Sticks & Stones
If you read last week’s article you already have an idea about how the new coronavirus impacted our industry. It also sets the pace for the Welted Shoe News Article for March 2020. Instead of focusing on the negatives we will instead try to find some rays of light.
Today then we will talk about a few interesting things such as Passus Shoes, a New High End Brand from my friend Reszo Kuti. Tom from Sons of Henrey is also launching an exciting new Sneaker Line Up in Fall 2020. Of course, I am also present with The Noble Shoe with new releases and upcoming GMTOs!
Let’s see what we could round up this month!
New Brand – Passus Shoes
Last year I had the pleasure of meeting Rezső Kuti while he was working at Heinrich Dinkelacker. We had a nice collaboration and you can find my review of the Buda C here.
For the uninitiated, Rezső was working in Vass Budapest and helped bring the brand to the US and internationalize it. You could say he has a legendary reputation among his peers! Since that Rezső embarked in his own venture along with Gabor Halmos of the online store Sartoriale.
Together they created a new premium brand by the name of Passus Shoes that offers handmade shoes of the highest quality. They seem to blend modern and tradition really well, visible from the influence of Vass. Passus stands for “footstep” in Latin and they really take inspiration from the great shoemakers of the past.
Their collection currently has 9 models, which is pretty good for a first launch. It will surely expand, while you also have the chance to create your own Made to Order Shoes with a 6-8 weeks lead time. There is currently 1 Chukka model while the rest are split between Derbies and Oxfords. The lacing system on the wholecut and derby is very interesting with only 2-3 eyelets. I could only find little information about the lasts, which seem to be the 1000 and 2000 at the moment.
It is a rather safe collection to start with, but the materials and handicraft is impeccable. Their shoes retail at 890 Euros (about 975$ USD) including tax which puts them right up to the very top of the premium segment. I sure hope to review one of their shoes one day!
All the best to Rezső and his team in this challenging new endeavor.
New Sneakers By Sons Of Henrey
Tom’s affiliate thread on Styleforum is a rather popular one, full of questions and GMTOs. Recently, he announced his plans to release a new sneaker company that will go by the name of Vekla with the first deliveries planned around Fall 2020. He actually managed to launch a website already!
The idea is to offer a sustainable, minimalist, high quality pair of sneakers that is also affordable. They retail around the 185 Euro mark (around 200-200$ USD) which is a pretty good price.
You can currently show your support by Pre-Ordering one of the 6 available models:
- White Calf
- Off-White Calf
- Brown Calf
- Navy Suede (White Sole)
- Navy Suede (Navy Sole)
- Brown Suede
I really like the idea of having a choice of a white or navy sole. It breaks up from the norm a bit. However these look like just sneakers right? The magic happens inside apparently.
You get premium padding and cushioning as well as an excellent vegetable tanned leather lining and reinforcements. Comfort and durability at your feet. Very competitive features for the price and I wish Tom the best!
News From The Noble Shoe
I can’t leave out my own baby can I? Thanks to everyone’s support during these challenging times I managed to bring a new exciting things. Don’t forget that I offer 15% off the Patina Service until April 5th (no need for code!).
Three New Releases
First of all I finally got the samples of the 3 models launched last month. It gave me an opportunity to photoshoot them and upload them on the website! Let’s take a closer quick look shall we?
The Carlos Santos 7902 Chelsea Boots in Chocolate Suede is one of my favorites. It is the perfect all around everyday shoe for at least 3 seasons. It is of course Goodyear Welted in Portugal and has a Dainite Sole this time which is a feature many asked. Looking pretty darn good on the 401 Last!
Moving on we have the Carlos Santos 1046 Longwing Derby in Brown Suede. A really great addition to the line up. A shoe inspired by country British styles like Tricker’s and Alden with a super soft brown suede. It comes Storm Welted on a Dainite Sole and the New 437 Round Last. Perfect for casual days and matches well with most outfits.
Last but not least we have the Carlos Santos 9847 Wingtip Derby in Dark Brown Grain. This is another option missing from The Noble Shoe. A scotch-grain version of a wingtip but in a Derby version since a lot of them come as oxfords. Also Storm Welted with a Dainite Sole and the classic round 437 Last. A perfect beater shoe that requires low maintenance and is great for all 4 seasons.
More GMTOs Looming!
I would also like to mention that I am now an official affiliate of Styleforum for the time being. Join me for a discussion there! As the latest GMTOs went through I am constantly thinking about new ones.
A new Balmoral Boot will be up soon hopefully, as well as the return of the GMTO Patina Field Boots. Stay tuned my friends!
Allen Edmonds Makes Masks
I recently saw that Allen Edmonds decided to shift production to produce up to 5000 medical masks per day for hospitals in Wisconsin. That’s a really nice move to them and allegedly Brooks Brothers did something similar.
I often stab them for their drop in quality and QC but can only applaud them for this one.
Herring Discounts For Health Professionals
Yet another noble move this time by Herring. They kick it up a notch and offer a massive 40% Off for Health Professionals in the UK (Code NHS2020) and 30% Off for Health Professionals Worldwide (Code WHW2020).
It could be a moment of rare joy for those of them in the front lines, so if you are in this category don’t miss your chance!
Is That It?
Well, sort of yes. There are the odd discounts and MTO waived fees here and there but this is rather common during this period. Factories remain closed while everybody works online now. It must be a really difficult time to operate a Brick & Mortar. Which I should not comment on as Sweden is so relaxed about the virus that everyone is strolling around and shops are open. Capitalism over safety huh? No wonder we coined the term “Cov-Idiots“. Oh and a bomb exploded about 1 km from our house the other day.
I keep feeling I forgot about something but I can’t currently pinpoint it. I will update the article when I do!
Welted Shoe News March 2020 – Short & Sweet
Waiting for all this to calm down can be difficult on the mind. But this is a great chance to pick a new passion or rekindle an old one. And of course a great chance to learn more about shoes which is our favorite topic here. So please, don’t expose yourself to the public if not necessary and enjoy your extended family moments.
In the meantime, I will try to provide you with some insights and entertainment from both the shoe and tailoring world. Buying new things for reviews is not the easiest right now, but I will do my best! Do you know any company I should work with? Leave a comment down below!
Thank you for reading,
Kostas Mandilaris,
Misiu Academy
