Ooops, I probably should have explained my first impression of these shoes for anyone who is interested in buying from M. Gemi. I guess I was too excited because I really LOVE them.
I am not really a shoe person so my knowledge of shoes is pretty limited. I have 3 pairs of Everlane shoes (modern loafers, the modern point, and the oxfords), 2 pairs of
Gucci shoes (a pair of flats and low heels) and now these shoes. I do have other shoes that I rotate with with these, but they're not mid-range or high-end at all, so I won't mention them.
I'd have to say that the overall quality for the M. Gemis are better than the Everlane shoes I have. The leather uppers, the heel and soles, and just overall construction are better on the M. Gemis. Also, my Stellato shoes felt immediately comfortable when wearing them, unlike the Everlane equivalent, the Modern Flat. The Modern Flat hurt my feet for about a week and a half whereas the M. Gemi Stellatos have felt fine the moment I took them out of the box and put them on my feet (I'm actually wearing them to work right now as we speak!). Maybe the Stellatos will hurt after a few days, but I wore them the entire afternoon yesterday and I felt great in them!
Like the Everlane shoes, I did have to go up a half size, but I think if you have narrow feet, you can get away with wearing your "true" size. I went to their Fit Shop at the Boston Providence Mall, so if you're in the area, I would recommend stopping there to see what your actual size is. I could get away with my true size at 38.5, but I didn't want to spend forever breaking them in, so I stuck with the 39s instead.
With that said, the M. Gemi's are a little more expensive than Everlane ($225 vs $155), but I the extra cost is worth it. It's still much cheaper getting a pair of M. Gemi shoes vs some of the other popular name brands out there. These shoes will certainly not be my last pair.
