Made in Spain Footwear, including TLB Mallorca, Cobbler Union, Yanko, Norman Vilalta, etc

[WhyUEarly]

i have slightly wide feet. so i prefer some space in the toe area.

what would u recommend is better for slightly wide feet ?

PS: this is on the Goya last which is suppose to be a round shape

If you typically need width in the toe area, I think Artista is likely to be a better fit. If you need more width along your entire foot, Rain last would be better. I find it critical to make that distinction in where the width is needed in order to give a useful recommendation. Not to denigrate Carmina, but in my mind, TLB mainline is meant to be competitive with Carmina, while Artista is designed to be superior. It's just that Carmina raised prices from <$350USD to the current $450, which is still a better deal than many of the English shoes.

 

[aj2603]

Thank u

 

[radio3]

How competitive would you guys say the artista shoes are with Vass?

 

[aj2603]

How competitive would you guys say the artista shoes are with Vass?

i dont think u can compare them vass IMO. Vass is hand welted and thus will provide better comfort. Plus they have JR soles

 

[radio3]

I don’t want to side track the thread, but could you briefly say why hand welted makes for more comfort and what JR soles are? When I look at Vass in photos they do indeed look much nicer. But I’ve never seen either in person.

 

[beargonefishing]

I don’t want to side track the thread, but could you briefly say why hand welted makes for more comfort and what JR soles are? When I look at Vass in photos they do indeed look much nicer. But I’ve never seen either in person.

Comfort is so subjective it would be impossible to state definitely which is more comfortable for everyone. JR soles are the gold standard in leather soles, and are supposed to last much longer than regular leather soles (I haven't tested this). Handwelted is undeniably the better, more robust construction method.

 

[WhyUEarly]

I don’t want to side track the thread, but could you briefly say why hand welted makes for more comfort and what JR soles are? When I look at Vass in photos they do indeed look much nicer. But I’ve never seen either in person.

I don't want to open a can of worms regarding handwelt versus GYW, but I would say in general, Vass shoes are built more robustly, in line with the Austro-Hungarian school of shoemaking. In contrast, TLB Mallorca is stylistically southern European and sleeker. They're both excellent shoe choices, so you can't really go wrong with either. For your wallet's sake and ease of purchase due to retailer network, I would recommend trying TLB first and if you're perfectly happy, no need to jump to Vass' level. Though personally, I'm partial to Vass due to their lasts.

 

[bantone]

Has anyone rocked the Tassel Loafers by them?

 

[blekit]

Waiting for arrival of my Artista line pair. Here Williams 502C on G-width Alan last in Vegano Marron leather.

 

[blekit]

The wait is over. On Friday I've picked up the shoes and yesterday took them on the maiden voyage. Austerity brogues in vegano dark brown (changed from available in regular stock vegano cuero) on rubber city sole. The quality of leather and craftsmanship seems amazing. And the last is hypnotizing. At this price point I don't see any competition for TLB - IMHO they can easily go toe-to-toe with AS Exclusive Range, Cheaney Imperial Collection or C&J Benchgrade. I can't wait to see how they age and perform in regular rotation.

 

[shirtingfantasy]

I ordered my first pair of Artista last Monday. Received them last Friday. Did suede spray over the weekend and they are worn the first time in-the-wild today.

Fit is perfect, no break-in required. Extremely comfortable shoes I must say.

Sizing reference:
CJ 348 7.5E <-> Artista 7.0 F (standard) <-> Antonio Meccariello Chisel 2 7.5E <-> Carmina Rain 7.5E

 

[ruscle298]

I can't find any reviews that compare TLB Mallarca to Cobbler Union RTW shoes. I am on the fence between the TBL RTW 108 Artista black wholecut shoe & the Cobbler Union RTW Miquel II black wholecut shoe. Is TLB a higher quality shoe compared to C. Union? Does TLB & C. Union both have metal shanks? Do either of these brands have a reconditioning/reconstructing/re-soling service? If all other quality factors considered equal, then If one of these brands has the metal shank & re-soling service, then they are the winner & I will buy the shoes from them.

 

[thenewguy]

How is the instep on the Artista line?

I usually need the length and ball width of most US 9D shoes but have a narrower heel and a very low instep. My feet aren’t really flat (they have a fairly normal shape when viewing a wet foot print). I assume my circumference around my instep must be small - story of my life...

I put a tongue pad in most of my shoes.

AS 109 fits me pretty well in an 8UK. Interestingly, the Herring Charles II in that size was too loose. I could slip my foot out of it with it tied tightly. I have a 7.5UK on the way to see how it fits.

Probably my best fit is the JM Weston 300 last. I wear a 8D in that using whatever wacky unit of measure they use for that thing.

Everyone always seems to reference their Carmina size but I spent some time in the Carmina shop and there was nothing there that fit right. Too much instep in most and, when I sized down, they were either too short in length or would start to bulge/gap around the opening.

Probably too much info but maybe it will be useful.

 

[WhyUEarly]

I can't find any reviews that compare TLB Mallarca to Cobbler Union RTW shoes. I am on the fence between the TBL RTW 108 Artista black wholecut shoe & the Cobbler Union RTW Miquel II black wholecut shoe. Is TLB a higher quality shoe compared to C. Union? Does TLB & C. Union both have metal shanks? Do either of these brands have a reconditioning/reconstructing/re-soling service? If all other quality factors considered equal, then If one of these brands has the metal shank & re-soling service, then they are the winner & I will buy the shoes from them.

Artista is definitely better. Regular TLB is comparable to Cobbler Union. Honestly it might be worthwhile just to buy from Cobbler Union since they're based in Atlanta. Their shoes are very nice.

 

[ruscle298]

Artista is definitely better. Regular TLB is comparable to Cobbler Union. Honestly it might be worthwhile just to buy from Cobbler Union since they're based in Atlanta. Their shoes are very nice.

Thank you for your quick reply. My suspicions were also that TLB Artista were better than Cobbler Union. I will buy both the TLB Artista 108 black wholecut, and the Cobbler Union Miquel II black wholecut. The one that fits the best I will end up keeping. Cobbler Union has free return shipping, so it makes buying and trying on the shoes risk-free.