Cobbler Union, an Atlanta-based company which makes Goodyear-welted shoes in Spain, recently reached out to me to see if I’d be willing to take a pair of their shoes for a spin, and post my thoughts in the form of a review. I agreed, and they sent me a pair of their split toe Norwegians in grain leather to put through their paces (see my policy on free products here).
I’ve had them a little more than a month now, which is about how long I like to wear shoes for any review before posting my thoughts. (I’ve been burned before by shoes that feel fine out of the box, but become painful with wear after the first full day.)
Happily, these have passed the most important test after multiple wears—they’re comfortable. The insole and heel cup is unique from any other shoe I’ve seen before. It’s a quilted calfskin in red, which seemed questionable to me at first, but in fact it actually adds a little bit of comfort. The little bit of texture from the quilting that you can feel under your heel is surprisingly pleasant.
Of all the shoes in their catalog, I requested the split toe’s because as I’ve written before, they have stayed more under-the-radar than brogues, balmorals, loafers or even double monks. I bought a pair in polo suede from Carmina, which I love, and I felt a pair in pebble grain would be a great addition to my closet.
Suede shoes make up the majority of my most-worn footwear, but I have a strong affinity for pebble grain in the winter as a secondary choice. Suede is the most versatile shoe material for hard-bottom dress shoes, in my experience—its matte finish looks good with jeans, but not too informal for tailored trousers either. Calf leather often looks too dressy with denim. The additional surface texture of pebble grain helps bridge that gap. But it’s a cold-weather leather only, in my mind. While suede can be worn year-round (save maybe in the slushiest, wettest, nastiest weather), pebble grain makes the most sense on sturdy shoes like boots, longwings or split toes, which is why it’s often with rubber soles.
Overall construction quality of the shoes is well within expectations for the price. They match the quality of the Carminas I have in terms of finishing, consistency of stitching and material quality. (I used to take things like even stitching for granted, then noticed extremely poor stitching reminiscent of my own use of a sewing machine on a pair of suede boots I got from a lower-priced maker, and now I don’t take it for granted anymore). The thing about pebble grain leather is that it can be stiff and inflexible because they can use cheaper, lower-quality hides since the pebble grain texture is added to the surface. But these are made from a soft, pliable, high-quality leather, and did not require some lengthy break-in period to become flexible and soft.
Fit is very personal to your own foot, but these fit me pretty well, certainly well enough to be comfortable. I might add some tongue pads to accommodate my low instep. For me, the biggest issue is usually the shape of the heel cup, which each maker tends to do consistently even across their different lasts. I’ve found that American shoe makers are the most comfortable for me on this point (whether it be Alden, Allen Edmonds or even the inexpensive, made-in-Colombia Beckett Simonon). Let’s chalk it up to being headquartered in Atlanta, because I can add Cobbler Union to that list.
The price point for Cobbler Union is in line with other quality shoemakers using Spanish factories (such as Carmina or TLB Mallorca’s Artista line)—these are priced at $450. Given the leather quality, consistency and quality of make, comfort, and attractive design, they’re worth the price. It’s worth checking out their affiliate thread on Styleforum, where you can ask them questions and get feedback on sizing (as well as see photos and thoughts from other customers).
So Cobbler Union is a recommendation from me. I’m on the hunt for a pair of suede penny loafers (the Meermins I ended up with last year have been a painful disaster), and if their Smith loafer gets made in a good suede with a leather sole, it’ll be my top contender.
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