The All-Inclusive Shoe & Boot Thread

Indonesian hand welted. Labour costs lower = lower price. But what else is lacking? steel not wood shank? leather quality? finishing? Last shapes?

 
Thruth said:
Are you channeling Johnny Caccaruti? If you are please learn the lingo. Vintage thirst or ancient tissue, please. Have you ordered 12 more pairs of U-last Vass yet even though you have never worn a U last?
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My apologies. I am not a tacky. I have ordered 27 pairs on the U last, all in different sizes to see which fits best.
 
Thruth said:
A bit of a misleading title

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Saskia's workshop in Florence, I visited it eight years ago. away from the tourist area, a sleepy job. We can also see in the video the person who braves with the bookbinding, it is the "il bussetto" workshop that works the last technique, beautiful leather products
 
IMG_20210425_111705_145.jpg
 
Thruth said:
ThT sale has been on for a good long while
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No, the sale ended, but now it is on again. Only the other day l was looking at this, and now it is 40% off 3 days later. My size sold out.


vass-shoes.com

London 5-eyelet * P2 - Vass Shoes

London 5-eyelet * P2 - The plain fronted 5-eyelet classic London derby shoes give the wearer enhanced comfort and practicality. They are perfect for all formal occasions and are completely timeless. Manufactured with the traditional hand-welted method. Completely handmade. <p class="leather...
vass-shoes.com vass-shoes.com
I ordered this.
Vass brogue derby P2.jpg

Was tempted to try the U last, but might be tricky with my feet. Thruth Thruth How is the room in the toe box of the U last when compared with F last and P2 last?
 
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My first pair of Gaziano&Girling: the Walkton Vintage Cherry/Chestnut Pin Grain GG06 last.

20210429_085803.jpg


I don't mirror-polish my shoes, I prefer a more discreet shine.
 
This might be interesting for Red Wings lovers and heavy duty boots wearers:




Of course some stains and damages can't be fully concealed, still an impressive result.
 
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Thruth said:
Indonesian hand welted. Labour costs lower = lower price. But what else is lacking? steel not wood shank? leather quality? finishing? Last shapes?

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Don't know, certainly the shoes of the first shoemaker look more refined, but it's difficult to assess it by watching a video. Quite surprising to me that the first producer uses a totally undyed leather fo the uppers (it looks almost white) and colours it by hand painting and patinating. As I already said, I'm not a patina fan, especially in case of strong and ostentatious ones, and I much prefer the old boxcalf, that today is not in mode anymore. I appreciate the English traditional burning, but when I see shoes with colours going from blue to green to yellow, I can only shake my head in contempt: that is surely tacky. Moreover, and I have to admit that it might be just an erroneous impression, the patina finishing seems to be less solid and prone to alterations.
 
Thruth said:
this is pretty cool

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Very nice video. Not a fan however of that style: a Norwegian Oxford is quite contradictory to me and the final result looks pretty odd with the front part broad and the back slim and with a rather high heel. The leather is very nice instead.
 


the skiving... that just looks effortless. Everyone who has done some leather working knows that it's a pretty difficult task to do. I mean, the whole video is impressive, but for some reason I find that skiving done well is really satisfying to watch.
 
Bardamu said:


the skiving... that just looks effortless. Everyone who has done some leather working knows that it's a pretty difficult task to do. I mean, the whole video is impressive, but for some reason I find that skiving done well is really satisfying to watch.
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he is slick at skiving.
 
florisgreen said:
Very nice video. Not a fan however of that style: a Norwegian Oxford is quite contradictory to me and the final result looks pretty odd with the front part broad and the back slim and with a rather high heel. The leather is very nice instead.
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it was the technical bits and craftsmanship.
 
Thruth said:
it was the technical bits and craftsmanship.
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What was very interesting was the construction. Very unusual. Why?

1). The top half of the shoe was an out-turned upper in true norvegese fashion without a welt. The lining was also cut off at the insole (also interesting), because l always wondered where exactly the lining would be cut.
2). The second half was an in-turned upper with a welt.
3). Not much of a feather, very Italian.

and yes the skiving is one of the most tricky jobs and shows a top craftsman from an average one. You compare a top cobbler to a top shoemaker and the difference is vast when doing heel work on a shoe.
 
