A few years ago at a Drake’s trunk show, I asked Kingsley Blum about the decline of the necktie in mainstream dress. Her response was so memorable that it’s stuck with me: She said that if neckties are on the path to dying out, Drake’s thought of themselves as being the one tie maker who would stand til the last, making the best ones that exist, supplying to whomever will still wear them.
Recently I’ve been thinking the same thoughts toward high quality leather shoe makers. Although better positioned than the necktie to survive (after all you must wear shoes in public, while a tie is superfluous decoration), leather shoe sales are generally in decline while more casual shoes are on the up. Who will survive and thrive as the casual wardrobe comes to dominate the world?
One high-end maker that seems positioned to do well even as people become more casual is Carmina. I’ve always known about them, but had never actually owned a pair until recently. Once I did, though, I couldn’t help but be delighted by not just the quality and beauty of the shoes themselves but also their approach to business in today’s market. Unlike other bench grade shoemakers in their price category, they go out of their way to make it easy to learn about and buy their shoes online, and even allow custom single-order shoe purchases.
The pair I bought were still via a wholesale account of theirs: Gentlemen’s Footwear in San Diego. Nonetheless, the Carmina website is so impressive, they just might have won me over completely. Here’s why:
First, we’re all familiar with how impactful lasts are in whether or not a shoe will work on your foot. 90% of posts on any given thread on online style fora about shoes is “How should I size in last x if last y from brand z fits me in size…?” Carmina’s affiliate thread on Styleforum is no different, but rather than having to rely on community wisdom and experience there, they have an easy tool on their website that lets you compare last shapes directly in shape, instep and toe spring. So if you find a good fit in one of their lasts, you can quickly determine for yourself fairly quickly how a different last might fit differently before buying. For me, this is invaluable because the pair I bought are outstanding, and fit true to size. But comparing it with the tool to other very popular Carmina lasts, it’s clear I would need to size up. Genius!
Second, and this is a point I wouldn’t think I’d need to say in 2021, but you can actually buy their shoes on their website. Do you admire Crockett & Jones’ tassel loafer* and want to try it for yourself—but live in the gigantic swath of America where nobody anywhere near you sells them?—have fun Googling places to order and hope they happen to stock the shoe you want I guess. It’s a crapshoot. And don’t even get me started on Alden. Carmina, however, has their entire collection of shoes available for order online, and even offers individual one-off orders. Which brings me to:
Third, their made to order customization options are wild. Not only can you choose a shoe model, what leather you want, the linings, the soles, and other details but you can choose a last for them to make it on. Delivery is approximately 6 weeks after your order. The price for MTO isn’t low—this is a luxury brand in the mid-three-figures—but neither is it crazy high compared to retail price for shoes at this level. For someone who has built up their shoe collection enough that they have no need for any additional pairs for rotation, being able to custom make a shoe to your design specs to this degree is amazing.
I’m really impressed with Carmina, in case you couldn’t tell. Most important is that the pair I have are comfortable on me, which honestly is not true of other brands I’ve owned or tried on at this price point (frankly, Beckett Simonon’s $200-level shoes are the most consistently comfortable leather dress shoes I’ve tried, alongside certain Allen Edmonds pairs I own, but these rival those and the quality is appreciably better). But besides that, the quality of make, the design, and the ease of shopping in 2021 make Carmina the shoe company I’d put my money on to thrive.
* Apparently Crockett & Jones launched online e-commerce a couple months ago. What a time to be alive!
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