The London Lounge

I have a fetish for wholecut shoes. Has anyone come across them in cordovan or suede RTW? If yes, which maker is it?

Carmina have a pair of wholecuts in cordovan. You can order the EG Newbury model in suede.

Where can I view the Carmina wholecut in US or London?

I've seen the EG Newbury in suede. I tend to think that it works better in regular calf.

As for cordovan wholecuts, I've seen the Carmina offering and the Vass (on the P2 last), neither of which are available in London (to my knowledge).

I have the Newbury w/ medalion in mink suede and I would be happy to post a photo, if you would like?

Cheers,

Andrew

BenedictSpinola wrote:I've seen the EG Newbury in suede. I tend to think that it works better in regular calf.

I've seen the EG Newbury without medallion in clove suede and thought it astonishing...

Mark

Allen Edmonds will make whole-cut Westgates in Cordovan for special order.

Between Carmina and Vass, which is a better made shoe?

Hi Andrew,

It would be great if you could post a scan of a pair of suede Newbury.

aportnoy wrote:I have the Newbury w/ medalion in mink suede and I would be happy to post a photo, if you would like?

Cheers,

Andrew

kolecho wrote:Between Carmina and Vass, which is a better made shoe?

What will matter is how each fits your foot.

Fit is indeed the most important but no doubt Vass are better made than Carmina.

Kolecho...Sorry I didn't see this until this morning. Here you go. It's in a shot including a few other EGs that I had taken a while ago...



Cheers,

Andrew

kolecho wrote:Hi Andrew,

It would be great if you could post a scan of a pair of suede Newbury.

aportnoy wrote:I have the Newbury w/ medalion in mink suede and I would be happy to post a photo, if you would like?

Cheers,

Andrew

As promise a three Newbury comaprison...

Left to Right

dark oak on the 808 last
mink suede on the 606 last
dark burgundy on the 888 last w/ double sole and extended welt

If I may, just a comment on the preceding picture--graciously provided by Aportnoy--of the EG Newbury in mink suede: I too have the Newbury on the 606 last in mink suede (although without the medallion), and must point out that it is much darker in the flesh than the picture would indicate (although it's possible my monitor is contributing to the color distortion as well). It is a true dark brown, and, with EG's excellent-quality suede (the best I've encountered), is a very rich shade--really spectacular--providing a very nice complement to most suit colors (although not black), and definitely more formal-looking than the lightened shade in the picture would suggest. I think it's hard--maybe impossible--to capture accurately the color in a picture with suede; it seems to soak up the flash too much and to appear lighter than it really is.

Just as an aside: Lord, I wish shoe and clothing companies would use terms for their colors that actually convey useful information. What the hell is "mink" as a color? Why not describe this as "dark brown," which everyone can understand. And what is "snuff" as it applies to suede; how about "medium brown," or whatever secondary shade is mixed in, such as "medium reddish-brown," for example.

SouthPender wrote:I wish shoe and clothing companies would use terms for their colors that actually convey useful information.

I suppose you've never painted a room or even seen a paint catalogue. The names they come up with are amazing. (What color is "Sea-Breeze"???)

I presume it must be hard to come up with 36 names for different shades of blue.