The "shovel" sole

jerrysfriend · Oct 11, 2004

When Bennie's got the J & M Handmade with the Â "shovel" sole, I thought that I had seen that sole, or a near likeness of it, in a shop window in Milan. I was wrong; it was in Florence. I was in both cities several times in the last 20 years. See here: http://www.firenze-oltrarno.net/ugolini/ Surprisingly, Bennie's still some J & M Handmades left. When I was in the Piedmont Road store recently, I saw about a dozen pairs of the Handmades still on the racks, in sizes 6-8. Â At $250 per pair they are a better deal than the Grensons at $150, if that is possible. When the Handmade went out of production in 1999, they were $1,000. After five years of inflation, they would be about $1,250, if they were still being made today. The Handmade, at $250 vs. $1,250 normal retail, is a better buy than the Grensons at $150 vs. $575-$625 normal retail.

Thracozaag · Oct 11, 2004

When Bennie's got the J & M Handmade with the Â "shovel" sole, I thought that I had seen that sole, or a near likeness of it, in a shop window in Milan. I was wrong; it was in Florence. I was in both cities several times in the last 20 years. See here: http://www.firenze-oltrarno.net/ugolini/ Surprisingly, Bennie's still some J & M Handmades left. When I was in the Piedmont Road store recently, I saw about a dozen pairs of the Handmades still on the racks, in sizes 6-8. Â At $250 per pair they are a better deal than the Grensons at $150, if that is possible. When the Handmade went out of production in 1999, they were $1,000. After five years of inflation, they would be about $1,250, if they were still being made today. The Handmade, at $250 vs. $1,250 normal retail, is a better buy than the Grensons at $150 vs. $575-$625 normal retail.

Many thanks for posting this link, I'll be sure to visit this establishment next time I'm there. koji

Manton · Oct 11, 2004

A Harris · Oct 11, 2004

In case you guys missed the recent thread on the subject, the Vass U-last shoes were designed specifically for the Ugolini RTW line.

shqiptar · Oct 12, 2004

Beautiful shoes. I was in Florence this past summer, but didn't pay much attention to clothes and shoes. Most of the time I spent visiting the many museums and palazzio-s that adourn that magnificent city. Since I'm going again next year, I would be interested in knowing the prize range of those shoes. If there are other shoemakers in Florence, please let the forum know. ooo

Manton · Oct 12, 2004

A Harris · Oct 12, 2004

Interesting. Â I had assumed they were based on the Cleverley toe

When I first saw a U-last shoe I thought the same thing. What actually happened is that representatives of Isetan brought Mr. Vass a couple of shoes and asked if he could make that style for them. So he designed the U last. I think everyone will agree that he did a really excellent job, especially considering that it was his first try at a slim, chisel-toe last.

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The "shovel" sole

jerrysfriend

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Manton

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