National Shoe Piss-off

The bestest shoos are from:

  • USA! USA!

    Votes: 1 7.1%

  • Eye-taly

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • The British Empire

    Votes: 10 71.4%

  • Hungary

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • Ze French

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • China?

    Votes: 1 7.1%

  • Espana

    Votes: 1 7.1%

  • Some other country that makes shoos?

    Votes: 1 7.1%
  • Total voters
    14
I've never been to Japan for a fitting, etc, but from what I've seen the quality of Japanese end product is as good as the best anywhere else.
 
It would be interesting to do a poll like this over on SF every year, and see how it turns out.

Given the manias/obsessions that have gripped SF over the years, I'm sure that you'd see that one year the Italians would be topping the list (back when everyone was raving about Santoni's FAM line and the Ferragamo's Tramezza line), then the Brits with EG, C&J and Lobb, then the Hungarians with Vass, then the Spaniards with Carmina and then perhaps Romania, with St Crispin's.

By now, there's probably another place that the shoe people on SF are raving about, but I'm not up with the latest shoe-related gossip.
 
The extra fine workmanship done on my recent Cleverley alligator shoes certainly rivals the best of the best of Lobb(s), Delos and G&G, and the standard surpasses usually what l see of all those makers. I am not saying that Lobb/G&G and Delos-Berluti can't equal the standard of my recent pair, but shoemakers have time restraints and it can show. I was lucky that l had Cleverley take the extra time to show exactly what they are capable of, and indeed they are exactly capable of the best of Delos, G&G and Lobb Paris. Actually, on a good day the French and English makers are more than capable and would be neck and neck on bespoke from my observations online.

The Japanese are my favourites, but they are no better than the best of Delos, G&G and Lobb either, but l just like what they do better. The Japanese often do more detailed work, but some of the makers that are raved about do show flaws in their work, but l don't want to comment on that because they are always learning and sources tell me they are always improving.

As for Rtw shoos, the Santoni limited edition norvegese and bentivegna constructed shoes blow away the Vass, G&G, Lobb, E.G rtw etc. Then again, they are a lot more expensive, and last year l saw a pair selling for almost $4,000 online for a calfskin pair. I would imagine the Silvano Lattanzi rtw are amazing too, and so would the handwelted Gomez mto shoes imo. Bemer handmade mto are also decent, and so are St Crispins handmades. I see recently that Lattanzi are selling for great prices online, around $2,500...often half the price the normally sell at.

I don't see the point in ranking the best of the best for bespoke because there are so many great makers. As for great rtw, if you have the money for handwelted Santoni l would buy them because they are truely great shoos. Truthfully though, just buy good shoos that fit you. Even if you can only afford Allen Edmonds, you are still doing pretty good. I don't think much of Carmina from brief observations, they seem gutless - a Church's is a double brick house but the Carmina are a single brick house with thin exterior.
 
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The Shooman said:
The extra fine workmanship done on my recent Cleverley alligator shoes certainly rivals the best of the best of Lobb(s), Delos and G&G, and the standard surpasses usually what l see of all those makers. I am not saying that Lobb/G&G and Delos-Berluti can't equal the standard of my recent pair, but shoemakers have time restraints and it can show. I was lucky that l had Cleverley take the extra time to show exactly what they are capable of, and indeed they are exactly capable of the best of Delos, G&G and Lobb Paris. Actually, on a good day the French and English makers are more than capable and would be neck and neck on bespoke from my observations online.

The Japanese are my favourites, but they are no better than the best of Delos, G&G and Lobb either, but l just like what they do better. The Japanese often do more detailed work, but some of the makers that are raved about do show flaws in their work, but l don't want to comment on that because they are always learning and sources tell me they are always improving.

As for Rtw shoos, the Santoni limited edition norvegese and bentivegna constructed shoes blow away the Vass, G&G, Lobb, E.G rtw etc. Then again, they are a lot more expensive, and last year l saw a pair selling for almost $4,000 online for a calfskin pair. I would imagine the Silvano Lattanzi rtw are amazing too, and so would the handwelted Gomez mto shoes imo. Bemer handmade mto are also decent, and so are St Crispins handmades. I see recently that Lattanzi are selling for great prices online, around $2,500...often half the price the normally sell at.

