Shoes -- Part 3: Lasts

The single most important part of the shoe, is the last that it is made on. There are so many factors associated with the last that can tremendously affect the outcome of the final product. The slightest curvature or proportion measurement can make or break the look and feel of the shoe. Yet, many of us don't think about this. Too much emphasis is placed on the importance of the designer, the person who simply sketches out a drawing. But it's not them that deserve all of the credit. It's the technical people who then have to make the last and then the pattern, both of which are the things that truly create the magic. These are the people that turn that drawing into a real-life product. And like I have said before, it does not matter how cool, unique or original your design is, if your last shape is ugly or disproportionate or your pattern does not fit the curvature of your last, the final product will not look right. If this becomes the case your shoes will not sell, unless you give them away for pennies. Yet, we don't think about this....or do we?

RTW Lasts

There are two type of lasts: wooden and plastic. In the mass-production industry (AKA RTW), the lasts are going to be made of plastic. The reason being, is because plastic does not crack, especially when you are drilling holes through it, putting metal springs in it and affixing it to a machine that is able to duplicate it. A wooden last, simple could not go through what a plastic last can. It's needs to be molded, shaped and replicated by heavy machinery and I believe that all of these stages would end up breaking a wooden last.

RTW lasts are also (generally) on the bulky and lack-of-shape side. The unfortunate reason being is that when you are trying to fit a population of people, you need to make something that is able to accommodate at least 80-90% of those people or else your products won't sell that well. But the down side of this is that RTW shoes end up looking so bland, shapeless, common and ultimately, ugly. Where is the happy medium? That's the question. But I believe that there is one. A way that you can blend bespoke and RTW lasts together to make a last that stands above the rest. This is what I am trying to do with my line and we shall see how it comes out. But I cannot guarantee anything, especially since the old saying goes, 'if it was easy, everyone would be doing it.'

Bespoke Lasts

Bespoke lasts are amazing. Not only do they have character, but like I stated earlier, they have all of the shapes and curves that end up creating a beautiful product. As for their material, they will always be wooden, or at least they should be. And this is attributed to many reasons. First and foremost, this is what they had to work with many many years ago, when shoemaking came about. There was no plastic or heavy machinery to create mass runs of lasts. Traditional last makers created them scratch, using a block of wood and a big sickle-like blade that would shave off the pieces of the block like one would shave off coconut shavings onto your ice cream. However, this practice is rarely done these days, if not extinct as it take a tremendous amount of time and precision. Now days, most last makers will take from an existing last, and alter it to fit the measurements of the customer. Some find this to be cheating, but in reality, with the way the world is these days (financially), it does not make sense to do it the old way, nor does it really matter. It's really just a point of pride, being able to state that something was done from start to finish, by hand.

So next time you are in the market for a pair of shoes, study them first. Look at the shapes of the shoes, how they curve, how they accentuate at the joints and how the arch actually exists, instead of just being flat. And the shoes that you find with more shape to them, with more of an emphasis on their last, will be the shoes that not only look better but fit better.

Top became bottom

Shoes Of The Year - Bespoke Gaziano & Girling

The beauty about bespoke shoes is that the options to what you want to have made are only limited by your own amount of creativity. And while this shoe might not be the most creative bespoke shoe ever made up, it will certainly, at least in my mind, go down as one of the most beautiful bespoke shoes ever made. Everything about this shoe is lovely from the leather, to the patina, to the medallion design, and finally to the pattern. And what's even better, for me, is that it represents just how far along my friend Daniel is coming along as a maker in such a short amount of time.

As always, it never ceases to amaze me the quality of shoes that Gaziano & Girling pump out, from their RTW to their bespoke pieces. To have achieved this level of success and brilliant reputation since their introduction in 2006, is a reason that, so long as they continue to do what they are doing, I believe that they will be a firm that will soon be as recognized as John Lobb, if not more so. And even though this is a bold statement on my part, I believe that the pictures presented, as well as all of the others that I have displayed, pretty much speak for themselves.

