Shoe Damage Report & Appreciation Central - Part I

Georg Materna final installment:

Cheaper than a pair of those fancy Woodlore shoe trees:
Tripod

Switch to manual settings, ISO 50 with increased sensitivity to indoor lighting, a quick white balance, and the photos will look x5 better.

These shoes are fantastic!!! Some really high heals on black ones. Most of the brogued shoes look very original as if they were one of a kind.
Wienna seems to offer more interesting choices than Budapest.

im so sad that this is the final installment. these were awesome to view total eye candy. thanks von

Brian, don't be sad, I have some more Vienna reports to post.

This is one of Vienna's better shoe stores which carries C&J, Reiter, Santoni, Alden (cordovan models only, at €580 ) and more:



Brian, you'll love this store, they sell Santoni FAM at €450 and Limited Edition at €900 or almost half of the US price after VAT refund:







No, they don't carry the coveted U and F lasts:

von pleas see my pm

thanks von! those are great pictures. how much for those vass at that store?

Wow VR, those Vass really are un-freakin' believeable! Gave me goosebumps (you're gettin' me all pumped up for my impending pilgrimage). Great choice. Wear in good health.

Argg! I was at that store in Vienna when I was in Europe back in August. I had picked up my Vass in Budapest before, and Vienna was my last stop before heading to Japan. I was still a shoe newbie then and didn't know much about Santoni. If I had, I would have picked up a pair or two there (i didn't even know they carried them there) since my FAMs are now my favorite shoes.

Just got these and they are awesome. According to the Italian seller, these are samples for the upcoming S/S '07 season. The have a raised moc-toe look with no stitching (don't know what to call it) and light antiquing. The sole is a thing of beauty with the XXX embossed in stainless steel. I'll try to take better pics soon.

Very, very nice EL.

VR, the first 2 santonis you posted are amazing, amazing shoes.

I don't think I quite approve of those burgundy crocodile laced/strap ankle boot Santonis.

This is probably a shameless plug for my RM Williams thread but I put together a set of custom made features and came up with this pair of Chelsea boots. The RM Williams is on the left beside a pair of John Lobb Canonbury's (7000 Last): The main feature is that the soles are brass screwed: This results in the boot having an even smaller lip which sticks out around the edges of the boot: Brass screwed leather soles were once more common. I have heard that the construction method results in a boot as durable as a Goodyear welted boot. The method has almost completely died out amongst most RTW makers. However, the Austro-Hungarian bespoke bootmakers still favour it. The other thing is that they are wholecut Chelsea boots. Not even John Lobb's Chelsea RTW boots are made that way. Here they are side by side with a pair of double monk strap boots from JM Weston: The remarkable thing is that these custom boots cost a tiny fraction of the JLs and JMWs. I have called this particular custom order configuration the Forum Special. For more details see my RMW thread: http://styleforum.net/showthread.php?t=21179&page=29 Alternatively see the opening page: http://www.styleforum.net/showthread.php?t=21179

Sator, these are wonderful, and I would like to buy some. With regard to sizing, I am a 7E on the JL 8000 last, and I tend to be a 7.5 wide in U.S. size. I have a slightly wider than average foot and a very high arch which makes lacing shoes tightly that don't fit properly painful. Thoughts? RMW 7G? Also, why would you choose either the calf or the 'roo - can you explain that choice?

Edit: incidentally, my Canonbury's are 6.5EE and are a bit wide in the forefoot