Adventures into an Old World

[Jack Orion]

Stuck here on the wrong side of the Big Pond, this misplaced Anglophile read your tale with delight. It's good to know that such places do, indeed, exist in the world.

And I understand that poetry is apprecitated in those parts, as well.

I really have to make it over there just once.

Thanks again, Hobbes.

 

[Hobbesoxon]

Stuck here on the wrong side of the Big Pond, this misplaced Anglophile read your tale with delight. It's good to know that such places do, indeed, exist in the world.

And I understand that poetry is apprecitated in those parts, as well.

I really have to make it over there just once.

Thanks again, Hobbes.

Always a pleasure, sir. Perhaps one day you'll visit ever-popular London, and decide to spend a day out in Oxford - it's a popular day-trip from London, being just an hour away, and you can always swing by Duckers to see for yourself, if you do.


Toodlepip,

Hobbes

 

[Scotto]

Interesting you mention your (surprised) enjoyment of polishing. Those repetitive tasks, those you do yourself, and those whose outcome you can see plainly are often the most satisfying. They are also becoming more and more infrequent in our busy lives.

Our own Ouch got me hooked on sharpening my kitchen knives on Japanese waterstones, and it is a similar thing. Very zen-like in the repetitive motions; very soothing.

Thanks for the nice article.

 

[Hobbesoxon]

Interesting you mention your (surprised) enjoyment of polishing. Those repetitive tasks, those you do yourself, and those whose outcome you can see plainly are often the most satisfying. They are also becoming more and more infrequent in our busy lives.

Our own Ouch got me hooked on sharpening my kitchen knives on Japanese waterstones, and it is a similar thing. Very zen-like in the repetitive motions; very soothing.

Thanks for the nice article.

Absolutely; it's the repetitive, engaging, mindful nature which somehow brings all these activities together into that Zen-like zone.

Making tea in the Chinese style, with all of its intricate (though not redundant) steps is up there. Similarly, consulting the "Yi Jing" with yarrow stalks, if you know that one.

I always wanted to take up archery, but haven't got around to it yet...


Toodlepip,

Hobbes

 

[Isaac]

Ok.......I hope i dont get lynched here for my question.

Where in NYC would I be able to find somehting like this. I have been looking for a Dr. Marten style leather shoe/boot for awhile. Im talking all leather that can be resoled. I use to sell and wear western boots and think a good pair of shoes should last quite awhile.

Im looking for exactly what you described. A place that will measure your foot and tell you.....you need this and that. I wouldnt even minda a custom pair. Any type of help would be appreciated. I know that this might cost a bit, but im looking for a price range of 300-800....and am afraid of cracking that barrier.

 

[urr-lord]

i used to buy gander mountain's house brand of boot and have them resoled.i think i had 2 pair that were resoled 3 times before i outgrew them.then gander got bought by cabela's and the boots disappeared in the restructuring.i hear that gander is back but i've yet to see a catalogue.i think it is a good idea economically and ecologically to resole.

 

[Hobbesoxon]

Where in NYC would I be able to find somehting like this. I have been looking for a Dr. Marten style leather shoe/boot for awhile. Im talking all leather that can be resoled. I use to sell and wear western boots and think a good pair of shoes should last quite awhile.

A good question - do we have anyone with knowledge of New York? I can tell you where to go in "Old York", in England...

i used to buy gander mountain's house brand of boot and have them resoled.i think i had 2 pair that were resoled 3 times before i outgrew them.then gander got bought by cabela's and the boots disappeared in the restructuring.i hear that gander is back but i've yet to see a catalogue.i think it is a good idea economically and ecologically to resole.

I absolutely agree. Good shoes need to go in for a service occasionally, just like a car. They get resoled, and all sorts of shampooing, saddle-soaping, and trimming, and the results are very decent. Economically and ecologically, it pays to invest in good shoes - but, they can look great, too.

I was standing in the lodge of a college here one evening, waiting for a friend for dinner. A passer-by stopped and said, "Are those shoes from Duckers? They're works of art, they'll last you twenty years." Not bad.


Toodlepip,

Hobbes

 

[Phog Allen]

I use to sell and wear western boots and think a good pair of shoes should last quite awhile.

Aye and that's a fact. As a regular wearer of western boots, I cannot help but bemoan the current state of production boots. I heap a lot of blame on Justin Industries. About ten years ago they started buying up all the old brands. Nocona, Tony Lama, Chippewa and some others. As you can guess, the quality of these brands has taken a nose dive. Not all this is Justin trying to lever its own brand into a better quality product. A lot of it comes down to pricing of hides. Good leather has gotten quite expensive and it will only get worse if the granola kids keep preaching at people to stop eating/using animals. Even with the cheaper hides they are buying to keep costs down, the workmanship is horrid. Almost all these boots any more are buy them and chuck them when you are done. So far, Justin has not mangled my Chippewa pull on work boots. They are still the toughest production pull ons I can find. They moved the plant out of Missouri to Texas a few years ago and I took an anxious deep breath. The next pair was as good as the one before but who knows next time?

I was standing in the lodge of a college here one evening, waiting for a friend for dinner. A passer-by stopped and said, "Are those shoes from Duckers? They're works of art, they'll last you twenty years." Not bad.


