The Trouble With Tristan....

...is that he knows what a good shoe should look like. But where to get good glue? Not so much.

I was most delighted when my Tristan Blair wedges arrived. Remember these beauties?

After waiting so long to get them, when they arrived it was like christmas! I put them on and took photos and when I took them off to put them back in the box...I noticed to my horror that one of the wedges was starting to come away from the upper. I was obviously disappointed but when It comes to getting the one dodgy pair of shoes in a batch I'm the girl who'll get them, so I'm used to having to send things back. I emailed Amelie's Boutique that Saturday afternoon and was delighted to get a reply. The were exceptionally helpful telling me to send them back and they'd send me a new pair and refund my postage.

The new pair arrived yesterday and I decided to wear them today. I got as far as the bus stop and BOTH wedges started to come off! I am very mad indeed. When I drop almost £300 on footwear I expect quality. Yes, I could have bought 3 pairs of Topshop shoes, but I made a promise to myself I'd try and buy quality over quantity but it seems that that doesn't guarantee good quality finishing either.

It also made me wonder that because they are made in Indonesia (I had actual been hoping they were made in Australia), are they made in the same factory that creates high street shoes and in actual fact you are NOT buying better quality, merely paying for a logo and a leather sole? It has often been the statement of people who buy cheap shoes - that those who drop lots of money on labels are simply buying into a brand for it's exclusivity and I have always confidently countered the arguement by sharing my experiences in the difference in fit and finish. Now, I'm not so sure. Of course, I then look at my shoes from Givenchy, LaRare, Chloe etc and see that they are all impeccibly made and show no sign of falling apart.

Maybe I was just very unlucky and got two pairs for a dodgy batch. I hope so as I really do love and appreciate his designs...but my confidence in the quality has certainly been lost and wouldn't accept a replacement.

I will say that the customer service at Amelie's Boutique is second to none. They are always on hand to answers emails and are extremely efficient and helpful. I will be shopping there again - just not for Tristan Blair.

Queen Michelle

Comments

[moi.]

email the designer's commercial representative & tell them...'do you know who i am???!!!' Then demand a special pair is made...show them the traffic figures of your blog too...work that angle!!! Quality is such a huge factor when making expensive purchases, it's why I stick to just 3/4 designers through fear. I also go as far as to contact designers asking where the collections are produced, I've been researching on Mr. Boris Bidjan Saberi for his fall line which make my mouth water. My mouth just started to water...again. mmmm cooked wool wrap coats! Come on January, where are yaaaa

[shoptoomuch]

What terrible QC! Don't want to sound like a shoe snob but I'm striking TB off my wishlist after your experience and finding out they're made in Indonesia!

[Isabel]

What a sad story - those shoes are gorgeous. It's awful you had to find out they are bad quality the hard way!

[L]

I've found through pretty painful experience that price is not always equivalent to an item's quality. Whenever I can I do try to buy items in person (although incredibly difficult considering where i live grrr).

Where something is made is almost certainly often a good indicator of how well it will be done, though again - I've had impeccable shoes made in China and rather questionable ones from Italy. I have a slightly shady pair of Mogils (another well known Australian designer) which are also Indonesian-made...I wonder if there's a relationship?

I've also been wondering about the underground winklepickers - it's a substantial amount for them to be shipped to New Zealand, is it your opinion that I can wear them for a time that will be worth the 100 pounds?

[Brigadeiro]

How disappointing! 2 out of 2 is not a good stat...I have had some designer goods fail one me from time to time (eg. rivet/stud fell off a Balenciaga bag, so I can no longer carry it, a heel broke on a Zanotti shoe first time I wore it), one really expects to get what they pay for, so it is very upsetting when we don't. :(
xx

[Mme Squeegee]

I used to work for a shoe materials firm and alot of so-called designer shoes are, indeed, made in the same factories as high street ones. There are, of course, exceptions to every rule and some designers have their shoes made in their own factories, or selected factories that can guarantee quality. The same applies to clothing, furniture, you name it ...

[Kaylene]

That's rather disappointing to hear. I've always felt it's a shame that there are hardly any original shoe designers in Australia that have both exceptional designs and quality. Other than a few small bespoke places there's pretty much nothing available. I was hoping Tristan Blair could be that beacon of hope. Sigh.... Although it makes me slightly more determined to follow through with my own dream of designing quality Australian shoes.

[Jennifer L.]

Well I studied footwear design and one of my fellow-pupils came from a family that owned a shoe factory in India - the factory produced Miu Miu and Prada shoes alongside generic shoes for places like New Look and other high street stores - same labour, but the more expensive the shoe, the better quality the components.

[Queen Michelle]

Amelie Boutique reckon I was just REALLY unlucky and got 2 shit pairs.

Moi - I should! I'm a bloody Queen afterall!
L - have I found the Underground winklepickers to be fantastically well made. I wore them without socks right away and have not suffered even a single blister. They are sturdy and comfortable and I would buy them again in a second.
Kaylene - I'm surprised by what you said about Australian shoe designers not having both quality and design. I have been really excited about the calibre of Aussie design so this is quite surprising to me. It's a pity if that is indeed the case. I look forward to your range of quality shoes all the more.

