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DonCorson
[AHCI]
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Slip them on..

I keep thinking of Olivers post about "limited edition" shoes at luxury stores in Geneva.
It seems to me that shoes made for my feet are the ultimate "limited edition", an edition of one pair.  Those shoes you will never find in a luxury store, you need a shoemaker.  Of course for that luxury you may pay nearly the cost of a small car (OK... for 2 pairs).

Thanks to my son I discovered a shoemaker in Basel who sells custom made shoes at prices that are still affordable.  The shoes are made semi-industrially by the company Handmacher in northern Austria, the actual production is done in the Czech Republic just over the border from Austria.  

Purchase starts out with making foot imprints and measurements at the shoemakers.  They apparently do not make a lathe specially for your foot, but choose a lathe from their large stock that is closest to your measurements.  With the info from your foot imprint and measurements and your shoe style and leather choice the order is sent off and the shoes will come back, if all is well, in 5 weeks for fitting.  Of course I chose a leather that they can no longer source so I had to chose something else and at the same time changed the shoe model so things took a little longer.

I went to Basel last weekend for fitting and after some very minor changes the shoes fit like a glove.  I also requested that the shoemaker add a thin rubber sole under the leather.  I much prefer leather soles for a better "foot environment", but a bit of rubber below helps in the Swiss "weather environment".

Anyway I received the shoes at home by mail finally, with a hand written note from the shoemaker, and slipped them on.
Their great!

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