The London Lounge

Any recent experiences? I was thinking of trying Maftei and Materna for a couple of pairs of shoes. Is Materna still in business? Any idea on the prices? How long the fitting process takes? How many fitings?

Materna is still in business. As is Balint.

Balint's prices are much less than London bespoke, but about 50% more than Maftei. Worth it, I think, but Maftei is also a very worthy maker.

I have had many pairs of shoes made by Maftei. The quality is excellent, price ca €600-700, turnaround from order to finished product 2-4 weeks. You can take him an old pair of shoes and he will make a new pair just like it, whether a Viennese, English, Italian or French style shoe. Materna has also made shoes for me. Twice as costly as Maftei. Quality superb. Turnaround 4-6 weeks. Style a more traditional Central European look. Soles typically pegged (in general, common in Vienna). If you have more time and money try Rudolf Scheer. Perhaps the premier shoemaker in Central Europe. The Schuhmeister at Scheer is named Maftei (small world).

Thank you for taking the time for providing me with some insight. I think I will actually try both on my trip (next week). Maftei will actually do a fitting within 24 hours (which I find amazing). Will post back on my results.

There is quite an amount of bespoke makers in Vienna. You might want to contact fritzl on Styleforum, if you want to know some more names, especially if you're looking for a quick turnaround time. Balint and Scheer are also amongst the better known ones, though their turnaround time is considerably higher, Balint takes 12 months for the first pair. I think Mr Materna doesn't make the shoes any more and that only the name remains.

Materna is now owned by one of his apprentices, Mr. Dellantonio. Mr. Materna is still in the shop and still making shoes, however. As has already been said, the price spectrum is generally quite large in vienna, starting at about 550,- and going up to about 4000,- The quality is not directly related to the price and some of the makers are almost as hard to find as a number of shirt makers in Naples. Balint himself died a few months ago but the store is still in existence and run by his family. Balint's work is regarded highly, and rightly so. Maftei seems to be the most flexible of the viennese makers with a number of traditional as well as international basic last shapes to chose from. Materna is renowned for making the best foot beds and a very tight fitting shoe. Sheer is by far the most expensive and his style is instantly recognizable. He is also famous for not charging you for any reparations or polishing jobs once a pair of shoes is finished and paid for.

If you have the time, I would suggest an extensive stroll through the inner city of Vienna with your eyes wide open. You will find more shoemakers there than in most other cities in the world. Whenever a window or shoe is to your liking, go inside the shop and talk to the owner/salesperson. If the chemistry is right and the style is to your liking, you can't go wrong with most of the makers I know in Vienna. If you are keen on international availability, try Materna. For a quick turnaround, go with Maftei. If you are only going to buy one pair of Austrian bespoke shoes, make sure they are made by Scheer.

Thanks to everyone for the helpful insights. I ended up going with Maftei as Materna was closed and I did not have the time/patience for Scheer. I was fairly impressed with the quality of samples at Maftei and the 24 hour turn around on a trial shoe. In my view the samples at Maftei were as good (if not slightly better) than what I have experienced (my experience runs to Lobb St James, Cleverly, Scarafora and Mannina). I will wait to pass final judgment until September when my shoes will be ready.