Vass: Part I

I am kind of proud and a little embarrassed to admit that a large part of why I chose Vienna and Budapest as my travel destination was because of their long and proud traditions of shoe-making. The undisputed torch-bearer in Budapest is Vass.

For those who care to know, Vass needs no introduction. Laszlo Vass, the owner and proprietor, literally wrote the book on shoes (Handmade Shoes For Men), a staple that will inevitably be found on the shelves any self-respecting haberdasher.

People who generally start to buy higher quality shoes (me included) tend to go from the cheap, plastic “shoes” to something that’s Blake or Goodyear welted. It’s a huge step (heh) up to be sure, but then we get into hand-welted shoes, which is much more labor intensive and difficult than its machine-welted cousins. Hand welting necessarily adds much more time and cost into the shoe, but this is where Vass shines.

Vass will retail for around US$800-1000 at their retailers in the States, which already compares favorably to the fantastic-but-machine-stitched Edward Greens. Those who make the pilgrimage to their two small shops in Budapest are rewarded with borderline ridiculous prices.

After the first half day of doing the requisite sightseeing stops, I had arrived at Vass. The first floor was anchored in the center by a round table stacked full of shoes, flanked on all four sides along the walls by even more shoe models, all organized by last shape. The second floor is lined with the famous burgundy shoe boxes as well as a scattering of bespoke samples.

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This is a good place to elaborate on Vass’s lasts, which is the wooden foot-looking thing that leather is stretched over to give the shoe its shape. Vass has a long history and thus their lasts have undergone significant iterations, refinements and evolutions. They’re known for the very traditional Budapester shoe, which is clunky, thick-soled, usually brogued and generally looks like it can kick a lot of ass. It’s not everyone’s cup of tea, admittedly, and Vass has evolved with the times. Their most elegant last shapes compete with the best of the British and Italian houses. For me, the most significant ones are the F and the U lasts. The latter was a collaboration with Florentine master shoemaker Robert Ugolini (hence the name of the last) and it certainly sports that chiseled Italian toe but with a measure of restraint. The F last is a bit more rounded and almond-y; generally a bit tamer than the U.

The saleslady patiently answered any questions and helped me fetch my sizes as I examined and touched everything in the store. She even led me upstairs for “inspiration” when I hinted that I may want to do a made-t0-measure shoe. I left the store with my wallet lighter and my carry-on luggage heavier. Stay tuned for Vass: Part II when I actually talk about the damn shoes!

Introduction

If you’re reading this, you probably know who I am. You’ll know I was born and am currently working in Taiwan but have a contentious relationship with what nationality I am having grown up in the States and with many roots in other places. It’s a story that’s been told millions of times by the same kind of privileged twenty-somethings.

Being swayed about in the proverbial sea of life instead of being safely moored in a calm wharf has its challenges. Throwing myself headfirst into the rigors of adult life after college, I began to put aside things that I was passionate about before. First it was basketball (too skinny, can’t compete with physically), then squash (too niche, can’t find partners), then photography (too busy with work, might as well monetize my equipment). This blog is an attempt at dropping an anchor in a constantly churning ocean.

For as long as I can remember, I’ve always been interested in some degree in clothing. In high school, it was the hypebeast sneakers and the J’s that I could never afford. In high school, it was the pastel prep polos and loafers. It was really only in college, when I got serious about working in finance, did my interest in classic menswear cement itself.

I don’t want this to be just another menswear blog (ironically, this was one of the ideas for the blog name: justanothermenswearblog.wordpress.com); there are plenty already and many that do it better than I ever will. Permanent Style and Die, Workwear! come to mind. Rather, it’s a space where I can offer my own thoughts and experiences and then look back on in five years and wonder what the hell I was thinking.

Please enjoy!