BRUCE

Excellent Product, Some shortfalls in Communication

Love the looks of my shoe. The leather is prefect, the dye, with subtle shades gives it almost a 3D feel. The "breaking" of the shoe was painless & relatively fast, compared to my other shoes in this price range. Liked the idea of choosing each element but the actual process of selecting the elements -- which were many -- was slightly cumbersome. Suggestion -- pre-create a few combinations and then allow changes to them if desired. Some quibbles. 1. Fitting: There was no "fitting" involved. When ordering, I gave them a "rough idea" of my shoe size, and expected to fine tune it with a trial, but there was no communication after that, until I checked the status to be told that shoe was shipping next day. This was my first purchase with TLMallorca, so I expected some interaction to get the fit right (for the customized shoe) before they made the final version. Others have sent me trial pairs to get the fit right before shipping the shoes (example Bridlen, they sent two). As a result, the shoe is a bit too snug, and I will have to wait for a few weeks use before it loosens. 2. Price: Got the shoe at 15% discount during sale. Even with that, it was about $100 US more, than my other recent non-discounted purchase (Bridlen) which came with much more interaction/customization and trials to get the fit right first time. The shoe trees are also overpriced. 3. Extras: My other shoes came with free extras such as an extra pair or flat laces (in addition to the round already on the shoe). Metal toe-cap, for which TBM charges about $30 extra. A very well made wooden shoehorn. Having said that, I love the shoe and will be on a lookout for future buying opportunities.