MTM Chelsea Boots from Vietnam

[binatang]

The shop showed me their pelts/skins & there was obvious blemishes in some areas leading me to conclude they are top/full grain. You won't see blemishes like scars & stretch marks on corrected grain for the simple reason they are err ... corrected! They also absorbed shoes cream rather well. However I felt the brown leathers were better than the black in terms of quality.

I found the overall quality good but some designs were inelegant due to the last used. Asians have wide feet & quite like the comfort of a chunkier toe box. The boots were probably made on shoe lasts hence they were unable to crimp anything above the instep. They were actually making the shoes across the street.

 

[neyus]

These are the best $60.00 shoes I've ever seen.

 

[orlagu]

Picked up my second pair yesterday (took me 2 weeks)...
Model was Gaziano & Girling Oxford, and mine reached 80-85% of the original appearance I think.

(Sorry for my poor polishing skill

. Haven't mastered the mirror-shine technique yet.)

The waist is nicer than the first one's:

Cost is the same, US$60.
One more pair of RLPL EG Grant, and that's my black shoes quota.

I think I'm running out of shoe trees

...

 

[whacked]

^

 

[vitaminc]

Originally Posted by neyus

These are the best $60.00 shoes I've ever seen.

QFT. Best value I have ever seen on this forum!

 

[jakejake]

Wow.. beautiful. I think when i come back to VN, i'll get myself a few pairs. Do you give them pictures of the shoes you want made or how does it work?

 

[orlagu]

I gave them the pictures, and told them - quite carefully - how I want my shoes look like, too. The shop is right behind my (now former) office, so it's been quite convenient for me. The appearance and fit really did improve from the first pair.

Added pic of lining and label.

 

[binatang]

Originally Posted by jakejake

Wow.. beautiful. I think when i come back to VN, i'll get myself a few pairs. Do you give them pictures of the shoes you want made or how does it work?

Normally they make a shoes based on designs they have in the store. Some last are nice ... others less so. This takes about 7 days. If you go with pictures, they will usually make it on existing last shapes.

In mine & Orlagu's case our order was very specific so they had to make a special last for us ... well sort of. They buy a ready-made plastic last & mod it with epoxy to shape it to what we want. This will of course take longer.

I kinda copied Orlagu's last actually. Yes! I'm a lasy sod

 

[neyus]

Originally Posted by orlagu

Picked up my second pair yesterday (took me 2 weeks)...
Model was Gaziano & Girling Oxford, and mine reached 80-85% of the original appearance I think.

(Sorry for my poor polishing skill

. Haven't mastered the mirror-shine technique yet.)

The waist is nicer than the first one's:

Cost is the same, US$60.
One more pair of RLPL EG Grant, and that's my black shoes quota.

I think I'm running out of shoe trees

...

Once again they have done exceptionally well with your $60.00. Is there anyway to get them to do soles without the inserts?

 

[orlagu]

@neyus: Thank you for your compliments

.

You meant the topied soles? Actually I could have asked them not to topy my shoes, but since I gotta walk everyday from the parking lot to my office - trust me, you don't wanna know how crappy these pavements and sidewalks are

- I just didn't wanna ruin my shoes that quick

...

@binatang: I visited the lastmaker few days ago to order my desired last, modified from the G&G Oxford's. The price was cheap, only $10 for the first pair, and any additional/duplicated pair would be $4. Made from plastic, of course. The toebox would also be smoothen out (wanted it to look like Vass U).

Please post the pics of your Oxford once it's done

.

 

[binatang]

Orlagu

Actually I already have them but no times for pics just yet.
Got to agree with the topies. Wearing leather soled shoes in wet weather is suicidal. Close to zero traction & grip!

Wow show us the last. Can you PM me the last makers address & contact no.
$10 bucks is worth a go.

Oddly enough before HCM ... I was actually entertaining the idea of making my own shoes ha ha!
http://www.shoemakingbook.com/
Tim Skyrme has some nice videos on youtube as well

 

[Matt]

hadn't looked in on this in a while, you guys dug up somewhere decent huh? who is doing this for you?

Originally Posted by whacked

The last few posts made my day. So proud to be a VNmese.

meh, come back for a half hour, should have that out of your system before the airport taxiride is over, Son

Originally Posted by orlagu

I haven't owned, or had physical contact with any AE yet, so can't speak

.
I will be traveling for a couple weeks, but IM me sometime in June (May pretty much wont exist for me) - I have 3 or 4 pairs I can show you.

Kent, I like your SF pocket square

. Will order one soon.

bah. Don't waste your money

Actually I get my gf's sister's staff to hand sew me squares out of scrap silk they have in her store (gf's sister is a moderately prominent fashion designer, has a store on Ly Tu Trong, and in a move that made me nauseous for days, has just been named in some magazine as one of the 10 most beautiful women in Vietnam).

Originally Posted by binatang

. They were actually making the shoes across the street.

Where is that?

 

[binatang]

m@T

Its on Le Thang Ton opposite the shoe shop.

As for my new order of shoes.
1 x Oxford - Black
I x Derby - Black
1 x Loafer - Chocolate Suede

 

[orlagu]

Picked up my third commission, EG RLPL Stern model:

Unfortunately it's rainy season in Saigon now, so they won't see much action until the end of this year...

 

[haganah]

They should pull some Jantzen maneuvers and start selling really cheap MTM shoes on the net.