Weston Chasse

[Guest]

You know me, I can't leave well enough alone. I called the Limoges branch of Weston on the theory that their prices would be the cheapest for the outrageous Chasse model: voila, their price without delivery is 815 dollars! Plus, the shoes are RTW, not special-ordered. Available RTW in black or light brown.

[Guest]

YEs, there is duty to consider, but if the shoes are sent regular mail and not courrier, you will never be assessed duty, ever.

[Guest]

The crack down has begun: the lady who told me I could order the Chasse by mail has been disappeared. The current staff are all telling me the party line, go to the NYC store. I am thinking I must have been quoted the price for the demi-chasse, not the Chasse. Oops.

[Guest]

I knew I would begin talking to myself at some point: madness is not far away...in any event this is the re-verified price for the Chasse: $1130 delivered. There may be duty involved. Don't forget, if I walk into the Weston store in NYC I have to pay tax (9%). The Yachting is $856 delivered. Duty again.

Does anyone know if their sizes are "normal," in other words, if I am a "universal" 42 medium, will I be that in the Chasse or Yachting?

Any remarks on the Demi-Chasse? My understanding is that this model is available with the Ridgeway sole, while the Chasse only comes with the triple leather sole. I was wearing the EG Dundee yesterday with its high Medway sole and though it was expensive, it is superbly comfortable and useful.

[alden]

Don't get me wrong, Weston makes a good shoe. But in the style you are looking for there is only one choice: Edward Green Dover on the 82 last.

The Weston chasse is a marvelous example of shoemaking but the Dover has plenty of charm and is more useful. I am wearing a pair today. They are simply superb.

Cheers

[Guest]

I got the Dover on the 606 with double leather sole and it is lovely. Is it me, or do I perceive it to be somewhat delicate? It does not look as robust as my Dundee and I am loathe to test it out!

[TVD]

Dear Dr Bresch, please enlighten me, what do you use your shoes for?

I walk a lot as I prefer to live in the town centre and not have a car. Maybe ten or fifteen miles every weekend. I use public transport and my own feet to get to work every day. And yet the only measure I found necessary to avoid too much wear are steel tips. All my shoes tend to be single leather soled on a town last.

I have even used such shoes on extensive walks in the country without difficulties. And yes, water is a problem, but double or triple soles can only mitigate so much. A rubber slip sole on an old clapped out shoe reserved for times of flooding probably works equally well if not better.

My father is a doctor, and to my eternal regret his shoes do not wear out at all (he dislikes expensive ones and upgrading the horrible stuff he accumulated before I became militant about it takes forever because they never die). When he enters hospital he changes into work gear, which he insists on being entirely washable - odd accidents involving unpleasant matter tend to happen in hospitals on a daily basis. The trip to and from work is completely insufficient to provide his clothes with any wear whatsoever.

So please tell, what motivates your quest for the shoe equivalent of Tumi luggage?

[Guest]

You have answered your own question: when it is sloppy, I want shoes that look nice but are impervious. In hospital, I do not get dirty (I am not a surgical consultant), so that is not a problem. Your father's experience, that lousy shoes last forever, they just look lousy forever, is exactly what I have found and argued. I guess the definition of quality is something that only looks better with time, and that is the goal.

[TVD]

No upper leather will ever be waterproof. To chieve that it needs to be coated with some gunk. Cheaper to invest your money in chauffeur driven limousines or galoshes, I guess.

I try to wear old shoes when it is wet, and new ones in dry weather, but bever bad quality.

[T4phage]

No upper leather will ever be waterproof. To chieve that it needs to be coated with some gunk. Cheaper to invest your money in chauffeur driven limousines or galoshes, I guess.

I try to wear old shoes when it is wet, and new ones in dry weather, but bever bad quality.

Not True! Have you heard of Gore Tex?

[Guest]

You are all not going to believe this, but I called the NYC store and they are charging $1795 dollars for the Chasse!

[rjman]

You are all not going to believe this, but I called the NYC store and they are charging $1795 dollars for the Chasse!

Better buy now before they quote you a price of over $2000

[alden]

The Chasse futures market is a tough one to play.

[Guest]

Richemont or whoever it is is Satan himself!

[dopey]

The Weston hunt shoe is a spectacular shoe - it has animal magnetism, in the sense that it is not classically beautiful, but nonetheless compelling. I agree with Alden that the Weston demi-chasse has no real point when the Edward Green models are available and so much nicer.

I will never buy the Weston chasse because I refuse to spend that much money and still have to wear orthotics - plus, with a triple sole and orthotics, I will be pretty high off the ground. On the other hand, I am considering trying to design a similar model as as a bespoke project. This is only musing at this stage, as I am still in the midst of the process of my first bespoke. I have yet to decide whether or not I will continue with bespoke shoes or in which direction I will go for next pair if I do.