shoes are made in a goodyear welt shoe factory here on the island of Xiamen, China. We have been making GYW footwear in this factory for over 20 years. This new project has been slowly coming together over the last few years as we have had the opportunity to work with some of the finest tanneries around the world.

Our goal is to make shoes that we personally enjoy wearing, placing the focus on the lasts, materials and the small details.
We are currently in the beginning stages and would just like to have fun with the whole process, building new make-ups in smaller runs.

We hope Style Forum can be a place for us to share our developments, discuss fitting, do our best to answer any questions you may have and of course, continue learning.

Our site is in the final stages of development and will be live in mid March. In the meantime, you sign up for our newsletter here on the home page - www.grantstoneboot.com

Please also feel free to follow us on Instagram or Facebook for the latest updates!

https://www.instagram.com/grantstone/

https://www.facebook.com/grantstoneboot/

Thank you for reading,
Wyatt

 

[exophobe]

Quote:

www.instagram/grantstone

https://www.facebook.com/Grant-Stone-879130718872088/

The instagram link above is incomplete and not working. I think most people will be able to figure it out, but I know these things can sometimes be easy to overlook.

 

[monicas]

I just fixed it.

 

[GrantStone]

I just fixed it.

Thanks

 

[GrantStone]

The online store has opened up today.

If there are any questions please post or send a mail!

Fit Guide -
Our first two patterns are using the same Leo last. It does fit a little full so we suggest going down half a size from your TTS or brannock device. This advice is a bit general so if you are in between sizes, please contact us so we can try and point you in the best direction.

 

[LA Guy]

Hi @GrantStone ,

Just saw the new site and thought I'd be the first to congratulate you on it. It's never easy starting a businesss - best wishes on your ventures.

 

[GrantStone]

Hi @GrantStone ,

Just saw the new site and thought I'd be the first to congratulate you on it. It's never easy starting a businesss - best wishes on your ventures.

Appreciate it LA Guy. We are excited to get some pairs out there and try utilizing these forums to talk a little bit more about the shoes.

 

[magnum13th]

Hey! I'm really interested in your long wing brogues. Few questions;
1. Is your sizing in US? And by half a size less than brannock device, if I'm a UK 9 in most dress shoes (Loake Aldwych for example) which you recommend 9.5 or 8.5D? And the width is equivalent?

2. Would you do shipping to Australia? You'll notice a huge number of people on styleforum are Australian and there's a pretty good market for Internet sales here because the local shoe market is way overpriced and under quality... A lot of people buy shoes on the Internet. We can set up proxy mail addresses in America, but that's just really annoying

 

[GrantStone]

Hey! I'm really interested in your long wing brogues. Few questions;
1. Is your sizing in US? And by half a size less than brannock device, if I'm a UK 9 in most dress shoes (Loake Aldwych for example) which you recommend 9.5 or 8.5D? And the width is equivalent?

2. Would you do shipping to Australia? You'll notice a huge number of people on styleforum are Australian and there's a pretty good market for Internet sales here because the local shoe market is way overpriced and under quality... A lot of people buy shoes on the Internet. We can set up proxy mail addresses in America, but that's just really annoying

Hi Magnum, thanks the note.

Our sizing is based on US. If you're wearing a 9UK in most dress shoes and 8.5UK for fuller boot or country/brogue type footwear, we would suggest a US 9.5D. I know this is a bit general so if you are unsure about the sizing and need further comparisons, please send us an email ([email protected]).

We are currently looking into the best way to reach international customers. Until this is available on our site, please send us a mail and we will do our best to find a reasonable shipping rate to your country.

 

[magnum13th]

Hi Magnum, thanks the note.

Our sizing is based on US. If you're wearing a 9UK in most dress shoes and 8.5UK for fuller boot or country/brogue type footwear, we would suggest a US 9.5D. I know this is a bit general so if you are unsure about the sizing and need further comparisons, please send us an email ([email protected]).

We are currently looking into the best way to reach international customers. Until this is available on our site, please send us a mail and we will do our best to find a reasonable shipping rate to your country.

