Wallabees....

[Marco]

Thank you, @Marco.

I just re-read your excellent essay about Velasca. Overall, Velasca seems to get good reviews. I also read a lengthy thread about them on Styleforum which is mostly positive with some discussion about some GC issues that one of the owners, Enrico Caserti, responded to directly.

As with any product, the old adage that “you get what you pay for” I’m sure is applicable.

The shoes that I ordered cost just under $200. That’s not nearly the $500 (approx.) one would spend if purchasing a similarly-designed, Tyrolean-type shoe, like Paraboot’s “Michael” shoe like the one shown here...
View attachment 1223550

For that price, one would expect/demand a very high-quality made shoe.

The Barbee by Velasca is slightly more expensive than Clark’s Wallabees by approximately $40 but as I indicated above, Wallabees are not as aesthetically pleasing to my eye and as several members here have stated, the QC of the Wallabee has declined.

So paying a bit more for a shoe that is more pleasing to my eye and hopefully is a bit higher in quality is, IMO, worth a few dollars more.

The Barbee is a very casual shoe to be worn with jeans or khakis and (hopefully) are comfortable enough for some extensive walking around both town and country.

Now... what are your thoughts on the Italian-made Greenflex Desert Boot by Astorflex?

They have been on my radar.
View attachment 1223549


@Doc4

(... we are really putting “B&B’s Man in Italy” to work.)

Bob, I must confess that I'm truly in love with Velasca and almost exclusively use this brand. I own 7 pairs: 3 Oxfords, 2 Derbies and 2 Desert Boots. The Desert Boots by Velasca are much better made and more beautiful than the original Clarks, IMHO. They look and feel more "substantial", as you properly say above.

 

[Rudy Vey]

wish you never showed this Paraboot....I love Norwegians...

 

[johnniegold]

wish you never showed this Paraboot....I love Norwegians...

Just remember to take pics when they arrive.

 

[johnniegold]

According to the tracking info, it appears the Barbee has been stuck in Memphis for several days now.

 

[blantyre]

Maybe a side trip to Graceland to check out the blue suede version.

 

[johnniegold]

Maybe a side trip to Graceland to check out the blue suede version.

and try the peanut butter and nanner sandwich bay-buh.

 

[johnniegold]

It’s not often that I look forward to a Monday.

 

[Marco]

@johnniegold Bob, I absolutely want to hear your valuable thoughts once they'll arrive.

But I warn you: if you start loving Velasca, they'll cause an addiction...

 

[johnniegold]

@johnniegold Bob, I absolutely want to hear your valuable thoughts once they'll arrive.

But I warn you: if you start loving Velasca, they'll cause an addiction...

I’m looking forward to their arrival and giving Velasca a try.

As for the prospect of becoming a Velasca-addict...

Spoiler

 

[Marco]

@johnniegold Bob, did you receive them yesterday? First impressions, Sir?

 

[johnniegold]

Yes, @Marco. I did receive them yesterday and I will post my thoughts (along with some pics) later today.

 

[johnniegold]

Ok. So the Barbee arrived yesterday.

This will be 2 posts.

First:


THE PACKAGING:

Very nice presentation. In the envelope are the return labels.

The shoes each arrive in nice shoe bags.

AND NOW... THE BARBEE.

A discussion of the Barbee is in the next post....

 

[johnniegold]

Before discussing the shoe, let me say that Velasca’s customer service is outstanding. They have been very responsive, helpful and understanding. And first-rate customer service is the hallmark of a company that stands behind and believes in its product and Velasca fits squarely in this category.

After removing the shoes from the shoe bags I was immediately impressed with the rich color and the hand of the suede as well as the substantial feel of the shoe.

After looking at the stitching on the vamp, I noticed what I viewed to be an imperfection in the stitching on the vamp which, IMO, created a disproportionate look on the vamp creating a line running down the length of the vamp on one shoe as well as uneven stitching on each shoe.

I reached out to Velasca (sent them a few pics) and they indicated that the differences in the shoe are indicative of the shoe being a handmade product rather than machine made.

But for me, the unique stitching and vamp of this Norwegian-styled, Tyrolean type shoe is what this shoe is all about and that is the shoe’s money shot, if you will. Unfortunately, I couldn’t see past it.

Nevertheless, Velasca was willing to do whatever I preferred (i.e. exchange, refund or store credit).

I opted to exchange the shoe for another pair (also sizing up a 1/2 size). I wanted to exchange them because I think it is a great-looking shoe.


Here are the pics...

The left shoe

The right shoe

This is the picture of the vamp from Velasca’s website.

What say you?

 

[Marco]

@johnniegold

Robert, I own many Velasca shoes and I have noticed that the "soft" shoes like these and the Desert Boots are just smaller than the Oxfords and Derbies. In my case I had to go up 1 full size, getting 42 in place of 41, which is my "standard" Velasca size.

Honestly, I have never had issues with my Velasca. I think their quality standards are pretty high, especially in that price point. But, if you are unhappy with your shoes for ANY reason you have the right to ask for an exchange. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

 

[Doc4]

Velasca was willing to do whatever I preferred (i.e. exchange, refund or store credit).

I opted to exchange the shoe for another pair (also sizing up a 1/2 size). I wanted to exchange them because I think it is a great-looking shoe.

