Shoes, Handmade in the United States for $1000.00

[sully]



Is European or European trained looked on as good or bad in US regards shoemaking quality or ability.

I enquire only because in Europe we don't get to hear about US based shoemakers and of course quality of work and skills vary greatly in different parts of Europe but a previous post implied that many European trained craftsmen have a bad reputation.I would think the traditions of the trade have broader base in say UK France Italy perhaps and a lot of the well regarded makers come from these countries indeed they often travel to the US and other countries We should take all craftsmen at face value but sometimes we can get influenced without realising.

 

[sstomcat]



I enquire only because in Europe we don't get to hear about US based shoemakers and of course quality of work and skills vary greatly in different parts of Europe but a previous post implied that many European trained craftsmen have a bad reputation.I would think the traditions of the trade have broader base in say UK France Italy perhaps and a lot of the well regarded makers come from these countries indeed they often travel to the US and other countries We should take all craftsmen at face value but sometimes we can get influenced without realising.

Well put!, I'm absolutely new as well,what I have gleaned from the forum is - it is ultimately you individual experience that matters. It is also possible wha turned out to be a great experience for me may not be so for others in terms of style, taste etc but what shouldn't change is the quality of service...imo

 

[fritzl]



I would think the traditions of the trade have broader base in say UK France Italy perhaps and a lot of the well regarded makers come from these countries

i would think, i miss a very influental school of shoemaking in your listing, anyway.

 

[sully]

Apologies Fritzl ,of course I should have mentioned the Austrian / Hungarian tradition as well.

 

[fritzl]



Apologies Fritzl ,of course I should have mentioned the Austrian / Hungarian tradition as well.

you're welcome. much appreciated.

looking at our expert on duty. he's a scotsman by heart.

 

[DWFII]



[COLOR=FF00AA]
I enquire only because in Europe we don't get to hear about US based shoemakers and of course quality of work and skills vary greatly in different parts of Europe but a previous post implied that many European trained craftsmen have a bad reputation.I would think the traditions of the trade have broader base in say UK France Italy perhaps and a lot of the well regarded makers come from these countries indeed they often travel to the US and other countries We should take all craftsmen at face value but sometimes we can get influenced without realising. [/COLOR]

I would have to say that in Europe, Trades such as shoemaking are revered and treasured/preserved to a far greater extent than in the US. Here we tear down perfectly good brownstones to make way for McDonalds. Here we pave over historic sites so that there will be room for one more shopping mall. Here the buck is God. With RightNow his handmaiden. In fact, along with Asimov's observation about a cult of ignorance in the US, I would add another old saw: "Americans know the price of everything and the value of nothing." We can see that illustrated over and over again in posts like "Handmade Shoes in the US for n Dollars." (not that it's not a valid inquiry just that it betrays a perspective that is out of focus, IMHO.)

Without Europe, and firms such as Lobb, St. James and shoemakers such as Anthony Delos and Janne Melkerssohn and Jan Petter Myrhe And Marcel and James Carreducker and many many more, we'd all be wearing running shoes.

But don't get to feeling too smug over there...American mercantilism is a virus (meme) that has spread across the globe. It ain't over.

All that said, there are many fine US shoemakers...and maybe...hopefully...more coming down the pike. There seems to be a slightly renewed sensibility abroad in the land...in my better moments, I flatter myself to think that I have been a small part of it by teaching, writing and arguing against the banality (if nothing else) of RTW, over the course of the last three+ decades.

Hoo Hum...

 

[iroh]

i really wish they would stop making shoes with leather soles. leather uppers are ok for the time being (until humans develop a better alt), but with leather soles? no. leather should should be replaced with a goodyear welted rubber sole with leather veneer. much more practical, it will last longer and be waterproof. using animal skin as shoe soles in 2012 is madness and i am glad leather soled shoes are slowly dying out as they shuld. people who like leather soled shoes are dinosaurs who cannot see teh goodness of new materials in the evolution of the human shoe.

 

[DWFII]

Run you bastards!

 

[Xenon]



i really wish they would stop making shoes with leather soles. leather uppers are ok for the time being (until humans develop a better alt), but with leather soles? no. leather should should be replaced with a goodyear welted rubber sole with leather veneer. much more practical, it will last longer and be waterproof. using animal skin as shoe soles in 2012 is madness and i am glad leather soled shoes are slowly dying out as they shuld. people who like leather soled shoes are dinosaurs who cannot see teh goodness of new materials in the evolution of the human shoe.

Are you trolling? Ever seen a nice rubber fiddleback sole? I dare you or anyone else to post a beautiful sole shot that isn't leather!

In any regards the more we move on the more we realize leather is a superior material to all synthetics (not just some synthetics)

But if you're hell bent on synthetics why not just get some trainers (or what ever) and forget the leather veneer. Something preferably in black shiny nylon with thick white laces and pink soles

 

[Asian Afro]



In fact, along with Asimov's observation about a cult of ignorance in the US, I would add another old saw: "Americans know the price of everything and the value of nothing." We can see that illustrated over and over again in posts like "Handmade Shoes in the US for n Dollars." (not that it's not a valid inquiry just that it betrays a perspective that is out of focus, IMHO.)

Sometimes it's difficult to go for quality for quality's sake alone. The thousand-dollar price point is also important to me because it means a better-quality product made to my specifications at the same or a lower cost than top drawer RTW shoes. If the base price for bespoke shoes began at $2,500, for example, I'd not try them until much later, even knowing the difference in quality. It's probably also important to shoemakers so that they can remain competitive against RTW shoes.

