Is It Truly Possible To Get Bespoke Shoes, Or Anything For That Matter, Over The Internet?

I remember in the Japanese Shoe Thread there is one shoe maker that even if you need to use some orthopedic insoles (is that correctly said?) he just built them in the insole during the whole process. So basically that shoe will only fit that customer and maybe one with the same problem. :rock:

what else should he do? that's why it is called bespoke. taking account of your orthopedic requirements is common practice and the raison d'etre to choose a bespoke maker.
 
what else should he do? that's why it is called bespoke. taking account of your orthopedic requirements is common practice and the raison d'etre to choose a bespoke maker.

I certainly did not knew that. So every bespoke shoe maker should take in consideration if I need orthopedic corrections and add them to the insole?
 
I certainly did not knew that. So every bespoke shoe maker should take in consideration if I need orthopedic corrections and add them to the insole?
Yes. That's the precise concept of bespoke - they take into account EVERYTHING you might need.
 
in a nutshell: exactly

Yes. That's the precise concept of bespoke - they take into account EVERYTHING you might need.

Certainly I did not knew that, thanks walker and Ramboaezy!

Now, knowing this, I think it's not possible to get bespoke shoes online. Among other things, if a customer needs an orthopedic insole, it would be nearly impossible to know the amount of corrections needed to add to the shoe. Unless they have a scanner to get the foot prints, but still it will only take one variable of the equation.
 
Certainly I did not knew that, thanks walker and Ramboaezy!

Now, knowing this, I think it's not possible to get bespoke shoes online. Among other things, if a customer needs an orthopedic insole, it would be nearly impossible to know the amount of corrections needed to add to the shoe. Unless they have a scanner to get the foot prints, but still it will only take one variable of the equation.
Correct. MTM, maybe. But even then I wouldn't really chance it unless it was with a beater shoe that didn't cost much money, just to get the measurements down pat.
 
Correct. MTM, maybe. But even then I wouldn't really chance it unless it was with a beater shoe that didn't cost much money, just to get the measurements down pat.

your pov reminds me of the good old adage: a farmer doesn't eat, what he doesn't know. imo, its a bit shallow to stick to this black and white angle, anyway.

I was invited to attend a long-distance order. the customer took measurements himself. he took a lot of pictures. he sent a pair of shoes including his orthotics. a last was created and a pair of shoes made. the first attempt reached 90%. this is compareable to the regular person-to-person process.

after some inhouse wear on carpet, the pair of shoes was returned. a good shoemaker can read a worn shoe like a book. thats part of his profession. I assume, you're aware of this ability. then the last underwent the assessed adjustements and a new pair of shoes was made. according to the customer this pair fits him perfectly.

my personal conclusio: would I recommend to follow this path? not necessarily. as mentioned in the thread. it requires a comprehnsive understanding from the customer.

actually, I don't mind how it is called. It worked, still no reliability of the procedure can be guaranteed. communication is the key.

have we ever heard of unsatisfatory experiences in the classic person-to-person process? I would say: yes

there's more than one way to skin a cat - just my two cents.
 
Given how amazingly hard it is for some people to find their proper stock shoe size, with some seemingly needing many, many iterations of variation on size and width before getting it close, I can't imagine playing around with this on custom or MTM money. On simple Allen Edmonds, I've speculated on going up a width or down a half size or whatever, tried this idea in a shop and realized that I was way off base. 1/16" error in a shoe is alot.

I once ordered motorcycle boots, Bates Fastlanes, that needed slight customization to get over my fat calf. What they sent was about two sizes too big and they were completely uncooperative about what I saw as clearly their fuckup. I've done an AE webgem, because I know my size there on that last, but this is MTO.

I know with suits, that a tailor is not just using a tape measure, but there is all kinds of more complex understanding of shape, motion, what's flattering, customer style, the exact materials used, the construction and all that. Cut and sew by number is in no way the same.
 
Given how amazingly hard it is for some people to find their proper stock shoe size, with some seemingly needing many, many iterations of variation on size and width before getting it close, I can't imagine playing around with this on custom or MTM money. On simple Allen Edmonds, I've speculated on going up a width or down a half size or whatever, tried this idea in a shop and realized that I was way off base. 1/16" error in a shoe is alot.

despite the fact that shoe fit is a very individual and unique thing, this is just because they deny to use their common sense. across the boards this is the ultimate phenomen. how would one know to handle a situation, if he never even tried? I agree, its mission impossible.

rule of thumb: as soon as you get familiar how to achieve a customized fit and I mean really customized, your sensitivity gets honed. most people don't want to put efforts into it, so I don't feel regrets for them. it's that simple.

the most common cause of error: buying with the eyes and not with the brain. as long as people define their grail shoe by the look and not the feel, this will never stop.

exercise example: if one has a high instep plus a wide forefoot
it is unlikely he will find a good fit with a bal/oxford(closed lacing) in the more complex lasts like e.g. GG deco, Vass u, EG 888 etc.

still they won't switch their idea of their grail shoe. the boards are full of these experiences...
 