The Shooman said:
No, the sale ended, but now it is on again. Only the other day l was looking at this, and now it is 40% off 3 days later. My size sold out.


vass-shoes.com

London 5-eyelet * P2 - Vass Shoes

London 5-eyelet * P2 - The plain fronted 5-eyelet classic London derby shoes give the wearer enhanced comfort and practicality. They are perfect for all formal occasions and are completely timeless. Manufactured with the traditional hand-welted method. Completely handmade. <p class="leather...
vass-shoes.com vass-shoes.com
I ordered this.
View attachment 37273

Was tempted to try the U last, but might be tricky with my feet. Thruth Thruth How is the room in the toe box of the U last when compared with F last and P2 last?
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Almost missed this The Shooman The Shooman . Toe box was fine because you go up 1/2 size in the U-last so toe room was never an issue for me. Not enough volume over the top of my foot. Right shoe was OK. My left foot is bigger and has a fucked up chronically inflamed toe knuckle (I always seem to drop fence post on my left foot) and the relatively narrow width and close fit on the top of my foot leads to pain after walking for a while. Would have to stretch the shit out of them to be comfortable.

I wear an 42 EU in the F last. In a closed lace shoe/boot it is bang on. In a blucher, I am not sure I could go down to to 41.5 to remove a bit of volume. I think this because just swapping in a thicker socklliner does the trick. P2 for sure is a 1/2 size down from my F last size so 41.5.
 
Holly shit, I had not looked at the prices on Vass' store. I have actually never bothered with Vass (or many brands to be honest) because after a few years of entry level shoes I jumped to bespoke. Can anyone here give me some lasts/fit advice?

I have fairly low volume feet, somewhat narrow with a regular instep, to give you an idea, among the entry level brands I am a:
Meermin Hiro 7uk (comfy)
Carmina Simpson 7uk (really comfy)
Carmina Uetam 7uk (same)
Carlos Santos 6uk (6.5 can be ok depending on the lasts but tends to be a bit roomy)
Anything made by Sendra I tend to be a 6.5uk (Fitzpatrick NGT, Sons of Henrey and all the usual Sendra stuff...).
Among all my Aubercy bespoke, I have one Aubercy RTW (made by Bonafé) and I am 7uk as well.

It would be silly not to give Vass a try with prices this low.
 
Thruth said:
Almost missed this The Shooman The Shooman . Toe box was fine because you go up 1/2 size in the U-last so toe room was never an issue for me. Not enough volume over the top of my foot. Right shoe was OK. My left foot is bigger and has a fucked up chronically inflamed toe knuckle (I always seem to drop fence post on my left foot) and the relatively narrow width and close fit on the top of my foot leads to pain after walking for a while. Would have to stretch the shit out of them to be comfortable.

I wear an 42 EU in the F last. In a closed lace shoe/boot it is bang on. In a blucher, I am not sure I could go down to to 41.5 to remove a bit of volume. I think this because just swapping in a thicker socklliner does the trick. P2 for sure is a 1/2 size down from my F last size so 41.5.
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So for you F = 42, U = 42.5, P2 = 41.5 ??

2nd paragraph = my experience and thoughts too. The real issue is, does the U last become too long? AND, with the sizing up on the U the instep is going to be an issue with me. Nope...not gonna work...instep will be too high and the shoe too long. Best l stick to the lasts that work well for my feet. We can't have everything.
 
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Bardamu said:
Holly shit, I had not looked at the prices on Vass' store. I have actually never bothered with Vass (or many brands to be honest) because after a few years of entry level shoes I jumped to bespoke. Can anyone here give me some lasts/fit advice?

I have fairly low volume feet, somewhat narrow with a regular instep, to give you an idea, among the entry level brands I am a:
Meermin Hiro 7uk (comfy)
Carmina Simpson 7uk (really comfy)
Carmina Uetam 7uk (same)
Carlos Santos 6uk (6.5 can be ok depending on the lasts but tends to be a bit roomy)
Anything made by Sendra I tend to be a 6.5uk (Fitzpatrick NGT, Sons of Henrey and all the usual Sendra stuff...).
Among all my Aubercy bespoke, I have one Aubercy RTW (made by Bonafé) and I am 7uk as well.

