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If (that's a big "if") the bespoke shoes go right (even then, the first pair won't fit "perfectly"). If they go wrong, they can be an expensive shipwreck!Originally Posted by bengal-stripe
You're absolutely right of course--chances are they won't fit perfectly. But no RTW will fit perfectly either. And more importantly, even when a customer tries on a pair of RTW and they seem to make his feet sing in the first ten minutes of walking around, ten days later those same feet can be crying the blues. And ten weeks later real foot problems can be on the horizon. We deceive ourselves (and those around us) in this regard. And to the extent that we accept and then parrot the advertising hype in lieu common sense, we do ourselves (and those around us) a great disservice. Good shoes break in...in all dimensions. That's why leather is the preferred medium. If the foot starts off in a container/environment that is close...maybe almost, but not quite perfect...the chances are much higher that the shoe will be able to accommodate itself to the foot than if the fit is just 'in the general range.' There are many good bespoke makers who are no more expensive than the top dollar RTW. The money invested is not, nor does it have to be, an issue or the red-herring that people make it. A bespoke maker is gonna give you something you won't get with the most admired, most ballyhooed, most hyped brand on the market. He is going to give you personal attention. He is going to focus specifically on your feet. He is going to do his best to make something that is perfect for your feet...right and left. That he may fail to achieve perfection on the first attempt is at least a sign that he is trying. There are no guarantees in life. People hide behind the security blankets of brand names or the glamour of expensive marketing campaigns as a hedge against disappointment and the demands of getting involved. And RTW makers--manufacturers--hide behind the blanket of mass production and uniformity and the anonymity of the unknown customer.