I don't see the point in ranking the best of the best for bespoke because there are so many great makers. As for great rtw, if you have the money for handwelted Santoni l would buy them because they are truely great shoos. Truthfully though, just buy good shoos that fit you. Even if you can only afford Allen Edmonds, you are still doing pretty good. I don't think much of Carmina from brief observations, they seem gutless - a Church's is a double brick house but the Carmina are a single brick house with thin exterior.
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Shooey, who do you deal with at Cleverley? Glasgow Sr.?

I think Church's are under-rated since their sale to Prada/Equinox. Still make a nice shoe.
 
Thruth said:
Shooey, who do you deal with at Cleverley? Glasgow Sr.?

I think Church's are under-rated since their sale to Prada/Equinox. Still make a nice shoe.
Click to expand...

I go through George Glasgow Jr. There is a certain shoemaker at Cleverley who does all the extra fine details,but l won't name him because l don't want igents reading this and pestering him.

Yes, Church's are fantastic shoes and l prefer them over C&J anyday. They are still capable of making a good study built shoe with thick leather. These days there are all types of Church's shoes, but l like the old classics. They are also a really manly no nonsense shoe...nothing fancy about them, and the shoes feel great on the feet, and more material goes into the making of them compared to C&J regular, Grenson and various other mid ends...and this makes them a double brick house like with the E.G's and other better shoes. The old pre-Prada were nicer finished with nicer leathers and a nicer waist, but the Prada ones were also very good and had that unique special `church's feel'. The new intro goodyear welted models don't have that `old church's feel' because they are now single brick houses, but if one choose a double brick house (a double brick can be either a single sole or double sole) it isstill like ahhhh, an old friend. To me, Church's are so unique and manly.
 
The Shooman said:
I go through George Glasgow Jr. There is a certain shoemaker at Cleverley who does all the extra fine details,but l won't name him because l don't want igents reading this and pestering him.

Yes, Church's are fantastic shoes and l prefer them over C&J anyday. They are still capable of making a good study built shoe with thick leather. These days there are all types of Church's shoes, but l like the old classics. They are also a really manly no nonsense shoe...nothing fancy about them, and the shoes feel great on the feet, and more material goes into the making of them compared to C&J regular, Grenson and various other mid ends...and this makes them a double brick house like with the E.G's and other better shoes. The old pre-Prada were nicer finished with nicer leathers and a nicer waist, but the Prada ones were also very good and had that unique special `church's feel'. The new intro goodyear welted models don't have that `old church's feel' because they are now single brick houses, but if one choose a double brick house (a double brick can be either a single sole or double sole) it isstill like ahhhh, an old friend. To me, Church's are so unique and manly.
Click to expand...

His initials are not DC are they? Anyway, not sure DC is still with them as I haven't partaken of Cleverley in several years
 
It's not him, but l will just say that some of the top shoemaking houses have had an influx of people from a certain country, and these people are very very good. John Lobb Paris, Fosters, Cleverley, Bemer and probably others have had the benefit. I have given toomany hints here, so if you work it out, shhh.

Do you have Cleverley bespoke?

With the drop in the aussie dollar the shoes are becoming very expensive again. A calfskin pair has increased over $1,200 due to the drop in the dollar, and estimates say the dollar is going to depreciate much further. This is NOT good news.
 
The Shooman said:
It's not him, but l will just say that some of the top shoemaking houses have had an influx of people from a certain country, and these people are very very good. John Lobb Paris, Fosters, Cleverley, Bemer and probably others have had the benefit. I have given toomany hints here, so if you work it out, shhh.

Do you have Cleverley bespoke?

With the drop in the aussie dollar the shoes are becoming very expensive again. A calfskin pair has increased over $1,200 due to the drop in the dollar, and estimates say the dollar is going to depreciate much further. This is NOT good news.
Click to expand...

I understand and mums the word!

Yes. Worked with Dominic Casey who is a great fellow and a shoemaker and a teacher in his own right. When i traveled to America i would meet him in New York but I never get there anymore and the exchange is bad for Canadian dollar/UK pound so I've given that up. Plus I only wear boots now

There is a chap in my city here who is a cordwainer and makes a fine fitting boot off a modified last, which works for me.
 
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