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Little Wing

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@audog I love your passion for GS shoes (and quality footwear in general), so keep doing what you’re doing.

Now back to shoes...I picked these up recent and love the fit and look, but a bit disappointed in the creasing inconsistency between the boots.

To be fair these were 2nds, but they looked perfect out of the box. I’m sure they’ll be fine after they both get more break-in, but I’m more accustomed to a CXL roll.

IMG_4232.jpg
 

audog

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Have you seriously interpreted his sharing of photos as bragging? That sure seems like that’s on you my man. If you’re familiar with his content and demeanor, it’s surprising you would feel that way. Dude is very enthusiastic about his shoes and is in a place where he can be. I’m not arguing that a lot of us don’t consume more than we should, we do - I for one own far too many things - if that’s your concern and it upsets you, it seems like a thread where people post photos of their consumed products could be a rough place to hangout though.

@audog - love what you do. You keep threads alive and provide great in person photos of shoes and boots.
Thanks, I appreciate the votes of support from all who have posted them. Now lets see some shoes or boots!
 

audog

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@audog I love your passion for GS shoes (and quality footwear in general), so keep doing what you’re doing.

Now back to shoes...I picked these up recent and love the fit and look, but a bit disappointed in the creasing inconsistency between the boots.

To be fair these were 2nds, but they looked perfect out of the box. I’m sure they’ll be fine after they both get more break-in, but I’m more accustomed to a CXL roll.

View attachment 1134365
CXL can do that, it's not a defect, just the nature of the leather. They will patina very nicely and you will get a lot of use out of them! Leather or rubber sole on those? Just wondering. Also love your screen name, best Jimi song.
 

GrantStone

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@audog I love your passion for GS shoes (and quality footwear in general), so keep doing what you’re doing.

Now back to shoes...I picked these up recent and love the fit and look, but a bit disappointed in the creasing inconsistency between the boots.

To be fair these were 2nds, but they looked perfect out of the box. I’m sure they’ll be fine after they both get more break-in, but I’m more accustomed to a CXL roll.

View attachment 1134365

Off the top of my head I can't confirm but there is a 99% chance that this was B graded due to the loose grain on the right boot. Audog is right that is common with CXL due to the nature of the hides used but we try to avoid it as most customers don't want this type of break. Even when it matches right and left boots, we try to be careful when it's very loose. I personally have pairs like this and find that keeping them conditioned and using a little wax makes them look better. It wont lessen the creasing of course but helps with the overall look.
 

audog

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Off the top of my head I can't confirm but there is a 99% chance that this was B graded due to the loose grain on the right boot. Audog is right that is common with CXL due to the nature of the hides used but we try to avoid it as most customers don't want this type of break. Even when it matches right and left boots, we try to be careful when it's very loose. I personally have pairs like this and find that keeping them conditioned and using a little wax makes them look better. It wont lessen the creasing of course but helps with the overall look.
Wyatt- you are absolutely correct in that conditioning and wax makes them look better. I have a few pairs of CXL that have "loose grain" on one boot, or in places on both boots. Adds to the uniqueness of each pair.
 

Little Wing

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Thanks guys for the feedback. Yes, these were B grades (mentioned in my initial post) and @audog they have the rubber stud soles. This is my first experience with loose grain, so glad to know what it looks like and how to treat.

I love the boots and they’ll get heavy usage in the rotation.

My apologies to the guys at GS. If I would’ve known the loose grain was the cause for the B grade I would not have posted the critique. There’s a reason you get a discount on B grades and I fully appreciate and support that model.
 

pedarius

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@audog Now back to shoes...I picked these up recent and love the fit and look, but a bit disappointed in the creasing inconsistency between the boots.

To be fair these were 2nds, but they looked perfect out of the box. I’m sure they’ll be fine after they both get more break-in, but I’m more accustomed to a CXL roll.

View attachment 1134365

Off the top of my head I can't confirm but there is a 99% chance that this was B graded due to the loose grain on the right boot. Audog is right that is common with CXL due to the nature of the hides used but we try to avoid it as most customers don't want this type of break. Even when it matches right and left boots, we try to be careful when it's very loose. I personally have pairs like this and find that keeping them conditioned and using a little wax makes them look better. It wont lessen the creasing of course but helps with the overall look.

