Meermin Mallorca Shoes

[MarioImpemba]

Some update on the new chiseled last; here are the pics. Would be further refined so watch this space =)

Man, a solids program and a 3d printer and you could make new lasts all day long.

 

[The Shoe Snob]



Well put both of you! One thing I would like to comment though, and it's the two high lighted parts above, regarding luxury brands ripping people of by having them to pay just for the name.

While I believe that the substance is correct, people pay for brand name, the conclusion is wrong, that they rip people off. They don't. They have put and still out **** loads of money on marketing, advertising, PR, and so on to build up a brand name, a reputation and a feel for their brand, which is what people buying Gucci or Prada are after. Then it is worth the money for them. If they hadn't placed big sums of money during years and years to build up their brand and reputation, they wouldn't be able to sell their stuff for the amount they do.

You have to keep things apart. When it comes to Gaziano & Girling you pay the company less for marketing and brand management and more for the product, when you buy Gucci you pay more for the marketing aspects and less for the product, although the sum for both products might still be the same. It's different things, and people who are buying the two want different things. No one is ripped of. The guy proudly wearing his shiny Guccis wouldn't get anything out of wearing a pair of G&G, they wouldn't mean anything to him. In fact: they would have made him feel ripped of.

LIke what MIMO said, I agree to an extent also with what you are saying but in that hard achieved advertising, PR etc., they are all selling the lie that their shoes are among the best in the world, when they are not even close. Don't get me wrong, as a businessman, I appreciate the fact that they have done very smart business. But in doing so, they have had to take a lot of cuts (in quality) to get where they are now. 20-30 years ago,, I am sure that their shoes were probably 10 times what they are today, but to become the powerhouses that they are, just like all of the other designer companies that are out there in this same league, quality has definitely had to suffer while prices continually went up.

Without those astronomical margins, they would not be where they are today and would not be able to afford all of that PR..... If someone tells me that they are buying Gucci/Prada/LV for the brand name and the status, then fair play on them, but if they tell me that they are buying Gucci/Prada/LV because they are handmade high quality shoes, then this is what I have the problem with. And I would be willing to wager that 50%-75% of Gucci/Prada/LV customers probably think that their shoes are among the finest in the world, because at the end of the day, these fashion houses are not only selling their name as global powerhouse brands, but the fact that they make all of their products to the highest of standards..... (yet they are all cutting corners on a constant basis....)

obviously you know that I am not trying to argue with you by any means, so please dont think that...just breaking down my rationale....thanks as always for your support in the blog!

 

[Dan e gee]

Well put both of you! One thing I would like to comment though, and it's the two high lighted parts above, regarding luxury brands ripping people of by having them to pay just for the name.

While I believe that the substance is correct, people pay for brand name, the conclusion is wrong, that they rip people off. They don't. They have put and still out **** loads of money on marketing, advertising, PR, and so on to build up a brand name, a reputation and a feel for their brand, which is what people buying Gucci or Prada are after. Then it is worth the money for them. If they hadn't placed big sums of money during years and years to build up their brand and reputation, they wouldn't be able to sell their stuff for the amount they do.

You have to keep things apart. When it comes to Gaziano & Girling you pay the company less for marketing and brand management and more for the product, when you buy Gucci you pay more for the marketing aspects and less for the product, although the sum for both products might still be the same. It's different things, and people who are buying the two want different things. No one is ripped of. The guy proudly wearing his shiny Guccis wouldn't get anything out of wearing a pair of G&G, they wouldn't mean anything to him. In fact: they would have made him feel ripped of.

LIke what MIMO said, I agree to an extent also with what you are saying but in that hard achieved advertising, PR etc., they are all selling the lie that their shoes are among the best in the world, when they are not even close. Don't get me wrong, as a businessman, I appreciate the fact that they have done very smart business. But in doing so, they have had to take a lot of cuts (in quality) to get where they are now. 20-30 years ago,, I am sure that their shoes were probably 10 times what they are today, but to become the powerhouses that they are, just like all of the other designer companies that are out there in this same league, quality has definitely had to suffer while prices continually went up.