It would be silly not to give Vass a try with prices this low.
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P2 last, Budapester last, 3636 all run true to size.
F last can be true to size for various feet, but some like me always went up .5

I also have a low volume foot with normal sized instep. You might be able to fit in a Vass.

You have a narrow foot so you might need a thicker sock liner and thicker sock to fill it out.

For you it is touch and go. You may fill the shoe or you may not.
 
Thanks, "true to size" is a bit tricky for me as I am either a 6.5 or a 7, I consider anything below or above out of the ordinary. But I sent them an email to see what their thoughts are. We'll see but at 230€ for some of the pairs I don't risk much. Wasn't there a last guide on their website before? I can't find one anywhere but I am sure I saw one somewhere at while ago.
 
Bardamu said:
Thanks, "true to size" is a bit tricky for me as I am either a 6.5 or a 7, I consider anything below or above out of the ordinary. But I sent them an email to see what their thoughts are. We'll see but at 230€ for some of the pairs I don't risk much. Wasn't there a last guide on their website before? I can't find one anywhere but I am sure I saw one somewhere at while ago.
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I know the feeling. My feet have increased 1/4 of a size so l am not a 7 or 7.5 in many shoes either. The good news is that Vass are better for feet like that because they have more room. The fits are different from English shoes.
 
The Shooman said:
So for you F = 42, U = 42.5, P2 = 41.5 ??

2nd paragraph = my experience and thoughts too. The real issue is, does the U last become too long? AND, with the sizing up on the U the instep is going to be an issue with me. Nope...not gonna work...instep will be too high and the shoe too long. Best l stick to the lasts that work well for my feet. We can't have everything.
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I have the River and here is the side profile (not mine)

1619759427487.png

front

1619759469632.png


1619759505773.png
 
The Shooman said:
So for you F = 42, U = 42.5, P2 = 41.5 ??

2nd paragraph = my experience and thoughts too. The real issue is, does the U last become too long? AND, with the sizing up on the U the instep is going to be an issue with me. Nope...not gonna work...instep will be too high and the shoe too long. Best l stick to the lasts that work well for my feet. We can't have everything.
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yup, F = 42, U = 42.5, P2 = 41.5

Probably good to avoid it unless you take a flyer on one of their sale shoes.
 
Bardamu said:
Thanks, "true to size" is a bit tricky for me as I am either a 6.5 or a 7, I consider anything below or above out of the ordinary. But I sent them an email to see what their thoughts are. We'll see but at 230€ for some of the pairs I don't risk much. Wasn't there a last guide on their website before? I can't find one anywhere but I am sure I saw one somewhere at while ago.
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Hello friendcustomer,

please see the content of an e-Mail I received by the friendly people of Vass on sunday:
„(...)
I would like to send you some information about our lasts. I hope it will be help you 😊


For the U, K and S lasts we usually suggest to size up half a size but it also depends on the shapes you usually wear.
Choose which shape is closest to you and then you can size up or down.


Basic sizing looks something like this:

S (narrow and flat)-K (pointy) -U (square toe) (size 43) – narrow lasts / F (classic&modern)-P2 (classic and a little rounder) -R (rounded and comfortable (size 42.5) - kind of normal lasts /
3636-BP (high toe) -P (wider heel, short toe) (42) – round and very comfortable fit.“
 
Has anybody experience with Yeossal? They look very handsome in my eyes and are apparently hand-welted. Very moderate prices with an extensive made-to-order program with a lot of options about lasts, leathers and details.

Duke2.jpg
459aaa69bd9e81196bd096759e72eaf4.jpg
EZBHah2UMAAFM5w.jpg
3a35a3_aca332d4d85645be8a11911cb40e0cc1_mv2.jpg
gilstead3-20191227113512262_600x.jpg
 
Bardamu said:
Holly shit, I had not looked at the prices on Vass' store. I have actually never bothered with Vass (or many brands to be honest) because after a few years of entry level shoes I jumped to bespoke. Can anyone here give me some lasts/fit advice?

I have fairly low volume feet, somewhat narrow with a regular instep, to give you an idea, among the entry level brands I am a:
Meermin Hiro 7uk (comfy)
Carmina Simpson 7uk (really comfy)
Carmina Uetam 7uk (same)
Carlos Santos 6uk (6.5 can be ok depending on the lasts but tends to be a bit roomy)
Anything made by Sendra I tend to be a 6.5uk (Fitzpatrick NGT, Sons of Henrey and all the usual Sendra stuff...).
Among all my Aubercy bespoke, I have one Aubercy RTW (made by Bonafé) and I am 7uk as well.

