Ascot Shoes and Vass - Quality Control Etc.

[peppercorn78]



Hmmmmm. Looking at some of your other "longwinded" posts i found this:

How do the Peter and Budapest lasts relate? I am 43.5 in both F and U, but I have no experience with any other lasts. Thanks

Actually I think you are FU in just about anything.

I do suggest we halt the petty bickering.

 

[agoodeye]

My pairs were MTO orders placed directly through The Vass Cipo store. I understand that this is not an option for most people in the US. The price was almost exactly what I paid for my Bonafe MTO and a bit less than my Carmina GMTO (which was cordovan).

Could you give me an idea of what that price range is?
Thanks so much.

 

[agoodeye]

I do suggest we halt the petty bickering.

fair enough

 

[agoodeye]

Well that explains a lot. If they are selling MTOs at that price then no wonder there are quality issues. My problem is that when you buy through Ascot Shoes you are paying considerably more. Perhaps that's why my expectations have been out of whack.

 

[Trompe le Monde]



I notice that you didnt create an account here and start a thread about how wonderful the pair of Vass you bought in London are. You also didnt create an account on Styleforum to participate in a discussion about Vass, Classic style, or anything else. What you did, was create an account and used your very first post to start a thread to have a ***** and complain about your perceived injustice. 

Did you do a search and see if there was a dedicated thread for Vass Shoes (there is http://www.styleforum.net/t/130044/the-ultimate-vass-footwear-Appreciation-thread) where it might be appropriate to post this?
You did not.

What feedback were you looking for? Did you want everyone to say "Yeah, new guy, you're right, Vass sucks. You poor thing!"

As for being pompous, you are the one who thinks they and their story are important enough for their own thread since obviously we all should care about you.

Since you are so aggrieved at the state of your Vass shoes, I will buy each pair from you for $100 so you can recoup some of your money.

calm down, cowboy

 

[dddrees]

If the OP had a hundred posts on SF, I might have a very, miniscule amount of sympathy for him. However, I just have none. First post and completely unreasonable expectations means I just dont care.

That being said, at least this is about Vass and not having these expectations about Allen Edmonds like usual... It's a start.

I really don't understand how the OPs post count has anything to do with this. Either he has a point or he doesn't. If you believe his expectations are either reasonable or unreasonable and why is all that should really matter. If you think he or the community could benefit from him posting in another thread just say so, but what the heck does his post count have to do with it?

 

[dddrees]

To the OP, I think if you were to post some of this information in the Vass appreciation thread you just might get some more valuable feedback. At least you would find a good number there with more experience and a better idea of what their experiences have been.

 

[chogall]

TLDR.

For the pictures

Uneven broguing for the wingtip is not too bad, won't effect the wear, and happens for other handmade shoemakers as well.

The bottom pair, those 2 holes are tacking holes, where they fix the heel to the shoe last while making. Some bespoke makers leave tacking holes and some avoids tacking hole. No big deal at all.

 

[agoodeye]

Hi. @chogall. Those are not tacking holes. There is a double row of stitching that goes around the back of the heel. Both bottom rows on both shoes have split at the back.
As for the uneven workmanship on the broguing, that's just not good quality work. It's rushed. And it not only is not like this on other MTO makers, it's not like this on lesser priced hand made shoes. It's like saying you're buying a $3000 suit and the buttons aren't even.

 

[agoodeye]

To all of those who have flamed me and told me my expectations were too high and I was wrong, I suggest you read this article and specifically what it says about Vass:

http://parisiangentleman.co.uk/2014...ons-the-2014-ready-to-wear-mens-shoes-review/

I'll be interested to hear the responses.

 

[borbor]

To all of those who have flamed me and told me my expectations were too high and I was wrong, I suggest you read this article and specifically what it says about Vass:

http://parisiangentleman.co.uk/2014...ons-the-2014-ready-to-wear-mens-shoes-review/

I'll be interested to hear the responses.

the type of response you'll most likely hear is that that article is written by one (or one group) of people and does not indicate the overall opinion of all of vass's customers

 

[agoodeye]

READ THE ARTICLE. Since they review every single high end shoe maker they have no ax to grind with Vass. The reviews of all makers are balanced and in my opinion accurate and fair.

 

[andrel42]

Wow! Just stumbled across this thread ... What is this all about?

As a shoe-aholic (sigh) with over 170 pairs of dress shoes, the ones that always attract compliments are both my Vass and Gaziano. I believe that the beauty of hand made shoes is exactly that; the small imperfections that make each shoe unique and let's face it, when you actually wear your shoes they get worn; so even a brand new shoe eventually wears down, gets scratched and creased, etc.

Regarding Vass (15 pairs so far and growing) I can only praise their finishing and having bought quite some pairs from @Ascotshoes I can only compliment their creativity and I am impressed every time I see a new MTO model offering!

Having previously bought some MTO pairs via a German re-seller and several MTO's from Ascot, I have to admit I am very surprised at what has been posted here and I am sure they must have offered compensation or alternatives. I am also happy to post closeup pictures of some of my (worn) shoes from different brands for comparison as to the finishing. The pictures posted above are not enough to shake down neither a brand nor a re-seller.

Just my 5 cents ...

 

[dddrees]

To all of those who have flamed me and told me my expectations were too high and I was wrong, I suggest you read this article and specifically what it says about Vass:

http://parisiangentleman.co.uk/2014...ons-the-2014-ready-to-wear-mens-shoes-review/

I'll be interested to hear the responses.

If you get the chance you should compare what they have written about Allen Edmonds and a some of the actual review's they get from some of their customers. The reviews in this article can hardly be called critical reviews and these reviews really are very short synopsis at best.

I think the people who responded to you in the Vass thread summed it up best. Its unfortunate that your expectations were one thing when reality is what you have experienced is no different than most have already experienced. The difference is that your expectations were for something that Vass is not known for doing. Vass's charm lies elsewhere. So you can continue to be upset but that isn't going to change what Vass is known for. You posted and asked for opinions, it's unfortunate the opinions you received did not match your opinion. I think they even made recommendations what might closer meet with your expectations. I can tell you however perfection is not something human beings are known for, but their are other shoemakers who pay maybe a bit closer attention to detail and this is where there strength lies.

 

[Jan Capek]

I am appreciative of any useful review on this forum, whether it be from a fresh joiner or a stylish dinosaur. And while I cannot say a word against Vass, I found your post just that. So, my friend, do not let those who derive their worth from collecting points on this forum annoy you. The joke is really on these non-gentlemen.

Geeez, you must be somebody really important. Pompous anyhow. I dont care how many posts I have or you have. I took the time to write about an experience that I'm not the only one to have AND to try to get some feedback from other Vass buyers. You on the other hand have written a two line response. Wow, lot of effort. Dont overexert yourself.

I am appreciative of any useful review on this forum, whether it be from a fresh joiner or a stylish dinosaur. And while I cannot say a word against Vass myself, I found your post useful and your experience valid. Do not allow those who derive their worth from collecting points on an online forum annoy you with their nonsense. The joke is really on them.