Dimitri Bottier Demi-mesure shoes

[iammatt]

As I said in an earlier thread, I had the pleasure of meeting Dimitri and ordering a pair of his demi mesure shoes. The shoes that I selected are quite simple. They are a light London Tan three eyelet derby on square toe last. In the past I have made the (semi-) mistake of only ordering shoes that were somewhat out of the ordinary. Due to this pattern, I have a number of shoes that are very different than what most people might have in their closets. They are all shoes that I like very very much, but this time I decided to special order something that I felt would be more of an "everyday" shoe. Dimitri translated what I wanted just about perfectly. The shoes are a bit lighter than they will become. We discussed that they will darken over time from polish so that the original make should be a tad light.

I hope you like them, and if there are any other angles that you would like to see, please just ask. Unfortunately, the color of my floor is very close to the color of the shoes.

[manton]

The problem with this shoe, as an advertisement for M. Gomez's services, is that it makes me, as a potential customer, question why I should ever pay him twice the price for full bespoke.

[alden]

Bravo Dimitri and Matt on an excellent commission. With a little time and a rich patina these new shoes are going to look even better. My compliments.

M Alden

[aportnoy]

Here's how Mr. Gomez envisioned the shoe for the C&J line. The Aintree on the 337 last. Though Matt, yours is far more elegant.

[tattersall007]

Those are wonderful - love the shape of the toe.

[iammatt]

Here is my shoe from that same angle, as they are very similar in design and color if not in toe shape.



I also should add that even if you do not plan on commissioning a shoe from Dimitri, the store is well worth seeing and the client in the store could not be more friendly. It is set up like a small clubhouse and has that feeling.

[sam]

Beautiful shoe Matt. If you don't mind, could you post a picture of the sole? I'd like to see how the waist is fnished. Congrats!

[iammatt]

The problem with this shoe, as an advertisement for M. Gomez's services, is that it makes me, as a potential customer, question why I should ever pay him twice the price for full bespoke.

Perhaps so that you can justify twice as many trips to Paris .

No that I have worn the shoes for a half an hour or so, I can comment a little on the fit and feel. The fit of the shoes is certainly better than I would expect with a Edward Green RTW or John Lobb RTW. I imagine that the "bespoke construction" where the waist is narrower and hugs the foot more is the main reason for the better fit. Also, M. Gomez is very good about trying different combinations of lengths and widths from the sample shoes when you are in the store. He is obviously a very good fitter, certainly better than anybody you would find at a shoe store. I believe that each size comes in four widths, so the fit should be pretty darn close to perfect. If you do not have foot problems and are taken by either of his two last shapes, I cannot think why the demi-mesure would not be a very strong alternative to bespoke. At the prices that he charges, the demi-mesure is a no brainer when compared to a JL Prestige line shoe.

With a little time and a rich patina these new shoes are going to look even better.

I do not know the general feeling of the other members here, but I find that in most instances I am more pleased with a shoe that does not start out overly antiqued, but one that develops a patina from wear, scuffs and polish. These seem to be a great candidate for that kind of patina.

[JDelage]

I also commissioned a pair of "ligne bottier" derbys from Dimitri which he just finished today. They have a similar color to yours:

[marcelo]

Lovely shoes, indeed! In the images it is not quite discernible to me whether the stitching on the welt is visible, or if the edge is simply serrated, without apparent stitching. The absence of visible stitching is a sure sign that the shoes have a blake, rather than goodyear construction? A further question: Was the fer encastre commissioned along with the shoes, or did you have them applied afterwards?

[JDelage]

Marcelo - those are goodyear shoes. I had the iron tip put by Dimitri.

[jb]

Matt,

Those are beautiful shoes! I was just thinking about getting an elegant version of a three eyelet derby and your new shoes certainly fit that bill wonderfully. I may have to put this one aside until we take my daughter to Paris.

Cheers,
Joel

[alden]

JDelage

Very nice work by Monsieur Gomez. I am glad to see he is still on form.

Cheers

Michael

[SV]

Very beautiful shoes. Does he work shell cordovan?

SV