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It was hilarious, especially the echo line

He deserves much more thumbs! That Scandinavian sh00s shill was completely silenced. I'm completely at a loss how this guy is considered some sort of sh00s expert on sf. He makes the most ignorant posts, most are just aimed at getting people to buy stuff he is shilling for.
 
He deserves much more thumbs! That Scandinavian sh00s shill was completely silenced. I'm completely at a loss how this guy is considered some sort of sh00s expert on sf. he makes the most ignorant posts. Most of them are just aimed at getting people to buy stuff he is shilling for.

He is an expert because he writes wonderful buyers guides on his blog. Call yourself and expert and you basically become one.
 
He is an expert because he writes wonderful buyers guides on his blog. Call yourself and expert and you basically become one.

Has someone already suggested to J Ingvaldsson to also make a buyers guide for Passaggio Cravatte.....
 
Has someone already suggested to J Ingvaldsson to also make a buyers guide for Passaggio Cravatte.....

Good idea although it would be relatively short:

1. Pick a fabric that you like. Don't ask about its provenance.

2. Pay immediately to avoid a barrage of emails asking if you have done the wire transfer or PayPal yet

3. Use PayPal as the wire transfer information will be incomplete

4. Use PayPal with a credit card to allow for recouping your money if problems arise

5. Use an aboriginal sense of time when waiting for delivery to avoid the concept of western time constructs of weeks or months. Many moons is appropriate

6. Be prepared to hand over your tie to a man named Patrizio should he ever knock on your door.

7. Become well known on SF to secure iGent backup for your customer service issues

8. Develop a mental picture of the vendor as a puppy or a child so you can just laugh at how cute they are even if they do wrong. This will also aid in dealing with never getting a focused answer to any questions you might have

9. Enjoy your tie(s) knowing that you shall never go through this vendor again
 
Love what you did in the Kielman thread over at SF JimmyRustler ! Man I nearly pissed in my pentz . Thanks for the laughs.

:happycry:

Fuck JimmyRustler ! You kill one shill and the next one pops up trying to revive the thread! http://www.styleforum.net/t/334169/jan-kielman-shoes-internet-bespoke-service/30_30#post_7221902

It's the bloody Polish boy blogging shill ammanati !!!!!!

11image.webp


:omegarage:
 
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Jesper found the courage again to post in his shill thread....

j ingevaldsson said:
ammanati said:
Published a Conversation with Mr Maciej Kielman, the owner of Jan Kielman Bespoke Shoemakers in Warsaw. Have a read here:
http://blueloafers.com/shoes-2/jan-kielman-bespoke-shoemakers-conversation-maciej-kielman/
Thanks

Great write up! Nice to see the pics from the workshop as well.


Edit: it's good to put a face to a name, certainly if it's a very knowledgeable person....

Interview_with_Jesper_Ingevaldsson_from_Shoegazing_at_Keikari_dot_com.webp
jesper_ingevaldsson_foto_lighthouse_web1-1220x915.webp
 
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A hilarious read. Harold Falcon needs to make an appearance and tell Smorgasbord to concentrate on doing his self-measurements more carefully so he can improve the fit of his Keilman bespoke. That is assuming he has not already moved on to his next shill project.

He also fucked up his Meccariello measurements.
 
A hilarious read. Harold Falcon needs to make an appearance and tell Smorgasbord to concentrate on doing his self-measurements more carefully so he can improve the fit of his Keilman bespoke. That is assuming he has not already moved on to his next shill project.

afaik, he did. he is on my watchlist and I'm ready to rumble. horrido.
 
So, I asked him:

Jesper, any thought on what needs to be done to refine your Kielman last? That's assuming you will commission another pair? Did you do your own measurements or did you have another person measure?
 
So, I asked him:

good job. I doubt he will commission another pair. he would have to pay for it. easy peasy. I have to look up the article about his shoe collection. one pair of each manufacturer he made a buyers guide. that tells me all.

time to open the eyes of the igents until its too late...
 
pity. I needed a job to be done.

I think something can be accomplished with a seemingly naive question like:

Jesper, how do your Kielman's compare to the other brands you have tried? Seems to me like you are still searching for what suits you best given that you seem to move on to another brand after acquiring just one pair. or is this because you are able to try a smorgasbord of shoes for free because of your blog?

Whatcha think?
 
I think something can be accomplished with a seemingly naive question like:

Jesper, how do your Kielman's compare to the other brands you have tried? Seems to me like you are still searching for what suits you best given that you seem to move on to another brand after acquiring just one pair. or is this because you are able to try a smorgasbord of shoes for free because of your blog?

Whatcha think?

sure. I endorse everyone to give jesper a hard time.

I need another job to be done, though.
 
no offense, I asked you once. you didn't bite. maybe a rerun is on order. will check with you via pm/email first.

No worries, I can't remember most things I say or what is asked of me. Better to refresh my memory
 

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