Operation Paprika - Page 22

is the new black.

For fun, I got my own pair of Paprikas a couple of months ago.




It's not the style I was after, which was this. These were the ones that seemed to be my size.

Of course, they didn't quite fit. The shoes were meant for someone with a higher instep and a wider ankle. (There was a reason I liked luk-cha's shoes. They had narrow ankles relative to forefoot. My kind of shape.)

I thought about adding insoles, but the shoes already had custom insoles, and off-the-rack insoles didn't quite fit the shoes. I added tongue pads, but there was still room under the quarters.

So, I sent the shoes off to Jon Gray, who proposed:

• Tongue pads;
• These drastic measures as devised by Carreducker, but effecting the sides of the shoes more than the back;
• Slightly thicker insole cover, with an arch in it; and
• If necessary, a suede-side-out lining in the heel area.

Jon found the edge and bottom finishing really rough. (These shoes weren't quite finished. The custom insoles weren't tacked down.) He thought the counter (the reinforcement around the heel) was too noticeable, and felt it should be thinned out much more so that the transition would be smooth. He didn't like the excessive staining on the inside of the shoe.

I gave Jon the go-ahead with all his proposals, plus additional finishing on the edge and the bottom.

I hope to get the Bacsi x Gray shoes back next month. Will post pics then. (The above pics come from fritzl.)
Edited by Asian Afro - 3/30/12 at 4:25pm

doesn't look too bad, does it?





pictueres by asian afro

well, why would that be, when the fit isn't nailed yet?

thank you for joining my cause and looking forward to the result.

^^Like the shoes, hate those jeans..

Those are the old, crappy jeans I sometimes wear around the house only. Wasn't dressing up to try on a pair of shoes.

The shoes are looser than they look.

Those shoes look cheap. Like something I could buy from Sanders.

Also, seeing as how the shoe laces completely tight, with no V at all, I would imagine they aren't sized right.

That's due to my low instep. I have this problem with a lot of RTW shoes.

The shoes are just the right length, but they are a bit too wide, which is easy to handle in the forefoot but not in the heels.

They may not look like much, but their leather is wonderfully supple. The leather is untreated and I plan to turn it into deep burgundy when the shoes finally fit.
Edited by Asian Afro - 4/1/12 at 8:08pm

you learn quick...

the more i think about it. i hope, he doesn't "ruin" them in taking away their soul. fingers crossed.

We'll see. Jon told me Friday that they already looked better from the refinishing, but he couldn't finish them in time to meet me. I hope to get them back within a month or so.

Tongue pads? Jon's a shoemaker right, so why the amateurish fix?



Hope they come out nice - it's been a long wait.