Enjoy your weekend,

-Justin, "The Shoe Snob"

What I Am Wearing

One of the funniest things about growing up, is doing things that you always said that you wouldn't. Obviously, what I am referring to is not something that dire, but it is still hypocritical of me nonetheless and that is the fact that I continuously find myself wearing black shoes with navy trousers. Granted, this was not something that I was so against, but rather preached that navy was always better complimented with brown. Yet, in Europe, where one finds themselves walking about much more than one does in America (in a big city), the prospect of rain, sleet, snow or whatever coming, scares me from wearing and thus possibly ruining my light colored shoes. Therefore, I find myself putting on black shoes and dark trousers, as they are much harder to stain. What's even funnier, is that as I put this together more often, I quite like it, especially since it allows me to wear a bold color sock and have a nice contrast between my shoes, socks and trousers...

Shoes: Miro by Septieme Largeur
Trousers: H&M
Sweater (jumper): Primark
Socks: Duchamp
Tie: XMI Platinum
Dress shirt: Primark

Today's Favorites - a.Testoni

One thing that you do not see that often, is people wearing red shoes. Granted, the Pope, has done a good job at trying to promote them, but it so far hasn't seemed to catch on. I guess that I can understand why too. They do make quite a statement. When I wear my red wingtips with white piping, you can believe that there is not a shortage of looks that I receive, whether they are in adoration or in revulsion. Nevertheless, it doesn't bother me, but then again, I don't break them out that often. However, these ones by a.Testoni, on the other hand (although may be red), do not seem to be too overbearing. At least, this is what I gather from the picture. In person, they might blind the most conservative of sorts. However, I believe that with a nice navy suit, maybe a flannel one, these shoes could be quite a lovely contrast. Definitely a shoe for a shoe lover, and I won't say as I usually do that they could be integrated into a business environment, because they could not. But I will say, that red can indeed pair nicely with many suit colors, should one be so creative to attempt it.

My Trip To Laszlo Vass

During my time in Budapest (which in actuality, was a trip for my wife's birthday), there were two people that I wanted to meet. One was Marcell Mrsan from Koronya and the other was Mr. Laszlo Vass. Now, being that this was not a business trip and was supposed to be dedicated to relaxtion and rejuvention, I knew that I was going to have to make my shoe related events brief. Before going, I emailed Marcell to let him know that I was coming so that we could arrange a quick meet up, but unbeknownst to me he is currently taking up a position as a teacher in an arts school in Savannah, Georgia (USA) and will not return until the holiday break. So with that unfortunate loss for me and the blog, it made my shoe related quests that much shorter and therefore, that much easier to convince the wife about a quick pit-stop to Mr. Vass' shop. Now I had no idea whether or not Mr. Vass was going to be there, as I have never really read much about him or his role at the company (other than being the owner and founder), so was not really sure what to expect other than asking the people there if I could take some photos to do a nice post on the blog. So when I walked up to the shop and saw this gentleman on the phone, who was Mr. Vass himself, I was pleasantly surprised to know that I was going to have the opportunity to meet him.

Upon entering the shop --which was small, quaint and lovely in it's own right-- I was greeted with smiles and kindness and knew that it was going to be a nice visit. While Mr. Vass was on the phone, I told the other two people (a very nice lady and Mr. Kuti Rezso who did the translating) that I was here to see Mr. Vass. And even though a translator was necessary, I got the impression that Mr. Vass could understand english well enough, as he acknowledged my presence and got off of the phone rather quickly. After doing so, I greeted him and began telling them who I was and what my goals were. Of course, they did not know who I was, but this came as no surprise as I know in reality that I am not that big. I told them that I was a huge admirer and that I wanted to put up a nice blog post dedicated to my visit with pictures of the shoes and the shop. They kindly agreed and made a joke saying that they hope that they do not see any of their models in my upcoming collections. I assured them that this would never happen!

After chatting for awhile about my future endeavors and the state of the shoe industry in regards to price versus quality, I got the feeling that Mr. Vass was truly a person who cared about shoes and the ability to make something that represented properly the price that it was selling at, as well as creating something that was not only practical and stylish, but most of all, comfortable. It was nice meeting another person like this, knowing that no matter what, he does what he does in order to see people wearing well-made shoes. For him, it's not just about making a quick buck, but rather about making something that treats the foot properly and maintains integrity. It's not hard to see this when you look at the shoes. The leathers are good, the construction is fabolous and the shapes and designs are lovely. And to top it all off, they come with a modest price point of around 120,000 Ft, which would be the equivalent to about 400 GBP. And while this might sound expensive for some, in regards to what you are getting, it seems like a bargain to me, especially when you think about other shoe brands and their price-points. 