Thanks GrantStone for the quick response...
I will email you!

 

[GrantStone]

For the month of April we are offering a 15 day trial period for any domestic purchase. If you are not satisfied for any reason, you're entitled to a full refund. For more information and full collection, click here to begin.

 

[GrantStone]

We are now shipping direct to Australia & Sweden. Seamless checkout process for both countries directly on the website!

www.grantstoneboot.com

 

[GrantStone]

Hi Folks,

We are taking pre-orders for a Cognac Shell Cordovan plain toe blucher all this week. The pre-order will close on January 9th. The specs will be as the below.

- Leo Last
- Comipel Shell Cordovan, Cognac
- Thiele, full grain kip lining
- leather insole, cork filler and triple rib shank
- pre-stitch, split reverse welt, antiqued mahogany
- leather midsole and leather outsole, antiqued to match.

If you have any interest or questions, please let us know here.

The photo below is a recent pair, with the same specs as above.

Thanks.

 

[M635Guy]

Copy/pasta of a copy/pasta - didn't realize there was an official Affiliate thread until today:

I didn't know this thread existed, but someone elsewhere on SF asked about them and pointed me to this thread.

I don't know if it is OK to post links to non-SF locations (i.e. Reddit), so here's a copy-pasta of what I posted there:
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tl;dr
These are damn fine boots, especially for the money. Great leather, design, look, build and value. Highly recommended. I can’t believe I typed so much so fast. I think I’m just pleasantly surprised and more than a little blown way.

The Full Story
Background:
I’ve been lusting for the LeatherSoul build of the Alden Tanker Boot (aka NST) on the Barrie last in brown CXL on Commando for a long time. They run a small batch every couple years, and in talking to Will via email it appeared they were going to skip a year for that build. I later heard that Alden of Madison was going to run essentially the same build, and planned to buy those – they graciously put a pair on reserve for me without a deposit (11.5D’s go fast!). Unfortunately for me, my air conditioning just died and replacing it was $6,000 (it was done today in fact). Along with it died any enthusiasm for spending $600 on a pair of boots. After waiting over a year to get the makeup I wanted (I’m not a fan of the toe on the Truebalance versions, and the other narrower lasts aren’t great for me), I was pretty damn bummed about it.

Around the same time I noticed a comment about Grant Stone here on GYW, went to their site and saw their Ottowa boot, which is a similar NST design. I read some other articles, reviews and threads about them, and thought (A) they looked like extremely well-made boots, especially for the price and (B) they were getting a lot of shade for the “made in China” thing and thought it seemed pretty unfair, at least in terms of the immediate belief that China=Crap quality. If you prefer to support USA-made products, I’m completely cool with that, but judge things for what they actually are. I’ve been to China quite a bit, and there are a lot of quality things made there. Anyway, with all that money out of pocket, a Freshman in college and other recent purchases, I wasn’t able to just do it. On impulse I reached out to Wyatt there and asked him if he’d consider a discount if I would review the boots (of course no promises were made or requested for a favorable tone – more on that later too). He agreed and offered me a code for about 40% off. Between my curiosity and the fact I could probably get about half that for the J.Crew Kenton boots (my review and follow-up of those are here) these are replacing, it made it a no-brainer.

Ordering and Delivery:
I ordered on Tuesday night, and they shipped from the GS warehouse in CT on Wednesday. They arrived this afternoon (Friday). Aside from alacrity of order/shipment, I also felt good that these weren’t a specially-prepared pair for review.