Without those astronomical margins, they would not be where they are today and would not be able to afford all of that PR..... If someone tells me that they are buying Gucci/Prada/LV for the brand name and the status, then fair play on them, but if they tell me that they are buying Gucci/Prada/LV because they are handmade high quality shoes, then this is what I have the problem with. And I would be willing to wager that 50%-75% of Gucci/Prada/LV customers probably think that their shoes are among the finest in the world, because at the end of the day, these fashion houses are not only selling their name as global powerhouse brands, but the fact that they make all of their products to the highest of standards..... (yet they are all cutting corners on a constant basis....)

obviously you know that I am not trying to argue with you by any means, so please dont think that...just breaking down my rationale....thanks as always for your support in the blog!

English shoes were also well made when the shoemakers, some children, were working long hours in bad conditions for lower pay at the turn of the 20th century.

 

[The Shoe Snob]



English shoes were also well made when the shoemakers, some children, were working long hours in bad conditions for lower pay at the turn of the 20th century.

Not sure what that has do with in reference to my responses....a good shoe is a good shoe no matter where or in what conditions it was made... i have given Meermin praise time and time again, not caring that a lot of the shoe is made in China...but i do hate it when ignorant people see a meermin price and then try and say that G&G or the like is not justified....apples and oranges all day long....

 

[VRaivio]

When someone asks for recommendations from me, I advise them to steer clear of fashion shoes due to the markups. Most of the pairs are subcontracted, so they'd end up paying for footwear from X with Y's logos and pretty boxes, paying for an idea, a concept rather than the actual shoe. This bugs me. Fashion houses, in essence, are concept artists who deal with apparel.

 

[MSchapiro]

English shoes were also well made when the shoemakers, some children, were working long hours in bad conditions for lower pay at the turn of the 20th century.

Not actually sure where you get this one. I don't recall a time when child labor products were ever considered top of the market.

 

[venividivicibj]

Can we stop this argument? Not relevant to meermin at all. Meermin is not a fashion house, not does it employ child labor, nor was it even a brand in the early 20th century.

Stop.

 

[j ingevaldsson]

J.I: I see what you mean, and if I like some Prada shoes and am happy with the price, then why not? But what gets me is the dishonesty sometimes: Ferragamo, for example, may or may not be overpriced for their (decent) Tramezza range. Certainly for their rather ordinary "Lavorazione Originale" (mid) range. But if there's something you love, or a special deal, I get it. What offends me is the "Studio" range of glued-together crap that seems designed solely to kid customers into thinking they're buying "brand name quality", with a price that no longer bears any relation to the quality, nor a quality that bears any resemblance to a reputable branded product.

Yes, the companies that intentionally try to disguise cutting corners in quality, that I don't like either. Like Church's has made with their women's line for example: http://shoegazingpunktse.blogspot.se/2013/05/nyhet-churchs-fejkar-randsom.html (you can translate with the tool on the upper right on the web version of the blog).

LIke what MIMO said, I agree to an extent also with what you are saying but in that hard achieved advertising, PR etc., they are all selling the lie that their shoes are among the best in the world, when they are not even close. Don't get me wrong, as a businessman, I appreciate the fact that they have done very smart business. But in doing so, they have had to take a lot of cuts (in quality) to get where they are now. 20-30 years ago,, I am sure that their shoes were probably 10 times what they are today, but to become the powerhouses that they are, just like all of the other designer companies that are out there in this same league, quality has definitely had to suffer while prices continually went up.

Without those astronomical margins, they would not be where they are today and would not be able to afford all of that PR..... If someone tells me that they are buying Gucci/Prada/LV for the brand name and the status, then fair play on them, but if they tell me that they are buying Gucci/Prada/LV because they are handmade high quality shoes, then this is what I have the problem with. And I would be willing to wager that 50%-75% of Gucci/Prada/LV customers probably think that their shoes are among the finest in the world, because at the end of the day, these fashion houses are not only selling their name as global powerhouse brands, but the fact that they make all of their products to the highest of standards..... (yet they are all cutting corners on a constant basis....)

obviously you know that I am not trying to argue with you by any means, so please dont think that...just breaking down my rationale....thanks as always for your support in the blog!

I see your point, absolutely, but I mean, many many makers state that they produce the finest shoes in the world made with the finest material in the world, everyone from Loake to Gaziano & Girling when talking quality shoe brands. I think that most people buying Gucci, Prada, Louis Vitton and so on realise that their shoes isn't the finest ones in the world (if not when they potentially break down after not that many years), but they still think it's worth buying a new pair, because the shoes represents something for them, and that do make them worth the money for that customer. People value things differently, and while we don't have to agree with that, one should understand it.

And I like to discuss things like this, I think it's interesting, so no excuses needed at all!