[moi]

I think it's f**king ridiculous that wedges retailing at £300 are made in Indonesia!!! Even if they were produced in Australia, the current exchange is 2 aussie dollars to every pound! Hideous pricing! However, the designer is paying the price in the long run with shit quality! People talk about designers and their ability, however it can all go up in smoke if the right production & manufacturing partners can't be found at a viable cost. I remember picking up a Raf Simons shirt for £165 from £200+ & it was produced in Macedonia. Aside from Raf's collections catering toward his mature clients presently, I'd never buy Raf again. I don't have issues with manufacturing garments in LEDC's, but unknown factories where labour is a cost minimum over sound production quality for high-end designer rips open a piss.

[Louise]

What a shame! Yes, perhaps this is the moment for a 'don't you know who I am?' Tristan Blair may soon be crying into his Indonesian-made handkercheif....
xx

[susie_bubble]

That is effing mental! I have to say, I haven't experienced any of this nightmarish-ness with my Tristan Blair wedges.... mine aren't a platform wedge though but they are also made in Indonesia...

Hmmm... that's really sad to hear as I was going to order some shoes from his new S/S10 colleciton

[natty]

I do hope that (as unlikely as it may be) that they were duds as I love Tristan Blair's shoe collection and was quite keen on ordering a pair but now not too sure whether to or not.

It is a great shame as those shoes looked killer on you. Still, maybe get your money back and buy some badder ones from somewhere else.

[Queen Michelle]

I may very well have been unlucky enough to get two pairs of dud shoes, but I'm not willing to risk it again to find out. There may be people who have them and haven't had any problems at all. Maybe I just got the batch with the dodgy glue!

[Maya Sienicka]

I had italian-made shoes falling apart in two weeks - the glue problem!!! On the other hand, shoes made in India nd Brazil hold and hold and hold. Go figure.

[Suzanne aka Punk Glam Queen]

So sad ): Well, look on the bright side -- with a refund you can find a new pair! It'll be like Christmas all over again!
XXX
Suzanne

[Phoebe Rose]

What a shame those shoes are so gorgeous!

http://flowergirlfashion.blogspot.com/

[geisharock]

what a pity, after all that waiting as well! go and treat yourself with a nice pair from one of the zillions of sales going on around london :) i know thats what i'd do haha... no self control whatsoever xoxo

[KD]

How disappointing! I'm sorry. :-(

[Alicia]

Wow, that's too bad. I'm glad you posted this, though. There are too many times where designer doesn't equate to quality.

At least you have your others to cling to.

[Pearl Westwood]

Oh no! Total sympathy!!This happed to me too, remeber those Chloe patent wedges 2007! They did refund me but it seriously put me off the brand. All I can say is Ive had Vivienne Westwood pairs for years, and they will even repair the heels for you when you wear them down. Thats buying quailty, and they are hand made in England. I totally recommend them.
http://fashionpearlsofwisdom.blogspot.com/

[Make Do Style]

Opps - unfortunately not all processes are robust for all designers. And not all designer 'gear' is worht it or different to any retailer. Such a shame you loved 'em.

[Mary]

My friend work for a italian fashion house and she tell me that the majority of things,also the expensive and brand things for fashion house from everywhere are made in china.
In italy there is a law that a thing made for 90% in another country and finished in italy can be marked made in italy.
There is still somethings made in the country which is marked but only if you know.
I wear a pair of Casadei shoes for one year after that one heel it was broken,i went to the shop and they replace the heel with a new for each heel!and i did't pay nothing!
I thing it's depend of the policies of the brand.

[The Waves]

Oh no! Sorry to hear about this. The shoes looked fab, and for £300 you should be entitled to some quality.

I go through phases when I promise myself to only buy quality (whatever that means, really). If there is anything I have learned over the years, the price tag certainly doesn't tell you anything. Some of my dearest H&M pieces have lasted for years, and some of my more expensive purchases have fallen to pieces in no time. Ugh, go figure!

[E]

This is not totally surprising to me. I had the same exact thing happen with a pair of $400 Nicola Finetti shoes (oz design, made in asia). NF had the GALL to comment when I returned the second pair that it 'was funny' that there was (a different) problem with those too (before I even put them on the first time, I checked the sole, and it started peeling straight off in my hands!!!). Hilarious.
I LOVED those shoes and wore them frequently before the initial fault came to light (which was a design flaw they had overlooked which became apparent after wear - not enough R&D).
I work in a store that stocks Tristan Blair, and we had some of the flat sandals from SS09 completely coming unglued just from being tried on. Not a good look.

If you compare, say the price of a Tristan Blair to that of the new TV (oz label) boots (made in Australia, one would hope!), the price is about 3-4 times that. But if paying $1000 ish for a pair of shoes that will last 20 years (as some of my vintage finds have)maybe I need to get used to that idea.
If the product fails due to a fault, you are entitled to a refund. Other than that, it's the luck of the draw with items standing up to being used....but shame on them for not using the best quality product they can find. It only drags their image down.