Mostly just a lurker in this thread, but my initial experiment with Grant Stones, a pair of B-grade dune PTBs, were/are like this--perfect looking out of the box but the right shoe immediately developed really heavy creasing and discoloration across the vamp. I don't mind it--with the dune CXL, it just looks like added character even though not symmetrical on both shoes. It's also easy to even the coloring back out again with VSC and brushing. Still, interesting to see confirmation that this is likely why my shoes--otherwise flawless--were B-grades. Plenty of makers with prices higher than Grant Stone wouldn't set their standards that high and would just put it onto the consumer to discover the flaw.
 

schweezly

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Interested to see how the loafers fit.

In the Leo last, I have to size up for my slightly larger foot where there’s just a huge amount of room over my toes and they feel like clown shoes.

The Oliver last is a lot better for me, but a little loose in the heel. So it wouldn’t work for loafers. But the tan cap for fits wonderfully overall.

With CXL loafers I tend to size down and let it break in. Another company tends to use very soft CXL that this works with...I’m guessing GS’s will be like how there shoes and boots are though
 

audog

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Interested to see how the loafers fit.

In the Leo last, I have to size up for my slightly larger foot where there’s just a huge amount of room over my toes and they feel like clown shoes.

The Oliver last is a lot better for me, but a little loose in the heel. So it wouldn’t work for loafers. But the tan cap for fits wonderfully overall.

With CXL loafers I tend to size down and let it break in. Another company tends to use very soft CXL that this works with...I’m guessing GS’s will be like how there shoes and boots are though
I am going down 1/2 over Brannock and have a feeling it will be fine. The Oliver is ok in Brannock size, but have one pair in 1/2 down and it is "glove like". We will see once they start shipping.
 

GrantStone

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Thanks guys for the feedback. Yes, these were B grades (mentioned in my initial post) and @audog they have the rubber stud soles. This is my first experience with loose grain, so glad to know what it looks like and how to treat.

I love the boots and they’ll get heavy usage in the rotation.

My apologies to the guys at GS. If I would’ve known the loose grain was the cause for the B grade I would not have posted the critique. There’s a reason you get a discount on B grades and I fully appreciate and support that model.

No problem at all. I'm glad you shared this. I imagine we saw the loose vamp leather when inspecting and B graded this pair but you never completely understand how it will break until they have been worn.

Most of the B grades do have defects that we consider problematic if shipped as A grades. While there has been a lot of positive feedback with regard to our B grade quality, we also have had our share of customers pointing out imperfections on certain pairs (A&B). Constantly trying to find the balance!
 

BackInTheJox

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BTW I really dig the dune loafers! Still on the fence about ordering a pair mostly due to uncertainty about sizing for the loafers. I am always finicky when it comes to this.
 

GrantStone

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Interested to see how the loafers fit.

In the Leo last, I have to size up for my slightly larger foot where there’s just a huge amount of room over my toes and they feel like clown shoes.

The Oliver last is a lot better for me, but a little loose in the heel. So it wouldn’t work for loafers. But the tan cap for fits wonderfully overall.

With CXL loafers I tend to size down and let it break in. Another company tends to use very soft CXL that this works with...I’m guessing GS’s will be like how there shoes and boots are though

I am going down 1/2 over Brannock and have a feeling it will be fine. The Oliver is ok in Brannock size, but have one pair in 1/2 down and it is "glove like". We will see once they start shipping.

Our internal wear testing consists of quite a few sizes and foot shapes, all of which have experience in many lasts including other loafers. For all of these wear testers (excluding one), we wear the same size as the leo last.
The one person had to go down half a size from his leo. That being said, he has a very low instep and his preferred leo last size looks a tad large with bluchers nearly touching. He can probably get away with this simply because it is a tie pattern.

@scheezly - To your point, if customers are in between sizes we will suggest them to go down. These will be more forgiving than our other shoes and boots due to the insole/outsole tannage (offering flexibility) and the toe box and heel counter are not as stiff. The toe box has very little structure so it will have more give.

We have all been wearing this loafer with and without socks and have not had any issues with rubbing or other discomfort.

When it comes to fit, the Traveler pattern seems to be a good balance between locking the foot in and ease of entry.
I have had experience developing loafers that have a solid "locked" feeling and heel fit but were miserable to put on, nearly requiring a shoe horn. This is a combination of many things starting with the last but the vamp length and instep play a large role.
On the opposite side of the spectrum would be a loafer that is incredibly easy to pop on but tends to be a little sloppy.

After wearing the latest pattern changes, we all agree that it is somewhere in the middle or maybe edging towards the casual end of the spectrum with an easy entry and medium/short vamp length.
 

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