Austro-Hungarian school of shoemaking

A special twist on a traditional style.

Fritzl,
thank you for posting this survey over the Austrian-Hungarian school of shoe making. Very interesting!
I have not much experience of this school but I will learn more about the Goyserer welt technique this summer. Marcell will be the instructor for a seminar of this method in July in my shop.
My grandfather made many pair using a similar method (called pitch seamed in Swedish) 1925-1945 for farmers. No fancy shoes but heavy boots.
Thanks for sharing,
Janne

Originally Posted by nmoraitis

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Fixed

i dont think so, i like them for what they are! can't sleep with super modals all the time!

Originally Posted by fritzl

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We have been introduced to "Cipesz mester" Kovacs by the last maker Kalman Berta.

Mr. Kovacs is already retired after having a heart attack.
Interesting shoes. Some I like and some I do not, but the ones in this post are just awesome.

Thanks for the pics.

I can really see the Eastern European aesthetic with the connotations implied by it.

Extreme coolness IIT! Thanks fritzl for showing and your expertise; I like especially that speckled Norwegian one in e.g. post #10...as the Austro-Hungarian style as a whole.

p.s./edit: I know its not the same (high) "category" but I just bought a pair of shoes by Laszlo Sacher, today. Yet they come from that tradition as well...
http://www.styleforum.net/showpost.p...postcount=3031
Still you made me curious about the Maftei ones too and I'll probably check out that shop too. J.

Originally Posted by fritzl

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Unfortunately this shoe had to suffer a lot. That's life.

Interesting, fritzl. Thanks for posting them. It probably won't surprise you that I like these, well worn and somewhat conventional, best of the lot.

What size shoe do you wear, if I may ask?

Originally Posted by Eustace Tilley

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I like the FÃ

her and the first pair of the Kovacs.

ET, Imagine that Mr. Kovacs, who is heading towards eighty, does not speak and understand any German word. I dunno speak or understand the Hungarian language. We worked over the VASS book, an old Ludwig Reiter catalogue(standard in the small workshops ) and sign language.

No try on shoe, no fitting. When I returned to him, I slipped into them. I took them, broke them in and no tweaking required. That's all.

I understand, that this is a completely different experience compared to the big numbers. Hmmh, at the end of the day the result counts.

Feher speaks German fluently. He is a bit crazy in a good way. I hope Marcell will be so kind and makes an excerpt of the article on the Hungarian site, so we can share it.

His shoes are sort of stiff. If you sort them out of the rotation, you have to "break them in" again. Today, I am wearing the burgundy wingtip. A snug fit. Each of them has his own character.
A little bit pathetic, but these are my personal thoughts on these shoes.

Understood that there was no try on shoe and additional fitting with Mr. Feher and Mr. Kiss.
Albeit there was a development in the concerted work on the result due to the language.

I am not able to do a rating between them, due to their uniqueness. All in common is the great craftmanship and the passion for their product. Unfortunately, Mr. Kovacs is already retired after his heart attack, they are at an age, where you have to say "goodbye".

I try to do, what I can (My English is poor, so it will be a good game to find out, what I wanted to say.. sorry for that) If someone correct it and send me a PM with the text I promise to replace it.. Until you have to deal with it.

The article:
http://www.kisalfold.hu/gyori_hirek/...ipesz/2041213/

And my translation:

"what a carrier! - we could say if a craftsman could get a university degree and became a research-engineer.. But in this case the opposite happened. Istvan Feher did that - maybe he is the only one with it.

The elder Feher got his master degree for 80 years as a bootmaker. He had 5-6 employee in his shop at Szechenyi ter. They produces shoes (every step of it, from lastmaking to finish) and sold it in the weekends. Many people of the family became bootmaker - just like his younger brother, who is 91 yrs old, and lives in Pannonhalma. Istvan started to learn at Bercsenyi Primary School then went to gymnasium, then finally went to Veszprem University "petrol-chemistry". He started to work, but one day went back to his father to learn shoemaking.

- why did you choose this? - we asked.

(explanation about the economical situation of Hungary that time...)

- Because of money.. - he makes shoes for 25 years and happy with it. He was familiar with the basics, so it wasn't so hard to learn. He and his father could work together 4-5 years before he passed. He doesn't accept new shoe orders anymore - even if someone would pay for it. He made shoe for Javor Pal (very famous Hungarian actor, died in 1959 - see picture)



None of Istvan's children learnt the craft.

- do your customer knows, that you are an engineer?
- maybe at the beginning they did."

Thats it. I hope you can understand.

Originally Posted by grimslade

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Interesting, fritzl. Thanks for posting them. It probably won't surprise you that I like these, well worn and somewhat conventional, best of the lot.

What size shoe do you wear, if I may ask?

Grims, I am around a US 10.5.

Feher shoes are close to size. My first set of shoe trees from Kalman Berta was marked EU 43, and was from the standard collection. I use them for the Feher and the Twin pair of Kiss.

For the second set, I was measured by him and it is marked EU 44. I couldn't convince him not to mark lasted trees

The LR(brown blucher, straight cap w medaillon) migt be an US 11. As you know, every thing is about the fit of the heel and the arch. So they are roomy in the toe box and i do not mind the extra creasing on a thrift find.

PS: I am not surprised after seeing your Scafora's. Different stroke, but you know. I am more surprised, that most of the fora shoe experts are holding back in a noble manner

Originally Posted by MarcellHUN

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I try to do, what I can (My English is poor, so it will be a good game to find out, what I wanted to say..

sorry for that) If someone correct it and send me a PM with the text I promise to replace it.. Until you have to deal with it.

You did a great job, thanks

you are welcome!

Originally Posted by fritzl

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Grims, I am around a US 10.5.

<snip>
I am more surprised, that most of the fora shoe experts are holding back in a noble manner

Thanks. I would have guessed smaller.

I'm not that surprised. Most people don't come around here to tear other people down just for having different tastes, even if sometimes it can feel like it to some.

Some shoe modell from 1959. Budapest last-form was very common at that time.

Thank you for posting... I think this is where most of the 'learning' can take place.

Not be to rude at all, but I couldn't see myself wearing any of these shoes. Very full, thick and old looking.

Again, I appreciate the posting...please continue. thx.