Veblen Shoes

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At the risk of offending some readers, I have often found that loafers and monks have a tendency to signal money and arrogance rather than style. They are Veblenesque in my imagination, perfect examples of Thorstein Veblen’s conspicuous consumption.

I am a little afraid that my position is nothing but a prejudice though. Therefore, I have decided testing it. I have started wearing loafers ands monks giving my laced shoes a break once in a while.

Until now, I feel at home. I like being Veblenesque.

Above in the photo my monks in drizzle. They are, like most of my shoes, bespoke from Central Europe.

Source: The Journal of Style

John Lobb Alumna Hendrikje Ehlers in Berlin

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Some years ago a reader directed me to a German sartorial forum, which now seems to have vanished. The forum was full of discussions about welted shoes. One participant called “Posh” was an authority on the matter. She – it was a she – defended handmade bespoke shoes intensively explaining the difference (attachments, sewing, materials, fit) to goodyear welted shoes.

Posh-Schuhe-Berlin-The-Journal-of-Style-6Going to Berlin to visit Volkmar Arnulf,  I decided to find her shoemaker workshop. She works in Berlin. That I remembered, and her website confirms that.

Her son was present, when I arrived walking from Checkpoint Charlie 500 meters away, and minutes later Posh with the legal name Hendrikije Ehlers appeared.

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She could tell me she has been working at John Lobb’s in London for year, and she repeated her position that bespoke handmade shoes indeed are a different matter from goodyear welted shoes, which doesn’t mean goodyear welted shoes cannot be very fine shoes. She is selling Carmina and Dinkelacker shoes herself from the shop.

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In regards to her bespoke shoes, she always makes a pair of trial shoes (see above), she said to me. The customer will use them for a week, and the real shoes with adjustments will be made afterwards.

I asked her, how John Lobb in St James’s in London as the World’s most renowned shoemaker can skip the fitting. I know a fitting is no guarantee of a well-fitting shoe, but still.

“Well, they are John Lobb,” she said with a smile adding:

“You know, in Germany there are strong consumer rights. If a customer doesn’t like a pair of shoes or doesn’t feel they are comfortable, he can without further reason return them claiming his money back. So, the shoemaker is eager to make the shoes fit!”

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Hendrikje Ehlers’ bespoke shoes are 2.500 euro excl. lasts and shoe trees.

Source: The Journal of Style

Shoemaker Roberto Ugolini in Florence

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Florence has a relatively large amount of bespoke shoemakers, probably due to a strong leather craft tradition. I have mentioned that before.

Roberto Ugolini is one of seven or eight shoemakers. He is situated on Via Michelozzi just opposite Chiesa Di Santo Spirito.

I entered his shop one morning. Unlike other shoemakers I have met in Florence, mr. Ugolini wasn’t very approachable. Usually, a small artisan welcomes a polite photograher, which I always strive to be, but not mr. Ugolini.

As a result, the shop left me with mixed feelings. I was also puzzled about the rather dusty shoes on the racks. I know the place is both workshop and front shop but the shoe arrangement still looked odd to me.

That said, the shoemaking in itself appeared very fine. That is what counts, after all.

Source: The Journal of Style

Angelo Comolli – hidden shoemaker in Milan

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Maestro was abroad serving Japanese customers. Instead his assistant showed me the small workshop situated on a 3rd floor in the center of Milan. Everything was like it should be. No shallow show, no fake luxury but a place dedicated to pure shoemaking by hand.

I hesitate to use the bespoke word, because as far as I understood the Italian speaking assistant they usually don’t make a trial shoe. They follow a proper path adjusting a partly made wood last accordning to the customer’s measurements and specifications, before they start working  on the shoes. But, they go straight to complete the actual shoes, when the lasts are ready.

Personally, I don’t care much about that sinn as long as the shoemaker is a good shoemaker. I feel the expertise of a shoemaker is a better guarantee of a good result than one or two fittings. There will always be a step from a trial shoe to a finished shoe, which can introduce new fitting issues.

Is Angelo Comolli a good shoemaker? I don’t know, since I have no shoes from them, and I don’t know any, who has. Their workshop and shoes look promising, though.

Note that Angelo Comolli speaks Italian or French.

Source: The Journal of Style

 

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