Makeup and Materials Details:
* Maker: Grant Stone
* Shoe Name: Ottawa Boot
* Design: NST (Norwegian Split Toe), also called “Tanker boot”
* Construction: GYW Construction
* Leather: “Crimson” - brown Horween Chromexcel, with a slightly reddish tinge
* Lining: Glove leather
* Welt: Split reverse storm welt
* Last: Leo last
* Lacing: 4 eyelets, 3 speed hooks
* Hardware: Antique Brass
* Sole: Double (?) leather sole
* Details: Cork footbed, steel shank
* Album Here
A quick word on the review thing:
In my career, I am a product analyst in the tech industry, and I also have a photography blog where I’ve been requested to review things (mainly provided at no charge) on occasion. Whether free, discounted or paid for in full, I don’t manage my opinions to please anyone. Aside from it being shady, I just don’t see the upside in it. I value my reputation, and I’m an honest and straightforward guy. Take that with whatever grain of salt you want. On the footwear side, I’m judging based on what I currently own: three pairs of Alden boots, plus two pairs of shoes, and I love all of them a lot – frankly GS had a tall order to compete with these. I have a pair of J.Crew Ludlow boots mentioned above that these will replace. I also have nine pairs of AE shoes (I’m not a fan of their boots, with one recent exception mentioned below). Personality-wise, I’m picky about details, but with perspective (in other words, I know the world is an imperfect place). I’ve done several reviews and first impressions here (and plan to do more once I get some downtime). Net: this is all just my honest opinion.

Packaging:
Nice box. Nothing is generic, and clearly they’re going for an experience here - Even the wrapping paper is branded and has a cool design on it. My shoes came pre-laced with leather laces (kinda cool) and inside of the box there was a “Thank You” card from Wyatt that appears to be hand-signed (which appeals to my Southern nature). Nice brown flannel bags with wood-knobbed pull-strings were included, as was a small keychain shoehorn that doubles as a bottle-opener. A+ on this one.

Out-of-box thoughts:
Honestly, my first thought was “Wow, these things are freakin’ beefy!” The leather felt great, and they looked really good. I immediately started taking pictures (my phone isn’t great - better pix eventually). It is CXL, so there are a few superficial things here and there in the leather, but everything looks really good.

Design:
As mentioned before, these are a hand-stitched split-toe, most often called an NST or Tanker. Some folks have said the Ottawa boots are knock-offs of the Alden NST, and while at a glance they do generally resemble them I’d say the shoe industry has many, many classic designs that makers put their own spin on. How many longwings can you count? If you put an AE MacNeil next to an Alden longwing in similar leathers, most people will struggle to identify which is which. Same thing with my natty CXL AE Academys vs. the Alden plain toe derby. That isn’t just to say there are differences in build, lasts, etc., but that lots of classic designs get picked up and put a spin on. And so it is here. The heel counter is more in the zone of a service boot (where Alden has a very simple, clean design) and Grant Stone (GS) incorporates some motion in the cut. They go with a 4/3 eyelet/hook design vs. Alden’s 5/4, which are beefier-looking and allow use of leather laces. I switched to the (included) cotton laces, which aren’t waxed. I was a little chafed at that, but once they were on the shoes they looked pretty good. I might still go back and wax them. The laces are wider than my Alden laces by 1-2mm, and with the much beefier eyelets and hooks I don’t think narrower laces will look good. Probably more on that when I follow up. Beyond the heel counter, the cut, last-shape and stitching choices are a little different when I look at the pictures of the two, and looking at my Alden Barrie-lasted boots. The Aldens NSTs present elegance, the Grant Stones are a little more casual and rugged-looking, but still can dress up. They come from similar origins, but they really have distinctive looks.

Build & Quality
Other than a few small bumps that I’m guessing came from being sloshed around the box, I literally can’t find anything to gripe about. The stitching looks perfect. There are zero loose threads inside or out. The sole stitching is perfectly done and has a very premium look to it. The stitching on the uppers is tight and well-done from everything I can see. The welt joins are extremely tight. The lining is super-soft – only my Alden Suede WTB’s are as soft. I guess the only quibble I have is the exposed backing on the eyelets that Alden covers with a strip of leather to protect the tongue.