So, I'm happy that I can get bespoke shoes at around a grand. It's about getting the best quality that I can afford.

 

[DWFII]



So, I'm happy that I can get bespoke shoes at around a grand. It's about getting the best quality that I can afford.

If it really is quality...in every sense of the word, and, again, with "due diligence" observed... that you're looking for, there's nothing wrong with that approach. But all too often it is the "glamour," the brandname cachet, that people seek and pay for. Even if they don't want to admit it. There are none so outraged or defensive as those who don't wish to confront or admit that simple fact.

Consider...if you can purchase an admittedly no-name, handwelted, bespoke shoe for around $1k, why in the world would you pay that much or more for a RTW unless you're seeking the association with a famous brand?

Will that fame rub off? Will you immediately ascend to the heights of society? Perhaps...for a while...and then you'll reach a level where those around you let you know, in subtle ways, that your shoes, like the rest of your wardrobe, are just another form of ticky-tacky.

 

[Michael Ay329]



i really wish they would stop making shoes with leather soles... using animal skin as shoe soles in 2012 is madness and i am glad leather soled shoes are slowly dying out as they shuld. people who like leather soled shoes are dinosaurs who cannot see teh goodness of new materials in the evolution of the human shoe.

I have one Dainite and one micro sole boot in my entire wardrobe...every other shoe and boot is leather soled (sometimes double) and all my other shoes on order are leather sole.

Nothing out there provides me the all day comfort that a leather soled shoe does. It is madness for me to use plastic because by about mid-day...my feet feel tired.

What is the goodness of new materials?

 

[iroh]



I have one Dainite and one micro sole boot in my entire wardrobe...every other shoe and boot is leather soled (sometimes double) and all my other shoes on order are leather sole.
Nothing out there provides me the all day comfort that a leather soled shoe does. It is madness for me to use plastic because by about mid-day...my feet feel tired.
What is the goodness of new materials?

as a strong young man with powerful feet who owns leather soled shoes as well as rubber sole shoes, i have to say my sneakers are some of the most comfortable shoes i own and plenty of other people will agree with me and sneakers have rubber soles, not leather.

also fiddle back waist can be done on a rubber sole, you would do it exactly the same way as you would on a leather sole.

sticking with leather soles is foolish, they wear out quickly and are susceptable to water damage. clearly a leather upper/rubber & leather veneer sole hybrid would be the superior solution. why drive a horse when you can drive a car?

 

[DWFII]



[COLOR=FF00AA]as a strong young man with powerful feet who owns leather soled shoes as well as rubber sole shoes, i have to say my sneakers are some of the most comfortable shoes i own and plenty of other people will agree with me and sneakers have rubber soles, not leather.
also fiddle back waist can be done on a rubber sole, you would do it exactly the same way as you would on a leather sole.
sticking with leather soles is foolish, they wear out quickly and are susceptable to water damage. clearly a leather upper/rubber & leather veneer sole hybrid would be the superior solution. why drive a horse when you can drive a car?[/COLOR]

Well, I thought this was all very tongue-in-cheek but if you are serious, let me point out that there are more environmental ills...more economic and social ills...associated with using petro-chemical based products than leather has ever produced. Ever.

Every pair of shoes with a rubber sole that you purchase and wear, not only harms the environment in its production but even in wear. And every pair you buy...and every time you defend them...you increase the demand for petro-chemically based products.

If "foolish" can be defined as being so blind to the consequences of your actions that you refuse to see the hidden costs for your personal comfort, then there is nothing so foolish in all of contemporary society as the position you have articulated. This attitude alone is responsible for all...all...of the spills, destruction of habitat, extinction of species, and global warming known to man...in one way or the other.

And every time you buy a product that is petro-chemically derived, especially when presented with an alternative, every time you defend its use, you add to the indifference and the tolerance of that toxicity as a normal and acceptable cost of personal comfort and ease.

With all due respect, it is not, in my opinion, a particularly rational...nor admirable...position to take.

 

[Asian Afro]



If it really is quality...in every sense of the word, and, again, with "due diligence" observed... that you're looking for, there's nothing wrong with that approach. But all too often it is the "glamour," the brandname cachet, that people seek and pay for. Even if they don't want to admit it. There are none so outraged or defensive as those who don't wish to confront or admit that simple fact.

Consider...if you can purchase an admittedly no-name, handwelted, bespoke shoe for around $1k, why in the world would you pay that much or more for a RTW unless you're seeking the association with a famous brand?

I think people look for both quality and "glamour," and brand names and their associated prices are often confused with high quality. That sort of thinking isn't entirely wrong. For even when top drawer RTW shoes employ the same cost-saving methods as those used by much cheaper shoes, the materials may be better and the people who worked on them might be more skilled. But should the end product cost that much? Probably not, but that is the market price for so-called upper-tier shoes.

People need to be educated as consumers. I didn't even know good-looking shoes were still being made until I found SF. Heck, I didn't know enough a year ago to write the above paragraph. Your posts have opened my eyes more, and likely others' as well.

As for being associated with a famous brand...the brands SF members lust after are obscure to the general public. In my own experience, people can tell I'm wearing nice shoes, but they have no idea what brand or what they cost, nor do they care. I've noticed that women's eyes are often drawn to my Barker Lincolns (the worst-fitting shoes in my collection), but that's about it. I wear these shoes for my own pleasure.

Besides, I think there's more cachet in wearing killer shoes made by obscure craftsmen.