Shoes -- Part 1: Construction

The world of shoes is a vast one. There are many different terms to describe not only the shoe's style name, but also the manner in which it was made as well as the small details that you find on the shoe's surface and it's core. And while some of this knowledge might be trivial to many of you, I know that there still are many people who do not know (or confuse) the differences in construction of shoes, as well as their style names, such wing-tip vs. brogues vs. cap toes etc. So, to appease the request of others, I will go through them in a brief yet concise manner, but also leave you with detailed descriptions provided by other blogs & articles, that have explained more thoroughly the differences in shoe construction. For today's discussions, I will go through some of the different shoe constructions and what I think about them. Next week, I will go through each of the shoe's style names and will leave it open for commentary on what you would like to learn about in week 3.

Pictures are taken from various sources, including Rider Boot Co. and La Botte Web
Shoe Above By: Roberto Ugolini

Shoe Constructions:

 --Goodyear Welted: 

In my opinion, a Goodyear welted shoe, in terms of construction, is what separates the men from the boys. This is not to say that men who wear other constructions are boys, but in terms of a shoe's integrity, Goodyear welted shoes will last you longer than most and therefore are the bread & butter of the high-end shoe market. It is generally regarded as the best construction in terms of comfort and durability as well as ease in terms of reparation. It also holds the same theory as bespoke welting, yet the obvious difference being that in bespoke it is done by hand and does not have a canvas rib supporting the feather. It is highly regarded for several different reasons: 1, for being relatively waterproof, because of the welt/sole connection, not allowing for water to get into the insole; 2, for it's relative ease in replacing the sole, thus giving you a shoe that can truly last 20-30 years depending on how you treat the upper leather; and 3, for it's cork filling, which is known to create a nice mold of your foot, after a good amount of wear, providing an almost custom-like foot-bed. While Goodyear welted shoes, are used very much by the English shoe market, the term and machinery used to create such shoes, were actually invented by Charles Goodyear Jr., the son of American inventor, Charles Goodyear, whom invented vulcanized rubber.

-- Blake & Blake Rapid:

Blake and Blake Rapid are the constructions most used by the Italian shoe industry. The Blake construction is created by directly stitching the outer sole to the insole, providing maximum flexibility and a light weight to the shoe. The Blake Rapid construction is pretty much made in the same fashion, except that there is a mid-sole (as shown in the top picture) that is connected to the outer sole as well as the insole, providing a little bit more cushion to your foot. Some will say that a well made Blake Rapid, will be just as good as a Goodyear welted shoe, yet being the snob that I am, I prefer a Goodyear welted shoe. Not because I find it better, per se, but because that is what I have learned to make and appreciate. I do very much believe that a Goodyear welted shoe, will always out-trump a Blake constructed shoe on the other hand, as a Blake shoe is much easier to wear out and let water in. There are also far fewer cobblers who can repair a Blake constructed shoe, leaving you with a shorter life span of the shoe. Don't get me wrong though, they are not necessarily to be frowned upon, they are just different, and it depends on what you are looking for.

-- Norwegian AKA Norvegese (in Italian)

Boots By: Santoni (true Norwegian stitch)

Bespoke Shoe By: Stefano Bemer (aesthetic Norwegian stitch)

Norwegian construction, despite it's name, is a construction widely used, again, by the Italian shoe industry. While it was originally intended to create a shoe that was truly waterproofed, through and through, it is mostly used now to create an aesthetic appeal to those who appreciate it (i.e. picture of shoe by Stefano Bemer, above). That being, as you will notice in the two pictures, on a shoe that is intended for waterproof-like qualities, you will see that the welt is actually flush not only with the sole, but also with the upper, being completely on the outside, as opposed to halfway out and halfway in, as in Goodyear welt construction. But the bottom picture will show you, that there is no welt fully on the outside but rather just the stitching that represents the Norwegian look. This will give you the look of Norwegian construction, but won't give you the complete waterproof quality. This will be a construction that you would want to consider for a shoe that you will use for outdoor activities, leaving you open to get wet. It is a durable, yet stiff construction, but can stand the test of time.

There are many other constructions out there, such as Bologna construction, but they are the far and few between and to me, are less important. But IF YOU READ HERE, you will get a much more in-depth description of each of the constructions above, including Bologna.

Goodyear Welted Shoes Below By: Alden

Shoe Pricing - From Cost of Production to Retail Price

The hardest thing about starting a shoe line, or really just starting your business plan to a shoe line, is coming up with the price that you want to sell your shoes at, retail value. There are so many factors that will dictate what that final price will be, factors that you might never have thought about before, like the fact that retailers will mark up a shoe's wholesale price 2-3 times over (e.g. wholesale price = $100, retail price would be = $200-$300). But those are just the two end prices, let alone the cost of production versus the cost of what, me, the shoe designer, would pay the factory, for each pair. This is what I am going through right now, as I decide where I want to make my shoes (Italy vs. England) and how I am going to be able to do my best to balance price vs quality. Because all in all, I want to make a good quality, goodyear welted shoe, that can last a good amount of time for my customers, but at the same time don't want them to retail at way above the common man's price range. This dilemma is a big one, and has made me realize why some shoes are indeed, very expensive.











