Hi Richard,

If I understand correctly, Douglas is talking about an Italian shoemaker not us in regards to the patina. We use the box calf, suede, grained calf etc. from the same tanneries (Haas, Ilcea, Horween, CF Stead, etc.) as any other bespoke shoemaker in Europe and I source them here locally. Not only the uppers, but also insoles, outsoles, stiffeners and so on. We only dye the shoes a certain color/ add a patina if the customer requests it, which is quite rare. For this we usually use and undyed crust calf, where defects etc. would be even more visible.

Hope that clears things up!

Best,
Simon

Hello Jack, yes I realize that shoes are “dyed” different colors to make the shoes look better, however adding a “patina” when the customer specifically asked not to as “Douglas” did not want it tells me that they don’t care or there is something else that they are doing.
Either way I stand by my reply.
Why should I purchase from them?
Not for me!

I agree with Douglas…I am totally turned off by anything made in China as they exploit their workers PERIOD

As Simon discusses in the interview, the patina service is an option, not a given. Even traditional shoe colours such as black and tones of brown are added to the leather, which is naturally closer to white in it’s raw form. That being said, the customer has the control in the Wayman Bespoke process, so you can pick whichever colour/type of leather you see fit.

What makes you say that the shoes being made in China is a detractor for you? Equally, why is Vietnam a better place to make bespoke shoes in your view?