Shoe Damage Report & Appreciation Central - Part I

Originally Posted by fritzl

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Did you ever consider trying their banana last?I am supposed you could like him too.

Originally Posted by iammatt

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I have a pair of completely plain five eyelet derbys in brown scotchgrain on the banana last and find it to be a great combination. A lot of the stronger lasts like this work well with plainish shoe designs as the lasts already have a lot of character.

Originally Posted by fritzl

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Right said.
Do you two know what a "˜Banana last' looks like? Edward Green's 82 is the nearest thing to a banana last north of the Danube.

I believe this, despite the fact, that Alan Flusser (with his EG exclusive last 707) makes the claim to be the most banana-ish, Here is a picture and Flusser's description:

They are designed to shod the wearer in a bespoke-looking and feeling manner. Their "Town" last follows the line of the actual foot-straight on the inside, curved on the outside, the instep pointing towards the big toe rather than the centerline of the shoe. Each pair's unique vintage front reprises the famous Peale toe of the 1930''s,

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Now compare that with EG last 82 (left). The highest toe point is even more towards the inside, letting the outer curve sweep in more dramatically and causing that banana-shape. You see the difference in toe point between EG 82 and Vass F? I believe EG's last 82 has the toe point further inside than Vass' "˜Banana last' (I remember, when I saw the actual last, I was rather disappointed, how little banana-like it was.)



The only other firm that offers a true banana shape is Eduard Meier, a German company, who makes heavy weather about the superiority of their "˜Peduform' last.
http://www.edmeier.de/peduform/image...uebersicht.jpg

The strange thing about the banana last, how controversial it still is. The London firm of Peal & Co was famous for it, and the style is supposed to originate from Vienna. But, when I said to Markus Scheer, the current MD of the most famous Viennese shoemakers, (who have been around for some 200 years, always run by the family) that I believed his firm had invented the banana last, he rejected this entirely "Nothing to do with us. We do not agree with this style!".

Even seeing most of the Viennese workshops, I cannot recall any company using a banana last. Yes they all use the high-walled Austro-Hungarian last, but the toe point is never moved towards the centre line.

So for banana last aficionados, it has to be Ed Meier or EG last 82.

Mr. Flusser STILL can't spell 'Peal'?

That's what I thought. Quite a boo-boo, isn't it?

I even checked with BB if my spelling was correct.

*edit* wrong thread!

uh, what does this have to do with "shoe damage"?

edit - makes no sense with foxx's picture gone.

Doesn't St.Crispin also have a banana last?

Originally Posted by LabelKing

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Doesn't St.Crispin also have a banana last?
I don't think so. There RTW and MTO are all on the same "classic" last (apart from the loafers).

They might make a banana last for bespoke if you request it..

Didn't think of it before, but Alden's 'Modified last', that's another true banana last.

Bengal,
Speaking of Peal lasts, did you get my recent PM (at AAAC) concerning the vintage EG/Peal last? I haven't been able to find any reference to it. I'll ask my contact at EG and let you know. (It's a beauty, by the way)

Originally Posted by well-kept

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Bengal,
Speaking of Peal lasts, did you get my recent PM (at AAAC) concerning the vintage EG/Peal last? I haven't been able to find any reference to it. I'll ask my contact at EG and let you know. (It's a beauty, by the way)
One of the EG lasts used in the BB Peal was the 520 -- that's the last in a pair of RTW EG Peal owned by Jun Kuwana. Later EG had a last called the 404 which was supposedly the "trans-Atlantic Peal shape" -- it's sort of bulbous and there are images of it used on certain EG boots like the Halifax (see Shoe Pictorial sticky).

im really lovin this work boot by Santoni



some several new styles out for this fall and this is one of them

Originally Posted by shoe

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im really lovin this work boot by Santoni

some several new styles out for this fall and this is one of them

Yes, "work" boots.

Originally Posted by RJman

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One of the EG lasts used in the BB Peal was the 520 -- that's the last in a pair of RTW EG Peal owned by Jun Kuwana. Later EG had a last called the 404 which was supposedly the "trans-Atlantic Peal shape" -- it's sort of bulbous and there are images of it used on certain EG boots like the Halifax (see Shoe Pictorial sticky).

I have a pair of EG/Peals on the 182. They're hand-marked as with normal EGs instead of being stamped like Peals. I haven't found a single reference to the 182 but as they have a 184 and an 82 it may have been created around the same time. As I said, I'll ask my contact at EG and report back.

Originally Posted by well-kept

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I have a pair of EG/Peals on the 182.....I haven't found a single reference to the 182 but as they have a 184 and an 82 it may have been created around the same time.
EG's last 184 is a loafer last and has been around for some time (these illustration are probably twenty years old).




Last 82 is brand-new (designed by Tony G.) and was introduced maybe three years ago.
I don't know about last 182 (EG lastology is a very complicated science).

Contact EG, I believe they're very good in answering enquiries such like yours.

Originally Posted by well-kept

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They're hand-marked as with normal EGs instead of being stamped like Peals.
I think the Peals that are stamped are made by other manufacturers than EG, such as C&J, who normally stamp.