Shoes at Top of Page: Allen Edmonds
Shoes Above: Grenson

In my opinion, globalization is the reason that I, and many other designers/makers are having or had this same problem. If you can remember, there used to be a number of fantastic shoemakers in the US, that made good quality shoes, such as Florsheim and Johnston & Murphy. But now, due to the amount of cheap labor and materials, many of those same companies decided to take that lower-priced route and shirked on their quality of labor and materials, thus resulting in shit shoes. Granted, there were a couple of American makers that stood their ground, such as Allen Edmonds and Alden, but even now, you can see where the quality is slowly deteriorating on Allen Edmond's models, or you will find the same quality, but the price has gone up and you no longer get a pair of extra laces, nice shoe bags or some sort of shoe horn. It's just the shoes and some cloth that they wrap the shoe around. So when you wonder why shoes are so expensive these days, thank globalization for it, because in reality, the high quality, goodyear welted shoes that you think should be cheaper, in fact should not! Grenson, for example, can make a beautiful, well-made shoe, but they have now chosen to re-evaluate their company, and with that decided to start mass producing by having shoes made in India, with either glued or blake stitched soles so that they could retail at $300-$400. Because their high end goodyear welted shoes, would sell for 350-450 GBP, which would then result to around $700. It's not a bad thing, it just is what it is. Companies want to stay afloat, and unfortunately because of the way the world is right now, that's what they have to do.

Shoes Above: Stefano Bemer

Back to my dilemma. I am sitting here thinking, 'Okay, for my customer, I want to make a high styled shoe. Something classic but with a modern touch yet it is absolutely pertinent that I make a good quality shoe or else I would just be a complete hypocrite.' This is what I tell myself. But then, I am stuck with knowing that it will cost me around 120 GBP (minimum) to buy a goodyear welted shoe with high quality leathers from a British factory (and who knows what it actually cost them to make it?). Then let's say that I only want to make 50 GBP profit on each pair. (That's not asking too much now!) That would mean that my wholesale price would be 170 GBP to sell to retailers. So let's say that I sell it to retailer X in London. Their price would at least be 425 GBP. You might say that this is not a lot, and when comparing it to a pair of John Lobbs, it's not a super high price in reality. But now, considering that the British pound is the strongest form of currency and it's market will only be a small part of my business, we have to take into account what that same 170 GBP wholesale shoe would sell for around the world. So now let's assume that retailer Y in the States wants to buy my shoes (and the x-rate is 1.6 dollars to the British pound). That would make my wholesale price at $272 which would then make the retail price $680 and that does not even take into account the tariffs that US custom's is going to tag on. So, to make a simple goodyear welted shoe, with some nice leather that will last the average man around 10-20 years with re-soles, you are looking at 425 GBP or around $700. How many people can afford $700 or 425 GBP shoes? That's my dilemma!










Shoes Above: John Lobb

Today's Favorites - Brogues

Two Pairs Above: Alden (Pictures Courtesy Of: Leather Soul)

Two Pairs Above: Edward Green  (Pictures Courtesy Of: Leffot)

Two Pairs Above: Stefano Bemer

There is something about brogues that just makes them absolutely timeless.... If I tried to create a reason to make that prior statement valid, I would just be uttering subjective beliefs. But even though, me stating this, makes it subjective, I truly feel that at the same time it is true, very true for that matter, as a fact. There is something so magical about them that just draws you in. Every time I see a pair, my eyes are drawn to it, no matter if it is being worn by a man or woman. The holes punched in the leather are just so intriguing and unique and I find it absolutely amazing of how they came to be and how they have evolved (For history read here). And their evolution has been recreated by every single shoemaker known to man. The 'brogue' is a style that every shoe company will make, guaranteed! It just makes sense to. Most people love them, as they should. There is not a shoe more versatile, period. So today, I will pay homage, to what I will say is tied for my favorite style ever (along with saddles) and make it known that brogues are timeless -- FACT!

