Bespoke à la autrichienne

Vienna came second in the Economist Intelligence Unit's latest survey on the most livable cities in the world. On top of that, I have always admired male fashion for its aesthetics and attention to detail (see my last post about Pitti Uomo) and I have associated this quality obsession with Savile Row boutiques in London. Then, I discovered Scheer shoes - an Austian born concept of measuring-up and trying-on quality of product personalised according to each and every need of demanding feet.

scheer.at

The process of preparing a pair for a customer takes up to 60 hours of work and demands around 3 meetings with the manufacturer in order to make the shoes feel perfect. The company was founded in 1816 and has been now managed by the same family for 7 generations. The firm went under rapid development during the second half of 19th centrury thanks to the management of Rudolf Scheer. In 1878, Rudolf was given a title of "imperial and royal shoemaker to the court" and his business gained such customers as the Kaiser Franz Joseph, the German Kaiser Wilhelm, as well as the Greek and Serbian kings. After the Great War, the family had to pass on the running of the business to the younger generation which implemented changes in terms of health aspects and experimented with new designs.

scheer.at

scheer.at

scheer.at

TOMorrow's shoes

Not a charity, but a full profit company based on an idea of "one for one". An idea for a Christmas gift.

Traditional alpargata shoes from Argentina served as an inspiration for Blake Mycoskie from California in 2006 to start manufacturing simple shoes to bring a solution to the world fighting with poverty. Every pair of TOMS purchased equals a new pair of TOMS provided to a child in need. Breaking the povery cycle in over 20 countries, TOMS has given over 1,000,000 pairs of new shoes to children from developing countries. TOMS works in collaboration with international organisations and charities around the world. You can buy a pair from 50 $ (around 150 PLN). The company provides several styles of the shoes: from colorful youth designs, vegan-friendly and classic versions to the weeding styles (for brides and grooms).

The alpargatas appeared in Argentina in around 1830 among native rural workers. They are comfort shoes with a soft canvas upper, a soft cotton lining, a cushioned leather insole, and a rubber sole for traction. Orignally, they were only in black or white, but with time a group of friends decided to change their character and introduce funny patterns and different designs.Unfortunately, TOMS are not yet available in retail in Poland, but you may find them online and contribute to the action! Although, you must have heard about another popular alpargatas easy to get in Warsaw and Łódź. Paez are produced and manufactured in Argentina ensuring anti sweatshop practices and limited impact on the environment.

www.shoppaezshoes.ch