Normally I would only buy proper shoes, that are made in England, USA, France and possibly Germany. I would of course also consider - some - Italian makers, but they tend to be way to elegant, sleek, refined and not rugged enough for my liking.
Lately however I've been looking into, what some Spanish makers are doing, and I've been quite amazed by Meermin of Mallorca. There is also a good maker in Camina, but they're not quite my style either.
Meermin makes very affordable and quite well-made shoes, as far as I've heard from reliable sources. I mean, a price tag of 160 euros isn't much for a pair of goodyear welted shoes and it doesn't end there. For instance they use suede from Stead in England, leather from D'Annonay and Du Puy in France and Weinheimer in Germany/Poland (which are famous for their scotch grain/zug grain leathers). Those are all very good tanneries. Other than that it's also possible to get a lot of customisation, which is always very nice.
I would probably try my luck with a pair of their double monk straps in shell cordovan fitted with a rubber Dainite-like sole, but their longwings and loafers are also looking very tasty - in shell cordovan of course. Once I find the sufficient funds, I'll definitely go for a pair of Meermins.
Pictures are lifted from Simply Refined
They even have some nice offerings for women, which is quite rare when it comes to good shoemakers. For some unknown reason shoes for women are always very poorly made, but there are luckily some makers, like Meermin, that makes good shoes for women.
Hello Simon,
ReplyDeleteI actually stumbled upon this brand on another blog, but I didn't like the shoe, so I just kept scrolling.. But.. When I saw your post, I decided to read it and visit their webstore, and I must say it actually looks very good. The reason why Meermin is capable of keeping the pricepoint low, is because half of the production takes place in China, and the other part in Spain. When Albaladejo founded the brand he actually travelled to China to train the people at the factory in order to hand-last and hand-welt every shoe.
If you don't know this blog already, I think it would be worth a visit for you:
http://www.theshoesnobblog.com/2012/11/meermin-mallorca-review-appreciation.html
Lasse
Hi Lasse, thank you very much for commenting.
ReplyDeleteI read about the China connection in the comment section in Simply Refined, but I don't know if it's true or not. It could very easily be true, but I didn't find any official sources for it and I didn't bother contact Meermin to verify it (yes, horrible journalism). I think it puts things in a different perspective, at least for me, if they're basically made in China and "finished" in Spain, but until it's been totally verfified, I'll still be considering a pair of Meermins.
I heard the same thing about some parts of Loake's production - that some of it is actually made in Pakistan or India, and then finished in England. But again I don't know, if any of it is true.
//Simon
I also read about the China connection. The feedback I read in a forum was not that encouraging. Most users are happy with their products because of the price tag, but some experience problems with fx. the shell cordovan and a squeaking heel. The customer service seems to be outstanding, though.
ReplyDeleteStill, given the fact that Meermin tells us a wonderful story about the construction method and the used leather, I wonder why the production process and facilities are no part of that story. Also, with 160 € for a pair of Goodyear welted shoes, I wonder what share their workers get. For British companies, it costs a lot to invest in the education of their workers that is why goodyear is so expensive compared to a glued sole.
Hi Potter, thanks for chipping in. I guess it comes down to, how much are you willing to pay for your beliefs? I mean, I look for the country of origin before purchasing most goods - or at least I try to.
ReplyDeleteSo if they're made in China, that goes against my beliefs, and hence I'm more interested in paying a bit more for a pair of English made double monks or probably French made, as I'm really into the one made by Paraboot.
I just figured that I should feature them, as they're obviously of a good quality and that price is insane. Great value for money.