What’s the Point of Bespoke Shoes?

YouTube video of a conversation between Sebastian Tarek, James Kearns, Felix Jouanneau, James Ducker, and Dominic Casey.

Notes

• Ducker: not dying, easier to see others now because of Internet
• Sebastian:
  • the beauty of Instagram
  • can apply same techniques to other styles of shoes
• fairly large audience if people are veering off into other styles
• people choosing to have different
• James learned from YouTube videos
• teacher see lots of interest from students
• people show up with different background from YouTube
• then have to persuade them not to give up
• Ducker
  • gap between DIY and establishing as professional
  • perseverance
  • have to be single-minded
  • loads of hours
• James: give yourself at least five years before can sell
• all lifetime learners

• inherent humility in the craft

• I’m sorry that you are experience some discomfort, sir

• just so many styles of uppers
• Ducker: “they create it with you”
• Felix:
  • started working for T&S Lack
  • doing brogues
  • into motorcycles, other things
  • making shoes for himself
  • 1940s-50s western style influence
• Felix: you’re putting out your name
• Sebastian: obliged like a marriage to outfit them forever
• James: you know the foot better than anyone else
• Ducker: can handlast, cement, have machine outseamed
• Sebastian and James: would have to do full bespoke last for traditional shoe first, then would consider cemented
• Ducker: started doing slippers cheaper, people love them and order a few pairs to leave at different houses
• James joke about calling “Tony!” [Tony Slinger?]
• 14:43 Ducker

  One thing that has changed since I started is that people are willing to share information. When I started off, people would hide their techniques and, I mean, Tony Slinger, in Yorkshire, he said when he was training they would turn their backs if they were doing something that they developed and they would not share it. Our philosophy right from the word “go” was like, “share it, get the information out there.” Our blog — we gave it away. And people said, “well, why are you doing that?” And we said, “because we want to encourage people to get on and do it.” Help people. And it’s quite a collegiate kind of atmosphere now. And you can just phone people and say, you know, “have you ever done this? How does this work? Help me out.” And people do.

• Sebastian
  • moved back in 2003
  • had letter of intro to Lobb’s
  • one of family gave time
  • intend to come a year, maybe two, learn as much as possible, then return to Australia
  • like “Why would I do that?”
  • didn’t appreciate how much was involved in learning
  • takes more time than that to learn to contribute anything
• Why more willing to share?
• Ducker

  Information leaks out. It’s going to be out there. So why hide it? And where is the next generation going to come from unless people like us help them?

• Sebastian
  • 20 years ago, was contracting
  • democratization of Internet
  • now can’t shrink
• benefit
  • fit
  • customization
  • relationship with maker
• relationships as strong as used to be? more choice?
• Sebastian
  • initial clients worked in creative fields
  • not inclined to leather-sole shoes
• James
  • lots of returning customers
  • often for a specific event, like Burning Man
  • often for specific wardrobe need, look
• Felix
  • people are admiring craft
  • people enjoy watching it
  • can’t afford bespoke, but want
  • not 50 trainers, one well made shoe
  • save up the money
  • wear the same shoe every day
• West end: having lots, mixing it up, versus workwear: last a long time, wear for everything
• Felix: want to see the wear versus looking smart from the start
• host: story of client wears all shoes five times, then gives to valet
  • backwards: used to give to valet to wear in
• Sebastian: in outwork, sometimes get one last, five pairs of uppers, clearly making five pairs of shoes
  • one for house here
  • one for house there
• Ducker: “travel light”
• Ducker: “bespoke junkies”
  • slip in that they’ve been elsewhere
  • try every one
  • motivated by process, not the product
• Sebastian: client making enough back on eBay for next pair of bespoke
• fit less of a driver with work boot?
• Felix: could probably get away it, but personal focus
  • makes each one a last
  • built tough, thick leathers, harder to break in
  • takes away a month of pain
  • once sole starts flexing, good
  • had a military client soak RTM in the bath, wrap in plastic bags
• Dominic
  • Felix has to be just as accurate
  • slip-on boots
  • like a loafer
  • French calf skin, can get away with anything
• Ducker
  • getting fit right part of pleasure of shoemaking
  • have made shoes on standard lasts, started that way
• Sebastian:
  • kit is key part of interaction
  • can’t e-mail it in
  • sliding fit expectations
  • e.g. client who’s never had bespoke
  • could maybe get away with it
  • West End client would throw back

  • with Japanese, you can’t get away with shit

  • really, really unusual feet by Western standards

• Ducker: are they knowledgable? or just demanding?
• Sebastian:
  • “eye for detail knows no bounds”
  • “that I just didn’t know was there.”
• easier with sneakers?
• Yes.
• James:
  • main design a lot of laces at the front
  • doesn’t usually do a last for each pair
  • doing the first one now
  • won’t radically change the look of the sneaker
  • different instep, soling
• Felix:
  • James’ and I’s clients will take the shoes out and thrash them
  • West End much finer, finished, polished
  • shoe trees every day
  • aside: “I wish”
• Ducker

  • I like to get a shoe back that’s all battered up

  • means they wore them
• Dominic:
  • never know it’s working until it comes back for full sole and heel
  • when repairs come in, wanted to see what’s happening on the inside
• Sebastian
  • want more democratically price
  • tried it, wasn’t as good a job
• new trends
• Ducker
  • insides are getting softer
  • used to trainers and shop shoes
  • they use foam inserts in footbed
  • foam fillets on topline
  • people aren’t used to rigid shoes
  • West End shoes have to be broken in slowly
• James
  • softening up a classic derby
  • uses culatta
  • hasn’t lined it, no stiffeners
  • 2-3mm leather holds shape
• Ducker
  • trained to make shoes last 30 years
  • robust, strong, rigid to last
  • sacrificing longevity
• Dominic
  • people buying shoes for thirty years
  • history of bespoke making in their wardrobe

  • the shoes are gonna see you out!

• Felix

  • when I leave this world, I will still have a shoe or something there that I made