Today's Favorites - Norman Vilalta, Bespoke Shoemaker

When you think of bespoke shoemakers and where they come from, you generally think about Italy, England, France and maybe if you are really knowledgeable, you also think of Hungary. But what you don't think of, is the rest of the world such as Spain, Japan, Germany, Sweeden, the USA etc. and all of these other places that actually have bespoke shoemakers but they are just not on that grand level scale. Most shoemakers take on apprentices and those apprentices are not always just from the country in which the shoemaker originates. Take Norman Vilalta (pictured above right). He is originally from Argentina but left his country to go to Italy and engulf himself in the art of shoemaking. Him and I actually have a similar history (except he is way ahead of me) in that we both left our country to go and study shoemaking under Stefano Bemer, which he did for I think about 5 years (plus or minus). After his time in Italy though, he left to open up his own shop in Barcelona, Spain where he continues to work today. And while his business and shoe production is relatively small, it is on it's way to thriving with the introduction of a ready-to-wear line in the not-so-distant future!

Pictures Courtesy Of: El Aristocrata

My Ideal Boot

Last year I wrote about The Perfect Boot and how a nice dress chukka could take you a long way, and frankly, I still agree with that but considering it is 2011, I wanted to switch it up a little and tell you about my ideal boot!! I have always been a big fan of how people around the world dressed in the late 1800's-early 1900's, also known as the Victorian and Edwardian era's. If you are unfamiliar with this way of dressing you can always watch movies such as Dorian Gray or Sherlock Holmes to get an idea. But to briefly tell you verbally, these two periods were a time in which people had the decency to always look sharp and by that, I state that the act of wearing a suit and dress attire was the norm. And part of that dress attire, as you can imagine, was some sort of dress shoe or boot, which brings us to the subject at hand.....

Boots At Top Of Page: Crockett & Jones (Clarence model)
Boots Above (4 Pair): Edward Green (Shannon model)

The balmoral boot, aesthetically, has to be my favorite boot and is obviously the inspiration behind this post, particularly the C&J model at the top of this page along with the black & white version of the Shannon model by Edward Green (above, left). Back in the Victorian/Edwardian days, you would have found that this was a favorite for the smarter dressed men of society. Considering that the streets were not paved as they are today, it was imperative for men to have nice dress boots that could help protect from the sludge that was inevitably everywhere. And because the balmoral boot is the dressiest boot there is, you can see why it was the go-to option for the men of these time periods!

Boots Above Top Row: Left - Edward Green; Right - Foster & Son
Boots Above Bottom Row: Rider Boot Co. (both)

While obviously not exclusive to British shoe companies, you will notice that the majority of my pictures do come from British shoe companies. I feel that because they were such a crucial piece in the sartorial realm of men in those time periods (periods characterized by British ruling, and fashion), British shoe companies seem to always have a model available in their current offerings where as shoe companies from other parts of the world may or may not be offering one at any given time. Nevertheless, the balmoral boot remains (as it did in the Victorian/Edwardian era's) a quintessential piece in the wardrobes of the men who still care to dress with some exuberance!! And this is because, as you would know if you own a pair, it is a boot that can easily go from day wear with jeans, to work wear with suits, and then to evening wear with trousers and a button-up shirt. Now if only I owned a dang pair, I could have taken pictures to model that image for you!!!!!!!!!

Boots Top Row: Left - Cliff Roberts (British Bespoke Shoemaker); Right - Carreducker
Boots Middle Row: Left - Stefano Bemer; Right - Gaziano & Girling
Boots Bottom: Gaziano & Girling

Shoes Of The Week (And Possibly Of The Year)

I have to say that Japanese men are hands down the most bold when it comes to creating bespoke shoes, at least from what I have seen. This pair by Stefano Bemer, which I borrowed from some Japanese person's Flickr site, has to be one of the coolest designs that I have ever seen. While the shoe is relatively simple itself, the coloring and detailing of the leather is just amazing and incredibly unique. This, to me, is what defines the beauty of bespoke. Getting a great fit is wonderful and all but creating a shoe that is going to be 1 of 1, is another feeling in itself, especially when people approach you and ask where you got your shoes. Well, this post brings 2010 to an end and I wanted to thank all of my readers and say that I hope that you have enjoyed my site as much as I have enjoyed writing it for you. May you all have a Happy New Year!!!! See you in 2011!

Photo Courtesy Of: Chickalot06

Shoes Of The Week

It's always interesting to see what another animal's hide would look like on a pair of shoes. Never seen or even heard of being used before, this pair here, bespoke by George Cleverley, offers the skin of a mountain ram. It looks surprisingly similar to elephant hide (which I had the opportunity to handle while with Stefano Bemer, shoes here), yet only less coarse. It clearly makes the shoes more casual but the contrasting effect that is produced when pairing the mountain ram hide with a calfskin creates quite a pleasing look, at least in my mind. Given it's casual qualities I would think that this pair would look quite sharp with a nice pair of jeans, but at the same time look nice also when paired with a more casual suit. While these shoes no doubt cost a pretty penny, the fact that they are so elegant and can be worn with the majority of pieces in your wardrobe, is priceless!!

Pictures Courtesy Of: Leather Soul