Is top level RTW GYW shoes worth it?

[knightfox]

Gents, after knowing leather grade has nothing to do with leather quality, I'm curious to understand what makes top level RTW shoes worth it. Meermin sources its leather from top tannery in France where other top level shoemakers source it. Meermin uses all leather linings, midsole, outsole and GYW construction. Same with Crockett & Jones which uses all leather linings, midsole, outsole and GYW. If for example Meermin and Crockett & Jones uses leather from same tannery, insole,midsole,outsole and GYW construction same for both, then what makes Crockett & Jones the top level shoemaker and Meermin entry-level? I read in one of the thread that, Crockett & Jones makes 1-2 shoes from a hide while Meermin could make 6-8 shoes from same hide. What makes it worth 3x or more?

 

[Daniel Hakimi]

That depends. Why do you want them?

C&J uses better leathers than Meermin, generally, even if they are from the same tanneries. Are the leathers 3-4x better? That question doesn't make any sense.
C&J uses better construction than Meermin. Is the construction 3-4x better? Is the QC 3-4x better? Are the soles 3-4x better? These are incoherent questions.

Will C&J shoes last 3-4x longer between resoles? No, probably not. Depends on the soles you pick and *exactly* how well the shoes fit your feet and your gait and a hundred other intangibles. Same goes for comfort, and a bunch of other stuff. Try them both on. I can't tell you which you like more, or by how much.

Do you think C&Js are prettier? Are you looking at their oxfords, their loafers? Which last is your favorite? Obviously, C&J can do some things by hand that Meermin generally doesn't do. Are C&J's waists prettier to you? Pick two pairs to compare, instead of comparing brands. Would you rather have an ugly shoe forever or a beautiful shoe for a decade?

I've generally heard it said that diminishing returns kick in right above the Carmina tier, but C&J is also considered a good value at its price tier. But there's no accounting ffor taste or comfort.

Style counts for more than these abstract conceptions of quality, never try to min/max clothing on "quality," but yeah, C&J makes better shoes.

How wealthy are you? If you're warren buffet, stop wasting so much time thinking and just buy Edward Greens or whatever. If you're living hand to mouth, but you want nice shoes, go thrifting. Everywhere in between, it's up to you to figure out what you can afford, and what a vaguely "nicer" or "better" shoe is worth to you.

 

[circumspice]

Gents, after knowing leather grade has nothing to do with leather quality, I'm curious to understand what makes top level RTW shoes worth it. Meermin sources its leather from top tannery in France where other top level shoemakers source it. Meermin uses all leather linings, midsole, outsole and GYW construction. Same with Crockett & Jones which uses all leather linings, midsole, outsole and GYW. If for example Meermin and Crockett & Jones uses leather from same tannery, insole,midsole,outsole and GYW construction same for both, then what makes Crockett & Jones the top level shoemaker and Meermin entry-level? I read in one of the thread that, Crockett & Jones makes 1-2 shoes from a hide while Meermin could make 6-8 shoes from same hide. What makes it worth 3x or more?

"Top tannery" is like saying "E. Zegna tessuti (fabric)"

Factories can make many, many, many different levels of make for different price points. There is probably some Zegna factory that has had $35/m worsteds leave the same shipping bay door the same week as $300/m cashmere.

You have no idea if Meermin is truly using the same factories, and if so, buying at the same grades. And even if they are buying the same grades, are they trying to get more product out of the same number of skins?

Go handle Meermin and C&J and see if they are really the same - I have been in a Meermin shop a number of years ago, they had an upper tier line that was distinctly nicer than their standard stuff at the time.