The Official Carmina Sizing Thread

[KarlHungus]

Dear All,

A shameless repost of my sizing questions and the answers I got on the other thread.
I figured out that this might be a better place to ask them.

Currently, I own one pair of Carmina shoes on the Forest last in size 8.5 UK. These shoes fit me very well from heel to ball.
However, the toe box tapers in way too early for my feet. My toes are squeezed together so badly that I can only walk for a couple of minutes in these shoes before my feet start to cramp.

Therefore, I am looking for a last that fits similarly to Forest from heel to ball, but provides far more toe space.
To be more exact, I am not necessarily looking for a last:
- that is higher in the toe box;
- that is wider at the ball;
- that is significantly higher volume in the toe box.
Rather, I am looking for a last that tapers in later and, preferably, is also more asymetrical (more width/straighter on the big toe side).

I have made extensive use of the last comparison tool, but I am aware of the loss of information that occurs when projecting the 3D last shape on a 2D plane.
Nevertheless, by combining the projections from the last comparison tool with the information in this thread and the other sizing thread, I came to the conclusion that Oscar and Soller are probably my best bets.
Oscar appears to fit pretty similarly to Forest from heel to ball, but I'm afraid that its toebox is still too tapered for me.
On paper, Soller appears to offer the most toe space of all Carmina lasts, but at the expense of a (far?) bigger heel and instep.

Do you think that any of these lasts (or any other Carmina last) could work for me? Or am I better off looking elsewhere?

For your reference: I did not yet encounter a RTW last that fits me well.
TLB Mallorca's Howard last in 8.5 UK is the closest I got. This last is a bit too big in the heel and instep, and still too tight in the toes, but works quite well for me with non-captoe shoes in a soft leather and the usage of a tongue pad.
I did not try anything yet above Carmina's price level.


Thank you for the advice.
You mention that Llubi might have a lower instep; this is somewhat surprising to me because I've seen many people mention that Llubi has a high instep and is the roomiest of all Carmina's lasts.
When you mention instep, do you consider purely the height under the vamp or rather the total volume under the vamp?

And to be honest, I don't find Llubi to be a particularly attractive last. It's perfectly fine in top-down view, but this small up-turn at the very tip doesn't appeal to me at all. Then again, I do have the same issue with my TLB Howards and it doesn't really bother me when they are on my feet. So it is something I am willing to overlook to obtain a proper fit.


Thank you for the advice.
Rain will not work for me: the heel and instep are too big and the toebox is too narrow.

With thick socks (I want to order a boot), I can/should size up to 9 UK on the Forest last.
I imagine that this will be similar for the Oscar last, but will not apply to Soller. What would provide me with the most toe space: Oscar in 9 UK or Soller in 8.5 UK?

I have read somewhere on this forum that Oscar provides a bit more big toe room than Soller, whereas Soller provides more room for the pinky toe. This is something that definitely biases me towards Oscar but I would gladly hear your opinion on this.

Thank you for your advice.

I have only tried Oscar and Soller in same size so can't speak directly to the comparison, but the way the two lasts fit me is similar enough that I think Oscar in half size larger will certainly be roomier overall. YMMV of course

 

[PizzaSliceFeet]

Great, thank you! I will go for Oscar 9 UK.

 

[BurgundyOxfords]

Great, thank you! I will go for Oscar 9 UK.

I have that same issue. My toes make up the widest part of my foot. Also I have low instep borrow waist of foot. 🦶 <- this is how my foot looks like an emoji

I wonder if llubi is better for me than Oscar due to ? tighter lacing ?

Please post your experience once Oscar arrives.

 

[starlight54]

Hi folks,

Looking for some hints on the Forest last please. I've narrowed down to a 7 or a 7.5 UK size. Both would be a reasonable good fit around the ball of my foot. For the width, I think EEE would be ~4mm wider than the default?

My concern with the 7 is I'll only have ~17mm clearance to the end inside the toe cap. Could anyone advise how much clearance they have, does 17mm seem pretty tight?

Thanks

 

[Jdawbs]

I want to know if I'm a fool for looking at a UK8 Carmina Uetam on sale.

I'm struggling to make sense of my shoe size ordering online and some of the brands I have tried on are too niche for last sizing threads. There aren't brannock devices in my bit of the world but my foot sole length is around 28cm.

I wear:

Tricker's W2298 (James Loafer): says UK7.5 but seller says was supposed to be UK8.5. Fits okay width wise, but the tiniest bit too short.

Magnanni Deerskin Oxfords US 9.5: Took forever to break in, fits like a glove at first but fatigue throughout day.

Stemar Chelsea Boot EU7.5, US 8.5: Tight in the toebox but no heel slip.

Nike Cortez US9.5: Fits well, would love a pinch more toebox room, but wonder if this is as good as it gets.

Adidas Gazelle US10: Ever so slightly large

Things that I've tried:

Loake Chelsea (non 1880) UK9: too large

Clark's Desert Boot US9.5: Too Large

Sid Mashburn (Spain) Chukka US 9.5: Painful heel slippage (large), tight toebox.

Sutor Mantellassi Loafer UK8: Too small

Church's Chukka bookbinder (Ryder?) UK8.5: Too Large

Dunhill Penny Loafer (Italy) UK8: Too small

Mr P Lucien Suede Derby UK8.5, EU42.5: Too Large Again!

