The Styleforum x Archibald Sneaker GMTO

[mhip]

In the meantime... talking to Horween for their beautiful Chromexcel
[/QUOTE]
That is so hot...
I've had my Gustin Horween Chromexcel #8s for a couple of months, and they are still like a fresh leather air freshener.
I love that leather.

 

[ThePetros]

I have my 1000 mile wolverines with #8 for 10 years now still smells like that when I take them out of the box to wear. That is by far the finest shoe leather I’ve had. The way it ages is not short of a work of art.

truth be told. I’ve been eyeing up rancourt’s heritage line sneakers in #8 for a long long time. I really hope it pans out for the SF-01 as I like the design more. I really do think this will knock this design out of the park.

 

[XxLogo]

You folks could also try Horsehide Chromexcel

 

[boot_owl]

Finally received my White roo sf-01s in Australia!

thoughts:

Creases out of the box? A very normal amount for chrome tanned kangaroo in my experience. You would need to have insane levels of wastage to consistently produce clean shoes from these hides. I can post a photo of a hide later today.

tongue gape - my original thoughts based on other posters was correct. Easy enough to fix by raising the height of the reinforcement stitch, whether it be the vertical (which a cobbler can likely do on these pairs) or horizontal (which would require a change to the tongue pattern. Also, the gape is not as bad as they appear in photos, there’s a decent overlap (which is why I think a cobbler could stitch along some of the existing stitching to connect the tongue to the facings a bit higher)

fit: very comfortable in TTS, same as my CP size. A bit of heft in hand but light as a feather on foot, especially compared to the aldens I wore into the office today. Minor heel slip as described by some posters, but this should vanish as the insole and outsole breaks in and I can tighten the laces further. IMO no changes to the last are needed, though you could consider stocking tongue pads if you get a lot of feedback along these lines.

other: laces need to be slightly longer. You should consider metal eyelets as these holes will stretch over time, especially on roo as it is a very thin leather - as you can see below, the bottom eyelet is a bit oval already. In order to maintain the clean look, the eyelets can be set into the layer(s) of leather behind the facings and still be considered blind eyelets. Many dress shoe makers have an additional layer of leather between the upper and lining to provide more material to install the eyelets as the linings are usually very thin

overall: great shape, unique leather, lovely shoe. A couple of small areas of improvement, after which I can’t see any design flaws from a structural perspective.

 

[EgoCamisas]

Finally received my White roo sf-01s in Australia!

View attachment 1438929 View attachment 1438930 View attachment 1438932 View attachment 1438934
thoughts:

Creases out of the box? A very normal amount for chrome tanned kangaroo in my experience. You would need to have insane levels of wastage to consistently produce clean shoes from these hides. I can post a photo of a hide later today.

tongue gape - my original thoughts based on other posters was correct. Easy enough to fix by raising the height of the reinforcement stitch, whether it be the vertical (which a cobbler can likely do on these pairs) or horizontal (which would require a change to the tongue pattern. Also, the gape is not as bad as they appear in photos, there’s a decent overlap (which is why I think a cobbler could stitch along some of the existing stitching to connect the tongue to the facings a bit higher)

fit: very comfortable in TTS, same as my CP size. A bit of heft in hand but light as a feather on foot, especially compared to the aldens I wore into the office today. Minor heel slip as described by some posters, but this should vanish as the insole and outsole breaks in and I can tighten the laces further. IMO no changes to the last are needed, though you could consider stocking tongue pads if you get a lot of feedback along these lines.

other: laces need to be slightly longer. You should consider metal eyelets as these holes will stretch over time, especially on roo as it is a very thin leather - as you can see below, the bottom eyelet is a bit oval already. In order to maintain the clean look, the eyelets can be set into the layer(s) of leather behind the facings and still be considered blind eyelets. Many dress shoe makers have an additional layer of leather between the upper and lining to provide more material to install the eyelets as the linings are usually very thin View attachment 1438944

overall: great shape, unique leather, lovely shoe. A couple of small areas of improvement, after which I can’t see any design flaws from a structural perspective.

Funny that kangaroo flew back to his homeland...

Nice shoes mate. The tongue gate does look minimal in your pair, with shoes on anyway. I remember seeing some reinforcement fabric or something for the eyelets in Rose Anvil's video but your lowest eyelet does see a bit stretched out already. That could indeed be problematic for 'roo leather, although I don't know up to which extent.

Enjoy them, you have waited a long time to have them haha.

 

[mykoh]

RE the issue with the shorter laces, just lace the shoes like so to get longer ends: https://www.fieggen.com/shoelace/sawtoothlacing.htm or https://www.fieggen.com/shoelace/straightbarlacing.htm

 

[Staxxx1]

RE the issue with the shorter laces, just lace the shoes like so to get longer ends: https://www.fieggen.com/shoelace/sawtoothlacing.htm or https://www.fieggen.com/shoelace/straightbarlacing.htm

Thank you. I am going to try the straight bar lacing - it actually looks very nice!

