Carmina Shoes - Definitive Thread (reviews, advice, sizing, etc...) - official thread.

[Hifilover]



I like the clean lines of the whole cut. I' am partial though...

The whole cut can be treated as a trendy version of the plain toe blutcher. ^_^

 

[Junior]

The whole cut can be treated as a trendy version of the plain toe blutcher. ^_^

 

[aldenwear]



Yeah, neither of those is a blucher... Both have closed lacing ==oxford

opinion seems to be running against me about oxford/blucher, but isn't the cap toewith closed lacing and thus Oxford and the whole cut open lacing and thus a blucher?

 

[RogerP]

The wholecut is not any type of a blucher at all.

 

[budapest12]

The whole cut is closed lacing. Basically a whole cut will by definition be closed. Open requires extra pieces of leather.

 

[bkotsko]

^^ look up balmoral vs blucher on google. Some great pics to show the differences.

 

[Junior]

Picture borrowed from oldleathershoe.com (http://oldleathershoe.com/wordpress/?cat=11)

Koji Suzuki

 

[steveyoo1983]

X-post from our affiliate thread

Good day gents,

This is the Final Call for the Dark Cognac Shell Boots and the Dark Brown Suede Chukka

*** I am pretty sure some of you have already heard, but there seems to be a shortage of shell cordovans lately and Carmina just informed me today that the shell orders might run a little longer than their normal 2-3 months time frame***

1. Punched Cap Toe Boots (973) in Dark Cognac Shell

- Rain Last (wide option avail)
- Double Dainite Sole
- Dark Brown Edge Trim
- Purple Lining



2. Five Eyelet Chukka Boots (905) - in Dark Brown Suede

- Simpson Last
- Dainite Sole
- Dark Brown Edge Trim
- Purple Lining



Last but not least,
Finally got some pictures of the 'Rusti-Calf Green' from Carmina as some members were interested!



Have a great week!

 

[Winston S.]



^^ look up balmoral vs blucher on google. Some great pics to show the differences.

^^ look up balmoral vs blucher on google. Some great pics to show the differences.

But at the same time don't confuse balmoral with oxford. All balmorals are oxfords, but not all oxfords are balmorals.

 

[aldenwear]

Picture borrowed from oldleathershoe.com (http://oldleathershoe.com/wordpress/?cat=11)

Koji Suzuki

Regarding the blucher v. balmoral classification and the Carmina wholecut's classification in that system: I appreciate the information supplied and I particularly appreciate Junior taking the time and effort to find and post the pictures from oldleathershoe.com and otherwise. I am going to do some searches to better understand how wholecuts are balmorals and not bluchers. I certainly get it that if a blucher requires open lacing and open lacing requires the additional two pieces on either side of the tongue to which the laces are, then the Carmina wholecut does not have those pieces and thus would not be blucher. . It also seems clear, however, that the picture of the Koji Suzuki Junior supplied -- which is described as a wholecut -- has those two additional pieces on either side of the tongue and sure looks like open lacing.

In any event, I will do some research and work through it, and I appreciate the help supplied in this regard.

But, as to the original question, I maintain that the wholecut, and not the captoe balmoral, is the clear choice for suits and formal wear even if it turns out my classification skills need some improvement.

 

[WorldWideWafflz]

Wholecuts have de facto closed (I.e balmoral) lacing because the tongue is stitched under the vamp, this is a defining feature of closed lacing. Open laced shoes have a one piece vamp, comprising vamp and tongue, with the eyelets stitched over the tongue. That's the long and the short of it and you should be able to see this plain as day. That shoe you just posted is a blucher or derby; I've never seen a shoe like that described as a whole-cut, it's just a ptb. If someone's calling it a wholecut it's because it has a mostly seamless upper, but a classic wholecut should really be the entire upper excepting the tongue made from a whole piece of leather.

 

[RogerP]

^^^ What he said.

 

[sdolina]

Sorry, by this discussion we are highjacking the Carmina-p0rn thread.

Actually this has already been discussed in GG appreciation thread in 2011 - differences between the seamless wholecut and simple wholecut (with a closing seam)
This one doesn't have a closing seam:
http://www.styleforum.net/t/236162/...ion-shoo-Appreciation-theard/615#post_4661614

And there are many other samples of shoes described as a wholecut derby = single piece of leather with stitched tongue or only with stitched facing or with both tongue + laid-on faces.

Just two more samples

Zonkey boot
Three-eyelet wholecut derby shoes on the Sailor last. The upper is cut from one single piece of high quality hunting suede. Not seamless as well (closing seam on the back) but without laid-on faces.

Dimitri Bottier

Wholecut Derby​

With toe and facings skin-stitched with a boar’s bristle.​

 

[jaywhyy]

I wish the Carmina wholecut had more eyelets ala G&G's sinatra. Something just seems off with the only 4 eyelets--personal preference though.

 

[Winston S.]

Agree that the whole cut is more formal between the that and the captoe, but I'm not sure that would be my go to for an interview shoe.


I still maintain that none of the shoes posted in the whole cut discussion are Balmorals though.