benno

Nice idea. I just wish they hadn't been made by a blind Craft, Design & Technology GCSE student!!!!!!!!!

They are Topshop Ally boots. About 5.5 inches. Big platform.

http://www3.images.coolspotters.com/photos/363873/top-shop-ally-shoe-boots-profile.jpg

Hi Lee, Thanks for your input. I really appreciate it. After looking at the heel damage a little more I think that your diagnosis is spot on. It does look like it's been filled in and sprayed. The 'repaired' heel has a little bit of 'orange peel' overspray along it. I have received a reply email from a Timpson customer care advisor, asking me to post the boots to her at the address you gave me. I shall include a covering letter to James Timpson. Is your sir name Ffrench of French? I presume it's French but you never know. (Edit I googled you and it's indeed Ffrench. Cool name.) Thanks again, Ben

You could also buy some decent nylon strapping. The kind used on backpack straps and then cover this with thin PVC. In the past I have carefully opened up the sole area, removed the original straps and changed them for something different. A big flat bladed screw driver is a useful tool for opening up the area where the strap meets the sole. Use some really good glue and they will be OK.

I think it's a case of the Net A Porter boots being smaller than the EU40 I have. They could be as small as an EU35 in the Net A Porter images. Small shoes look cuter and I've often noticed they seem to be an EU37 in photos. My girlfriend and I have 2 pairs of the same Kurt Geiger Shoes in Size 40 and 41. They are noticeably different in areas, yet are the same shoe. Also the Net A Porter photos are heavily retouched. I should know as I have spent many an hour retouching images for clients. I personally can't see a difference in the stitch quality. I can see a difference in the quality of the photos though... Mine took all of 10 minutes including making the comparison montages. Pussy in boots. I kept the boots as the seller didn't have any more and I couldn't get another pair for anything like the price I paid. I love them and they are super comfortable. Anyway I wrote an email to Timpson and will keep you posted on the reply. If anyone cares anymore... Cheers, Ben

Jarod, I love the tales and you look good. One thing I have to ask is why are you going to marry someone who doesn't approve of something that brings you enjoyment and is relatively harmless? Have you spoken to her about why she has a problem? And yes, it's her problem and not your problem. Your family approve, which is one of the best things you can be blessed with. Think how life could be with a lover and sparring partner who pushes you further and eggs you on! There are other fish in the sea my friend. Thanks, Ben

I find them to be pre occupied with exuding a warped sense of glamour to the point they they look like caricatures. It's not a good look in my opinion. Much like the high street Saturday evening nightmares on legs. Add some frosted lipstick and mega boobs and I feel queasy. If you're gonna go all out you need immaculate taste. Sometimes a little less is so much more!

Here's the photos of the damage and general shoddyness. There is some glue all around the heel. Thanks, Ben

Here's the photos from Net A Porter and my own side by side. Can we put the fake thing to bed now?

My girlfriend said she has never seen such an unpleasant collection of badly dressed drunken fools in one place. Having seen all the photos she was sent there to take I feel a little sick at some of the outfits I saw. On the wrong person high heels equal a sad kind of trash and not the glamour they had hoped. It all helps to flesh out my theory that 99.9% of the population are utterly stupid. When I get hold of the memory card I will post a couple of photos for you to laugh at. Her highlight of the day was the man by the train station selling flip flops for £5 to drunk women in spindly heels. She told him he should go on Dragon's Den.

I didn't take them to a Giuseppe Zanotti franchise because it would have meant going to London. £10 seemed like a cheaper option than getting a train to London and spending half a day faffing about! I have trawled the internet and found high resolution, multi agngle photos of the boots from sources such as Net A Porter and Luisa Via Roma and I am 100% happy that the boots I have are real. The guy I bought them from had a very English name and his English was fine. It's just that he's not a very good Ebayer and lacks photographic and people skills. I will take some photos of the boots I have. I will try to make the photos as similar to the Net A Porter ones I found. Everything about the boots I have are exactly the same as the real ones. The leather has the same snake pattern, the suede ties have the same construction and metal ends and the heels are the same. I had an in depth look on ioffer and plenty of the ilovelouboutin dot com type websites. None of them have my boots for sale and the boots they had that were remotely similar were obvious fakes. The designer fakes out there that are convincing are of the simpler styles. There's too many elements to the boots I have to make them cost effective to fake. I'm still confused why you jumped to the conclusion that they are fake. If some loopy old Lord sold me a Ferarri for £5000 would that make it a fake too? Anyway I will now return you to the original programme of what to do about Timpsons, North Street, Brighton and their awful customer service.

Nope, I'm going old school on their backsides.

You probably saw my girlfriend. She is there for work.

I'm going to write a letter and send it to Timpson's head office later today. I will let you know the progress. Cheers, Ben

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Halloween-Fabric-Material-Black-PVC-Fetish-Gothic-NEW-/250519284222?pt=UK_Crafts_Fabric_Textiles_SM&hash=item3a541ce9fe

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Sexy-Black-PVC-Hotpants-high-cut-clubwear-size-6-12-/120586902170?pt=UK_Women_s_Shorts&var=&hash=item61ca45a73a

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Black-Glossy-PVC-Patterned-Trousers-/170576288557?pt=UK_Women_s_Trousers&var=&hash=item6d6f061ce8

And buy some barge cement or something similar.