Toodlepip,

Hobbes

That is the same thing you will hear from lovers of Hyer boots. If there is someone who recognises them, they will almost always comment on them. BTW, I still haven't gotten my work boots back from that cobbler's shop. He is quite busy being the only game in town.

Regards, Todd

 

[Hobbesoxon]

As a regular wearer of western boots, I cannot help but bemoan the current state of production boots. Good leather has gotten quite expensive and it will only get worse if the granola kids keep preaching at people to stop eating/using animals. Even with the cheaper hides they are buying to keep costs down, the workmanship is horrid. Almost all these boots any more are buy them and chuck them when you are done.

It's not just western boots, I think - taking a look around a more "modern" shoeshop earlier this week, I was struck by the affectation of production-line shoes: they have rubber soles, to avoid the need for repair, which are all formed with fake stitches around the top, to give the impression of being hand-crafted. It's a cheeky little reminder that they are just modern imitations.

As you say, these shoes are built to last a few years at the most, and then to be discarded and replacements bought. I'm sure you're with me when I say that's not for me. I don't like the idea of buying "cheap" (and they're usually not cheap at all) just to have them binned within a few seasons. It's about as sustainable as burning baby seals for warmth. I rank this as one of modern factory owners greatest victories: they've convinced us to settle for less, for the sake of "convenience", which is itself a false economy.

I usually put supermarket food, high-street clothes, and most other paraphernalia of modern life in this category.

That is the same thing you will hear from lovers of Hyer boots. If there is someone who recognises them, they will almost always comment on them. BTW, I still haven't gotten my work boots back from that cobbler's shop. He is quite busy being the only game in town.

All good things come to those who wait.

 

[hossmp]

Great story. I have looked long and hard for something similar in the New York Metro area. I live about 45 minutes to 1 hour from Manhatten. I have had no luck. I have found many great places that sell great shoes but they do not make there own. They do measure your foot properly however that doesnt mean thats the size you will walk out with. I end up going with the Allen Edmunds, Mephisto (for walking around), Aldens and I do own one pair of Church's. I wish that I could get rid of my entire collection and just have 2 pairs made for my foot. Sounds like an excuse to head over to the UK!

 

[ouch]

My wife is a shoephiliac, and I'm a hemophiliac.

Every time I get the bill for her shoes, I start to bleed uncontrollably.

 

[jellywerker]

That is awesome, and was a very good read. Sadly, in my area the only places offering handmade shoes that I have found start at around $800 and work up from there to well into $2000. If I could find something from $150, maybe even $200, I'd probably get them, but above that is just unaffordable to me. As my parents say, I have champagne tastes and a water wallet.

 

[rlich8]

I enjoyed reading that.

I would love to purchase shoes from such an establishment. What an amazing treat!

 

[Hobbesoxon]

Thanks, chaps.

I'm amazed that such shoes would cost as much as $2000 in the US. The shoes in this thread were "just" $560, and they were the most expensive in Oxford that I've seen. In order to spend $2000 on shoes you would have to try really, really hard in the UK, probably going to somewhere in the centre of Mayfair. I suspect by that point you've really past the point where the extra money is buying you extra quality.


Toodlepip,

Hobbes

 

[Phog Allen]

Holy smokes Hobbes! Even though it is still expensive for blue collar workers, $560 for a HAND MADE pair of shoes is a bargain. Alden's here in the States are within $100 of that for most of their line. I may have to give Ducker's a call.

Regards, Todd

 

[Hobbesoxon]

Holy smokes Hobbes! Even though it is still expensive for blue collar workers, $560 for a HAND MADE pair of shoes is a bargain. Alden's here in the States are within $100 of that for most of their line. I may have to give Ducker's a call.

Regards, Todd

Don't forget the shoe trees, for an extra $100, by the way, if you want to keep them looking good!


Toodlepip,

Hobbes

 

[petr]

I have enjoyed this thread immensely.

I should be sore because you have probably cost me several hundred bucks, but meh ... it is about time.

Those are beautiful shoes. I've never been the "beautiful shoes" type, but these pieces are about craftsmen at the top of their game. Frankly, these shoes appear to be a real bargain comparatively.

In regard to makers in NYC, these two makers come to mind:

Vincent & Edgar -- Owned by Roman Vainguz, shop is on Lexington Ave. NYC.

Oliver Moore, shoemaker.

Both, as I understand are 4x the price of a Ducker&Son. It would be interesting for someone in the city to stop by and post pictures of what they find.

 

[trewornan]

As you say, these shoes are built to last a few years at the most, and then to be discarded and replacements bought. I'm sure you're with me when I say that's not for me. I don't like the idea of buying "cheap" (and they're usually not cheap at all) just to have them binned within a few seasons.

I don't know about really good quality shoes and I wouldn't be comfortable paying over £100 for shoes anyway, but if you're looking for quality at the other end of the scale then I've discovered that work shoes are often excellent. You can buy a pair that look pretty good - unremarkable when worn with a suit for example. There's no VAT on work clothes so they generally cost around £30-£40. They last me about 5 years of heavy use are comfortable and (imho) are far better made than high street rubbish.

Add to that my current pair are heat, oil, acid, alkali, and slip resistant, anti-static and have composite (so they don't set off airport metal detectors) toe caps and midsoles.

Pretty good for £35.

Not that I wouldn't like a £500 pair of shoes but - you know.