It would be silly not to give Vass a try with prices this low.
Click to expand...

Who is your bespoke maker? What type of shoes have you had made?
 
I think these links could help the users who (I'm among them) are not so aware of the different kinds of shoe construction such as Goodyear welting, Blake and so on:

Cementing
https://www.findsourcing.com/articles/construction/cementing

Vulcanization
https://www.findsourcing.com/articles/construction/vulcanization

Stich Down & Related
https://www.findsourcing.com/articles/construction/stitch-down--related

Goodyear Welted
https://www.findsourcing.com/articles/construction/goodyear-welted

Pegged
https://www.findsourcing.com/articles/construction/pegged

Norwegian
https://www.findsourcing.com/articles/construction/norwegian

Bologna (Sacchetto)
https://www.findsourcing.com/articles/construction/bologna-sacchetto

Blake & Blake Rapid
https://www.findsourcing.com/articles/construction/blake--blake-rapid

There are other types, but not so usual and not relevant in mens shoemaking. At the moment the paragraph about Hand Welted is not yet available. They also describe the different styles like Oxford, Derby and so on.
 
Thruth said:
Almost missed this The Shooman The Shooman . Toe box was fine because you go up 1/2 size in the U-last so toe room was never an issue for me. Not enough volume over the top of my foot. Right shoe was OK. My left foot is bigger and has a fucked up chronically inflamed toe knuckle (I always seem to drop fence post on my left foot) and the relatively narrow width and close fit on the top of my foot leads to pain after walking for a while. Would have to stretch the shit out of them to be comfortable.

I wear an 42 EU in the F last. In a closed lace shoe/boot it is bang on. In a blucher, I am not sure I could go down to to 41.5 to remove a bit of volume. I think this because just swapping in a thicker socklliner does the trick. P2 for sure is a 1/2 size down from my F last size so 41.5.
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Try dropping a few posts on your right foot. Then you will have matching feet and can perhaps go up half a size.

HTH
 
Seeing as we are on the topic of going up a half size, are there any others who, like me, keep a pair or two for flying? I have used 'airport friendly' wooden shanked AEs a half size up for years. I have a black and brown pair of bicycle toes. They do (or did ) a great job.
 
Halberstram said:
Hello friendcustomer,

please see the content of an e-Mail I received by the friendly people of Vass on sunday:
„(...)
I would like to send you some information about our lasts. I hope it will be help you 😊


For the U, K and S lasts we usually suggest to size up half a size but it also depends on the shapes you usually wear.
Choose which shape is closest to you and then you can size up or down.


Basic sizing looks something like this:

S (narrow and flat)-K (pointy) -U (square toe) (size 43) – narrow lasts / F (classic&modern)-P2 (classic and a little rounder) -R (rounded and comfortable (size 42.5) - kind of normal lasts /
3636-BP (high toe) -P (wider heel, short toe) (42) – round and very comfortable fit.“
Click to expand...
Thanks!
The Shooman said:
Who is your bespoke maker? What type of shoes have you had made?
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Atienza, Aubercy, Devos, Delos (before he left for Berluti) and one I won't name because he is still young an relatively unknown which means cheap. I mostly have oxfords in different patterns (adelaïde, balmoral...) as well as a few boots.
 
Sammy Ambrose said:
Seeing as we are on the topic of going up a half size, are there any others who, like me, keep a pair or two for flying? I have used 'airport friendly' wooden shanked AEs a half size up for years. I have a black and brown pair of bicycle toes. They do (or did ) a great job.
Click to expand...

I often wore Alden loafers, but since they have a metal shank I usually do not wear them to the airport.
 
Sammy Ambrose said:
Seeing as we are on the topic of going up a half size, are there any others who, like me, keep a pair or two for flying? I have used 'airport friendly' wooden shanked AEs a half size up for years. I have a black and brown pair of bicycle toes. They do (or did ) a great job.
Click to expand...
Well they make you take off your shoes no matter what in the US so would it really make any difference?
 
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