Bepoke suit v. bespoke shoes - Page 2

OK - I left out some important details as I have been reminded I have a good number of suits ranging from oxxford off the rack and mtm, local tailor has made me a half dozen or so custom suits (he does the work all by hand, etc. in his shop - good guy in the Philly area if anyone is interested), some zegna's, a Brioni, several Paul Stuarts, etc. so I don't necessarily have an overwhelming need in the new suit dept. Shoes same general story but none bespoke.  I have Ferragamos, Alden's, AEs, Grensons (from PStuart), Ballys, Churchs, etc..  Wider feet than average so I do need to often take some time to "break in" some of the narrower last shoes but all are now comfortable. I keep thinking about the purchase of the shoes as it is a process/experience I have not had but with the many glowing recommendations of tailors (Darren, Raphael, etc.) I find myself torn. I spoke to someone at Oliver Moore (NY) whose shoes are $2,200 first pair and $1,700 thereafter - nobody seems to have heard of them or bought from them though.  A better price than Greens, etc with todays exchange rates.   I'm leaning to opting for both suit from Darren/Raphael and shoes from Moore as these shoes seem to be a good "deal" relative to Vin & Edgar or Perry - both about $2,800 but I don't want to sacrifice quality/make. Thanks for the thoughts.

Centofanti in Ardmore, PA (much older shop - he is in his mid 80s) is finishing up a suit for me now - just had my second fitting yesterday and it is coming along exceptionally well (loads of handwork and a great fit).  Also, in Philly on Broad St is a guy named Joe DiPietro - he is a one man shop that makes everything start to finish with meticulous attention to detail putting hours of handwork into his suits.  He has a very traditional view style-wise but takes a great deal of pride in his work and in making sure that his customers are more than satisfied.  I'd recommend either.  Price-wise Centofanti is at the higher end of the spectrum ($2,500+) while DiPietro is more reasonably priced ($1300 est for a 120s suit).

Joe Centofanti does an exceptional job - very knowledgeable and experienced (cutting suits for almost three quarters of a decade) but he has started to limit his client base and spends more [well deserved]time  each year in FL (golfing - he is pretty active for a guy with his many years of experience).  I feel fortunate that he was willing to take me on as he seems focused on servicing his long-standing relationships (some of those that I met while in for fittings have been with him for decades).  Sadly, he is just another example of the continued decline in the industry.  I recently wore an oxxford suit to his shop while visiting with him and he praised many aspects of it but lamented the decline in the number of "true tailors" available and said he expected that even oxxford's quality was likely to decline over the next several years as the difficulty of finding people who could "do the work" becomes more and more challenging.  Centofanti, Raphael and others of their caliber are rare finds and should be rewarded handsomely with as much work as their clients can afford to give them.

Marc - I noticed in some of your previous posts (here and on the other site) that you have a few pairs of shoes from P. Ercolino.   You commented previously on his extensive measurement process - can you discuss a little more on the fittings, style recommendations and ultimately how you feel about the shoes now (comfort, fit, styling, durability, etc.)?   Thanks. [not that I'm disregarding anyone's suggestions I'm still considering the "and" instead of the "or" AND I'm still trying to track down a good way to get my hands on some Vass shoes without having to travel to Budapest or CT.]

Just in case anyone else was interested I finally found Perry Ercolino's website (it must have changed from what someone had previously posted) Ercolino Custom Footwear