 

[doofalb]

In the meantime... talking to Horween for their beautiful Chromexcel

That is so hot...
I've had my Gustin Horween Chromexcel #8s for a couple of months, and they are still like a fresh leather air freshener.
I love that leather.
[/QUOTE]
Besides the leather, how do the Gustin's and the SF-01 compare?

 

[ThePetros]

Finally received my White roo sf-01s in Australia!

View attachment 1438929 View attachment 1438930 View attachment 1438932 View attachment 1438934
thoughts:

Creases out of the box? A very normal amount for chrome tanned kangaroo in my experience. You would need to have insane levels of wastage to consistently produce clean shoes from these hides. I can post a photo of a hide later today.

tongue gape - my original thoughts based on other posters was correct. Easy enough to fix by raising the height of the reinforcement stitch, whether it be the vertical (which a cobbler can likely do on these pairs) or horizontal (which would require a change to the tongue pattern. Also, the gape is not as bad as they appear in photos, there’s a decent overlap (which is why I think a cobbler could stitch along some of the existing stitching to connect the tongue to the facings a bit higher)

fit: very comfortable in TTS, same as my CP size. A bit of heft in hand but light as a feather on foot, especially compared to the aldens I wore into the office today. Minor heel slip as described by some posters, but this should vanish as the insole and outsole breaks in and I can tighten the laces further. IMO no changes to the last are needed, though you could consider stocking tongue pads if you get a lot of feedback along these lines.

other: laces need to be slightly longer. You should consider metal eyelets as these holes will stretch over time, especially on roo as it is a very thin leather - as you can see below, the bottom eyelet is a bit oval already. In order to maintain the clean look, the eyelets can be set into the layer(s) of leather behind the facings and still be considered blind eyelets. Many dress shoe makers have an additional layer of leather between the upper and lining to provide more material to install the eyelets as the linings are usually very thin View attachment 1438944

overall: great shape, unique leather, lovely shoe. A couple of small areas of improvement, after which I can’t see any design flaws from a structural perspective.

I'm glad you finally got yours. I think our sentiments are very similar here, though especially with the white roos there is a fair bit of variation depending on the pair re: tongue-gate. Yours is definitely on the better end of that spectrum.

As for the eyelets, I'm not so sure I agree. As has been said here, these are supposed to be a "slouchy" pair of sneakers. I, personally, don't tie them. The laces are fitted but loose, therefore have very little strain on the eyelets (if any at all).

I think this is going to be another one of those discussions on the ethos of the shoe. Is it a trusty pair that you can wear walking about town, or is it that slouchy pair that you wear when you're peacocking a bit. I would say the latter.

I wore mine last night, for example, and took a stroll around my village. They were very comfy to walk up and down hills - easy on the feet and knees, etc. But they weren't tied, and they weren't snugly fastened to my foot. they were more like a pair of loafers. Would I go jogging with them. No. would I walk all day in them, probably not. This is where some creative marketing could come in handy.

 

[EgoCamisas]

I'm glad you finally got yours. I think our sentiments are very similar here, though especially with the white roos there is a fair bit of variation depending on the pair re: tongue-gate. Yours is definitely on the better end of that spectrum.

As for the eyelets, I'm not so sure I agree. As has been said here, these are supposed to be a "slouchy" pair of sneakers. I, personally, don't tie them. The laces are fitted but loose, therefore have very little strain on the eyelets (if any at all).

I think this is going to be another one of those discussions on the ethos of the shoe. Is it a trusty pair that you can wear walking about town, or is it that slouchy pair that you wear when you're peacocking a bit. I would say the latter.

I wore mine last night, for example, and took a stroll around my village. They were very comfy to walk up and down hills - easy on the feet and knees, etc. But they weren't tied, and they weren't snugly fastened to my foot. they were more like a pair of loafers. Would I go jogging with them. No. would I walk all day in them, probably not. This is where some creative marketing could come in handy.

While I don't disagree, I find in my case the heel slip does bother me regardless of the looks and I can avoid it by pulling the laces tight. That does unavoidably put more stress on the eyelets and it could be critical, as seen in the pics by @boot_owl. I like the whole slouchy feeling and all and I think that is the right vibe for these sneakers but again, if heel slip is a problem and is bothering, having the laces tied does not affect the looks as much as it does comfort.

I agree with you that marketing the whole as comfortable slouchy sneakers would probably work well, especially considering the huge offer in leather types (with special mention for suede and 'roo), which is about to get bigger.

