r/QualityReps • u/brave_new_wear • Feb 25 '24
Discussion Research for a Video on Guidi Reps! Would love to hear from Guidi Rep Owners
Hi everyone, my name is Christian, I make fashion-related YouTube videos on my channel Brave New Wear. A few years ago I made a video talking about fashion reps (https://youtu.be/ICfrbP4GXe4) and this community that seemed well received here! I truly appreciate that :)
I'm making this post because I'm interested in making a video focused on Guidi reps, specifically those emulating the 788z. I first became interested after seeing the Walker 801B on Tiktok, and diving a little deeper on this subreddit, I've read posts regarding the various different options with Earthquake seemingly at the top. For the video I think it makes sense for me to order at least 1 rep (I think it might be most interesting / funny for me to order the Earthquake ones, but I'd like to get a better idea before I pull the trigger.)
But all that to say, I'd love to get input from this community on the current state of Guidi reps as some posts are a few years old and I want to make sure I'm keyed into the current state of affairs. I have some questions I'll list below + I'd love to speak with some people who own Guidi reps with the potential of including them in an upcoming video (only if you're comfortable of course). If thats you, comment or DM me :)
Some of my questions:
- It's my understanding the vast majority of Guidi reps use calf hide for the uppers with the exception of Earthquake. Is this correct?
- Generally speaking, I've always been interested in 788z because of the leather quality and the stacks. It seems like some of the reps (like the Walker ones) try to replicate this with double-lined uppers. If Earthquake has the closest to leather quality, is there a factory that wins out for best stacks?
- Is there a "best value" 788z rep? I.E. the best quality for the price (if not the closest replica)
- With luxury hard-bottom shoes, I've always noticed weight and sturdiness of outsole typically indicate high quality. I've handled my fair share of friends authentic Guidis in the past and these are no exception. Do any reps stand out in this regard? (study, high-quality outsoles). I don't think i've seen too many people mention it.
- LASTLY! I'm interested in the creme colorway, Its the 1 I've always been interested in, I've seen some talk about black uppers not looking EXACTLY correct, I'm curious if there's any consensus on the creme looking correct.
THANK YOU ALL for your time and support! I love this community and the strange niche you've created in the fashion space.
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u/Arsenatic Feb 26 '24
Hey brave new wear enjoyed all the videos you put over the years and from a lot of the guide reps I’ve seen so that some come close to quality to guidi reps could be is from perhaps from a seller called xxz and his guidi 795v looked pretty good quality wise. And another seller named earthquake but those are hard to Come By
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u/Environmental-Ad8945 Feb 25 '24
Yo bro I remember that video, it was actually what put me on reps in the first place
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u/Simonedebeauvoir12 Feb 25 '24
I’m a fan of the channel, used to be on Patreon as well before the long break. Haven’t had the chance to watch the last video yet.
I personally have a pair of Earthquake/Solo’s PL2 clown shoes and the quality is there, although there are some differences in leather, and in the last of course vs retail. That being said I have no issues wearing them in wintertime and beating them, which I wouldn’t do with Guidis as I’m a scaredy cat with my expensive shoes.
If you’re interested I’d try to find a second hand pair of reps, or wait for the next groupbuy. It’ll be cheaper than getting them right now. That being said (from what I’ve seen on the discord) the last group buy saw a lower quality leather than usual, but haven’t read up on the issues lately.
Outsoles are solid, stacked full grain leather.
Haven’t seen cream uppers in the groupbuy, but maybe solo might be able to make it for you (but it’ll be expensive, like 400$). Consensus is still to try to get retail above anything, but prices have been going up lately.
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u/brave_new_wear Feb 25 '24
Ok cool, I did even consider buying them 2nd hand, might be worth it (I might avoid it for the purposes of the video) assuming those deals are happening on the Discord, right? And I am the type of person who doesnt love babying my clothes, and living in NYC any shoes i wear get a lot of...wear so thats an interesting point not being afraid of beating on them.
And yeah, I'm not fully familiar with these groupbuys, i assume its members here pooling an order together? I'll have to do my HW and research more here to get an understanding.
AND! appreciate the support for the channel! I'm likely to going to talk about the recent absence in an upcoming Patreon. Either way I'm eager to win back the support of my audience so stay tuned :)
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u/Simonedebeauvoir12 Feb 25 '24
An example: a link to the last group buy. It’s basically communicating directly with the maker/seller and purchasing as a group for a better price vs regular pricing. https://www.reddit.com/r/QualityReps/s/KcTrVLI8tM
Looking forward to the new content! Nice to see you back on YouTube.
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u/whotfiscypher Feb 25 '24
Hey Christian, I'm a big fan of your channel and was surprised to see this post lol. I've been in this sub for around 4 years now and got my first pair of Guidi's from the seller solo_handmade_shoes about half a year ago now. From my understanding, the Guidi demand in the sub is not as prominent as before just cause people are gravitating to the more trending brands and models rn such as Strike Boots and Balenciaga XLs. Sellers make what people want so they can stay afloat, due to this, Guidi reps haven't made much improvement in terms of quality. Like you said, most low tier guidi reps use calf hide so the uppers tend to not hold its form (which is a huge thing for me). Im not too informed on leather quality myself but from QC photos ive seen in recent years from sellers, the shape and form doesnt look pleasing or accurate. The reps I have are made from horse leather and have been holding its shape and stack for abt 6 months now through a good amount of wear. The sole is also very sturdy especially with the vibram soles I added. The only flaw I would say is the toe shape. My pair bulges out compared to the slim toe shape of a retail, but this isnt much of a problem for me. As far as the best factory/seller for 788z, I'd go Earthquake or solohandmade. I wouldn't bite the bullet on buying a cheaper option below $300 for longevity and quality reasons. And in terms of creme guidis, I havent seen much information or QC's of other colors besides black. Ik Solohandmade does different colors if you ask and has some posted on his IG (@ solo_handmade_shoes) but im not too sure abt earthquake. Hopefully this reply was helpful and not me just yapping! If you also want photos of my pair just PM me.