While my time at the shop couldn't have been longer than 15 minutes, it was an absolute pleasure to actually meet Mr. Vass in person and get a feel for his shop, shoes and way of being. It's always nice being able to meet people who truly care about shoes in a similar fashion that I do. And while I could not afford a pair of his shoes on this trip, I assured him that even though I plan to start my own line in the future, that I would one day return to get a pair, as I believe that their distinct looks, shapes and styling, would never conflict with my own.

If you are in the market for a quick European getaway, I would highly recommend Budapest, as the city is beautiful, the thermal spas are endless, the food is good and there is always a chance to get a great pair of shoes at a good price. Enjoy the rest of your week!!

-Justin, "The Shoe Snob"

Shoes Of The Week - Gaziano & Girling Kent

The galosh (or balmoral or whatever you want to call it) style of shoe, that has a separation from the top piece (facing extended to heel) and bottom piece (vamp extending to heel) is one of my favorite models simply for the fact that it's options in leather or material pairings are endless. When creating a pair of shoes that you will release to the public, you have to make sure that you do something that is going to appeal to the majority and not be something that only you or a handful of people would like (which is very difficult to do). So when I saw these Kent model make ups, by Gaziano & Girling, with the top piece being alligator, I was taken aback by how well the combination went together. The patina of the alligator is probably what captures me most, as it truly gives the shoe a feel of antiquity. Now this might be one of those things that is only liked by a few people, as I personally believe that it takes one of extreme self confidence to pull these off. But at the same time, they are not ostentatious and because the alligator is so small and is on the upper part of the shoe, I do believe that this shoe could easily fit into someone's work wardrobe, as well as their casual one.....

In case any of you were wondering, Budapest is beautiful and I will have a nice write up of my trip to Laszlo Vass' store on Monday. Until then, enjoy the rest of your weekends

-Justin, "The Shoe Snob"

Pictures Courtesy Of: Leffot

Off To Budapest

Just wanted to let you all know that I am off to Budapest tomorrow on a short 4 day holiday. I cannot guarantee anything but I will do my best to get a post or two out. You can be sure that I will be visiting the legendary Laszlo Vass store, with the hopes to snap some pictures and put up a post for all of you.

I hope that everyone enjoys their weekend!!

-Justin, "The Shoe Snob"

Boots By: Laszlo Vass

Today's Favorites - Blog Reader's Shoes from Septieme Largeur

One of the biggest reasons that I started this blog, was because I have a long term goal to see men wearing better shoes, in the sense that they actually appreciate what they are wearing on their feet. It does not have to be what I like, but it has to be evident that they actually care about what they are wearing. Too many men just don't care and it shows, and to me it's a great let down. Men back in the day, used to be worse than women in their attire and appearance. They took great pride in how they looked. And it was not feminine to do so, it was masculine. Caring about your appearance does not have to be about ego, but rather can be about appreciation and respect.

Part of that goal of seeing men caring more about their shoes, was for me to be a major influence into that. Starting this blog, was a way for me to give people knowledge, awareness and an appreciation for their footwear. So you understand when I tell you that it gives me great pleasure when any of you write me up and tell me about a pair of shoes that you either want to get or have already purchased, because of what you saw or read on my blog. And you can see here that one of my readers did so. He happened to go to Paris, visit Septieme Largeur, splurged a little and had two very beautiful shoes made up for him. Simply beautiful.....

What I Am Wearing

This is an older picture, when I was using my sub-par camera, but I wanted to show you a little bit more of how I sport the green shoes, as well as give off my Gordon Gekko, Wall Street look. On that note, there is yet another thing that I have become enamored with since arriving on Savile Row: the braces (suspenders), particularly these cotton one's that we sell at Gieves & Hawkes. Since working here, I have purchased all four of the colors that they come in: black, navy, light blue and red. While I tend to get the most use out of the navy, I still enjoy having my options and am looking to get them in green, purple and gray, when I can.

