Jean Gaborit Questions.

[keeti668]

I was wondering if anyone could help on some research I doing on Jean Gaborit boots. To make a long story short, I want to have a pair of boots made for my wife for our 20th wedding anniversary in 2012. She had difficult to fit feet and wide calfs. Thus, custom made boots is the way to go. I was wondering if any one out there has had a pair of boots made by Jean Gaborit and if so, what was your experience. Also, since my wife and I will be in Paris next summer, does it make any difference to help ensure fit if someone (ian or otherwise) actually measures her feet and calfs vs. us doing it and sending the measurements to them? Thanks, Keeti668

[Dr. Shoe]

It is always better to have the maker measure up. That way if they don't fit it's up to them to rectify matters, measure yourself you're stuck with them.

[danbaker]

have a look at Duoboots.fr or .com or .de

[mtnsofheels]

Yes, have 2 pairs of boots from JG, they worked well, I had ordered them from Canada so way no have personal fitting, buy they fit really well when received them. I would talk with Ian and make sure though. "I Love Boots" has 12-14 pairs with no issues fit that recall from him. Hope they work for you! Cheers, Mtnsofheels

[keeti668]

Hi Mtnsofheels Thanks for your reply. First, do you think a personal fitting by JG will work to ensure a proper fit the first time around? I'd hate to have to send a pair back because of fit issues. Second, I've sent a private Message to "Iloveboots" but have yet to hear from him. I hope he will either see this and respond or respond to my private message. Thanks for you response - is it OK if I send you a private message should I have a question? Thanks, Keeti668

[yozz]

Let me tell my experiences with JG, then you will see that there may be an advantage to them measuring you. In Januari 2010 my wife and I decided to buy each a pair of Miami boots from them. We exchnaged some mails with Ian, as we both have inlays and were not sure how to measure that. In addition the measuring chart that you get when you select the Miami boots was not suitable. Ian told us to use a more modern measuring chart froma leter model boot and was also so kind as to send us some samples of the various colors of leather. So we made our selection of the leather and measured each other carefully. Very carefully. Through the rest of the story these measurements have never been taken in doubt. The we ordered. I had asked Ian what the time of delivery would be and he had said 6-8 weeks. Do not believe this. It turned out to be 14. And when the boots came, it was impossible to get my feet in (my wife was out of the country but I could see easily that her boots had the same problem. These were boots without zipper and the zone at the ankle was way narrower than the size around the heel (one of the measurements). I sent the boots back and set Ian a long e-mail explaining my experiences and suggesting that for the repair he put a zipper. No answer till half a year later when he sent the boots again and an e-mail that these were riding boots and hence should not have a zipper. It was still completely impossible to get in, so I sent them back again. And an e-mail. And again no answer and no reaction to telephone calls (only an answering apparatus and no calls back). Till early this year when I got an e-mail that he would be at a Kamasutra fair in the Netherlands, suggesting I see him there. Unfortunately this was impossible as I travel a lot for my work. In March I got another mail that he would be at an old-timers fair in Antwerp, so I managed to meet him there. He had my boots with him and had streched them a lot. With a big struggle and help of him I got my right foot in, but the left foot was impossible, even with the help of two people. He said that he was going to stretch it more and because I had to drive quite a distance to meet him he offered to put a zipper in the boots of my wife (she was not there as at the moment she was abroad). Then, a few weeks later I got a message that he would send the boots. Whatever happened though, no boots. And no answer to e-mails. Finally in June the boots arrived. He had also mounted zippers in my boots. Must have had problems with the stretching. My boots fit very well now. My wife arrived two days later and also her boots fit well. Just that after half an hour the right boot started to hurt because during the mounting of the zipper some ridge had formed somewhere in the leather which was pressing in her foot. The other foot had something similar, but a lot smaller. So we had to send those back again. Finally, after a few weeks they arrived again and then everything was OK. The problem all through is that I think he cut the leather for boots with a zipper, and later did not want to admit that. Which may have to do with the advise he gave to use a different measuring chart. So why the long story? A: they are good boots. B: if they measure you, it is clear all responsibility is with them. C: don't order at the last moment. It takes much more time than they say. Y.

[keeti668]

Hello Ketti,

it will be a good idea to visit JG in Paris.

You could visit the showroom in the Avenue de Versailles.

The unterground (Metro) station next is "Javel Citroen".

(Walk over the sèine-bridge and go on right side 200 metres.)

Best regards

Andi

Hi Andi;

Thanks for the help - I've got the directions and the appointment for a fitting has been made!

[bootsmike]

I can back up Yozz's story for the most part. In September 2009, I decided to order a pair of custom-made boots in a "self-designed" style. I got decent responds on email questions by Ian and placed the order. Then within a few weeks my creditcard was charged for the full cost (€ 500) of the boots. After that, it became silent for a long time... After having waited for about 2 months, I wrote an email asking what the status of my order was. I got no response. Also no response on the second and third email. At that time, I started to become very nervous, because the 500 euro seemed to be gone and the company that got them dit not respond anymore. After some angry emails and even a fax I finally got some answer from a colleague of Ian, stating they were working on my boots and they would be ready within 2 weeks. Again, time went by but nothing arrived. I started to send emails every day until I got an answer: because of illness they were low on employers so all orders took longer. Ian also wrote that he did answer my emails but I never received those. Which is strange, because in the meantime I had received commercial emailings from Jean Gaborit. Finally, 5 months after the order was placed, I got the boots. They are fine but on some details it looks they did a rush job. In the past, I had ordered boots at Jean Gaborit twice before. Both times there was no excessive delay in delivery and the quality was great. Personally, I find it no problem whatsoever if an order is delayed by circumstances. I only wish that Ian had warned my when placing the order that they had staff problems. Or that he or one of his colleagues had sent me a status update during the wait. And also, I think suppliers should not charge customers's credit cards before they are ready to ship the goods.

[Dr. Shoe]

Making footwear to order is never an easy matter. It is fine when you're turning out 100,000 pairs at a time but when you're making every pair by hand it is far more difficult. Sometimes you have to wait for materials or components and some suppliers are notorious for being awkward. In some cases you have to order huge multiples of something you only need one pair of. Heels for example have to be ordered by the hundred so if you only need one pair it will cost you £200 just for the heels. For this reason many manufacturers like to consolidate items going through the factory, this also saves time in setting up machines etc. Say you order a pair of thigh boots and at that time they're making sandals, then they're going to wait until they have more thigh boot orders before they start on yours. The minimum number in most cases is 6 pairs.

[yozz]

Making footwear to order is never an easy matter. It is fine when you're turning out 100,000 pairs at a time but when you're making every pair by hand it is far more difficult. Sometimes you have to wait for materials or components and some suppliers are notorious for being awkward. In some cases you have to order huge multiples of something you only need one pair of. Heels for example have to be ordered by the hundred so if you only need one pair it will cost you £200 just for the heels. For this reason many manufacturers like to consolidate items going through the factory, this also saves time in setting up machines etc.

Say you order a pair of thigh boots and at that time they're making sandals, then they're going to wait until they have more thigh boot orders before they start on yours. The minimum number in most cases is 6 pairs.

I have full understanding of that. And I do not mind waiting some time either when I have something on special order. What ticks me off is this complete silence, and then later the 'excuse' that they had problems with their e-mail. It sounded a bit like "I did not receive your 6 e-mails". That and the fact that he never wanted to admit that he had

made a mistake.

They make good boots, but they are way too optimistic on delivery times and very poor w.r.t. communication. For the rest they seem to be honest.

All I can say is: if you want their boots, fine! But take the possibility into account that you may have to wait longer than expected.

Y.