When someone asks for recommendations from me, I advise them to steer clear of fashion shoes due to the markups. Most of the pairs are subcontracted, so they'd end up paying for footwear from X with Y's logos and pretty boxes, paying for an idea, a concept rather than the actual shoe. This bugs me. Fashion houses, in essence, are concept artists who deal with apparel.

Like I wrote above, some people want to pay for an idea, a concept, rather than the actual shoe. They value the other things more. But if someone ask me which shoes to buy I of course also says stay clear of fashion shoes, cause that person obviosly is after quality shoes and do not care about brand in that way.

Can we stop this argument? Not relevant to meermin at all. Meermin is not a fashion house, not does it employ child labor, nor was it even a brand in the early 20th century.

Stop.

I for one like this about SF, that more in depth dicussions like this can take place, even if it's a bit OT. That's what makes it more interesting. Don't you worry, the sizing questions and last comparison questions will soon return

 

[The Shoe Snob]



I see your point, absolutely, but I mean, many many makers state that they produce the finest shoes in the world made with the finest material in the world, everyone from Loake to Gaziano & Girling when talking quality shoe brands. I think that most people buying Gucci, Prada, Louis Vitton and so on realise that their shoes isn't the finest ones in the world (if not when they potentially break down after not that many years), but they still think it's worth buying a new pair, because the shoes represents something for them, and that do make them worth the money for that customer. People value things differently, and while we don't have to agree with that, one should understand it.

And I like to discuss things like this, I think it's interesting, so no excuses needed at all!

I guess that you are right as well. I guess that my problem with many brands is simply lack their lack of honesty. Maybe I am a dinosaur in a modern world in this regard as I would never claim my shoes to be the best, handmade or anything that they weren't. Maybe because of this I will never be as big as I could be? I just have a hard time lying to the customer and this is where I struggle with what I see elsewhere....Gucci, Prada and the like are not the only ones, just an example.... and only a very few can claim the best shoes in the world.... But you are right, values across the world and within different cultures are certainly very different and I can't argue that!

And to get back to the subject at hand for the posters wishing to read only about the brand of this thread, Meermin make a great shoe for the price, plain and simple. Sure they have their faults, but what company doesn't? However, they are not, and never will be G&G, EG, Lobb or the like. And the reason has nothing to do with a mark up.....

 

[NAMOR]

I've really enjoyed the last couple of pages. Thank you handmadeshoes for taking the time to post

 

[othertravel]



And to get back to the subject at hand for the posters wishing to read only about the brand of this thread, Meermin make a great fair shoe for the price, plain and simple. Sure they have their faults, but what company doesn't? However, they are not, and never will be G&G, EG, Lobb or the like.

I think the defects posted above are very odd and precludes them from being considered as having a good price:quality ratio. I haven't read any similar issues with Loake, Cheaney, Carmina, which are considered good for price:quality.

 

[PorDucMan]

....The guy proudly wearing his shiny Guccis wouldn't get anything out of wearing a pair of G&G, they wouldn't mean anything to him. In fact: they would have made him feel ripped of.....

Not true, at least for me. I have several pair of G&G, EG, Carmina, and Gucci. I like them all. The notion that Gucci are poorly made is pure bunk. My Gucci loafers (Blake construction) are made of leather that is just as fine, if not better, than the other makers that I cited.

edited to add... I am not under the illusion that Gucci's are made to same standard as EG and G&G. Keep in mind, Gucci's cost about one-half of the aforementioned shoes. They are what they are, and I enjoy wearing them.

 

[mimo]

The point about the likes of Gucci is that some of their stuff is very high quality, and priced to match. But what offends me is that they also sell crap under the same brand, and seem to blur the distinction between the two quite deliberately. As Justin said, it's a matter of honesty. There's no sin in fair trade, and if someone wants to pay a premium for an idea from a certain design house, then there's no reason for the world to stop turning. But like JI showed in his link, giving two very different levels of quality the same name is simply deceitful, and commonplace with these big "design brands", or rather, massive publicly listed conglomerates, as the offenders usually are.


Anyway, back to Meermin: once upon a time, Pepe told me that none of his lasts would fit me well so I should go MTO (!). I'm liking the look of the new chisel - does anyone know if it is intended for the LM or Classic line, MTO only, or what?

 

[jaywhyy]

^Wouldn't MTOs just be made on a standard last anyway? How would that help the fact that none of the lasts fit you well?

 

[JayH]

^ Different widths or length feet