This is my third pair of 910, yes, it’s so funny, and it’s also the second pair of Horween shell cordovan on the same model.
This pair of shoes has a great significance, that is, I have completely determined what shell cordovan is suitable for. Its application scope is really not too wide, and Alden’s choices are correct.
Let us check it out.
Last
Among Carmina’s lasts, my favorite is Forest, blunt and round. But Rain last is the most well known of Carmina lasts in my opinion. The chisel toe entered the public view with it.
The pioneer of chisel toe is Nikaulas Tuzcek, and the promoter is George Cleverley, but after all, these are all bespoke shoemakers, and very few people know them or afford them, and Carmina has brought soft chisel toe to thousands of households.
Moreover, it weakens the square chisel of Tuzcek or George Cleverley, making it suitable for suits that are not so delicate and powerful.
Pattern
Five eyelets wholecut oxford.
Craftsmanship
We look at the details of the welt. Carmina’s stitching density is very high, and it is also very close to the upper, which shows that the workers in the factory are skilled in operation and finish with high quality.
The fudge on welt has a higher density, and the welt width is narrow.
Generally speaking, as Goodyear welted shoes, Carmina can be regarded as the top level in the field of outsole stitching.
Wholecut Oxford only has a seam at heel.
Obviously, the seam is thin and crooked, but this is not the standard level of Carmina, but due to shell cordovan. The ductility of shell cordovan is much lower than cowhide, and then it is hard, which increases the difficulty of stitching.
Outsole
German Jon Rendenbach oak vegetable tanned leather sole, for a long time, JR sole is a selling point and an upgrade.
Carmina hammers five copper nails in the toe, which increases the wear resistance. There is no need to install toe plate then.
Use a small piece of rubber in the heel. Compared with a large piece, it is more refined.
Leather
This is the focus of this article.
At the beginning, I said that this pair made me understand what shoes are suitable for shell cordovan and what shoes are not suitable for. The conclusion is that shell cordovan is most suitable for loafers, followed by Derby and Derby boots, and the least suitable for Oxford.
I know that Alden puts shell cordovan in all styles, but for Oxford, we wear it to convey a word, exquisiteness. The big waves inevitably brought by shell cordovan (yes, this is exactly the thing why many people love shell cordovan) directly destroys the word.
I am extremely concerned about big creases (this is caused by the large space in the forefoot, not the poor quality of leather), and shell cordovan makes me uncomfortable.
I’m still interested in shell cordovan, but only for loafers.
Then, this is another original sin of shell cordovan. If I saw this white substance on cowhide, I knew it was salt. The tanning solution was not completely drained, and now it ran out of the leather.
Most of the time, the white substances on leather are the wax that your care products have been applied too much and have not been absorbed. ) But I’m not sure what this white granule on shell cordovan is.
Whether it is clear or not may not be so important, but how to remove it is very important. On cowhide, a pair of brushes basically solves it. If not, a little bit of cream will solve it.
I tried these two methods, and I didn’t get rid of them. Maybe it’s because I don’t keep heating the cream (high-speed circle).
Summary
Carmina’s sales volume is significant, and I have heard a certain number of quality complaints, but my personal experience is quite good. 910 is definitely Carmina’s signature, but don’t choose shell cordovan!