I agree with the last couple of post... BUT what really gets to me was that Timpsons were very happy to take my money and it was all sweetness and light. No mention was made about the possible damage to the boot. And when I pointed out the damage (and I am certain the guy would have been happy to let me walk out of the shop without telling me) there was no apology, nothing. He basically told me to get lost and that it was a risk of the job. There was nothing cheap about the boots I bought. They were bought for a bargain price, but they are not cheap S**T. In the past I have been to a great repair shop in Lewes with an old flatmate. Her expensive boots needed the heels replaced, one heel had snapped in half (her fault). The shop did an amazing, punctual and expert job. You couldn't tell the boots had ever been altered. They looked like new boots and it only cost her about £25. I would have gone to this shop but I can't remember the name and the work I needed seemed like an easy job and not worth driving to Lewes for, when I could take a 5 minute walk into Brighton. Basically some glue and a couple of nails. I don't want to sue. I just want what I paid for and the service agreed upon. I am a graphic designer and If someone isn't happy with my work, I fix it free of charge.

Thanks, I'll post some photos tomorrow. Funny thing is that I went to Timpson as I was advised to by a couple of little independent repair shops that we usually use!

CRabbit, Thanks for your helpful advice. They are indeed great boots. I think the heel falling off has nothing to do with the price I paid. It's simply a coincidence as the other pair I bought are absolutely fine and have the same heel style. Dr. Shoe, I'm not sure how to respond. They are completely and utterly 100% genuine Giuseppe Zanotti boots. I bought another pair from the same seller and they are 100% genuine too. The guy from Ebay sent me another pair of heels by mistake and they were utterly real too. I know how to play the Ebay game and buy and sell shoes as a profit making hobby. The boots ended at a stupid time and the seller is an idiot. He used really poor photos and his auction seemed like a 10 year old had written it. His communication via Ebay was woeful. I also had to complain to Ebay to get him to refund me the postage I paid returning the wrong shoes he sent me. I have the EXACT boots in the photo on my original post. I also have another pair of Zanotti shoes and know what they are like in terms of craftsmanship. I'd be able to spot a fake a mile off. Just because something is cheap doesn't make it a fake. Maybe off the back of a DHL lorry, but not fake. Are you just jealous that I got lucky with my bid? Cheers, Ben

A fabric shop or good old Ebay should be all you need.

Yellow!

Hi Everyone, I'm looking for a little advice. I bought a pair of Giuseppe Zanotti boots, 'new and boxed' from a seller on Ebay. On the 1st wear the heel of one of the boots literally fell off the boot. The stiletto heel is about 5 inches high and made of plastic or resin. It's not covered in material. The sole stops where the heel starts, so it was easy to remove the heel. The screw (which I have been told is actually a special thick spiral ridged nail) and the 4 thin nails had completely come out of the heel. I took the boot to a branch of Timpsons and was told that it would be £10 to repair. I picked up the boot today and the heel is damaged. It looks like it has been slightly melted. One of the repair nails has obviously pushed through the heel from within and almost burst out. It seems he has then tried to do some buffing to disguise this and the buffing caused the heel to get hot and melt slightly or he had simply buffed to much. I took the boot to be repaired as the Ebay seller wasn't the most intelligent man and I think £10 to repair was a good deal when they were cheap to begin with. If I had bought them from a shop for hundreds of £££s I would have simply returned them. I told the man in the shop that I was not happy. Amazingly he didn't apologise. He simply told me it was a risk of the job. I told him that if he had said 'pay me £10 and I will ruin your boot' I would have not asked him to attempt to repair the boot. He then told me that I should 'paint the heel'. I took the boot from him and asked him for the contact details of the head office. Back home on further inspection, I carefully peeled back the insole and had a look. The guy has used 3 of the thick spiral screw nails and none of the thin nails. One or more of these has obviously cased the damage. Also where he used these screw nails, the 2 at the sides are at and angle and if worn for a while the side of these may push through the padding in the insole and be really painful to wear. Also on close up inspection the heel has been reattached slightly off center by about 2mm. This wouldn't be noticeable on wearing but it's still a factor. Also the black leather sole material is discoloured near the heel and there are a few visible dried glue marks. These last 2 points aren't too bad in isolation, but in light of the work done and the guys attitude they just make me feel even more angry. How should I approach this problem when I write to their customer service department? The boots would cost about £500 when new. I paid about £35 for them off Ebay. Obviously if I had know the outcome there's no way I would have given the job to Timpsons. I don't want to take them for a ride, but I feel really badly treated. To replace the boots would cost more than £35 as I got lucky on Ebay. To fix the boots would require 2 new heels and lots more work and they would still not be as the originals.. I would guess a really top notch repair shop would charge at least £70 to £100 to replace both heels with new ones. I have attached a photo of the boots. Thanks in advance for any advice, Ben

On the right girl with the right outfit they can look cool.

Why not go as yourself? My girlfriend and I went to a fancy dress party called Icons and Idols. We just dressed up in really edgy half matching outfits and said we were from an electro pop group from the future. Whenever I have been to a party and used the theme as an excuse to wear something cool, I always felt like I had cheated myself.

Pussy In Boots, You got the wrong end of my post. Topshop used to be all about cheap and nasty clothes. However today they are a tour de force in the fashion world and lead rather than follow. I know quite a few people who work in design and marketing for them and they are one of the highest regarded companies in the world when it comes to setting trends.

The La Rochelle shoes in the original post are a high end 'workably stylish' version of the cheap and nasty shoes that Pleaser churn out with little regards to fashion or taste.

I didn't mention 'Tarts' or 'Sluts' in my post and I hope I never will. All I said was that the original Pleaser shoes were taken up en mass by the strip/pole dance industry. Topshop, and even Chanel before them, have used the style and all that it implies and elevated it from a nasty shoe to something truly stylish. It's all in the subtle references and style cues.

It's something about the cheap and nasty being elevated to a higher more thoughtful level. As Dolly Parton once said: 'It takes a lot of money to look this cheap'