But, if you are unhappy with your shoes for ANY reason you have the right to ask for an exchange. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

I am glad that Velasca is very co-operative with customer service. Especially as online shopping is particularly hard for footwear, it is really important for the buyer to feel he can ... and actually be able to ... send the shoes back easily and cheaply for pretty much any reason. What with shoes being so hard to find a "good" fit on one's foot, even a perfectly made shoe in the size one normally wears can end up not fitting well on one's foot.

I suppose the OP could have just said "doesn't fit" and hopefully that's enough to get a return and refund. He went one better and expressed his QC concerns.

I don't want to leave people thinking, however, that "the customer is always right" in any and all circumstances in terms of wanting a return and refund. (This is not talking about the generally "good idea" of a company having a return policy that allows for easy returns if the item is not what one want's when one gets it in the mail, but ... return shipping and/or restocking fees can be an issue. I'm talking about the specific issue of the customer thinking that the item is defective in one way or another.)

One person could look at the pair of shoes the OP recieved and say "they're fine ... what's the issue?" ... and another person could look at them and totally agree with the OP's dissatisfaction. The point I want to make ISN'T that one is "right" and one is "wrong" ... but instead that sometimes (talking in general and not about the OP's shoes in particular) the customer can be "too picky".

Now, I'd hope that online retailers would still work with the over-picky customer for a return of the product ... provided it's still in a sale-able condition ... but the customer can pay the shipping or something.

And let's fact it ... the type of guy who ends up hanging out at B&B is the type of guy who sooner or later will be "too picky" about something. (Guilty as charged!) We have to have enough self awareness to know when we are objectively and reasonably "right" about something being defective or not meeting standards ... and when it's just our own high standards making us reject an otherwise satisfactory object. (Ever been in line at the convenience store, behind someone buying scratch-n-win lottery tickets? And instead of "gimmie one of those" they spend foooorever picking "the lucky one"? Even though they all look exactly the same to everyone else? Yeah, sometimes we seem like that.)

Sorry, I'm rambling a bit now, but I think I made my point ... and the point ISN'T to do with the OP and his concern about the shoes per se ... to say he was right or wrong in being dissatisfied ... but to cast a broader net upon us all, to say sometimes we're right, and sometimes we're just being persnickety ... and that's okay, so long as we understand that our standards are just our own, and not what normal reasonable people think.

 

[johnniegold]

@johnniegold
Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

This is what it’s all about.

You buy the Gillette Red-Tip off of eBay and when you get it, the paint isn’t as nice it looked in the picture. It makes you unhappy although it’s intended use is not diminished in anyway.

One person likes Simpson brushes with the label on it, others carefully peel it off.

These things have nothing to do with whether the razor provides you with a good shave or whether the brush makes a nice lather but rather it is the details of these items from which we derive some pleasure about things we are passionate about.

I don’t think it’s any great secret around these parts that I have a passion for footwear whether it be retro sneakers, shell Cordovan or bulling a pair of captoe shoes.

The Barbee is a very nice shoe. I liked it the first time I stumbled upon it and ordered it when it was re-stocked. And it is the reason I exchanged them rather than returned them.

The shoe conjures up an image in mind of a kind of nice and easy feeling. (think Dylan in Greenwich Village circa. 1962). Yes, it has a utilitarian function as well, they’re a pair of shoes.

But if everytime I looked down at these shoes and saw this:

It would detract from my enjoyment of the shoe, and that nice and easy feeling would dissipate. So why wear it if you don’t enjoy it?

So... as my friend in Italy @Marco quite accurately stated:

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

="Doc4, post: 11143228, member: 2453"]so long as we understand that our standards are just our own, and not what normal reasonable people think.

As my “There & Square” friend @Doc4 astutely points out, we have to sometimes temper our penchant for certain details with reasonableness.

As Mrs. Gold can attest to, I am far from normal and at times (or so I’ve been told) I can be unreasonable (but she’s still adorable.)

In my dealings with Velasca customer service, I apologized if they thought I was being overly critical by this, IMO, lack of attention to detail.

The customer rep’s response was as follows:

On the other hand I agree with you that, small differences are not to be flaws and have an impact on the armony of the goods.
So I don't feel any negative position on your comment, you're chasing us to strive for perfection on a higher level. As we're still a young company, we know we can do better, so any critics like this one, that points out what we can do better is welcome.”

And that’s why I will continue to deal with Velasca in the future. They get it and do you know why they get it?

Because they love shoes as much (probably more) than I do.

I’m looking forward to the “second-coming” of the Barbee.

 

[Doc4]

I’m looking forward to the “second-coming” of the Barbee.

... and I'm bracing myself for "my replacement Barbees arrived ... and they are even worse!"

 

[johnniegold]

... and I'm bracing myself for "my replacement Barbees arrived ... and they are even worse!"

You will be the first person I call.

Then they’ll go the way of the “defective” Adidas.

 

[Doc4]

You will be the first person I call.

Then they’ll go the way of the “defective” Adidas.

Just don't tell @ouch ... or there's no telling what sort of photo we'll get next.

 

[johnniegold]

Just don't tell @ouch ... or there's no telling what sort of photo we'll get next.

As you’ve said before: what has been seen, cannot be unseen!