To Go Bespoke Or To Not Go Bespoke

Bespoke model made by my friend, for his friend

Let me first define what bespoke means. By definition from a dictionary, in what would be termed as 'old speak,' it would mean 'spoken for.' As in, a garment that is spoken for by someone, is owned and was created specifically for them and no one else. It will fit them perfectly (at least in theory) and should not fit anyone else in that same manner as we are all shaped differently.

Now that we have the definition out of the way, we can begin to talk about what it means to go bespoke, whether or not it is better than RTW or MTO and whether or not it is worth it's price. First off, you will have to bear in mind that I have made bespoke shoes, I own several pairs of them and wear them regularly, so in a sense, I am somewhat bias on the subject at hand, but will try to be as objective as I can be. And to also make a point of clarification, let's say that bespoke is strictly going to be something that was made by hand, not by machine, as I believe that this coincides with the true definition of what it means to be a bespoke product (at least in terms of shoes and suits...).

Riccardo Bestetti bespoke model

Is it worth it?

To answer this question will very much depend upon you, the person who is in prospect of buying them. You will have to ask yourself several questions:

1. Do I have messed up feet that cause me pain?
2. Is it extremely hard to fit my foot into a ready to wear shoe?
3. Can I afford it without blinking an eye?
4. Do I care about what goes on my feet?

You will usually find that the common consensus is as follows: If your feet are fairly straight forward (i.e. they are normal and can fit very comfortably into most RTW shoes, then you truly do not NEED a bespoke shoe. Now this has nothing to do with wanting one but simply the fact that if you have good feet then you do not fall under the category of people that get bespoke for health purposes. Because of this, being worth it or not will be entirely up to how you perceive the importance of fit, design, and the ultimate in superior quality. I cannot answer this for you, but can tell you that the bespoke shoes that I own, fit me better than the rest of the shoes that I own, and because of that are therefore more comfortable. But then again, I do have a slight problematic foot that is relatively flat, narrow and very low volume, which makes it hard to fit into RTW shoes that don't have narrow widths. 

Gaziano & Girling bespoke shoe

Why is it so much more expensive (and time consuming)?

People often seem incapable of fathoming the concept of paying upwards of $3000 for a pair of shoes, yet will happily pay that and even more on a suit....I have never understood this, but will hopefully be able to explain to you why the prices are as so. First off, you have to understand that it is rare that a bespoke maker is able to do the entire process all by himself/herself. You will find that many jobs these days (like closing) are outsourced. And more times than not you don't have all of these people under one roof, so therefore time constraints start to take place as the shoemaker finds themselves waiting for others.

The process is as such:

1. The last maker (and/or pattern maker) comes to measure your foot. At that same time you decide what  shoe you would like to have (i.e. design) and look at the coloring, leather, materials etc. that you like. If you choose something unique, you are creating more work for the pattern maker who will have to cut a new and unique piece of work.

2. They then take those measurements to create a precise mold of your foot, what is called a 'last'

3. After that, the pattern maker will design your pattern by way of the last. That means he uses your specific last to then create your specific pattern. If this design is something unique to you, the pattern maker might take extra long to get it right.

4. After the pattern is cut, they then cut out the leather and give it to the closer to sew all together. This part is usually outsourced so therefore they need to wait on them to complete it.

5. Once the upper is sewn together, they will attach it temporarily to the last to create a trial-fit shoe for you, to make sure that the last fits the way that you would like it to. This process involves you coming back or them coming to you, which increases the total amount of time for the process.

6. Once you have sorted this out (assuming there are no adjustments to be made), you then have to have the shoe 'made,' by the maker (this is the bit that I learned, and as you can see is just one part of the entire process).

Let's just assume that before taxes a bespoke shoe costs £2500 (which is close to the average out here in England). Now let's assume that at best, the shoemakers (owners of the company) take £1000 profit out of that, after all expenses. Now let's just assume that it's a two man firm and they can make 100 pairs a year (which is a very good number in bespoke shoe terms). That equates to £100,000 a year, but divided by 2, coming to a total of £50,000/year for each person. Now, this is all best case scenario, so let's just say that this is a good year for a pair of bespoke shoemakers. So, considering the amount of work put into a year's worth of doing this, it's not all that glorified in terms of making A LOT of money, is it? So, when you ask yourself why a bespoke shoe cost so much, you will see that a lot of work goes into it, a lot of hands touch it and there is not as much profit as you may think....it's far more for the love of making quality shoes then it is for the ambition of becoming rich!

Shoes Below: George Cleverley "Churchill" model, one bespoke, one RTW, can you tell which one?
(Pictures Courtesy Of: Leather Soul)

Can you tell the difference?

