This bespoke shoo had the potential to surpass many of the bespoke shoos made around the world on the simple fact that some of the most important customising features would have been all done by one single person instead of a bunch of outworkers, + there was the fact that a trial shoo would ensure that fit issues would have been corrected before the final made shoo. Sure it would have never surpassed the amazing craftsmanship of a John Lobb Paris bespoke shoo, but it had the potential to surpass a John Lobb London bespoke shoo because of a more experienced shoemaker making it, probably less outworkers involved in the customisation areas of the shoo, and the inclusion of a trial shoo. Making an ordinary bespoke shoo without arch supports is one thing, but making a bespoke shoo with arch supports is a different thing entirely and alot more work and on a level all by itself and can only be done if fewer people are involved in the customisation process of a shoo. lt was very close to happening, this shoo would have really been something pretty rare, evenstill...it will still be a respectable bespoke shoo that should be better than most first tries you see online.

Last edited by The_Shooman (2011-06-11 02:58:02)

l visited Mr X last night and we had a good chat about the future of shoe making in Oz. lt is not looking good. Even the highly regarded shoemaking houses in the U.K don't have a large amount of customers and many great shoe makers need to work part time as shoe repairers. We also have cordwainers that will travel all over the world if the business is there. Even John Lobb London are offering special deals if customers buy more than one pair of bespoke shoes.

So then you spend half a lifetime learning the trade only to struggle for drawing customers. You also work for very little pay doing long apprenticeships in an increasingly expensive world, + in Oz there is not the teachers to learn all the tricks needed to become a great shoe maker. You give your heart and soul and get very little in return for giving your life to it. l felt l could have done o.k because l have marketing experience and l reckon l could have got people excited about shoes and really got my name out there (it's in my blood), but my problem was that l am now middle aged, lacked a great teacher, and didn't have time on my side....it's a bloody pity.

Tony and Dean at G&G were lucky to get a successful rtw shoe company running to fund their lifestyle because they were well known to Edward Green rtw customers and were known in the industry, but if they solely relied on starting up a bespoke business they would probably be homeless by now. lt's not easy and it's a shame it has to be so hard. Doing the hard yards is one thing, but if the customers aren't there then why bother doing it?

We have some young guys making hand welted shoes with hand stitched soles now, but the old cordwainers of Melbourne are telling these guys to wake up and start making glued sole shoos instead.

Last edited by The_Shooman (2011-07-04 07:20:42)

Last edited by eg (2011-07-05 11:06:31)

shooey ...mails in...why thank you Thing!

Since our Prime Minister has spoke about introducing a carbon tax many businesses have lost lots of money and are going broke because other businesses are not spending money because of the panic Gillards decision has caused. Poor old Bruce Millar has a stuggling business already and is putting his own retirement funds into it to keep going, but the descision by the government has cost him $40,000 this year in cancelled orders (alot for a business on its last legs). lf it wasn't for his strong national pride he would have closed down and saved his money, but he keeps on going. Even the recent $18,000 electricity bill was paid out of his retirement funds because his business is flat.

Bruce is a smart fella too...he speaks to the government and explains to them that customers of bespoke last makers (people with medical footwear needs) and special medical grade footwear need to be covered by the government when they require special shoos because it is a popular medical need and many other medical needs are covered by the government. So since so many people have diabetes and need proper medical footwear, why not cut down on nursing home costs and other medical costs and have the governement fund people with good medical lasts and footwear?? Lots of people suffer all types of problems because the government are not interested in helping support these people and support the `last' and footwear industries because it doesn't pay off for the government in the short term.

No-one cares about the `last' and footwear industries here. The government is doing nothing to help despite the strong logic that Bruce and other footwear people put to the government for supporting such businesses.

Many people want to hang Julia Gillard by her toes because of this carbon tax, it is the last straw.

l hung out with Mr X tonight and we talked about welts, Vass and other fun stuff. l always get pumped up after seeing Mr X and l will miss him very much when he leaves in the new year. l will have to keep in touch with him.

Anyway...lots of exciting things to do before Mr X leaves. Not only will he be making me a trial shoo that is antiqued and blake-rapid stitched, but he is now going to organise to get two pairs of really beautiful bespoke shoo trees made for me before he leaves for good. These trees won't be so blobby and generic looking like the ones l have from Bruce, they will be really shapely ones more deserving of the `bespoke' title. l am tempted to throw my lasts by Bruce (the blue ones) away and use the Greek lasts as a base for my bespoke (like the Vass F last, but nicer), but l will stick with Bruce's last because l love the man very much and because l value his values as much as life itself. That also means that i'll have to get another pattern drawn up for my other two lasts by Mr X and then get someone else to make some trial shoos and then get my shoemaker John in a headlock and get him to make a second bespoke shoo for me, and then eventually send the third pair of lasts overseas to Ugolini for a third and final pair of bespoke.

Blake-rapid trial shoo with antiquing....not bad aye? An aussie made treasure by the last of the great legends from the industry. + lots of good patterns for future use and some good bespoke lasts. Will definitely need to put John in a headlock to get that second pair out of him.

l really love my time spent with Mr X, he has helped me quickly develop an eye for real detail. lt's amazing what untrained eyes miss when you look at a shoo, but when you know what to look for there are over one hundred little things to look at on the surface of a shoo. Looking at and appreciating lasts takes time, looking at various needle holes used to make uppers takes time, and observing other techniques takes time...it's no wonder making good shoos takes 50+ years to master, there is sooo much in it that most eyes simply cannot appreciate.

Last edited by The_Shooman (2011-11-03 06:44:56)

shooey - Harolds have a factory and tiny showroom at Alphington. I had a squiz around two years ago. Its all very low key.