The Shell Cordovan, non-Alden Shoe and Boot Thread

[NAMOR]



I don't like the balance of the LWB patterns from Carmina and EB. The C&J pattern is better, but still not as nice as the Alden pattern. AE's MacNeil pattern is terrible, but they improved it somewhat with the MacNeil 2.0.

Florsheim's LWB is the granddaddy, and it's the best. Alden's is most similar to it, IMO.

i cant tell them apart. i remember posting a picture of the king lwb on the alden thread and it got like 4-5 thumbs up (they were Florsheim)

 

[mdubs]

Ha. Nice NAMOR. That's pretty funny.

-M

 

[tanbar]

A fantastic collection, and a fantastic shine on these. Are the Rancourt shoes resoleable?

Yup, Rancourt will resole most of their shoes (aside from only sneakers I think) that you order through them.

What a collection! What's your method? Saphir renovateur and cordovan cream polish? Or just renovateur? Or something else?

Sent from my XT1254 using Tapatalk

If they just need a shine I brush off any dirt then hit them with some Venetian shoe cream followed by brushing. Every couple months I also treat them with Lexol to condition, followed by VSC and brushing/buffing.

 

[mosy]

general sizing question: i find that when i'm a certain size in a shoe, when i try on a boot of the same size made on the same last, the boot always feels snugger, to the extent that i feel i might need to size up a half size. i've found this on several shoe/boots, including Alden Barrie and Meermin Hiro. Is this a common issue? are there people out there who, for whatever reason, need to size up for boots? if so, why is that? why should a boot on the same last of a shoe fit differently?

 

[stevefok]

Gentlemen,

Trust me when I say these words: There is Life outside of Alden exotics...

I own/have owned some of the more rare Alden cordovan models, and I enjoy and cherish them. (As you know)

However, there is a whole wide world of artisans and craftsmen all over the world who often rival and sometimes surpass Alden.

There is good reason why many of the gentlemen here on SF have ventured outside of Aldenland and found great satisfaction.

Again, nothing against Alden at all. I am a dyed in the wool AldenFan.

Nevertheless, EVERY maker has strengths and weaknesses and we ought to strive to appreciate each maker for who and what they are.

Thanks.

Agreed! I just received my Enzo Mahogany shell jumper boot too and they are absolutely stunning.......Too bad I ordered the wrong size

 

[Zapasman]

i cant tell them apart. i remember posting a picture of the king lwb on the alden thread and it got like 4-5 thumbs up (they were Florsheim)

Well you can say the Alden´s guys liked very much the Florsheim shoes, thats all.

Those shell LWB are really nice, wether they are Alden or Florsheim

 

[clevesinho]

Yup, Rancourt will resole most of their shoes (aside from only sneakers I think) that you order through them.

Many, many thanks!

 

[jcman311]

Rider chukka from fellow sf member @wklq76a

 

[Saturninus]



Gentlemen,

Trust me when I say these words:  There is Life outside of Alden exotics...

I own/have owned some of the more rare Alden cordovan models, and I enjoy and cherish them.  (As you know)

However, there is a whole wide world of artisans and craftsmen all over the world who often rival and sometimes surpass Alden.

There is good reason why many of the gentlemen here on SF have ventured outside of Aldenland and found great satisfaction.

Again, nothing against Alden at all.  I am a dyed in the wool AldenFan.  

Nevertheless, EVERY maker has strengths and weaknesses and we ought to strive to appreciate each maker for who and what they are.

Thanks.

I have come to appreciate this wisdom, as I have ventured outside Alden myself and found great satisfaction in Carmina shells, and hopefull soon I will have the chance to pick up something in cordovan from C&J.

But I'd be interested to hear, if you are willing to share, what your opinions are on the relative strengths and weaknesses of the cordovan offerings from the various shoe makers who regularly contribute to the wonderful world of shell

 

[JSO1]

I have come to appreciate this wisdom, as I have ventured outside Alden myself and found great satisfaction in Carmina shells, and hopefull soon I will have the chance to pick up something in cordovan from C&J.

