Made in Spain Footwear, including TLB Mallorca, Cobbler Union, Yanko, Norman Vilalta, etc

[apd90700]

There are no “credentials” here. It’s just taste and experience. Do you approach everything in your life in this formulaic, data driven way? I get that you are a business bro, but you can’t apply investment concepts to everything you do.

If my instincts tell me that the advice I am receiving is apocryphal, then I do my research to see if the information is validated or not by experts in the given profession. I can have members on here insult me and tell me I'm incorrect, look like a fool, etc. When it comes to the real world, and not on Styleforum, the way people react to me is quite the opposite. Thus the negativity here rolls off of me -- what really matters, impressing Styleforum members to get likes, or being appreciated by people that you work with, know, and or care about? I'm not going to change my style to match Styleforum simply because someone told me to, I'm using Styleforum advice as another piece of the puzzle. I try and respect people's opinions even if I disagree, which is courtesy we all should show.

That being said - The V gap in the pictures above is maybe a touch low for my preference with the caveat of not knowing how tightly they’re tied or how they’re laced (see Jespers blog for tips on adjusting space across the facing by lacing different ways) but it isn’t egregious. I regularly see people with much worse fitting shoes on here particularly in a thread I won’t name because I don’t want to summon their wrath Bloody Mary style.

Shoes are tied tightly. Fit is snug without being tight or loose. Fits right out of the box like I could run in these in a full on sprint without any pain. I wouldn't add a tongue pad unless there was an issue of fit after the sole beds settle, which predicated on Ashley's video doesn't appear to be a significant risk.

 

[JohnMRobie]

If my instincts tell me that the advice I am receiving is apocryphal, then I do my research to see if the information is validated or not by experts in the given profession. I can have members on here insult me and tell me I'm incorrect, look like a fool, etc. When it comes to the real world, and not on Styleforum, the way people react to me is quite the opposite. Thus the negativity here rolls off of me -- what really matters, impressing Styleforum members to get likes, or being appreciated by people that you work with, know, and or care about? I'm not going to change my style to match Styleforum simply because someone told me to, I'm using Styleforum advice as another piece of the puzzle. I try and respect people's opinions even if I disagree, which is courtesy we all should show.

Shoes are tied tightly. Fit is snug without being tight or loose. Fits right out of the box like I could run in these in a full on sprint without any pain. I wouldn't add a tongue pad unless there was an issue of fit after the sole beds settle, which predicated on Ashley's video doesn't appear to be a significant risk.

My experience is that leather on a men’s dress shoe will stretch more than she’s giving it credit for when worn regularly. The footbed and cork will also settle some. This will vary depending on the hide, how you wear them, how snug they are and some other factors. Leather isn’t a uniform thing. It’s not a huge amount but it definitely happens. If we are talking about reinforced areas like the heel and toe box then yeah you’re not going to get much stretch. Before adding a tongue pad you can also lace them differently probably if you didn’t change the factory lacing to take up some space.

 

[dieworkwear]

@apd90700 I think you would do better if you slowed down, thought about how to build a more holistic wardrobe, and build more of a foundation that allowed you to naturally explore your taste, rather than go on a buying spree for shoes.

I think a lot of guys get into this stuff and then buy a bunch of high-end dress shoes. Some guys never develop an interest in the broader section of their wardrobe and thus become "shoe guys." They take photos of their pant cuffs, socks, and shoes and post them online. Some guys develop a broader interest in clothes and start buying dressy clothes to match, only to later find that their lifestyle and environment don't support such dressy clothes, so it all ends up getting abandoned. Other guys eventually move on once they develop their own personal sense of style (hence why a lot of guys migrate to SWD).

Personally think you should buy just one pair of versatile shoes (e.g., suede chukkas) and then just give yourself three or four years to slowly develop a sensible wardrobe. Chukkas work with a wide range of wardrobes, so you don't have to buy new shoes every time your taste develops in an unexpected direction. Instead of just focusing on shoes, develop an eye for various looks and let your taste naturally evolve. Guys who are just getting into clothing often change taste rapidly in the first three or four years. You can develop your eye without buying things. Just consume images instead.

If I'm being honest, I think a lot of "shoe guy" hangups don't matter very much, like that V-shaped spacing between the facings on an oxford. Maybe far, far down the line, you can pay attention to stuff like that. Most guys would be better off thinking about their pants, jackets, shirts, etc. and how to create a coherent look for their needs.

 

[deliku]

If my instincts tell me that the advice I am receiving is apocryphal, then I do my research to see if the information is validated or not by experts in the given profession. I can have members on here insult me and tell me I'm incorrect, look like a fool, etc. When it comes to the real world, and not on Styleforum, the way people react to me is quite the opposite. Thus the negativity here rolls off of me -- what really matters, impressing Styleforum members to get likes, or being appreciated by people that you work with, know, and or care about? I'm not going to change my style to match Styleforum simply because someone told me to, I'm using Styleforum advice as another piece of the puzzle. I try and respect people's opinions even if I disagree, which is courtesy we all should show.

