Posted Monday at 03:00 PM3 days Vienna’s Ludwig Reiter opens its doors for a working tour of real shoe-making. Sven Raphael Schneider meets Joseph Potyka-Zeiler and follows a pair of Goodyear-welted shoes from leather to last inside the Süßenbrunn-Manor manufacturer. See careful handwork, smart machinery, and time-tested methods on the factory floor. If you care about fit, leather, and longevity, this tour is for you. Watch now. Table of ContentsExpandCollapseInside the Ludwig Reiter FactoryHighlights from this VideoWhat We Were WearingMore From Vienna! “It is … it is getting difficult and difficult by every year, because the … the heart for manual labor and for the delicacy of the job is getting lost over time.” Joseph Potyka-Zeiler, Fifth Generation, Reiter Family Inside the Ludwig Reiter Factory What You’ll See in the Video Sven Raphael Schneider tours Ludwig Reiter’s Vienna factory with Joseph Potyka-Zeiler of the Reiter family. You will see how a Goodyear-welted shoe comes together from start to finish: leather selection, pattern cutting, lasting, welting, cork filling, sole channel cutting, outsole stitching, and final finishing. Joseph shows the checks that decide what ships and what becomes a factory-store second, plus how their workshop cleans suede, restores shape, and makes resole-ing straightforward for years of wear. Ludwig Reiter has been a shoemaking icon for over 100 years. Browse their shoe collection Why This Video is Helpful Our walkthrough makes it easy to judge build quality, understand fit and lasts, and know what real repairability looks like. You’ll also see what makes a shoe easy to resole and keep its shape for years. If you want footwear that lasts, this tour is for you. Highlights from this Video 1"Some very intricate parts of the leather still need to be cut by hand, for which a scalpel is used."7:07 What makes a centuries-old cutting method a necessity for modern luxury shoes? Find out in this section. 2"We're just going to see a machine that is quite interesting because it was given to us by the United States of America."15:49 Discover the machine gifted to the company by the United States as part of the Marshall Plan after World War II. 3"Your foot is changing on the go."22:11 Ever wonder why bespoke shoes might not be the best fit in the long run? Get the surprising answer here. 4"This machine is one of the reasons why some of our shoes have to be protected with a little coat of plastic."36:47 Find out why the very machine that sews the sole requires a protective plastic coat on the shoes. 5"If a suede shoe comes for repairing, it sometimes needs to get cleaned very deeply."42:45 Watch this clip to see how they use fire as part of the process. “So that is why many companies stopped Goodyear welting because on one hand it is a very hard step to do, it is costly, and on the other hand it lengthens the life of a shoe.” Joseph Potyka-Zeiler, Fifth Generation, Reiter Family What We Were Wearing Raphael builds on a navy blazer and crisp white shirt with a hit of color from an orange-red mottled silk knit tie. In his breast pocket sits a copper-red Art Deco scarab square whose blue edge echoes the jacket. Light gray cuffed linen trousers and mid-brown cap-toe oxfords keep it classic, while shadow-stripe dark navy and royal blue socks tie the palette together. He finishes with Roberto Ugolini Blue Suede Shoes cologne for a fresh, refined touch. Fort BelvedereOrange & Red Mottled Silk Knit TieShop the LookFort BelvedereCopper Red Art Deco Egyptian Scarab Pocket SquareShop the LookFort BelvedereNavy & Blue Shadow Stripe Cotton SocksShop the LookRoberto UgoliniBlue Suede Shoes CologneGet this Fragrance Ask the Expert Where is the factory? On the outskirts of Vienna, in a restored castle complex. The area we filmed used to be the stables; today it houses the upper-making department. The family bought the site in 2008 and began working there in 2013. What construction does Ludwig Reiter mainly use? Goodyear-welted. Uppers are lasted onto a vegetable-tanned insole board, a rib (gemming) is applied, the welt is stitched, cork goes in, then the outsole is attached and finished. Why use a fabric rib (“gemming”) instead of a leather rib? Because it makes future repairs easier. When a pair returns for work, the rib can be removed and replaced cleanly, which speeds up resoles and helps longevity. How is the leather selected and cut? The hide is chosen to suit the model, with finer skins for dress shoes and sturdier leathers for boots. Cutting is done by an experienced operator on a guided table: patterns are placed to avoid scars and to follow the grain so parts keep their shape. Can customers send shoes back for repair? Yes. The factory handles resoles and refurbishing in-house. The construction and rib choice are set up with repairability in mind. Any care advice from the factory team? Suede cleaning is a wet process done by a specialist at the factory; they don’t recommend DIY for heavy stains. Routine brushing is fine at home, but deep cleaning should be professional. Is this bespoke? Can lasts be adjusted? It isn’t full bespoke, but single-pair production and small adjustments are possible. The team also maintains last shapes across models so sizing stays predictable over time. “It’s not always about the money. It’s also about doing the right thing. And our customers are the best advertisement.” Joseph Potyka-Zeiler, Fifth Generation, Reiter Family Follow Joseph Potyka-Zeiler on Instagram! click here! More From Vienna! Viennese Style Exploration with Hedi RochowanskiExplore the unique tailoring traditions of Vienna and how they shape a refined, modern gentleman’s look. Explore Viennese StyleChristian Stadler’s Antikschmuck StoreStep inside Antikschmuck to see rare vintage cufflinks and timeless jewelry craftsmanship. See the CollectionWilhelm Jungmann & Neffe Shop TourTake a guided look at Vienna’s finest Art Nouveau and Art Deco treasures with expert Wolfgang Bauer. See the Treasures View the full article
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