I have yet to venture off pairing my green brogues with anything other than navy, but there are an array of trouser colors that would suit a pair of green shoes. As I move into my new flat in London (as we speak) and finally have ALL of my stuff in one place, I will be able to pick my outfits a lot better, putting together concoctions that I have to imagine up!

Shoes: Bespoke, made by me, using Rothschild upper from G&G, and hand dyed by myself.
Trousers: H&M
Shirt: Primark
Tie: Hardy Amies
Braces: Gieves & Hawkes

Loafers With Suits

A topic that is always good for discussion, which usually ends up in subjective opposing views, is more likely than not, a topic that is worth revisiting. And while I am pretty sure that I have never brought up this topic before, I believe that there are many opinions about the subject at hand. Since I am currently dressed in the fashion that I am presenting, please allow me to share with all of you, my subjective viewpoint on loafers with suits.

While an oxford will always be a more formal shoe than a loafer there are still many options of slip on's that are elegantly compatible to a suit. Anybody who says otherwise needs to learn that the so called 'rules' set out by well-dressed gentleman many years ago, were not the 'end all be all' and definitely do not dictate what one should wear but rather guide them to dressing elegantly. After that, style sets in and people decide for themselves (based on personal preferences) what will look good on them. Some of them pull it off and some of them don't.

Now the beauty about wearing loafers with your suits is that you are able to show off your socks. But this is dangerous game, because there is a fine line between doing what looks good and doing something that is horribly off. I have my own opinions about this and I will present them here as we shall go through what works and what doesn't.


ALWAYS

 

Shoes By: Hugo Boss 

Wearing socks that match your suit are generally regarded as a safe way to go. Granted, it's not always that fun as it kind of just blends your suit into your shoes, but it's always a sure way to not drag attention and to look more on the elegant side of things. However, you can spice it up while still playing it relatively safe by having a two-toned sock with one color matching your trousers and the other of a complimentary color. That way you are being safe but also adding a bit of spice to your outfit. Me being the style freak that I am, I usually will like to have that complimentary color (the one that does not match my trouser) match either my shirt or my tie.

SOMETIMES

Shoes By: Poulsen & Skone for Gieves & Hawkes

Before coming to England, I used to love wearing striped socks (like the ones I am wearing above) and quite frankly still do, but must admit I have been overtaken for an admiration of bright, solid color socks that you find many British men wearing. As you can see here, my friend and colleague, Stuart, is doing the right thing in this scenario by pairing complimentary colors coming from his shoes, socks and trousers (navy suit). So, when I say that this look is 'sometimes', it's because there are instances when people become a little overzealous and start wearing socks that completely clash and stick out like a sore thumb, causing a bit of overkill. Sorry that I don't have an example of that, but I am sure that you will know what I mean at the first instance that you see it.  

NEVER

Right Picture Courtesy Of: The Sartorialist

While Lapo Elkann is a dandy and wears some of the coolest outfits, and the guy on the right is incredibly sharp, I just find it very hard to appreciate the idea of going sock-less when wearing a sharp suit or black loafers. To me, it's just big clash, from the look to the elegance of it to the fact that neither one of these people are in a tropical area. Granted, there is a place and a time and a color of suit and loafers when wanting to go sock-less, but neither one of these cases fits the criteria. Wearing a linen suit, with some brown (or lighter shades of color) loafers, in an area that is humid, sunny and full of palm trees, smoking a cigar with your Borsalino hat on: this is time for going sock-less with your suit. But having a navy suit with black loafers, just doesn't mesh. It's too trendy and not timeless and therefore I give it the thumbs down.

And while there is no right or wrong, there definitely is what looks good and what doesn't. Now, coming from a relatively non-traditionalist background, my rules are pretty lenient. Others however, would not even pair loafers with suits, but that way of thinking is not going to be around much longer. So, if you have always been on the fence, give it a go, and play around with your socks, because I can tell you, the people who make me look twice at their outfits are the ones who are going bold but also staying classic and elegant at the same time. Figure that on out!