Japanese Shoes: Bespoke & RTW Super Thread

[jonathanS]

It's a very remote location in Chiba, a house where he has showroom and workshop on the bottom floor, and lives on the top floor. His wife also work full time, so they have double income. And they basically spend no money on anything, just their young daughter. He certainly doesn't have rich family or anything supporting him, the other way around, he comes from a background where 320 000 yen for a pair of shoes is a huge amount of money (and note, that's base price, he charges for all extras, shoe trees, toe taps, more tricky patterns etc. So these here would correspond to 380 000 in total, I paid 20 000 less since they were ordered under the old price list).

Nonetheless, I'm nagging on him to continue to raise prices (he do seem to listen, last raise was after we talked, and he also simplified his fitting shoes especially first ones a bit after input from me), if nothing else to make it more reasonable for other shoemakers in Japan who have to charge more to survive but who can't make as fine shoes as Eiji san.



Cheers! Yeah, many people think the same

How difficult is it to get there? Might do a Japan trip next year & by the time I need to come back for fittings, It’ll be time for another Japan trip haha.

 

[clee1982]

probably easier to justify a trip to japan if you're a big skier, but this one would require a giant detour

 

[jonathanS]

probably easier to justify a trip to japan if you're a big skier, but this one would require a giant detour

I’d like to visit Japan independent of that. Shoes would be an added bonus, but, thinking about it, I see no reason to deviate from my current shoemaker, despite the price. Waiting 5 years is a long time. I am doing a pair of bespoke boots with Lee miller is the us & he’s also 5 years. He mentioned he had a Japanese apprentice at one point who has now moved back to Japan. Surprised there isn’t a bounty on the name of that apprentice haha.

 

[j ingevaldsson]

How difficult is it to get there? Might do a Japan trip next year & by the time I need to come back for fittings, It’ll be time for another Japan trip haha.

Not that difficult, you go by train to Matsudo station, from there either bus and walk, or taxi (definitely more convenient). Takes about an hour in total from Tokyo station.

 

[Wsl]

I collected this pair of tassel loafers from Hiro earlier this week.
MTM model in Dark Cognac Cordovan.
Was quite lucky that I placed the order early this year, heard that the waiting time for MTM/MTO has also increased beyond 1 year.

 

[dawei94]

Has anyone ordered from Spigola recently? Curious what he quoted as the delivery timeline

 

[Crispyj]

Joe Works. Fantastic people, workshop and product. Derbies for fitting.
Got a pair of brown llama skin boots with width modifications in the toe area.

Stitches were very neat and finishing was clean.
Excited to receive them next year.

 

[DorianGreen]

A great looking model by Ichigo Ichie.

 

[DorianGreen]

A shoe as a work of art, highly impressed by the creations of Yohei Fukuda.

 

[DorianGreen]

 

[DorianGreen]

A stunning pair from Seiji McCarthy.

On Permanent Style article of today.
https://www.permanentstyle.com/2023...ting.html?mc_cid=c8d75b7785&mc_eid=277eb01ada

 

[Crispyj]

This ain't a repost thread...

 

[Mikitorre90]

Most reputable bespoke makers will adjust your shoes if the fit is off which is almost bound to happen for the first pair. I can't think of a single maker who refused to make it right with the customer except maybe Cleverly.

The doors at Cleverley's are always open for repairs and adjustments

 

[DorianGreen]

Some more shoe splendor.

These are by Seiichi Yoshimoto, a Japanese shoemaker working in Rome, I could visit recently.

Disclaimer: I post (or repost, as someone would say) what I like and find worth to be seen. If one doesn't like it, he has nothing else to do than using the ignoring function.

 

[epsilon22]

Just realized I forgot to post pics of my MTO Spigola oxfords here. Standard black cap-toe, leather soles. Didn't specify but seems like Koji would give you beveled waist by default unless you ask for something else. I only asked for a seamless back since I thought it'd look neat.

Toe taps and bespoke shoe trees (the hinged ones, rather than the ones with springs) each cost an additional $125 via The Armoury, which I find oddly expensive for the former, and oddly cheap for the latter. Overall they cost me just under $3k after NY taxes.