The Bespoke Shoes Thread

[bjhofkin]

it make me think that maybe they do outsource some of the last making,
hence the poor fit.
Like you once say,
you know men who got measured by Cleverley last maker and still got bad fit.
Maybe they got busy and outsourced?
Cleverley have the skill to do good fit,
so something not right.

I have a sincere question:

Are you a non-native English speaker? If so, please don't take offense as I don't intend any.

But if not…every time I see one of your posts I'm always trying to figure out what to make of the Cookie Monster shtick.

 

[bdavro23]

I have a sincere question:

Are you a non-native English speaker? If so, please don't take offense as I don't intend any.

But if not…every time I see one of your posts I'm always trying to figure out what to make of the Cookie Monster shtick.

Bro, I cant...

On the other hand, I guess theres something to be said for keeping this **** up for so long...

 

[clee1982]

I have to say I never recall EG said Top Drawer is handwelt though, I mean I have seen a lot English RTW guys kind dance around that question rather than answer it incorrectly (except GC)

 

[Son Of Saphir]

I have to say I never recall EG said Top Drawer is handwelt though, I mean I have seen a lot English RTW guys kind dance around that question rather than answer it incorrectly (except GC)

Most surprising was person who said it.
Even more surprising was,
they have kept repeating that E.G top draw was hand welted despite me correcting them the first time and also explaining what the factory staff said.

George come clean with me and say that AC was goodyear welted.
He knew not to try and play tricks.
AC looks like a factory made shoe,
it look goodyear welted because it is gyw.

But if not…every time I see one of your posts I'm always trying to figure out what to make of the Cookie Monster shtick.

me like it
me speak much more good now.
some man say me caveman
some man say me cookie monster.
me only come here sometimes

 

[clee1982]

For GC I feels like it's also depends on who is responding, last time when I asked about if AC is handwelt they dance around by saying we can offer handwelt on AC for 1,850 GBP (just around COVID time) instead of 1,100 GBP for "regular AC" without answering the question, though I have no idea if that 1,850 GBP AC is actually handwelt or more like some MTO AC program.

 

[j ingevaldsson]

Most surprising was person who said it.
Even more surprising was,
they have kept repeating that E.G top draw was hand welted despite me correcting them the first time and also explaining what the factory staff said.

George come clean with me and say that AC was goodyear welted.
He knew not to try and play tricks.
AC looks like a factory made shoe,
it look goodyear welted because it is gyw.




me like it
me speak much more good now.
some man say me caveman
some man say me cookie monster.
me only come here sometimes

I know a previous Sales Manager used to say Top Drawer was hand welted, even if one told him he was wrong. In his case I always thought it only was cause he knew nothing about shoes. Was this recently, so they still have people claiming this?

 

[kg13]

Hello everyone!

I am very pleased to share my first (and surely not my last) commission from An Hy shoes out of Vietnam. I ordered a split toe derby, Dover style based on their in-house pattern with double leather sole, blind welt (inside and outside), and Dark Brown Utah calf.

All their shoes are hand lasted, hand welted, and have hand stitched outsoles. Prices start from 711 USD for made to order and 800 USD for made-to-measure (MTM).

This is a MTM shoe on my personal, classic round last. Toe shapes they offer include classic round, almond, soft square, and chisel. For this pair, I wanted something smart but not so sleek so I went for the classic round shape. What's interesting with An Hy's approach to MTM is that they will use an existing last and apply substantial modifications to it allowing them to really fine tune the fit. We had 3 trial pairs done due to my very irregularly shaped feet (very narrow heel, very narrow waist, wide forefoot). I would send photos and videos of myself wearing the trial shoes and share how I felt wearing them. I'm glad to report that we nailed the fit! The shoes fit snug but not tight everywhere but with a nice, roomy toe box. It's amazing how An Hy was able to create such a nice last shape given the design constraint of my duck shaped feet. From my experience, you can also give some input as to the kind of shape you want and they will do their best to accommodate you. They even do custom patterns for a small up-charge.

One of the most enjoyable aspects of the buying experience for me is the customer service and the ability to build a relationship with the brand. HD (the owner) is very responsive, and he kept in touch with me the whole time to give me regular updates. HD would often share progress photos and explain each step so I learned a great deal about shoe design and construction. HD and I would also talk about shoes often so we have a good understanding now of what kinds of styles and shapes we both like and dislike. It's also great to support a new maker with a lot of passion and heart for the craft. Overall, I'm very pleased with the looks and construction of the shoes. I wanted a smart but not so sleek pair of split toes that I could wear with casual tailoring and An Hy definitely delivered.

