Fabro
Senior Member
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- Dec 9, 2004
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For all of us on Styleforum, there are missed opportunities: The coat sniped out of your grasp in the last seconds of the auction; the PM from Ed informing you he just sold the particular pair of Incotex trousers in your size. But sometimes, timing works out perfectly, and we find something that exceeds our expectations. This is one of those stories.
Earlier this fall, Janne Melkersson introduced us to Marcell from Koronya shoes in this thread. Marcell is a shoemaker residing in Budapest who specializes in completely handmade shoes in the great Hungarian tradition. He posted an excellent series of YouTube videos documenting shoe making techniques which became instant Styleforum classics.
Last week, I was scheduled to speak at a conference in Budapest. This was a great opportunity to meet Marcell, and as a result I have commissioned a pair of bespoke shoes. I'm going to run a series of posts over the next few months documenting the process. I've learned a lot here on Styleforum, and this is my chance to make a contribution back. Truthfully though, I blame you all for refining my tastes and elevating them to this level. If someone had suggested to me a few years ago that I would someday bespeak a pair of shoes, I would have laughed in disbelief. Curse you aportnoy and your magnificent shoes...
But back to my story. Wednesday night found Marcell and his girlfriend in the lobby of my hotel. Yes, he does make house calls. (BTW: I can highly recommend the Corinthia Grand Royal when you travel to Budapest.) Marcell comes from a family with a long history in shoe making, so he grew up steeped in traditional craftsmanship. At the same time, he's young enough to be deeply interested in the developments in other parts of the world"”from chisel toe Italian lasts to the antiquing of Berlutti and others. If you are opinionated about what you want"”and indeed this is the pre-requisite of a good bespoke experience"”it's the perfect opportunity to receive both handmade techniques and modern styling cues.
For myself, I wanted the classic Hungarian model called the Budapest, done in scotch grain. This shoe divides the shoe nation. You love it or you hate it. I wear a lot of tweeds and flannels and think it a perfect compliment. And I really liked the thought of commissioning a Budapest in, well, Budapest.
However, the best part of bespoke is the freedom to modify. In fact, one can modify much more than I would have ever guessed, as Marcell offered a list of choices I had never considered, despite my careful study of the excellent Vass book. (Another side note: Vass is actually pronounced "Vawsh".) My shoe is going to be cognac scotch grain, but antiqued with a modern sensibility (my inspiration is the close-up of the C&J Pembrook in the upper left here. Add to that Goyser stitching and a double sole and you have a great looking shoe to my tastes, one that is well suited to the perpetual drizzle of a Vancouver winter, or clambering across European cobblestones. I put a rubber heel piece on the rear of the heel (this is a heavy wear region for me), and I'm doing a curved sole pattern similar to this:
Nail patterns and such are all fair game. Beveling of the sole is no problem, but not necessarily appropriate for all designs. Marcell even had a great cutaway example illustrating the use of traditional wood pegs in the toe box.
We choose a heavier, more expensive Italian lining leather. Marcell gets a lot of his exterior leathers from Austria, and the samples are a lot of fun to go through, conjuring up future commissions.
Measurement comes next. He traces each foot, and makes a number of individual measurements around the foot. This is done while you are sitting down and putting some pressure forward on the foot. Once he has a last he will keep it for three years. He also has access to a large number of basic commercial lasts from Italy, including some great chisel toe shapes. These should be up on his Web site http://www.koronya.com.
Here's the best part. The next step will be a test shoe. Once Marcell has created the last, he will ship me a very lightweight test shoe (light as in don't wear this outside) to ensure that everything is perfect. Once I receive this it will be part 2 in this series of posts.
Marcell also brought some samples of his work that should look familiar to anyone who has been following his posts here. Here is the black shoe we all watched being created in his videos:
This was on a RTW last, and just happened to be my size. It was amazing. It's become an Internet clichÃ
to say the pictures don't do the subject justice, but it really is true. In person this shoe eclipses its video stardom. It fit perfectly; much better for my foot than the Vass U-last that I had tried on the same trip. It was pretty hard putting my pre-Prada Church's Consul back on after this. I wish I had brought it home.
I also got to look at the antiqued brown pair he presented here. These were beautifully done, nicely balancing the dark antiquing with the clean lines of the one piece vamp and toe.
Now as for Budapest itself, it is a magnificent city. I'm fortunate to have visited a number of European capitals, but there is something very special about this place. The wide streets and 19th century detail are punctuated with secessionist buildings that demand attention but fit perfectly into the street scape. It's Europe, but with a sense in the air of the vast breadth of the east. The food is wonderful, the spas and baths are absolutely essential, and the people are a fascinating blend of the eras they've lived through. This is a city where history is still taking place.