Fit: Damn near perfect. The Leo last is close to the Barrie last for me dimensionally, but feels different and might actually fit better than my leather Alden wingtip boots on Barrie. They fit similarly out of the box as my suede Alden wingtip boots (which are my most comfortable boot, though these are already a close second out of the box). The last feels a tiny bit looser in the heel (though my understanding is the footbed is pretty generous on cork, so I’m guessing that is temporary – it is very minor in any case), a little more tapered in the mid-foot and finishes in a way that seems paradoxically more tapered and more generous at the toe. I’ll have to go back and mix pairs on my foot at some point when I do a follow-up, but the net is the Leo last is pretty much perfect for my foot (at least from try-on and a night of wear). I’ll wait until break-in is done to call it between Leo and Barrie. But it will be close unless something breaks on the GS.

Final Thoughts:
This is easy - these are great. I’d recommend them to anyone on merit alone. Considering the price, they’re amazing. I liked the Kentons, but these are in a different league in just about every way. I’ve been a big fan of the Allen Edmonds Higgins Mill boots too, but pretty much the same thing applies here too. The HM’s are really nice boots, but the Grant Stones punch in a higher weight class despite a similar list price. The personality is different than Alden – I don’t think anyone who looks more than superficially will think these are Alden NST’s – but first impressions are the quality is really similar. I’d like to see some options with commando soles (I seem to be in the minority of people who don’t like Dainite), and some shell would be nice…
I’m heading to Japan in a day or so, and I’m going to take these and stomp around in them. It is actually the same thing I did with my natty CXL Indy boots, and I’m looking forward to it. I’ll try to take some good pix. Hope this stupidly-long write-up helps. I’ll have a few chances to answer questions Saturday, but will be out of pocket traveling for a while after that, but will follow up during the trip.
----------------------------------------------------------------
Later update:
Post-Japan Update: Album - I've worn them 7 times and put easily 35 miles on the boots (walked all over the place in Japan), and the Ottawa boots performed really, really well. I did manage to ding the sole at the toe, and it bulged a bit for a couple days while I...trained...it back into shape (meaning I rubbed it on metal or marble floors to get it to a regular shape).

Comfort: In a word, flawless. I was right about the Leo last. Haven't had a chance to get my Alden's back on my feet since getting home, but I'm really happy with the fit and comfort of the Leo last. My AE's were really working on my pinky toes the days I wore them - not normally an issue at home as they see 1/2 the mileage - but felt good every day after wearing the Grant Stones.

Durability/Quality: I'm impressed so far. No evidence of loose grain at all, just some subtle rolls and general wear - I'd guess they're keeping a close eye on clicking - probably easier when production volume is small, but really great nonetheless. The CXL is really soft and thick, so it does catch marks, etc., but they pretty much disappear with a firm rub with a damp finger and a bit of brushing. As expected, the tongue is taking wear from the exposed backs of the eyelets, but I just wiped a tiny bit Saphir Renovateur on them and brushed and the leather returned to its regular color, though the indentations remain. I'm OK with that. The eyelet backs are very smooth and I'll just keep an eye on it.

Final Comments: I'll wait a few months to do a formal, separate update, but I'm an unreserved fan at this point. For initial quality, I'd rate the GS boots as good or better in terms of build and quality to any of my Alden boots - not something I say lightly at all.
----------------------------------------------------------------

Where I am today:
I've got easily 70 miles on these boots, and they have been just plain fantastic. They feel like lifetime-quality. The leather is aging really well. I wore them on a trip to NYC last week, and put at least another dozen miles on them stomping around. I feel like any issues I'd have would have shown up by now, and they're getting more wear than any of my other boots at this point. This pic is after a long day of running around NYC:


I'd really love to have a pair of their tan calf plain-toes, and will probably find an excuse to order a pair sooner or later.

While I got mine at a discount, I'd feel just as good about them at their full price of $360 and recommend them without reservation.

 

[M635Guy]

...and for anyone wondering about what the shell PTB's look like:




I only have one wear in on these so far (and it is snow/etc. here, so might be a few more days), but they are flat-out beautiful.

Here's a copy/paste of my out-of-box on them: (this was well before they opened up the pre-order above)

tl;dr Excellent, substantial shoes at a great price.