Upon close examination, I feel like these are a modern and youthful take on the EG dover. Details such as the slimmer, less round apron that creates an arrow like shape, the extremely smooth and seamless transition of the welt towards the waist, and the slightly pitched heel all make this pair have a character of its own. The finishing is also a joy to behold. I feel that the 10SPI and the stitch prick they use conveys a very strong, masculine, and elegant expression while the curve and transition of the sole towards the waist has a beautiful, graceful curvature to it. Seeing these details, I know that a great deal of time and care went into the making of these shoes.

Hope you enjoyed this and thank you for reading!

 

[Psyko]

Hello everyone!

I am very pleased to share my first (and surely not my last) commission from An Hy shoes out of Vietnam. I ordered a split toe derby, Dover style based on their in-house pattern with double leather sole, blind welt (inside and outside), and Dark Brown Utah calf.

Was there an extra upcharge for the three trial shoes?

 

[bdavro23]

Most surprising was person who said it.
Even more surprising was,
they have kept repeating that E.G top draw was hand welted despite me correcting them the first time and also explaining what the factory staff said.

George come clean with me and say that AC was goodyear welted.
He knew not to try and play tricks.
AC looks like a factory made shoe,
it look goodyear welted because it is gyw.




me like it
me speak much more good now.
some man say me caveman
some man say me cookie monster.
me only come here sometimes

400 × 169

 

[Son Of Saphir]

I know a previous Sales Manager used to say Top Drawer was hand welted, even if one told him he was wrong. In his case I always thought it only was cause he knew nothing about shoes. Was this recently, so they still have people claiming this?

The managing director made that claim a couple of years ago.

Me explain to staff and managing director the top draw are not hand welted.

Recently new sales staff also repeated that claim at an E.G trunk show,
so someone at E.G is still filling their heads with this nonsense.

me assume lady is still spreading this story because they usually deal with this lady.

Some of the older staff know E.G talk nonsense.
The new ones still get tricked,
but me pull them aside and let them in on the secrets and expose the lies.

 

[ValidusLA]

 

[dieworkwear]

Recently new sales staff also repeated that claim at an E.G trunk show,

i've heard this claim at an event (e.g. trunk show).

by e.g. i mean exempli gratia, not edward green.

 

[j ingevaldsson]

The managing director made that claim a couple of years ago.

Me explain to staff and managing director the top draw are not hand welted.

Recently new sales staff also repeated that claim at an E.G trunk show,
so someone at E.G is still filling their heads with this nonsense.

me assume lady is still spreading this story because they usually deal with this lady.

Some of the older staff know E.G talk nonsense.
The new ones still get tricked,
but me pull them aside and let them in on the secrets and expose the lies.

Sad to hear. Hillary don't know shoes well either, but this is such an obvious thing that it seems like they've made a decision to keep on using that lie ?

 

[patrickBOOTH]

So Francis Waplinger's shop is quite near me. Having a bespoke shoemaker nearby is nice and I would like to support local craftspeople. I am planning on visiting later this week. Has anyone here had any experience with him?

According to his website, his MTO starts at $2400. This is quite steep compared to some of the other MTO handmade options options I was considering are about half or a quarter as much like Cleverly's Anthony Cleverley line., Yeossal, and Acme Shoemaker; but maybe this is worthwhile for a handmade shoes? I don't really know much about this but I am trying to find a way to justify it.

The biggest advantage FW has for me is proximity and what I hope will be a good service.

A friend of mine has a few from him and is very satisfied and highly recommends him. I trust his judgement.

 

[corpseposeur]

A friend of mine has a few from him and is very satisfied and highly recommends him. I trust his judgement.

I visited Francis Waplinger at his workshop. He was very nice and I was able to try on some fitting shoes for his MTO offering; which is basically a house last that he can make some modifications. He makes all of his shoes on his own which is pretty impressive which is super impressive it also explains the pricing which given that it's a solo show, is a bit more reasonable. His current MTO last is limited to a classic round but he mentioned that he was working on some other shapes as well. He showed me some examples of some beautiful pegged waist construction as well. Ultimately, it's a bit more than what I would want to spend. Given that Gaziano & Girling charges about $4000 for a similar handmade MTO, I would opt for Francis and support local craftspeople.

However for my needs I think I'm going to go with Acme Shoemaker based on some recommendations for folks here and just ogling their Instagram. They're just a bit more of what I am looking for style-wise. I took some measurements at home and Oliver at Acme said they should be able to accommodate my measurements. I think I'm going to get this exact one with some fun brass monogramming.

I was going back and forth between a plain cap-toe, which is more formal and a punched cap. I think the punched cap is a bit more interesting but a standard cap-toe is the classic option.

Any thoughts?