Okay, well let's now assume that you don't have problem feet and that money is not an issue. Do you still go for bespoke? Well, I certainly would and the reasons are because, for one, I am a shoe freak. Not only do I want a shoe that no one else has, a shoe that is unique to me, my taste and compliments my wardrobe perfectly but also a shoe that stands out as being made from the best materials around. You instantly see this when you see a bespoke shoe. It's not like you can spot them a mile away on someone's feet but when up close and personal with one, the distinct qualities that make it bespoke are evident and to me speak wonders about the shoe and the person, i.e. someone who appreciates fine footwear. And maybe I am bias saying this because I have spent so much time around both bespoke and RTW shoes, but not only can you tell the difference aesthetically but also in terms of psychologically, as I believe that wearing something that is made for one's self provides a feeling of pride and happiness, much stronger than any RTW shoe can give you....but hey, that's just my opinion! You will have to decide this for yourself...

Shoes Below: Gaziano & Girling (one bespoke & one RTW)

A Return To Italy (and Stefano Bemer)

Over my quick holiday visit to the in-laws in Perugia, Italy, I managed to pop over to my old town of Firenze (where I once lived for circa 1 year). I had the intention of going back to Stefano Bemer's shop (where I learned to make bespoke shoes) and saying hi to all of my old colleagues, as well as hopefully snapping some pictures of any new models made. Being that plans don't always happen they way that you want them to (and that fact that my wife was waiting for me at a nearby cafe) I was unable to take any pictures, as my time was rushed having to explain to my friends what I am currently up to while trying my best to speak in rusty, broken Italian. It was quite unfortunate, though, as Stefano was not around and I was unable to tell him of my progress, of which I hope that he would have been proud to say that it all started at his shop, my entrance into the bespoke shoe realm.... Nevertheless, I remembered that while living there, I had taken many pictures of the shop that I don't believe I ever posted on the blog, and thought that now would be the perfect time to do so.

If you look at the picture at the very top, you can see that two of the bespoke shoes that I made (#2 & #5) came from the patterns of the shoes second from the left and third from the right, only that I slightly altered minute details such as coloring, piping thickness and last shape. Looking back at these pictures (which only make up a small amount of the entire collection), I must say that Stefano Bemer, while relatively unknown by the majority of people, makes some of the most beautiful shoes that I have ever seen! He is excellent, in my opinion, at pairing certain patterns (designs) with certain last shapes as well as putting together wonderful color combinations. With that in mind, I still wonder why you don't find his shoes selling at more outlets around the world....

While I had a great time in Italy (living there and learning) and would not have traded that experience for anything in the world, I realized that during my short and nostalgic visit back, that I have truly found myself in probably the absolute best place that I could be for making my goals come into fruition (that being London). It makes one realize how funny and coincidental life can be. And if you would have asked me 6-7 years ago, whether I could see myself being and living in London, I would have said, "no way!"  But now I am here, and I feel like I have found my second home, a place that I enjoy and can feel comfortable and secure in. It's a great a feeling and am glad to have had this trip back to Italy to be able to experience it......Anyway enough of the sentimental babble, I hope that all of you had a wonderful holiday season and are getting ready for a great New Year's celebration. 2012 is going to be a great one!!

Best,

Justin, "The Shoe Snob"

Happy Holidays!

Dear All,

As we wind down another year, I just want to thank all of you that have been loyal readers, commentators and advocates of the blog and my aspirations. Without all of you, it would be hard to continue writing.

Alas, I am finally off to have some much needed 'away' time in the beautiful country of Italy. And while I can't wait to go stuff myself with pasta and wine, I regretfully admit that I will out of touch with the computer world while there, not being accessible to the blog or my email. That being, enjoy these pictures of 3 new models by Riccardo Bestetti, which are simply breathtaking....

I will return on the 27th for more blogging and until then I wish everyone a happy holiday season!

All the best,

-Justin, "The Shoe Snob"

Bespoke Making On A Whole Other Level

Most of the time, people buy bespoke shoes because they have feet that are hard to fit and therefore need a last to be made up to accommodate such feet. But every now and then, you get a gentleman who goes for bespoke simply for the fact that he wants something that no one else is ever going to have. This shoe presented here, represents just that, and even more. I found this on Saion's site and because it is in Japanese I unfortunately cannot understand one single thing, but looking at the pictures, I am almost positive that the stitching of the upper was done by hand, which is simply frickin' amazing!! Imagine how long that would take? AGES!

I look at this and even though I would probably not wear it simply for the fact of the decoration on the strap, I can't help but like and appreciate it. I only wish that there was a side view to look at, in order to get more of an appreciation for the entire shoe, as the top view only gives you so much. But I must say, that this is shoemaking purely at it's finest. The upper is unique, the stitching is hand-done (and contrasted), the design is out of the ordinary (the counter's are quite different) and the color combination is mind-blowing!! Overall, I give this a 10, not for the fact that it's the coolest shoe ever, but simply for the fact that it breaks all of the norms and enters the realm of art for the sake of making something that is beautiful and not necessarily practical....