Background:
I've been really loving my Grant Stone Ottawa boots and the year-end treated me better than I expected, so I was thinking about picking up a pair of their Saddle Tan Plain Toe bluchers. Then I noticed a post on Styleforum that they were doing a limited run of Comipel shell cordovan in Cognac, which is an awesome color.
I reached out and they still had a few shells left to build, and I was in.

Ordering and Delivery:
I committed to them on 11/23 and they said I should expect 3-4 weeks. They were delivered to my door on 12/22, so about a month for the build. These are a bit of a test-run for them, so there was a fair amount of communication (mainly questions from me on details, which got really thorough answers). I don't know if they have any more shells, but they have posted a Horween shell PTB on their Instagram they're calling "Dark Cherry" that is pretty stunning. I'm strongly resisting asking if they're taking orders and what they'll charge. Shell will apparently be a more regular part of their product line at some point.

Makeup and Materials Details:

• Maker: Grant Stone
• Shoe Name: Cognac Plain Toe
• Design: Plain toe blucher
• Construction: GYW Construction
• Leather: Comipel shell cordovan in “Cognac” - mid-brown
• Lining: Glove leather
• Welt: Split reverse storm welt
• Last: Leo last
• Lacing: 5 eyelets
• Hardware: none - hidden eyelets
• Sole: Double leather sole
• Details: Cork footbed, steel shank, full grain heel counter
• Price: $550
• Album Here: http://imgur.com/a/p4tpc

Packaging:
Same experience as the Ottawa boots - *Nice* box and packaging. Even the wrapping paper has a branded design on it. Nice brown flannel bags with wood-knobbed pull-strings were included, as was a small keychain shoehorn that doubles as a bottle-opener.

Out-of-box thoughts:
I was again impressed with how much presence these shoes had - they're clearly extremely well-made. The shell is a really striking tone, similar to some of the Horween Ravello.

Design:
These are a classic plain-toe design, with the Grant Stone signature cross-hatch detail on the lace facing. The antique edge keeps things looking classically casual but more up-to-date.

Build & Quality:
The shoes are extremely well executed, and intended to compete with shoes that cost a couple hundred dollars more. The stitching looks perfect. The welt-joins are so good they are hard to find. Everything looks as well done as I can expect. They feel extremely substantial and stable on-foot. I had a brief discussion about the heel counters with Wyatt at Grant stone: "Our heel counters are cut from the outsole bends. When we skive the leather counter, we will skive off the flesh side of leather, to make sure the strongest part of the leather (full grain) is left intact. (They are) wetted and lasted with the upper to mold to the shape of the last." This is apparently not all that common in this price class of shoe (split leather or other materials are often used to reduce costs - other folks can verify what level of shoe generally has this), and is done for long-term reliability/stability of the shoe. I don't know what to say other than they feel great. The lining is nice and soft.

Fit:
Really good. These actually felt a little tighter out of the box than my Ottawa boots, and exhibited a little more heel slip. Today was my first say wearing them out and about, and the heel slip was almost gone by the time I got home. I'm pretty certain that is going away entirely as I break these things in. As I said in my review of the [Ottawa boots](https://www.reddit.com/r/goodyearwelt/comments/55c1gd/initial_impressions_grant_stone_ottawa_boot/), the Leo last fit is close to the Barrie last for me dimensionally, but feels different - a bit more tapered at the midfoot and the toe, but offering the same kind of room at the toe but somehow seems more tapered. They're a little stiff, so I'll update this after a few wears, but my expectation is that they'll be really comfortable.

Final Thoughts:
I'm very happy with these. At $550, they're not inexpensive, but still an outstanding value compared to what I'd pay for a similar Alden, and frankly the high attention to the details continues to be evident. I could spend years waiting for a Ravello pair, and these were at my door less than a month from the word "go" - not bad. The shell is a little stiff, so these are going to take a bit more breaking in than I'm used to, and unfortunately it is going to be mid-January before I'll get a chance to put some wear on them. I'll update and add more pix when I get a chance, but in the meantime I think Grant Stone is offering some seriously outstanding shoes for very reasonable money.