Interesting how you care so much about what others think when you’re “using fashion as a tool” but don’t care at all about others’ opinions when they don’t (in your opinion) have the proper credentials or whatever. Can’t you just focus more on what you yourself like? I doubt anyone would really press the issue if you just said “I like rocking oxfords with denim and don’t care what anyone else thinks.” But instead you rationalize it to us by boasting how impressed the locals are by it.

On one hand, I can see the logic from a purely utilitarian, control everything point of view. But on the other hand, it results in these weird situations where you enjoy impressing locals who could care less about fashion over the people actually interested in this stuff. There’s really a wealth of knowledge to be found from likeminded individuals on here. If you can get past the admittedly snooty behavior at times.

 

[apd90700]

If my instincts tell me [1] that the advice I am receiving is apocryphal, then I do my research to see if the information is validated or not by experts in the given profession. I can have members on here insult me and tell me I'm incorrect, look like a fool, etc. When it comes to the real world, and not on Styleforum, the way people react to me is quite the opposite. Thus the negativity here rolls off of me -- what really matters, impressing Styleforum members to get likes, or being appreciated by people that you work with, know, and or care about [2]? I'm not going to change my style to match Styleforum simply because someone told me to, I'm using Styleforum advice as another piece of the puzzle. I try and respect people's opinions even if I disagree, which is courtesy we all should show.

Shoes are tied tightly. Fit is snug without being tight or loose. Fits right out of the box like I could run in these in a full on sprint without any pain. I wouldn't add a tongue pad unless there was an issue of fit after the sole beds settle, which predicated on Ashley's video doesn't appear to be a significant risk.

Interesting how you care so much about what others think when you’re “using fashion as a tool” but don’t care at all about others’ opinions when they don’t (in your opinion) have the proper credentials or whatever. Can’t you just focus more on what you yourself like [1]? I doubt anyone would really press the issue if you just said “I like rocking oxfords with denim and don’t care what anyone else thinks.” But instead you rationalize it to us by boasting how impressed the locals are by it.

On one hand, I can see the logic from a purely utilitarian, control everything point of view. But on the other hand, it results in these weird situations where you enjoy impressing locals who could care less about fashion over the people actually interested in this stuff [2]. There’s really a wealth of knowledge to be found from likeminded individuals on here. If you can get past the admittedly snooty behavior at times.

 

[janoy89]

Why can't I stop reading this ******* thread

 

[deliku]

@apd90700 I’m sure the people you work with, know, and care about also care about you. But do they really care how you dress? I feel like the people you’re close to can sometimes be the worst to ask for an honest opinion just because they’re inherently biased towards you.

You may interpret the StyleForum comments you’ve received as negativity, but (for better or worse) you would not have this many people responding to you if they weren’t actually interested in what you had to say. You even have a respected menswear writer giving you style tips now so hell you may be doing something right.

 

[thehkshoeshiner]

These are not worn in, my other Picasso 109's have several wears and fit similarly. The throat on the Picasso 109s is closer to closed without overlapping, which to me is ideal, though I'm going off of my preferred look and feel. IMO, they feel so natural to my feet that I forget I'm wearing nice dress shoes -- mainly since they don't bother my feet right out of the box. Did consider sizing down half a size, but I have a predisposition to ingrown toenails, and it's far worse for me to have to get surgery and be unable to wear the shoes vs adding a tongue pad if the cork bed settles as it has some in the 109.

Same here. I like them closed without overlapping and no big V gap.

 

[JustPullHarder]

This thread potentially tops the Archibald one.

Do you just sprinkle some SAT words in to get value out of them? Your writing isn't the most cohesive in execution.

If you want to come across better it's probably better to use fewer esoteric words and focus more on basic concepts like not using run on sentences and using paragraphs.

I'm not saying spend time proof reading forum posts, but be more conscious in how you write.

 

[apd90700]

More pics, less B.S.

More Goya 136

 

[loduN]

Do you actually show the shoes or do you flex about your not-quite mirror shine ?

 

[MacGuffen]

Do you actually show the shoes or do you flex about your not-quite mirror shine ?

 

[apd90700]

Do you actually show the shoes or do you flex about your not-quite mirror shine ?

Appreciate the constructive criticism. Apologies, I just like pictures of the shoes taken this way. Also, keep in mind, I’ve only been shining shoes for about a month now, so I’d hope there is room for improvement. That said, the shoes all are around this bad, so I have my work cut out for me.

First picture without glare from sunlight, second with glare. Both in a room with lights off and only light being from the window directly in front of me -- blinds closed.

 

[Spaghettimatt]

Appreciate the constructive criticism. Apologies, I just like pictures of the shoes taken this way. Also, keep in mind, I’ve only been shining shoes for about a month now, so I’d hope there is room for improvement. That said, the shoes all are around this bad, so I have my work cut out for me.
View attachment 1622737 View attachment 1622738

The shoes/shine look good. It’s great that you are so enthusiastic as a beginner. Ignore the insults in this thread and try to slow down a little and really enjoy what you’ve already got.

 

[te0o]

Speaking of mirror shine:

Something I've noticed with TLB shoes is that the internal construction is a much softer one. Where there are stiffeners on the heels and the toe - these are much more pliable than the ones on higher-end English shoes. It's not great from my perspective as it makes the polish crack very easily and flake off.