Quality: Shoes

House Style Bespoke — Yohei Fukuda

To begin this series, we’ll work our way up from the bottom.

Shoes are, in my opinion, the most important element of any outfit. A sneaker with a suit, or penny loafers with casual wear, can completely alter the vibe of the look. Regardless of the time, energy, and money you spend preparing an outfit—a bad pair of shoes will immediately brush your other efforts off.

Asian cultures consider their feet a “second heart” due to their importance in overall health. Footwear allows travel and action, as well as form and fashion. The footwear you choose, especially if you choose to buy low quality time and time again, has a lot to say about you. *cue Forest Gump quotes*

I'm no expert, and may be lectures for this, but when buying shoes I have a tiered list of quality that goes: Glued, Blake (rapid) stitch, Goodyear welt, and Handwrites. There are varying degrees of finishing to all of these, but this is a good place to start. Glued (cemented) shoes cannot be resoled, even if they're made with a fine leather upper. So working with anything else is much preferred. This tiered list is also telling the increase in price you will see for the next highest construction. This can be a foxhole to jump in another time, but for now, avoid cemented shoes.

I’ve touched briefly (across the span of several articles now) on the importance of buying what you can afford. Every fashion writer, blogger, and YouTuber peaches the same thing. This is of course, above all else, a personal decision. If you have money to spend, going bespoke is without question the highest level and by far most comfortable (and fun!) option. But anything below having throw-away money calls for you, the reader and buyer, to look for the best way to spend money you’re comfortable spending.

I personally do not have throw away money. By any means of the definition of “throw away.” I do have a great appreciation of art, and a greater appreciation of the Artisans that make them. This was no on the spot decision either, it took me two years to begin this process. All the while salivating over @yoheifukudashoemaker IG profile. I do have strange short and wide feet, which I'll cover more in a separate article, which pushed me along to close the deal and have a pair of shoes that fit me genuinely perfect

As I’ve learned from small construction company workers, the best way to build a great toolbox is to buy everything cheap, and replace whatever breaks with high-quality tools since you know you will use them the most.

This can mean a blessing in disguise if you’re unsatisfied with your current wardrobe—and for the intents of this article, your footwear. I owned zero oxfords prior to beginning my bespoke venture, so I began there. To build your wardrobe, use the shoes you don’t wear as a guide forward. Can you not pair the color you purchased with the rest of your wardrobe? Can that be fixed?

Did you buy very formal (usually black) shoes, but you don’t own one suit? Did you do the reverse and only buy cheap derbies or sneakers, but you wear business attire and something always feels off with your outfit?

Take the time to figure out what is missing, and fill the gap with something you’ll love. This is more out of respect for your wallet, because buying high in the band of ready-to-wear shoes can easily reach $500 and push $1200 at the highest level. I personally believe you can shop in the $200-$500 range your entire life without regret.

A shortlist of brands I’ve tried, or are about to try, are (~$100-200)Beckett Simonon, (~$150-250)Thursday Boot Company, (~$200-300)AceMarks, (~$300-400)TLB Mallorca, (~$500) Carmina, and after much hesitation—Yohei Fukuda bespoke(~$4000). These are all heavily desired brands at their price due to extensive social media marketing, as you may know if you are into the style community on any YouTube or social media platform. Of course, there are many more brands available than this, but I would argue trying shoes across all of these popular brands has given me a bit of perspective to discuss the differences.

Cohen Loafer — Beckett Simonon (After 1 year of wear)

At the bottom and top of this list, I would argue the main difference is finishing. Of course, there are minor nuances such as heel tightness, level of toe pinching, and of course—shape. But I love my Beckett Simonon shoes. They're blake stitched, so not as hard wearing. But overall exactly what I need. I have worn my Cohen loafers into the ground, got them resoled, then attached a rubber half-sole when I realized I kept wearing them in the rain. All because I loved them so much. Sure they have some heel slip on one foot (my right is about a half size smaller than my right), and my toes are a bit tight in both (they do not offer varying widths). But they hold a great shine, and their simplicity works amazingly with my more “smart casual” style that I feel I have.

Wearing higher and higher level shoes across a few years has been interesting. Granted, I'm only 4 years into this, so I have many more years and many more shoes to wear through. When I say “interesting” I mean to say that the best part of having increasing quality shoes is that I feel a “higher level” when I wear them. I feel that I stand taller when I’m in them and take better care of them when I’m not. I polish them when they need it, and put my feet out slightly further when I’m on the train. My shoes are a hobby in their own right.

To the “practical man.” I say this: Buy something Goodyear welted, of good leather, from a reputable brand. Consider the $200 mark as a safe and practical price point for a pair of shoes that can outlive you.

Caution to the man with an obsessive personality.

Shoes are addictive. When you put them on after they've worn in beautifully, with a fresh polish (or brushing for suede) and your favorite outfit… You will find yourself daydreaming about how you will afford the next tier in fine shoemaking.

-Mario

Please comment with your favorite brands, styles, or any stories you’d like to share!