The Bespoke Shoes Thread

[wurger]

Can you please share some photoes of the "abysmal" alligaor leather wholecut? I heard usually it's not advisable to start off with a bespoke loafer as your first pair...

 

[shackletonian]

Can you please share some photoes of the "abysmal" alligaor leather wholecut? I heard usually it's not advisable to start off with a bespoke loafer as your first pair...

The Bespoke Shoes Thread

The beautiful customers like Stallone and Statham obviously. Good point! When I ordered, Senior talked about clients who were members of gentlemen's clubs and ordered bespoke shoes by the dozens. I'm certainly a small timer in that regard, as I can only order one pair every couple of years...

www.styleforum.net

As for not starting with loafers, it may be advice, but you also expect a firm to either decline or own the fit. If they did not want to do it or thought it might be difficult, and more so than they want, they could decline.

 

[wurger]

wow, those cracked uppers and poor fit of the lazyman...

 

[marlinspike]

The Bespoke Shoes Thread

The beautiful customers like Stallone and Statham obviously. Good point! When I ordered, Senior talked about clients who were members of gentlemen's clubs and ordered bespoke shoes by the dozens. I'm certainly a small timer in that regard, as I can only order one pair every couple of years...

www.styleforum.net

As for not starting with loafers, it may be advice, but you also expect a firm to either decline or own the fit. If they did not want to do it or thought it might be difficult, and more so than they want, they could decline.

Yeah Alexandru Maftei is one fifth the price basically and still did an entire remake for me when loafer fit was off. I know you're not getting the same thing as the $3k and up shoes, but he has way less margin beyond materials and room in the hourly rate at his prices and still stood by his work. I would think their prices would contemplate the occasional redo.

 

[RJman]

Without wanting to spam teh foraz, it seems to me this threaq would be interested to know about a (completely legit) charity raffle whose grand prize is a pair of French custom shoes, with runner-up prizes being RTW shoes from Lobb Paris, Berluti, Corthay and others. I don't have any commercial connection to this, but am confident in the person who asked me to spread the word about this: Anthony Delos, my first French custom shoemaker, who's now at Berluti. He asked if I could put this on blast: all proceeds go to charity, the raffle being organized by the French professional organization of bootmakers (the CSNB) and its costs sponsored by Christian Louboutin in order to have as much as possible of ticket sales go to the Gustave Roussy Foundation, a leading European anti-cancer center.

The link to the raffle, with rules and ticket purchase options, is here: Shoes For Life | Solidarity raffle for the fight against cancer. (shoes-for-life.com)

 

[marlinspike]

Is there someone for repairs in the US you guys trust with bespoke shoes? I just need heels and toe taps but the average cobbler that still cobbles can mess up your whole shoe even with just that it seems.

Alternatively, if there's someone in Paris who could work with a 3 day turn around that will work for me too.

 

[brax]

Jim McFarland in Lakeland FL is great. When my cobbler runs into a problem, he send the shoes to Jim.
I think that Kirby Allison‘s shoe service runs through Jim.

 

[marlinspike]

Jim McFarland in Lakeland FL is great. When my cobbler runs into a problem, he send the shoes to Jim.
I think that Kirby Allison‘s shoe service runs through Jim.

I get the feeling he's gotten too busy for his own good these days. I had used him before he got linked up with Kirby (and admittedly one of the shoes I sent came back with a squeak), but when I tried to reach out to him this time he was too hard to get a hold of and where things ended was his saying he would get back to me if he could do the job, and I never heard back. I have a policy that I don't chase down people before giving them money because then they get REALLY hard to hear from after giving them money.

 

[BColl_Has_Too_Many_Shoes]

Is there someone for repairs in the US you guys trust with bespoke shoes? I just need heels and toe taps but the average cobbler that still cobbles can mess up your whole shoe even with just that it seems.

Alternatively, if there's someone in Paris who could work with a 3 day turn around that will work for me too.

Perry Ercolino can do that for you. He's a helluva more expensive (I think) than most "general" cobblers, but you can rest easy that you will have a handsewn sole.

Shoe Re-Craft

A pair of handmade shoes is an investment. In order to ensure that every client enjoys a gainful return, we will happily reshape, rebuild and recondition any custom shoe. Unlike European shoemakers, we can re-craft footwear domestically, thereby eliminating the time and expense of over-seas...

www.perryercolino.com

 

[loduN]

Is there someone for repairs in the US you guys trust with bespoke shoes? I just need heels and toe taps but the average cobbler that still cobbles can mess up your whole shoe even with just that it seems.

Alternatively, if there's someone in Paris who could work with a 3 day turn around that will work for me too.

Atelier Cattelan
Cordonnerie Barilero
Cordonnerie des Deux Lutins

3 reputable cobblers in Paris, you might ask for their turnaround.

 

[marlinspike]

I'm going a different route since I have fairly frequent need for heels and toe taps, but much less common need for soles (which is weird, because before going bespoke I pretty much wore out everything at once, even with JR leather on the sole, but after going bespoke the soles are lasting much longer but the toes and heels not), I'm just learning to do it myself. Sadly some of my stuff seems to be stuck in limbo on shipping. Also can't seem to find a not-made-in-China heel edge iron, but I'm sure I have some smooth metal around that I can use to slick it up. The cost decent cobblers are charging at this point to do heel top lifts and toe taps seems like a $300/hr rate, and then you also have shipping back and forth and then like a 2 month wait.

 

[j ingevaldsson]

Visited Akira Tani in Florence last week. As some might know, he used to be responsible for the finishing of the bespoke shoes at Stefano Bemer, but left to start his own brand a couple of years ago. Very old school Italian style, highly wearable in today's day and age, and his awesome finishing skills are of course there. And price starts at just €2,300 (incl. VAT) with lasted shoe trees. Below some photos (those who are interested can read and see more in this article on my blog):

 

[GzianoCucinelli]

Shout out to my man @ntempleman for helping me cross another item off of my bucket list.

1st pair of bespoke shoes; euroleathers Nevada Calf loafers with a seamless back.

Took receipt of these back in April & already worn with lots and lots of love.

10/10 would recommend @ntempleman

Looking forward to our next project together 😈

 

[masugu]

Shout out to my man @ntempleman for helping me cross another item off of my bucket list.

1st pair of bespoke shoes: euroleathers Nevada Calf loafers with a seamless back

Took receipt of these back in April & already worn with lots and lots of love

10/10 would recommend @ntempleman

Looking forward to our next project together 😈

Excellent!

I have a pair of penny loafers - brown pigskin in process - from Mr. Templeman. Different penny slot, but with a similar sweeping strap. No seams on the back as well.

 

[marlinspike]

I hadn't heard of these guys but they seem to do good work at sub $3k. Still too rich for my blood, but out of curiosity will this sole decoration last through more than one long walk?