Yet Another Year Is Behind Us
Ladies and Gentlemen welcome to the December Shoe News of 2019! Actually, for those of you reading this we are already in 2020! Did you have a good productive year? I sure hope so, so let me begin this article by wishing everyone a wonderful holiday season with love and health for you and your families.
If you read my Latest Article, you will have an idea of how my year was! Challenging but fantastic in so many ways. Let’s make 2020 an incredible year together.
Let’s get back on topic now. There was a surprisingly fine amount of news for December even though factories close and people are on vacation. Today you will get a chance to read about amazing GMTOs, shoemaking courses and a whole new trunk show among others.
So sit back, wear your coziest clothes and sit by the fireplace with some hot chocolate and enjoy!
Two Amazing GMTOs For The Noble Shoe
We are kick-starting 2020 really strong with a couple of GMTOs I am really proud about. The whole idea of The Noble Shoe is to offer something unique compared to the rest of the online shops out there.
Therefore it makes me extremely happy when clients make a special color request you do not see every day. Just like the absolutely gorgeous Wingtip in Alentejo you saw in the intro. This month I am running two special GMTOs. Let’s take a look at them!
1. The Handgrade Adelaide In Algarve Patina
Mr. Mohammad from Sweden asked me to make him a special version of the Carlos Santos Handgrade Adelaide Oxford in Wine Shadow. Specifically he wanted it in Algarve Patina which is a lighter version of the Guimaraes. I was very excited when it came in as it is a rather rare color to find.
However it was so gorgeous and interest was high enough to create a GMTO which is now live. You can find it here! We need 5 people to make this happen and already have 2! Join us and be one of the very few that has something like this!
The price is 395$ (+VAT in EU) and includes Free Worldwide Shipping!
2. The Handgrade Black Suede/Calf Balmoral Boot
After a lot of brainstorming with a friend we decided it is time to create an amazing Balmoral Boot. Looking for the model, I stumbled up the amazing 9115 by Carlos Santos. Chris, the owner of the boot gave me permission to use his amazing photos as reference.
This will be a Handgrade Balmoral with Black Goat Suede Shaft and Black Calf bottoms along with a closed channel leather sole. If you prefer it in full black calf, you can mail me or put it in your cart as a special request!
For this to happen, we also need 5 backers which is really not that much! Lead time is approximately 3 months as well and the price is 420$ (+VAT in EU) and includes Free Worldwide Shipping!
The GMTOs run until the last day of January 2020!
A New Shoegazing Trunk Show
Shoegazing’s Jesper is a really active man! Starting with a Trunk Show in Sweden which expanded in London and now we are getting a new version in Amsterdam!
The first ever edition of the show will be on Saturday March 7 2020 and currently details are scarce with an announcement expected in the following months. I look forward to it as in April we get the annual London version!
It is a good opportunity to bring together shoe lovers from different regions of Europe. I am pretty sure one day we will also get a US Super Trunk!
A New Shoemaking Course By Marcell Mrsan
For the last year I have been a part of a small Shoemaking Group on Facebook. The organizer behind this is Marcell Mrsan, a Hungarian Bespoke Shoemaker. He is quite popular among the elite and the people that know their shoes. What I really like about him is that he has honest passion for shoes and teaching people. He frequently gives advice, posts challenges and helpful videos for those that want to learn.
Not so long ago he announced a new Shoemaking School in the US, where people can enroll and learn the craft. It is very important as generally education is scarce, with the most notable Stefano Bemer in Italy and other ones such as Melker Shoes or Japanese Shoemakers. The base of the school seems to be in Lancaster, Pennsylvania.
First class begins next September with 4 semesters and a price of 5300$ for each which is quite reasonable. The Stefano Bemer courses can cost up to 8000 Euros for comparison’s sake. Help yourselves to more information in the official website. Enrollment is open to all US citizens and legal residents.
Update On Septieme Largeur’s Website
This is a small one, but I did mention a while ago that French Shoemaker Septieme Largeur decided to create a new bespoke website. I reached out once more to the owner and he told me everything is going well and should be up in March!
That’s great news and I look forward to testing their shoes!
Crockett & Jones Discontinues The Northcote In Black
Models and Styles come and go, but I heard about this today and it seemed to be a big deal for some people. Therefore I thought I would mention it at least.
The Northcote is a Storm Welted dressy boot by Crockett & Jones and comes in Black and Dark Brown. For reasons only they know the black version stands as discontinued now.
It does state however that you can make a special order if you really want it in this color. Quite honestly, it looks very similar to the CS Jumper Boot I have with a different toe shape.
Careful Of Scammers
This is possibly one of the most serious ones on this article. Last time, we talked about a shady dealer exploiting margins and people. Being a part of various shoe forums, I came across a debate about why Asian Shoemakers do not receive the same praise and prestige as Europeans.
Now, there are some incredible shoemakers coming out of Asia, such as CNES, Fugashin and of course Yeossal. Meermin makes their shoes in China, while a lot of the base Loake Shoes come from India.
However, in many occasions people from those regions will use pictures of famous shoemakers, brand them as their own and sell them as “Handmade Shoes” on shady websites. My friend Mbshoedoc has been the victim of such blatant plagiarism where people just steal his photos.
My advice is twofold. First of all ONLY buy from reputable retailers. Secondly, if you are a creator make sure to at least watermark your photos with some kind of logo.
Be careful!
Indian Leather Exports Dive
Speaking of India, it is the 2nd largest producer of shoes in the world with 2.579 million pairs (source). That is astounding but not hard to understand with a population of 1.334 million people.
However compared to last year the exports during the last fiscal year (April – August) showed a decline of 5.09%. It might not sound like much, but it is a difference of over 100 million US dollars.
This follows a previous report that showed declining exports of leather from India and I am curious to see how this develops over time.
Shoe News December 2019 – Short & Concise
I keep having the feeling I forgot something, but I will get back to it if I have to. I mean, there is Pitti Uomo coming up in a couple of weeks and I also got a cat. There are a few new releases here and there and general blabbering about shell cordovan and sole price hikes. However nothing concrete enough for me to mention.
So I think that will be all for the December 2019 Shoe News! Thank you everyone for tuning in and I will be back next week with more exciting articles! The plan is to weave in some really large guides that I enjoy writing in-between the shoe reviews and outfits.
In the meantime, let’s all enjoy the festivities and wish you a Happy New Year with health and love.
Thank you for reading,
Kostas Mandilaris,
Misiu Academy
The Black Northcote was my first pair of C&J, it’s a great pair of boots and it is indeed a pity they discontinue it.
As far as I’m aware the Meermin’s are made in China, and not in India, right? (at least the two pairs I own are crafted in Shanghai).
Best wishes for the new year!
Hi Harris!
Actually, you can still order the Northcote in black through their special order system, but overall it is discontinued yes.
You are totally right about the Meermin, they are made in China! I mixed up the sentence with Loake and now amended it. Thanks!