• Hi, I am the owner and main administrator of Styleforum. If you find the forum useful and fun, please help support it by buying through the posted links on the forum. Our main, very popular sales thread, where the latest and best sales are listed, are posted HERE

    Purchases made through some of our links earns a commission for the forum and allows us to do the work of maintaining and improving it. Finally, thanks for being a part of this community. We realize that there are many choices today on the internet, and we have all of you to thank for making Styleforum the foremost destination for discussions of menswear.
  • This site contains affiliate links for which Styleforum may be compensated.
  • We would like to welcome House of Huntington as an official Affiliate Vendor. Shop past season Drake's, Nigel Cabourn, Private White V.C. and other menswear luxury brands at exceptional prices below retail. Please visit the Houise of Huntington thread and welcome them to the forum.

  • STYLE. COMMUNITY. GREAT CLOTHING.

    Bored of counting likes on social networks? At Styleforum, you’ll find rousing discussions that go beyond strings of emojis.

    Click Here to join Styleforum's thousands of style enthusiasts today!

    Styleforum is supported in part by commission earning affiliate links sitewide. Please support us by using them. You may learn more here.

Ordering Vass?

Lawman

Senior Member
Joined
Nov 17, 2006
Messages
869
Reaction score
1
I am trying to place my first Vass order. I have tried to reach them via email, and have received kind of sporadic responses. Is there a better way to order, by telephone for example? Thanks.
 

grimslade

Stylish Dinosaur
Joined
Mar 31, 2006
Messages
10,806
Reaction score
82
Because we all know that's the only way to order Vass stateside. Right? Right?
 

Sprezzatura2010

Senior Member
Joined
Aug 15, 2008
Messages
763
Reaction score
2
If you don't mind my asking, I'm curious why you'd be so eager to order Vass. Or order any shoes blind without having tried them or at least something in the same last. Unless you've previously tried them on or bought a pair at a store. That would change things.

I've seen a few of their shoes, and own one pair that I bought on steep discount a few years ago: a black pebblegrain derby with commando sole that is in my rain shoe rotation. Overall, they seem nice but no nicer than lots of stuff available in the US and Europe at an equal or lower price. They were really outlandishly expensive for what they were when I saw them for sale at Bergdorf Goodman a few years ago, compared to what they cost in Europe. Also, a few of the designs in their Budapest store seemed very cartoonish to me, and there are other makers I think who do their classic "Budapester" style better, such as Dinkelacker and Ludwig Reiter.

I mean, if you can find them for the 150EUR that my pair cost I think they're a good value. But at full price, I think there are better options.
 

Lawman

Senior Member
Joined
Nov 17, 2006
Messages
869
Reaction score
1
I'm really just curious to try. A lot of folks on here whose opinions I've grown to value highly speak of Vass shoes in reverent tones. I've seen a video of how they are made and was very impressed with the workmanship. I think the shoes on the U and F lasts are gorgeous. As for sizing, we don't have high end shoes here in North Carolina. The Edward Greens, C&Js and Tramezzas (my high end) that I have purchasd on the Internet were purchased without the benefit of ever having tried them on. I am a size 13 US, and I have yet to try on a UK12 or a US 13 that did not fit me well. I am very un-fussy when it comes to fit. If it doesn't give me blisters or squeeze my feet, they're fine. Voxsartoria's posts and pics certainly helped.
 

Montesquieu

Senior Member
Joined
Jul 24, 2007
Messages
324
Reaction score
15
If you've been to the store in Budapest, determined your preferred size and last(s), and ordered directly, then reordering from them via email is straightforward. However, if you haven't been there in person, then I think they prefer that you deal with a retailer.

Note that their delayed email responses may be due to this being August (European vacation month, during which their cobblers are on vacation) and Eva Vass having been on maternity leave.

There are plenty of threads on SF discusing the remote retail options.
 

Sprezzatura2010

Senior Member
Joined
Aug 15, 2008
Messages
763
Reaction score
2
Wow, I had no idea Vass had such a huge following here! I did a search for the word and came up with 500 threads! Interesting about your tolerance for fit. Must be a nice way to build up a great shoe collection. I know that every time I've tried to order a shoe untried, my feet have rebelled and I have ended up giving the shoes to charity. I have not read anything about those 500 threads or seen the video you mention, but I did buy Lazlo Vass's book a while ago because it was on the discount rack at a box bookstore and looked interesting and I read it. I also seem to own shoes from every "high end" shoemaker except for Saint Crispin and Dinkelacker: Green, Lobb, C&J, Weston, Reiter, Sutor Mantellassi, Lattanzi, Tanino Crisci, Materna bespoke, Ferragamo Tramezza (those are impressive shoes!), Grenson, Paraboot, Alden, Allen-Edmonds, Gravati, Santoni, Church's, etc. I don't think my Vass shoes are bad shoes, but they don't seem to be the creme de la creme either. The Stuart's Choice Grensons I bought from a great local shoe resource earlier this month for under $250 including sales tax seem better-made than my Vass shoes.
 

Lawman

Senior Member
Joined
Nov 17, 2006
Messages
869
Reaction score
1
Bennie's? I missed out on that one. Someone cleaned out the size 13 Timothy's before I could pull the trigger!
 

