First bespoke shoes advice

[moimael]

And the final result:



Very happy about it, I think they look incredible can't wait to try them on !

 

[Brian1999]

And the final result:

View attachment 1062443

Very happy about it, I think they look incredible can't wait to try them on !

Looks incredible!
How is the fit on them? The fact that they don't make a trial shoe and go straight to finish makes me intrigued. Most shoemakers will make a lot o changes to the last after the first and even the second fitting.

 

[moimael]

Thanks ! Yes I totally understand I had the same fear as well.

And when I put them on for the first time in the shop they creased a lot on the inside front of the shoes which was really scary. It is also due to the fact that I have flat feet and there is a built in arch support in those that wasn't taken enough into account (the arch support is pushing the foot inwards). But after trial and adjustment for about an hour (basically by heating the leather and reshaping it) it came out very nicely and now after wearing them, since the cork insole and arch support were compressed a bit it almost totally disappeared. (They still said they would add a few mililleter on the inside width of I do another pair). Now the fit is excellent, the only minor point is i'd like a slightly tighter heel, but really it's very small.

Also I was offered a hand made belt in the same leather as the shoes for the minor inconvenience.

But honestly now they are perfectly fine and only have some minor creating due to wear which look perfectly normal.

Although a fitting would have helped solved those issues, I can say that at this pricepoint it's excellent value.

I'd definitely advise to pick them in person, at least for the first pair though, since they can do some correction even when the shoes are done.

 

[BColl_Has_Too_Many_Shoes]

Now the fit is excellent, the only minor point is i'd like a slightly tighter heel, but really it's very small.

First off congratulations on purchasing your first pair of bespoke shoes. They look fantastic. Wear them in good health.
I actually really like Jan Kielman because the prices are reasonable, and the shoes themselves offer good value for the money.

This point you made here is precisely why I especially love the lower price. If you would have paid $3500-$4500 dollars for the shoes that heel preference may have bothered you more. What that turns into is a learning experience when you want to spend more money on your next pair of shoes. You now will be armed with more knowledge which will lead to more questions, which in turn leads to better shoes.

 

[moimael]

First off congratulations on purchasing your first pair of bespoke shoes. They look fantastic. Wear them in good health.
I actually really like Jan Kielman because the prices are reasonable, and the shoes themselves offer good value for the money.

This point you made here is precisely why I especially love the lower price. If you would have paid $3500-$4500 dollars for the shoes that heel preference may have bothered you more. What that turns into is a learning experience when you want to spend more money on your next pair of shoes. You now will be armed with more knowledge which will lead to more questions, which in turn leads to better shoes.

That exactly. It's definitely one of the best entrance into the bespoke shoes world. Considering it was my first commission, a lot more could have gone wrong and I could have regretted some of the choices I made. I was lucky to only end up with very small improvement points. I'm super happy about the color, leather and all the style details and construction choices. But it's definitely a lot less frustrating to make mistake on a "cheaper" bespoke pair. (Although they are still top notch quality and better made than 99.99% of the shoes on the market). Definitely gained a lot of insights and experience with this commission.

 

[Boggis]

That exactly. It's definitely one of the best entrance into the bespoke shoes world. Considering it was my first commission, a lot more could have gone wrong and I could have regretted some of the choices I made. I was lucky to only end up with very small improvement points. I'm super happy about the color, leather and all the style details and construction choices. But it's definitely a lot less frustrating to make mistake on a "cheaper" bespoke pair. (Although they are still top notch quality and better made than 99.99% of the shoes on the market). Definitely gained a lot of insights and experience with this commission.

Those shoes looks fantastic! More than a year on what are your thoughts regarding them? I.e. Do you wear them often? Would you commission another pair from Kielman?

I have similar issues with fit wise with RTW as yourself, but most bespoke is outside of my budget. At this price point I'm very tempted to try Jan Kielman.

 

[moimael]

Those shoes looks fantastic! More than a year on what are your thoughts regarding them? I.e. Do you wear them often? Would you commission another pair from Kielman?

I have similar issues with fit wise with RTW as yourself, but most bespoke is outside of my budget. At this price point I'm very tempted to try Jan Kielman.

Thanks! They are still great shoes and I wear them happily They are probably my most formal shoes though, so not the ones getting the most wear those days. I probably would, maybe not mocs though since the fit can be a bit tricky, especially with my feet, and without fitting I'm not sure they would end up being a great fit. I don't buy many shoes those days and I guess for my next pair of shoes I'd like to try a bespoke maker with traditional fittings.

I'd say you should give it a try, even if it's only to have an idea of how the bespoke process looks like and the decision process behind it. That will be very helpful should you decide to move to a more expensive maker later on. The most important advice I can give you is: don't try to make your first pair of shoes look like they are bespoke. Go with something simple and unfussy.

 

[Manuel]

I would like to see the shoes on your feet, is it possible? They look fantastic in the picture.

 

[moimael]

I would like to see the shoes on your feet, is it possible? They look fantastic in the picture.

An old one, but gives you an idea. The inside creasing is not as pronounced as it appears in the picture.

 

[Manuel]

Thanks.

 

[moimael]

Thanks.

A picture I just snapped (I didn't do the lacing property sorry ^^) :

 

[Boggis]

Thanks! They are still great shoes and I wear them happily They are probably my most formal shoes though, so not the ones getting the most wear those days. I probably would, maybe not mocs though since the fit can be a bit tricky, especially with my feet, and without fitting I'm not sure they would end up being a great fit. I don't buy many shoes those days and I guess for my next pair of shoes I'd like to try a bespoke maker with traditional fittings.

I'd say you should give it a try, even if it's only to have an idea of how the bespoke process looks like and the decision process behind it. That will be very helpful should you decide to move to a more expensive maker later on. The most important advice I can give you is: don't try to make your first pair of shoes look like they are bespoke. Go with something simple and unfussy.

Thanks, great to hear they've worked out well.

Yes I think I'd be inclined to go for something similar to yours, rather than "slap you round the face" looking bespoke! I guess once travel restrictions ease up I'll need to plan a trip to Warsaw, as I dont fancy taking the measurements myself.

 

[moimael]

Thanks, great to hear they've worked out well.

Yes I think I'd be inclined to go for something similar to yours, rather than "slap you round the face" looking bespoke! I guess once travel restrictions ease up I'll need to plan a trip to Warsaw, as I dont fancy taking the measurements myself.

Yes definitely get measured in person and get delivery of your first pair in person

 

[Manuel]

A picture I just snapped (I didn't do the lacing property sorry ^^) :
View attachment 1536859

They look good, the most important thing is that you feel good about them.

 

[uozay]

Thanks very much for this thread. It's been interesting reading. I'm going on a short trip to Poland. I'm seriously considering a visit to Jan Kielman