Bally Scavone Chelsea UK7.5 EU 41.5: Perfect, too expensive

Can anyone weigh in on what kind of size I should be looking at?

I'm also wondering if I'm really UK 7.5 in Tricker's, or UK8.

 

[sabmoll]

Hi everyone!

also wanted to use this perfect example of swarm intelligence to see whether Carmina might have something for me.

On a brannock device, I'm a 10 B.

My feet are "spade"-shaped, at least according to Moulded Shoes, selling the Alden Modified Last - I need space in the toe area, room above the toes (esp. the big toe), have a low instep, and narrow heel.

Here in Europa, I'm pretty much screwed as most brands only offer D-E widths and recommend going down in size to account for it. However, this often puts additional pressure on my toes and doesn't work.

While working in the US, I got an AE Park Avenue in 10.5 C and this is the best fitting dress shoe I've found RTW so far.

Sooo, anyone here got any idea whether Carmina have a last that might work for me?

Thank you!

 

[ryanohare]

If I'm a 11UK in Meermin's loafers, am I the same in Forest?
About to buy first pair of Forest's and looking for a comparison. Thanks all!

 

[Pascal1980]

Hello everybody,

also a maybe helpful advice of mine how I tackeled the challenge of sizing my feet.

I went to my cobbler/shoemaker that repairs and modifies all my shoes. He measured my feet professionally as if he would prepare a last for a bespoke shoe. With these measurements and the footprint of my feet I send these as pictures attached to emails to VASS and Carmina, as well as Crockett & Jones. The customer service was very helpful and told me that I am with the length of my feet of 26cm left and 26.5cm right between a UK 7.5 and UK 8. However, as my feet are slim with a with of only 10cm and a girth of 24,5cm, I am a UK 7 or UK 7.5 in more chiseled lasts and a UK 7 in rounder, more volumenous lasts. For Crocket / Jones and Heinrich-Dinkelacker that works very well. I try my luck next on the Rain last in UK 7.5, as a UK 7 felt very snug, and VASS in a UK 7 on their F last und UK 7.5 on the U last. In the EU measurement I am usually an EU 41 / 41.5, which is between a UK 7 to UK 7.5.

Hence buy a Brannock device from Amazon, and send it back after you have taken your measurements and converted them into UK and EU sizing, or get a cheap foot length measuring device, or ask your cobbler/shoemaker to measure your feet professionally.

Best regards

Pascal

 

[goodfoot]

Hello all. I am trying to find out what size I would be in the Detroit last before I order the long wing in shell cordovan. I wear 10.5C in Alden PTB shell (Barrie last) and it fits amazingly. I wear 11D in AE65 and 511 lasts and those work fine, though not as good. I have a narrow foot with higher instep.

I doubt the detroit is for the slender footed. However, you might start by trying a Carmina size 10E (Carmina narrow), if available.

I’ve been a US15D in numerous 65, 511 and other AE lasts. One half size up in the 65 would be ideal, but half sizes don’t exist in extended sizes. But, I’m pretty much always a “D” width in anything that is also long enough. I also have one pair of US16C 511s that work fine, notwithstanding the slight excess in length.

I also have a pair of longwing shell detroits (like you described) in UK14 “EE” (Carmina medium). The length is great. They are definitely wider than any of my AEs from heel to ball, but the toe width is similar to my US15D 511s. The heel is a bit slippy in thinner socks but, more pertinent to your question, they are enough wider that I don’t believe they’d work for someone with narrower feet. That is unless the “E” width works for you—and the detroit seems to provide a higher instep.

Whatever the case, good luck.

Cheers!

 

[BB_Adept]

I own a pair of forest loafers in size 9, lengthwise they are quite right. If anything it is a little tight around the side foot, but given the fact that there are no laces to adjust anything, I do not mind. With thicker socks they are too narrow though, but I also wear them bare footed. They are in shell cordovan.
I am thinking about ordering a pair of boots for the winter maybe these Balmorals

BALMORAL KLEID BOOTS 80092 FOREST

BALMORAL BOOTS AUS BRAUN WILDLEDER UND BRAUN MUSEUM...

www.carminashoemaker.com

Or a boot made on the Oscar last:

CHELSEA BOOTS 667 OSCAR

KENIA WAXY COMMANDER CHELSESA STIEFEL...

www.carminashoemaker.com

I am not sure if size 9 forest will be enough for boots, but size 9.5 might be a bit too large.
Only other shoes I currently own are Dinkelacker Brogues in size 9 and 9.5, both work. I think both are on the Buda last, also cordovan.

Any suggestions? Is Oscar wider around the middle foot?

 

[BB_Adept]

I just received a pair of beautiful Soller boots in Elbamat leather. These are a UK size 9. The left boot is "like a glove", but the right one is, at least out of the box, a bit tight around the instep and not quite wide enough around the middle. This is whilst wearing medium-thin socks. I own one pair of Carmina loafers in Shell Cordovan, Forest Size 9. These have the same issue, right foot is a bit too tight around the instep, left one pretty much perfect. Im not sure whether i should keep them. I did enjoy the hell out of my loafers and some days i walked around 10k steps and more without issues. I'm afraid if i size up they will be too long, but the width would be better, especially when wearing thicker socks.
Any advice on how much the leather will adapt? Or should i just go for Forest Boots in size 9,5? The loafers did not expand much, but in my experience cordovan leather rarely does. Also, they cannot be laced, so i was opting for a tighter fit to begin with.