Montesquieu

Senior Member
Joined
Jul 24, 2007
Messages
324
Reaction score
15
Originally Posted by Lawman
I'm really just curious to try. A lot of folks on here whose opinions I've grown to value highly speak of Vass shoes in reverent tones. I've seen a video of how they are made and was very impressed with the workmanship. I think the shoes on the U and F lasts are gorgeous. As for sizing, we don't have high end shoes here in North Carolina. The Edward Greens, C&Js and Tramezzas (my high end) that I have purchasd on the Internet were purchased without the benefit of ever having tried them on. I am a size 13 US, and I have yet to try on a UK12 or a US 13 that did not fit me well. I am very un-fussy when it comes to fit. If it doesn't give me blisters or squeeze my feet, they're fine. Voxsartoria's posts and pics certainly helped.

Their shoes cost $650 (before import duties) including trees, if you buy direct. They're MTO and entirely hand made. You pick the last, size, leather, sole, color, stitching. That's hard to beat. I don't know what the remote retailers charge, but if you can't make your way to Budapest for a first purchase, then I'm sure they're still cheaper than most alternatives at retail.

My modest collection includes EG, JL, G&G, Corthay, Santoni, and Mantellassi, most purchased directly from the manufacturers. I enjoy them all for different reasons. But they each cost at least 50% more than Vass, and that's one reason why I own 8 pair of Vass and no more than 2 of each of the others. Vass is great value.
 

scot

Senior Member
Joined
Oct 17, 2003
Messages
171
Reaction score
2
last i checked they were 900-1200 in the us.
 

Zandros

Senior Member
Joined
Apr 8, 2008
Messages
113
Reaction score
0
Originally Posted by Sprezzatura2010
Wow, I had no idea Vass had such a huge following here! I did a search for the word and came up with 500 threads!

It's even more. 500 is the default cut off limit for searches.

Sometimes I'm tempted to get a 160€ Interrail pass and catch a train down to Budapest.

/Adrian
 

Montesquieu

Senior Member
Joined
Jul 24, 2007
Messages
324
Reaction score
15
Originally Posted by scot
last i checked they were 900-1200 in the us.

Direct from Vass, they're €410 ($615) including trees exported, before import duties. That's the price I paid for three pair just last week.
 

Sprezzatura2010

Senior Member
Joined
Aug 15, 2008
Messages
763
Reaction score
2
Originally Posted by Lawman
Bennie's? I missed out on that one.
You guys all know about Bennie's? Damn. How did that happen? I guess in the age of the internet nothing's a local secret any more, for better or worse. But since I'm not buying any more shoes for a little while, they have a great black pebblegrain ankle boot with a Danite sole on display. I don't know if they go as high as 13. Besides the cognac wingtips I pulled off of their clearance wall and took home, their other Stuart's Choice Grensons did not appeal to me. I also like that the new ones come with the original boxes and bags. The first couple pairs I bought (years ago, at a branch out in the sticks near where my parents live) came in white boxes with no bags.
 

voxsartoria

Goon member
Timed Out
Joined
Jan 18, 2007
Messages
25,700
Reaction score
180
Originally Posted by Sprezzatura2010
I also seem to own shoes from every "high end" shoemaker except for Saint Crispin and Dinkelacker: Green, Lobb, C&J, Weston, Reiter, Sutor Mantellassi, Lattanzi, Tanino Crisci, Materna bespoke, Ferragamo Tramezza (those are impressive shoes!), Grenson, Paraboot, Alden, Allen-Edmonds, Gravati, Santoni, Church's, etc.

I don't think my Vass shoes are bad shoes, but they don't seem to be the creme de la creme either. The Stuart's Choice Grensons I bought from a great local shoe resource earlier this month for under $250 including sales tax seem better-made than my Vass shoes.


Well, "creme de la creme" is subjective, but "better-made" should be more objective. While there might be a few corrections or updates here or there, this jcusey post on another forum is as good a place as any to understand why Vass is appealing.

My RTW dress shoe collection is pretty extensive, and I own and wear about fifteen pairs each of Vass, Lobb, EG, and Alden...and a variety of others in fewer numbers like Lattanzi, Saint Crispin's, Kiton, Tramezzas, Grenson Masterpieces, C&Js, Sutors, etc. I like all of them in their own way, but Vass do not lose any ground to the best, and their construction comes closer to a top bespoke shoe if only for the handlasting and handwelting. Plus, one aquires them basically MTO, and it is a pleasure to spec details.

I am not sure why your one pair of Vass is so unsatisfying, but it is great that you have other shoes that you really like.

- B
 

Sprezzatura2010

Senior Member
Joined
Aug 15, 2008
Messages
763
Reaction score
2
Interesting. I had no idea they were so good from a technical perspective. I do think my Tramezzas, Westons, and lone pair of Lattanzis use "better" leather than Vass. Or Edward Green.

I would not say that my pair of Vass are "unsatisfying." I do not dislike them in any way. They are comfortable, if a little blobby. (Is "Peter" a Vass last type? If so, that's what mine are on.) They have been durable. Their shoe trees are nice.

There is just nothing about them that leads me to think that they are super special shoes, worthy of buying from across the ocean untried and sight unseen. But I am just a guy who has bought too many pairs of expensive shoes, not someone with a deep knowledge of different construction techniques and so on.
 

Featured Sponsor

How important is full vs half canvas to you for heavier sport jackets?

  • Definitely full canvas only

    Votes: 55 36.7%
  • Half canvas is fine

    Votes: 59 39.3%
  • Really don't care

    Votes: 15 10.0%
  • Depends on fabric

    Votes: 26 17.3%
  • Depends on price

    Votes: 26 17.3%

Forum statistics

Threads
505,149
Messages
10,578,764
Members
223,878
Latest member
anaforli
Top