Definitely, come for the shoes. But stay for the city.
Earlier this fall, Janne Melkersson introduced us to Marcell from Koronya shoes in this thread. Marcell is a shoemaker residing in Budapest who specializes in completely handmade shoes in the great Hungarian tradition. He posted an excellent series of YouTube videos documenting shoe making techniques which became instant Styleforum classics.
Last week, I was scheduled to speak at a conference in Budapest. This was a great opportunity to meet Marcell, and as a result I have commissioned a pair of bespoke shoes. I'm going to run a series of posts over the next few months documenting the process. I've learned a lot here on Styleforum, and this is my chance to make a contribution back. Truthfully though, I blame you all for refining my tastes and elevating them to this level. If someone had suggested to me a few years ago that I would someday bespeak a pair of shoes, I would have laughed in disbelief. Curse you aportnoy and your magnificent shoes...
But back to my story. Wednesday night found Marcell and his girlfriend in the lobby of my hotel. Yes, he does make house calls. (BTW: I can highly recommend the Corinthia Grand Royal when you travel to Budapest.) Marcell comes from a family with a long history in shoe making, so he grew up steeped in traditional craftsmanship. At the same time, he's young enough to be deeply interested in the developments in other parts of the world"”from chisel toe Italian lasts to the antiquing of Berlutti and others. If you are opinionated about what you want"”and indeed this is the pre-requisite of a good bespoke experience"”it's the perfect opportunity to receive both handmade techniques and modern styling cues.
For myself, I wanted the classic Hungarian model called the Budapest, done in scotch grain. This shoe divides the shoe nation. You love it or you hate it. I wear a lot of tweeds and flannels and think it a perfect compliment. And I really liked the thought of commissioning a Budapest in, well, Budapest.
However, the best part of bespoke is the freedom to modify. In fact, one can modify much more than I would have ever guessed, as Marcell offered a list of choices I had never considered, despite my careful study of the excellent Vass book. (Another side note: Vass is actually pronounced "Vawsh".) My shoe is going to be cognac scotch grain, but antiqued with a modern sensibility (my inspiration is the close-up of the C&J Pembrook in the upper left here. Add to that Goyser stitching and a double sole and you have a great looking shoe to my tastes, one that is well suited to the perpetual drizzle of a Vancouver winter, or clambering across European cobblestones. I put a rubber heel piece on the rear of the heel (this is a heavy wear region for me), and I'm doing a curved sole pattern similar to this:
Nail patterns and such are all fair game. Beveling of the sole is no problem, but not necessarily appropriate for all designs. Marcell even had a great cutaway example illustrating the use of traditional wood pegs in the toe box.
We choose a heavier, more expensive Italian lining leather. Marcell gets a lot of his exterior leathers from Austria, and the samples are a lot of fun to go through, conjuring up future commissions.
Measurement comes next. He traces each foot, and makes a number of individual measurements around the foot. This is done while you are sitting down and putting some pressure forward on the foot. Once he has a last he will keep it for three years. He also has access to a large number of basic commercial lasts from Italy, including some great chisel toe shapes. These should be up on his Web site http://www.koronya.com.
Here's the best part. The next step will be a test shoe. Once Marcell has created the last, he will ship me a very lightweight test shoe (light as in don't wear this outside) to ensure that everything is perfect. Once I receive this it will be part 2 in this series of posts.
Marcell also brought some samples of his work that should look familiar to anyone who has been following his posts here. Here is the black shoe we all watched being created in his videos:
This was on a RTW last, and just happened to be my size. It was amazing. It's become an Internet clichÃ
I also got to look at the antiqued brown pair he presented here. These were beautifully done, nicely balancing the dark antiquing with the clean lines of the one piece vamp and toe.
Now as for Budapest itself, it is a magnificent city. I'm fortunate to have visited a number of European capitals, but there is something very special about this place. The wide streets and 19th century detail are punctuated with secessionist buildings that demand attention but fit perfectly into the street scape. It's Europe, but with a sense in the air of the vast breadth of the east. The food is wonderful, the spas and baths are absolutely essential, and the people are a fascinating blend of the eras they've lived through. This is a city where history is still taking place.
Definitely, come for the shoes. But stay for the city.
![icon_gu_b_slayer[1].gif](https://www.styleforum.net/images/smilies/icon_gu_b_slayer[1].gif){kind=icon}
