When I introduced my girlfriend to goodyear welted shoes, the only ones available were Loake, which is mostly a last for men but scaled down. Then we visited the Carmina store in Barcelona and was overwhelmed by the many different women shoes they had to choose from, with specific lasts for women. She bought the derbies you show in the video, but in tan. She loved them so much that we traveled to Barcelona again and she bought the double monks. They've held up very well, and we just got the derbies resoled now after a couple years. Hope we'll see more Goodyear welted women shoes in the future, Carmina is way ahead but Crockett and Jones do have their fair share as well. Thank you Kirby for this video and putting women's quality shoes on the map! Best regards, Jesper
Thank you, Kirby! Finally! Quality in womens shoes! I buy waaaay too many shoes for my wife and daughter and always am disappointed with the poor quality that goes along with high prices. I have purchased Carmina shoes for myself and brother-in-law and have to agree that the quality and craftsmanship is exceptional for the price. Your good friend Hugo once said something like “style is timeless, it is the (high) fashion that is ugly” as high fashion changes every year or season, but quality and style endure. Would love to see that shift in women’s footwear and very pleased to see you leading that cutting edge yet again. Bravo to you, Kirby and BRAVO to your company with its high quality goods and super fast shipping. Expand in quality goods for women and let them see what you have been teaching us men to enjoy!
this was so interesting and educational. I'll watch this again later this afternoon with my wife watching too. Thanks Kirby for the attention given to these women's shoes.
Absolutely luv them Kirby. O luv wearing mine. O started buying mine in the 70's. Bi use Saphir products to clean and shine mine. I am currently in luv with my Spectators, and wearing them regularly. Luv how u do ur Presentations with so much class. Those Red ones r just so Bomb, but I luv all of them. I thank u for ur Appreciation of the Art of Shoemaking and ur Professionalism during ur Presentations, got to luv it!
thank you for your video on Carmina's women's shoes. It is difficult to find good information online on their shoes, specifically which last is most suitable for different toe box and arch needs. As a consumer absolutely willing to pay for Carmina quality, I need to make sure that I am ordering the right shoe, as I live halfway around the world.
Thank you for this. I bought my first pair of women’s derbys at the Carmina midtown store a while ago and love them. Almost immediately ordered a black woven pair (very elegant!) from the website which arrived in less than a week. Carminas are beautifully made, fit like a glove, and very walkable. Wish I’d known about them years ago. I think they make my Angela Scotts look clunky.
I have several pairs of angela scotts too and love them however quickly felt the difference when I got my first pairs of magnannis, so I know exactly what you mean
Thank you! I now have a pair of Carmina in my basket--in my size which is unusual enough--AND am also fortunate enough to be within 45 miles of a satellite store in the US...which is surprising, since there are only 5 across the country. I'm a happy girl!
I've recently discovered your channel and Carmina and I have been absolutely elated to find quality Goodyear welted women's shoes. I've just ordered a custom pair of green cordovan derbies from Carmina and I could not be more excited. There really is a dearth of quality in womenswear that I think is very unfortunate, and your channel has been very helpful in discovering the different markers of quality that I can look out for in clothing in general, including in womens' wear. The next thing on the list is a bespoke woman's suit (yes we want them too!) and can't wait to expand my collection of Carminas, replacing my old, falling-apart poor quality footwear with beautiful shoes that I can keep for a decade or more. I'd love to see more videos on womens' wear from you, perhaps a comparison of Hermes scarves and whether the cost is worth the quality? Thank you!
@@ellefont3813 That's good to hear! I've browsed their site a lot but they don't list the kind of leather or soles they use and seem more on the fashion side rather than the traditional side, but I've been eyeing a pair of their tricolor wingtip brogues for a while. Exciting to hear they're also making quality shoes!
@@kirbyallison I had some custom green cordovan derbies made, and recently picked up a pair of burgundy horsebit loafers on their winter sale as well. They are stunning! I'm thrilled with how comfortable they are, and impressed that they don't squeeze my toes but still look feminine and elegant. Gorgeous! I've tried to do a mirror shine on them with the neutral Saphir mirror gloss, though I'm finding I'm getting a bit of wax stuck in the medallion -- if I use a brush to try to remove it, the mirror shine is of course dulled. Maybe in one of your Q&A videos you might give us some tips to avoid this? Thanks so much for all you do!
Thank you! I've been quite interested in Carmina since your earlier video. I plan to visit Carmina in New York for a proper fitting when it is practical to do so. Their MTO women's shoes look beautiful, but I don't know which last to order.
Great video Kirby! And here I thought Cordovan was a color. Didn't know it was the actual leather name. So all of Carmina's mens and women shoes and boots are Goodyear welted?
Thank you for this review. I’ve been thinking about purchasing a pair of their high heels but I cannot find any reviews on these shoes. I as a female view would love to see more reviews on some of the brands that you review but on their women’s shoes or suits. Thank you again.
I have been looking for goodyear-welted women’s shoes for some time and Carmina seem to be the only company making and selling really good-looking GW shoes for women. Grenson had a lovely shoe called Martha, but apparently they’re no longer producing it. I’m really frustrated that there isn’t much choice in quality shoes for women. I’m looking forward to buying the red Derbys soon! I also have my eye on a pair of tan and white heeled Derbys that Carmina make.
Blake stitch is actually easier to resole as I understand it, as long as they have a blake stitch machine (the majority of shoe repair locations have one)
"The sex... is in the heel Charlie boy!" (kinky Boots film reference, great film). The only problem with those is no heel. Carmina does do a few with a small heel, I bought some for my wife.
To you and those who commented, where is your female counterpart on youtube as far as quality clothing. I did a search for bespoke for women but didn't find much. I am sick of cheaply made women clothes. When I started my career in the 80s, even the pieces of ready made that I could afford, pants were lined. Rena Rowen, Eddie Bauer, Ralph Lauren, Austin Reed Saville Row..those brands are gone or quality is not the same. I wouldn't mind paying a little more, if the clothes would last through a washing or two. Granted, if you're thin, you may have more choice of quality, but please, just a little choice for those that are not size 2. Thanks.
@@Martina_E Thanks. Had to look up pink tax. You're right. I remember back years ago, I was told that dry cleaners charged more to clean a woman's Oxford shirt than they would charge for a man's Oxford shirt. I was told however that men's clothes were better made, i.e., made to last, so cleaners didn't make money off men's clothes. Don't know if that is true but I do know that men's shirts at Goodwill look practically new while women's are mostly clearly well worn.
