Yearn Shoemaker / SlimShoes / Arterton London: review of a sponsored pair (Part II)

 DISCLAIMER

No blogger makes this as explicit as @shirtingfantasy: the review pair is received freely from Arterton London via brand owner William (@prof.contingency). Apart from the free pair, @shirtingfantasy did not receive any remuneration, either in cash or in kind, for writing and publishing this review. The content and opinion expressed in this review is @shirtingfantasy's own, and not subject to prior vetting or approval by William, his brand, or his PR team. 

Yearn single monk after five days of wear. Photo taken in a very light drizzle.  

After five consecutive days of wear, @shirtingfantasy can conclude that the Yearn pair received is a very nice pair.

First, the size is a very standard UK 7.5. @shirtingfantasy wears Edward Green (last 202, 606) 7.5E and Antonio Meccariello (last chisel 2, Aurum round chisel) 7.5E, and this pair of Yearn fits his Asian feet without particular tightness over the toes, instep, or heels (there was no heel slip as well). It is true that the fit over the vamp / instep area could have been better - considering the multiple horizontal creases - but for a ready-to-wear pair, @shirtingfantasy is rather satisfied. 

As for the leather quality, this review pairs made from very good areas from the hide. The Bonaudo crust leather is fine, smooth, and allows the rather nuanced patina to really shine through. A quick shine with Avel / Berluti wax allowed the depth of colour to really show. The creasing is extremely fine on the lake area , fine on the other areas, and somewhat coarser on the straps. It shows that the leather clicking, despite the variation in leather quality, is definitely well-considered. 

The pair was worn consecutively from Monday to Friday (28 Mar to 1 Apr). The total number of steps walked was 45,555.

While @shirtingfantasy does not have an authority status on patina appreciation as some bloggers, the very smooth gradient on his pair does suggest an application technique such as spraying or airbrush. William of Arterton disagrees, and argued that it would have been too costly for the factory. @shirtingfantasy would suggest looking at Yearn's "museum patina" pairs for some clues.

What brush can produce circular spots with feathering? (source: https://yearnshoemaker.com/collections/oxfords)

Upon request, William provided some videos of Yearn hand-sewing their soles. The interested reader may like to appreciate the handwork involved in each pair of Yearn shoes. 

Given the quality of this pair, @shirtingfantasy believes that Yearn can favourably compete with brands such as Carmina, TLB, or even Crockett & Jones at a similar price range. While there is a lack of "blind waist" (hiding of waist stitches, by whatever means), shaped heels, or exotic sole finishing, the solid construction and neat stitching - at least on this pair - point to good attention to detail and quality control. If every pair of Yearn / SlimShoes can have leather quality as good as the reviewed pair, @shirtingfantasy would have no hesistation in recommending them as the best-buy at this price range. 

Towards the end of this two-part sharing, @shirtingfantasy would like to share with International readers some domestic intelligence gathered from the Mainland:

1. Some shoe enthusiasts consider SlimShoes / Yearn having excessively long / aggressive lasts. However, do note that last shape is highly subjective and @shirtingfantasy thinks that the pair he received is about right, balancing sharpness and traditional elegance. 

SlimShoes whole cut oxford - a lovely, balanced last.
Source: StyleForum Distinguished Member "bernoulli" 

2. Leather quality can be variable. 

SlimShoes whole cut Oxford - a not-so-nice creasing pair. 
Source: StyleForum Distinguished Member "bernoulli" 

If William can ensure Arterton customers all get the prime cuts (sounds like a possibility), I am sure all sound-minded shoe buyers would purchase through him. William, do you think you can do it? 😜

FINALLY... an announcement

This "barely worn" pair of Yearn shoes would be up for charity sale per @shirtingfantasy's usual method, i.e. an interested local reader may approach @shirtingfantasy so a charity* and donation amount can be mutually agreed, then the reader would make the donation under his / her own name to the charity and obtain an official receipt, and the pair would be dispatched via local courier (SF Express) to the generous reader upon verification of the receipt by @shirtingfantasy.

* The charity may be selected from the official database maintained by the IRD

Until then, goodbye!

Yearn Shoemaker (domestically: SlimShoes)

https://yearnshoemaker.com

https://arterton.co.uk/collections/yearn-shoemaker-hand-welted-footwear (retailer)

Minimum order: 1 pair

Price range: 

RTW - from around USD 399 (Yearn) / GBP 320 (via Arterton)

MTO - surcharge of USD 50 ("standard leather sole and 8 stitches per inch for outsole stitching")

"Premium MTO" - USD 1000 and up ("beveled or fiddleback waist with 12spi outsole stitching, real leather for toe and heel stiffeners and comes with last beechwood shoe trees")

Handmade options: "hand-lasted, handwelted, and fully hand-sewn outsole" for RTW, MTO and Premium MTO