But I'd be interested to hear, if you are willing to share, what your opinions are on the relative strengths and weaknesses of the cordovan offerings from the various shoe makers who regularly contribute to the wonderful world of shell

I have shells from Allen Edmonds, Alden, Carmina, and Vass. I also had a pair of old-school Florsheims in shell (#8 shell LWBs from 1983). Here are my thoughts on them - these are just my observations and experiences - others may disagree.

Allen Edmonds:

• QC runs the gamut from good to pretty rough
• Usually does a good job with shell makeups - stock offerings are pretty good
• Horween trunk show brought in a variety of special colors (navy, natural, green, deep dark brown) which added a lot of intrigue to the AE shell lineup, but sadly that is a thing of the past
• Shells tend to be on the thinner side, tend to have dry spots
• Finish tends to be somewhat flat - not very "shiny" out of the box, yet AE still applies a good amount of finishing/goop to their shells
• Good, consistent source of brown shell (unlike Alden)
• Limited MTO options
• Price generally reasonable, shoes/boots $499/525 seconds, $650/725 firsts

Alden:

• QC is usually excellent, occasionally has issues with blotchy dye spots
• Alden has the biggest stock shell lineup of any shoemaker that I know of, and when you add in retailer-exclusive makeups, there is a simply absurd number of options
• Alden's finishing is superb - black shell is deep and glossy while they bring out an incredible eggplant purple shade in their color 8 (although recently it is darker than it used to be)
• Scarce availability in anything other than black or burgundy - brown (cigar) shell is very hard to get
• Shells tend to be very thick and rarely have any dry spots
• No MTO options
• Price generally reasonable, color 8/black shell range from $660-760 for firsts, $475 for seconds

Carmina:

• QC is usually excellent, occasionally has issues with incomplete brogue punching
• Carmina has a fairly extensive selection of shells, both in model and in color, for a shoemaker of its size
• Carmina, according to Nick Horween, does the least amount of shell color/dye finishing of any shoemaker, but they do have a deep shine right out of the box
• Supposedly they have started using natural shells and dyeing them to whatever color they want, hence the recent color inconsistency in "cognac" shell
• Shells tend to be thick but tend to have dry spots
• Extremely expensive MTO option (50% surcharge)
• Price is very high, with shoes at $760 and boots at $960

Vass:

• QC can be hit or miss - some "handmade" charm is inevitable but sometimes they get specs wrong
• Limited stock/size selection, almost all shells need to be done via MTO
• Good color selection - usually always have black, color 8, and cigar, sometimes antic cognac, whiskey, or saddle
• Shells tend to be thick and relatively free from dry spots
• Limited finishing applied to the shells - they tend to be somewhat flat out of the box
• MTO options galore - almost carte blanche
• Price is very good - they may have raised prices somewhat recently but as of August the VAT-free cash price was 550 EUR for shell shoes

Florsheim:

• The granddaddy, and the old-school LWBs are some of the finest shoes you can get
• Thick shells, beautiful color 8 with insane patina potential, shiny finishing
• Obviously no longer available - only available via the secondary market
• Quality was superb - a 30 year old pair of Florsheim LWBs can look better than a brand new pair of the AE equivalent
• Price ranges from $100-300 on the secondary market depending on the condition

 

[Zapasman]

What is so special about an old pair of Florsheim LWB?. Thickness of the shell, other high materials used like insoles and outsoles?. Why that much difference?.

 

[JSO1]

What is so special about an old pair of Florsheim LWB?. Thickness of the shell, other high materials used like insoles and outsoles?. Why that much difference?.

They were incredibly well made. Thick shell, high-quality construction, excellent attention to detail, fantastic stitching, and extremely durable materials.

 

[peppercorn78]

Carmina X GYW PTBs today. Love these babies! Can't wait to get my navy LWBs...

Spoiler

 

[tanbar]

Carmina X GYW PTBs today. Love these babies! Can't wait to get my navy LWBs...

The Navy LWBs are getting made? Didn't think there were enough orders

 

[ace13x]

What is so special about an old pair of Florsheim LWB?. Thickness of the shell, other high materials used like insoles and outsoles?. Why that much difference?.

They were incredibly well made. Thick shell, high-quality construction, excellent attention to detail, fantastic stitching, and extremely durable materials.

What about the new Florsheim Imperials, like the Kenmoor LTD? Do they still maintain the quality level of the past in that line?