 

[ThePetros]

While I don't disagree, I find in my case the heel slip does bother me regardless of the looks and I can avoid it by pulling the laces tight. That does unavoidably put more stress on the eyelets and it could be critical, as seen in the pics by @boot_owl. I like the whole slouchy feeling and all and I think that is the right vibe for these sneakers but again, if heel slip is a problem and is bothering, having the laces tied does not affect the looks as much as it does comfort.

I agree with you that marketing the whole as comfortable slouchy sneakers would probably work well, especially considering the huge offer in leather types (with special mention for suede and 'roo), which is about to get bigger.

I suppose I should mention I don't have the heel slip issue. Maybe my ankles are bigger or my heel base is wider, but this will no doubt be resolved with time and breaking in for others.

I agree the eyelets issue could be critical. I, too, have the white roos and can see that if you strap down the laces there will be an inevitable stretching or even tear. But again, we're back to where we were - how are we wearing them? what are we using them for? These are high end, non-athletic sneakers.

 

[boot_owl]

I suppose I should mention I don't have the heel slip issue. Maybe my ankles are bigger or my heel base is wider, but this will no doubt be resolved with time and breaking in for others.

I agree the eyelets issue could be critical. I, too, have the white roos and can see that if you strap down the laces there will be an inevitable stretching or even tear. But again, we're back to where we were - how are we wearing them? what are we using them for? These are high end, non-athletic sneakers.

Blind eyelets are completely invisible from outside, and add reinforcement. I confess I'm a bit confused as to how they would detract from the 'slouchy' look

 

[EgoCamisas]

Blind eyelets are completely invisible from outside, and add reinforcement. I confess I'm a bit confused as to how they would detract from the 'slouchy' look

Maybe I didn't put much focus on it in my comment but it's basically my thoughts. The reinforcement fabric between the upper and the lining can be substituted with something more durable, such as metal eyelets, and that's it. I guess one could even innovate and use some thin kevlar sheet or something that would probably drive the costs higher for no benefit though.

I think that the point @ThePetros is making is that, if you don't tie your shoes, you don't need any further reinforcements (regardless of the aesthetics). The best sneaker in the world™ should, however and in my humble opinion, withstand being worn with its laces tied...

 

[Strangways]

Finally received my White roo sf-01s in Australia!

View attachment 1438929 View attachment 1438930 View attachment 1438932 View attachment 1438934
thoughts:

Creases out of the box? A very normal amount for chrome tanned kangaroo in my experience. You would need to have insane levels of wastage to consistently produce clean shoes from these hides. I can post a photo of a hide later today.

tongue gape - my original thoughts based on other posters was correct. Easy enough to fix by raising the height of the reinforcement stitch, whether it be the vertical (which a cobbler can likely do on these pairs) or horizontal (which would require a change to the tongue pattern. Also, the gape is not as bad as they appear in photos, there’s a decent overlap (which is why I think a cobbler could stitch along some of the existing stitching to connect the tongue to the facings a bit higher)

fit: very comfortable in TTS, same as my CP size. A bit of heft in hand but light as a feather on foot, especially compared to the aldens I wore into the office today. Minor heel slip as described by some posters, but this should vanish as the insole and outsole breaks in and I can tighten the laces further. IMO no changes to the last are needed, though you could consider stocking tongue pads if you get a lot of feedback along these lines.

other: laces need to be slightly longer. You should consider metal eyelets as these holes will stretch over time, especially on roo as it is a very thin leather - as you can see below, the bottom eyelet is a bit oval already. In order to maintain the clean look, the eyelets can be set into the layer(s) of leather behind the facings and still be considered blind eyelets. Many dress shoe makers have an additional layer of leather between the upper and lining to provide more material to install the eyelets as the linings are usually very thin View attachment 1438944

overall: great shape, unique leather, lovely shoe. A couple of small areas of improvement, after which I can’t see any design flaws from a structural perspective.

You beauty! This is very encouraging news. Shoes look even more beautiful - must be that kinder Aussie light. Hopefully this bodes well for us other antipodean plods.

 

[ThePetros]

Maybe I didn't put much focus on it in my comment but it's basically my thoughts. The reinforcement fabric between the upper and the lining can be substituted with something more durable, such as metal eyelets, and that's it. I guess one could even innovate and use some me thin kevlar sheet or something that would probably drive the costs higher for no benefit though.

I think that the point @ThePetros is making is that, if you don't tie your shoes, you don't need any further reinforcements (regardless of the aesthetics). The best sneaker in the world™ should, however and in my humble opinion, withstand being worn with its laces tied...

Ah I didn't think of blind metal eyelets. I thought we were talking about bit metal chunky things like on Chucks or something. I understand completely now and it makes perfect sense to reinforce it in that manner.

Sometimes, we get caught up in our own BS. It's obvious I had a very different image in my head than you did.