The Styleforum x Archibald Sneaker GMTO

[flx]

DHL in the US is horrible, they have literally no options for delivery other than, leave the package at your back door, or wait at home for who knows when we’ll show up. No wonder UPS & FedEx kick their asses, they suck....real bad. Hell, even the USPS, with all of their failings, offer more delivery options.

I can imagine. If I remember correctly DHL in the US was bought by the german post to get a foothold in the the american market but is still run separately. In europe it's run 100% by the german post which most of the time is pretty efficient.

 

[archipel]

Thank you Rohan and the team for the message. I haven't had a chance to look at mine yet so I can't form my own opinion about the possible gap for now. I think the shoes look great (based on the pictures) apart from that. I do think that doing a test run with HW-01 for a few knowledgable SF'ers is a good thing going forward. I have ordered the HW-01 as well and looking forward to it.

 

[epc2]

Just got mine , sizing was spot on very similar to the Epaulet trainers.

Mine are white Kangaroos, have the tongue issue and excessive creases, IMHO it looks like the leather wasn’t stretched enough while on the last.

I think I might get a suede one later if they fix all these issues.

 

[shue1726]

Still no sign of any DHL email nor my sneakers....

 

[California Dreamer]

I am yet to receive any notification that my order has been dispatched. Have all of them been sent out now? I'm in Australia; can you confirm which carrier you are using, in case it went through to spam?

 

[EgoCamisas]

I am yet to receive any notification that my order has been dispatched. Have all of them been sent out now? I'm in Australia; can you confirm which carrier you are using, in case it went through to spam?

DHL didn't send me a notification either (even if they in most cases do). I sent an email to customer service and they promptly sent me the tracking number.

 

[archipel]

Just got mine , sizing was spot on very similar to the Epaulet trainers.

Mine are white Kangaroos, have the tongue issue and excessive creases, IMHO it looks like the leather wasn’t stretched enough while on the last.

I think I might get a suede one later if they fix all these issues.

To be fair, this sneaker looks pretty bad, especially the creasing. Maybe less if it's on your feet?

 

[ThePetros]

I, for one, think the information shared by Archibald is downright admirable. The shoes are a success and in light of the issues raise, it is fair and downright sensible to include those effected by these flaws in the beta testing of future iterations. I would be pleased to join in and am very glad that they have been so considerate and forthright to all those who participated in this iteration.

 

[Chronic_Zero]

I have received my two pair of trainers last week and I'm pretty happy with them. The fit is snug but feels like they can break in nicely over time. I have a pair in grey kangaroo and one in black calf. Both have the "gap" issue in the tongue stitching but not visibly noticeable fortunately.

What worries me is the stitching under the insole (see photos). The end seems to be tied and left loose in all, but in one particularly also other bits appear to be coming apart (for lack of a better term, see top of first photo). I noticed that after half a day of use the thread in the first photo is deteriorating, probably due to attrition. Is it common for high end trainers to leave the thread loose like that?

 

[Rewiag]

That was a well written albeit verbose post, one which presents an explanation for the mistakes, but ultimately offers no solution.

I was thinking about this too, and thought that a potential solution could be if we do the anticato part ourselves. The leather is hand painted to begin with, which is something we could do too (unless it is fully sealed off after, please confirm). @ArchibaldLondon @ArchibaldRoh , do you think an "anticato upgrade kit" could be a sensible option for the colors which ended up being way off the original pictures? This could include a quality dye in the exact color that should be used to best match the picture (what could be tested by the you, other SF members or the craftsmen).

 

[epc2]

To be fair, this sneaker looks pretty bad, especially the creasing. Maybe less if it's on your feet?

Yeah creasing is pretty bad on both shoes unfortunately.

 

[Potatoe]

I have a pair in the next round and I have to say that I'm very excited. The pictures really look fantastic and I may go in on a second pair.

The complaints look valid but I think for the most part people are bringing them up because they are invested in the process, not because they are unhappy and want a refund. That is a big difference.

Given I paid 210CDN for these I would have to have some fairly major flaws to actually be unhappy to the point where I would return them.

I know the goal was to have "the best shoe regardless of price", that was probably unrealistic given companies like CP have had years to perfect things. That said, perhaps the next run will meet that bar.

Aslo just wondering if there is time to switch orders on the next run. I ordered white on white but I think the Kangaroo look amazing. I also love all of the suede but that would be the potential second pair.

 

[bry2000]

The complaints look valid but I think for the most part people are bringing them up because they are invested in the process, not because they are unhappy and want a refund. That is a big difference.

What makes you say this? Sounds as if quite a few people are unhappy.

I also don’t know what it means to be invested in the process. People ordered footwear presumably to wear, not to take part in a science experiment.

 

[Potatoe]

What makes you say this? Sounds as if quite a few people are unhappy.

I also don’t know what it means to be invested in the process. People ordered footwear presumably to wear, not to take part in a science experiment.

This was clearly not a standard group order. The goal was to take community feedback and design the best possible sneaker. Then sell it to people "at cost" I haven't seen this done before.

Most of what I see is constructive criticism. I wonder how many would take a full refund with the expectation that they would never be able to order another pair.

My guess is we will have a couple of "Karen's" looking for a discount but probably plan to wear and enjoy the shoes.

 

[Drzdave58]

It's certainly been interesting watching how all this unfolds from my standpoint being in on the second running. I really hope everyone involved will get satisfaction because I believe in what Archibald is trying to achieve.