Thanks for this. Tried using VPN but it didn’t work. I Guess I just have to swallow the upcharge
Then you might as well buy it from their store at Capitol?
At least you get serviced by them and get to try on the pair in person!
Thanks for this. Tried using VPN but it didn’t work. I Guess I just have to swallow the upcharge
looks rike China workers making the shoes....nowadays ish made in Italy but by China ?
How was the pricing in the Florence shop? I visited Rubinacci in Naples and prices were cheaper online than in the shop..
Did you have the same experience?
Thanks for this. Tried using VPN but it didn’t work. I Guess I just have to swallow the upcharge
You can look at Lof & Tung or Carlos Santos from SkoakB.
TheQuarters actually bringing in Carlos Santos at around S$400
Hi guys I am in the market for a pair of goodyear welted Cap Toe Oxfords. For a budget of $3-400, what are some of the brands that I can consider? Prefer to buy from an actual shop instead of ordering online. The other day I went to take a look at shoes by Jalan Sriwijaya, looks good just that I think they are made in Indonesia.
Hi guys I am in the market for a pair of goodyear welted Cap Toe Oxfords. For a budget of $3-400, what are some of the brands that I can consider? Prefer to buy from an actual shop instead of ordering online. The other day I went to take a look at shoes by Jalan Sriwijaya, looks good just that I think they are made in Indonesia.
What kind of brown for office wear in cbd? Tan brown or dark brown?
Looking to proof with grey and navy blue pants
No tan please. Burgundy or dark brown for something understated but elegant.What kind of brown for office wear in cbd? Tan brown or dark brown?
Looking to proof with grey and navy blue pants
Show of hands?
@ Thundermarch, how about a review on your great looking Centurion II in pigskin? Would love to read it.
Well, if you're specifically asking about the leather and how it wears, I haven't worn my pair yet. It's still just kind of.... on display at home.
However, I think the pig leather is less stiff than I thought it would be tbh. It should break in easily after 3-4 wears in my estimation.
Is there anything else specific you would like to know about this pair?
Yes, specifically how is it compared to calf skin in terms of durability and wear? Is it more porous than calfskin? General perception seems to be that pigskin is inferior to calfskin. How do one take care of it? Using same shoe care products as calfskin? I was kinda of reluctant to pay an up charge for an inferior leather. But your instagram pic looks so good... so I still pulled the trigger.
Sorry so many questions
Well, what is "inferior", really? Are you just referring to tensile strength?
If so, for a hide of equal / comparable thickness, kangaroo and camel are of superior tensile strength and will likely outlast calf in terms of durability. So, does it make sense to only use these for shoes? Over time, calfskin has evolved to be the dominant leather used for dress shoes not just because of it's durability, but also because of it's uniformity (somewhat), and it's grain appearance and tightness.
Please don't get me wrong, I'm not being sarcastic, I'm just offering a perspective.
Porosus croc has an immense upcharge, but is it superior to calf in terms of performance? It might not be.
Quite a lot goes into the pricing of leather I think. How easily the raw hides are available. Are there tanneries capable of working these hides? How much does it cost the tannery to tan these hides? Are the processes more expensive or difficult? How much of the hide can be used to make a pair of shoes?
Unfortunately, I'm sorry, but I don't really know much about pig leather in terms of long term durability or performance, simply because I haven't worn the shoes. But I know this. The hide yield is extremely low, that's one. And mostly only one pair of shoes can be cut from one hide. Yes, ONE. An average calf skin of 20sq feet can usually give Antonio at least 3-4 pretty good cuts. Most other makers cut more than 10 pairs by making use of marginal cuts. Sad but true. They need to survive as well. I'm not trying to overly advertise Antonio, but I've seen how he chooses his cuts, it's really sick because he discards so much leather that is deemed unfit for him to use. He has so much scrap calf that you notice ALL his sock liners are made from upper material, not cheap lining.
Secondly, I think that we are fortunate enough that we live a lifestyle that is very shoe friendly. We put them on, go to work, go to lunch, and then go back to work, and go home. I don't expect you'll run a marathon in them. So the uppers will never really be pushed to the limit. Long before there is upper failure, calf or pig, other limitations will be exposed. Provided you care for them decently. On that point, I'd probably care for them much the same way as calf.
Truth be told, Antonio also doesn't know very much about pig leather's long term performance, as he (like many others) use mostly calf. In fact, when I told him I was considering a pin grain VS pig, he advised me to choose the pin grain. But I guess we can never rationalize consumer behavior. I chose pig simply because it has a unique texture completely different from any other pair of shoes I own. And I decided to swallow the upcharge. It might not be a logical choice and pig might indeed not be as durable as calf. But honestly, we won't know till we've worn both for 10 years or so.
In terms of porosity, I honestly don't think your feet are going to tell the difference. But, so long as the finish on the leather (pig or otherwise) is not occlusive, ie not corrected grain. The leather is going to be reasonably porous.