Augusta Footwear

[Lostinthesupermarket]

So it's basically one guy and maybe a couple of apprentices?

 

[Fuuma]

Originally Posted by Lostinthesupermarket

So it's basically one guy and maybe a couple of apprentices?

One guy, his sister and sometimes his brother in law helps out. That's it. A fashion company is REALLY small. If you have 10 people working for you you got it made. Unless you do mass fashion.

 

[RyJ Maduro]

Originally Posted by Magician

Flemish peasant shoes?

 

[Lostinthesupermarket]

Originally Posted by Fuuma

One guy, his sister and sometimes his brother in law helps out. That's it. A fashion company is REALLY small. If you have 10 people working for you you got it made. Unless you do mass fashion.

Interesting. Thanks for the info.

I saw them in Barneys last time I was in NYC and what was interesting was how much they stood apart from everything else in the room. They had nothing much to do with anything else that i saw there. Really a very different aesthetic.

 

[dfagdfsh]

I have seen both augusta and wings + horns service boots in person and I don't see a huge quality jump to justify the $1500 price tag difference.

pricing with the 'artisanal' brands (and I type that word laced with scorn~!!) is totally absurd right now

 

[Lostinthesupermarket]

Originally Posted by Teger

I have seen both augusta and wings + horns service boots in person and I don't see a huge quality jump to justify the $1500 price tag difference. pricing with the 'artisanal' brands (and I type that word laced with scorn~!!) is totally absurd right now
I don't disagree with you about artisanal brands but if these are hand welted then a lot of the quality difference you're paying for is out of sight "under the hood" . The only 2 RTW shoemakers who hand-welt at the moment are Vass and St. Crispins. Vass are approx 600 euros at the moment helped by the disastrously weak Hungarian Forint. St. Crispins are not going to leave you with much change from €1000 for a pair of boots. Both are made in parts of Europe where labour costs are significantly lower than in the north of Italy where I presume these are made. Hand made shoes are not an industrial product. They really are "artisanal".

 

[dfagdfsh]

Originally Posted by Lostinthesupermarket

I don't disagree with you about artisanal brands but if these are hand welted then a lot of the quality difference you're paying for is out of sight "under the hood" . The only 2 RTW shoemakers who hand-welt at the moment are Vass and St. Crispins. Vass are approx 600 euros at the moment helped by the disastrously weak Hungarian Forint. St. Crispins are not going to leave you with much change from €1000 for a pair of boots. Both are made in parts of Europe where labour costs are significantly lower than in the north of Italy were I presume these are made.
I doubt that the W+H boot are hand welted, and i don't think the quality is the same, but I don't think that the jump from machine welting to hand welting a. provides much utility (but outrageous pricing for antiquated/impractical design processes really sums up Augusta, MA+, CCP, etc...) and b. is worth $1500. W+H are made in Canada, and I imagine the labor is expensive as **** there too. I think the absurd cult of personality that has been built up around these brands (and is waay more ridiculous than anything on this forum) overshadows any quality and innovative design they might showcase.

 

[toothsomesound]

Originally Posted by Teger

I doubt that the W+H boot are hand welted, and i don't think the quality is the same, but I don't think that the jump from machine welting to hand welting a. provides much utility (but outrageous pricing for antiquated/impractical design processes really sums up Augusta, MA+, CCP, etc...) and b. is worth $1500.

W+H are made in Canada, and I imagine the labor is expensive as **** there too.

I think the absurd cult of personality that has been built up around these brands (and is waay more ridiculous than anything on this forum) overshadows any quality and innovative design they might showcase.

I dunno, while I agree with you on this with some brands, I think Augusta's are just beautiful.

 

[dfagdfsh]

Originally Posted by AndrewRyanWallace

I dunno, while I agree with you on this with some brands, I think Augusta's are just beautiful.

i think that some of the things augusta is doing is very cool, ie: the degrading cotton to slowly reveal the leather underneath, but the constant price increases justified by minute or impractical (and nonexistant) quality increases is nuts and I think is a huge detriment to the brand and to the industry.

so many designers these days seemingly follow a mantra that they have to increase their pricing 10-20% each season, independent of rising or falling production and material costs.

at the end of the day though, augusta is a very small brand that sells to a niche market

 

[Lostinthesupermarket]

Originally Posted by Teger

I doubt that the W+H boot are hand welted, and i don't think the quality is the same, but I don't think that the jump from machine welting to hand welting a. provides much utility (but outrageous pricing for antiquated/impractical design processes really sums up Augusta, MA+, CCP, etc...) and b. is worth $1500.


I was trying to make the point that like should be compared with like.That said, I tend to agree with you. If I was going to drop that kind of money I would prefer to pay a little more and go full bespoke. You could get whatever style you wanted made up and it should fit you like a glove. For that kind of money, you have a lot of choices.

I guess the leather treatments on the Augusta stuff are pretty unique though. Is there anything unusual about their lasts?

 

[dfagdfsh]

Originally Posted by Lostinthesupermarket

I was trying to make the point that like should be compared with like.That said, I tend to agree with you. If I was going to drop that kind of money I would prefer to pay a little more and go full bespoke. You could get whatever style you wanted made up and it should fit you like a glove. For that kind of money, you have a lot of choices.

I guess the leather treatments on the Augusta stuff are pretty unique though. Is there anything unusual about their lasts?

from the ones I see their lasts seem 'fashion forward', but not particularly different from similar brands (guidi, NDC, etc).

also I think most of the time their distressing is ugly and over the top.

 

[Razele]

Can see both sides of the arguement.

The W+H service boots are nice, but really your paying for quality of materials and finish after a certain point.

Alot of the higher MC shoes are just that, better finish, materials and QC.

Is the price justified? People are buying. Fairly unique look, small production runs, hard to obtain, individualized treatment, unique materials.

I'm unsure. If I was single, rather wealthy then probably more so. Is part of the allure 'these are 1500 destroyed cordovan boots.'?

Would drop on Julius engineer boots first, then the canvas over leather.

 

[Fuuma]

Originally Posted by Teger

I have seen both augusta and wings + horns service boots in person and I don't see a huge quality jump to justify the $1500 price tag difference.

pricing with the 'artisanal' brands (and I type that word laced with scorn~!!) is totally absurd right now

Well if W&H boots fill your specific needs go for it. Past a certain quality level that's much lower than this there isn't much of an argument to go for a specific maker and pair beyond aesthetic appreciation and emotional payoff.

 

[Lel]

Originally Posted by Teger

I have seen both augusta and wings + horns service boots in person and I don't see a huge quality jump to justify the $1500 price tag difference.

pricing with the 'artisanal' brands (and I type that word laced with scorn~!!) is totally absurd right now

I'm going to say though, I really dislike the new leather on the W+H boots, the old ones were, IMO, much better.

 

[canstyleace]

Originally Posted by Fuuma

Past a certain quality level that's much lower than this there isn't much of an argument to go for a specific maker and pair beyond aesthetic appreciation and emotional payoff.

+1

Most truthful comment in this thread so far.