phosej
Senior Member
- Joined
- Nov 30, 2011
- Messages
- 117
- Reaction score
- 102
I recently purchased this pair of sidezip boots from the emerging brand Story et Fall, which I heard of through Razele's review (http://www.styleforum.net/t/164746/recent-purchases-part-ii/44940_30#post_7261621). The brand certainly evokes comparisons to MMM/CP/SLP, etc. in terms of aesthetic and design elements. As I have been looking for black boots similar to the iconic MMM sidezips for a while, I decided to take a chance on these ones. I don't think there's much information out there about this brand yet, so here's a short review.
When I received the package, I was surprised to see it shipped from a Chinese address; I had assumed it would be from Sweden. It came in a simple white box with black lettering, and inside were some nice hand written materials including the name of the person who made the shoes and packed it for me. That was a nice touch. It also came with two large white dustbags.
The shoes themselves felt solid. I'm no expert on shoe construction or materials, but I believe the leather uppers are very good quality, much better than I expected at this price point. The calf leather was supple and had a good hand feel. The leather was not completely smooth and uniform but showed some uneven veining. When I inquired about that, I was told by customer care that it is a full grain calf leather sourced from New Zealand. The removable insole and soft leather lining helps make the shoes comfortable to walk in, but time will tell how well they break in.
As for the construction, the website does state that these boots are cemented (glued) and not properly stitched, yet on the leather outsoles you can clearly see some "stitching" detail. Apparently, they will move on to using genuine Goodyear construction in the future. The blacked out YKK zipper is nice and operates smoothly, but I wish the zipper was of a higher YKK quality and more robust feeling. The level of detailing and finishing was very good, not what I would expect from Chinese made boots, but more similar to those made in Portugal or Spain.
Lastly, when I received delivery of the shoes, I had to pay additional duties/taxes/collection fees to the DHL express carrier. I was upset about that, but that's part of being an international customer. However, all things considered, I'm happy with my purchase.
