Always Want: Visvim Virgil

01

Images

—01. Visvim Virgil in sand suede.

Words

Maybe because the spring tones are filling up our shop and our website, the look of these sand suede Virgils just popped out to me again. The Virgils are such a great boot, and I am fortunate enough to have one pair, however, I would gladly trade them for a suede since my are a smooth leather. The light color of these works perfect with these light weight boots, as you can wear them through the spring, summer and fall with ease. Unfortunately the price increases put them beyond reach now, so acquiring a pair feels unlikely to happen any time soon.

—Visvim

Comments

[rob devlin]

i took the plunge on these, having sold my old faithful 7 holes in the same colour which were my original entry to visvim land , how times change i baulked at £205 for those back in the day, now i am spending £650,

Shows how vis gets into your blood, once youve experienced it theres no going back or comprimising on lesser brands

And yes they are beautiful boots, which i really cant see me ever going off so longevity wise they are an investment (yes keep rationalising)

[Peter]

Hideous boots----laughable price.VERY unstylish.

[hi mom]

I'd be really interested to see a tour of the factory in Korea where these are made.

[Dan]

Title is spot on. Always want.

However, I don't really like the suede versions. Liked those Kangaroo ones the best, the hue was perfect. Even better when you beat em up, saw an employee at Union NY skating in his...looked amazing.


However....Hiroki is now in my windows snatching up my moneys. Enough is enough.

[Thom]

Imagine how much nicer these would look without the nasty plastic Visvim logo on the heel...

[TH]

Yeah, you kind of start to dislike Visvim when they're suddently putting their prices so high. I wonder how they justify this. I'm sure they could have sold this for £250 and still make a profit.

[Sorrybut]

Nice looking boots but price isn't justified imo

[Patrick]

I love the soles, but my question always is: Do they come in a size larger than US10? Most of the best shoes/boots I happened upon in Japan were always a tad bit small. Such a good look though.

[kid kicks]

great looking boot that would make me consider not wearing a pair of sneakers. But the price is pretty steep and the small visvim side counter is a bit much. Was it really necessary??

[SP]

I just do not get the hype surrounding Visvim and the plastic bit is utterly tragic. It's so that other suckers can see that they're actual Visvims right?

There's an expression for this in economics: ostentatious goods. The more money a company charges, the more luxurious/mysterious/better their products are perceived to be.

It's a conceit that is, in my opinion, at odds with what this site pretends to be about, i.e. timeless style, materials, authenticity, values.

[Peter]

My thoughts exactly SP

[Jamie]

The fact of the matter is that there is no such thing as a "real" price anymore. Either the industrial sweat-shop process alienates the production from the consumer, therefore decreasing the price (see Hanes, Champion, etc.), or the producer is inextricably linked to his/her product (see Visvim, Band of Outsiders, etc.) and puts a very high price on it because they feel it reflects the ingenuity involved in the production process and/or the quality of the materials.

At the end of the day, complaining about fashion prices is like complaining about the heat on the equator. Nobody is forcing you to buy, and (as a Westerner) you probably couldn't get your hands on these boots if you tried unless you either enter and win the Visvim "lottery," or you have a solid Proxy service.

[hi mom]

There's a whole group of brands in between those two ends of the spectrum you mentioned. Sure, there's no such thing as a "real" price, but I can't think of many businesses that do operate that way. However, there are a lot of brands that make their goods in better working conditions and when goods are produced in a country like The US there are things like insurance and minimum wage so their employees can earn a living rather than sleeping in a dormitory next to the factory in which they work. Alden, Columbiaknit, Viberg, a lot of Red Wing products, etc. include the same "premium" materials and construction, are produced in countries with relatively ethical and fair labor laws, but still remain far less expensive compared to, say, a brand like Visvim or Band of Outsiders. There are brands that have been producing their goods in that manner without a lot of fanfare for many years and will hopefully continue to do so when the "locally produced" fad has ended.

[SP]

Albam has got right in my opinion. Simple design, great quality, made in the UK where possible (or failing that, Europe), reasonable pricing, fantastic service... what's not to like?

They too are "inextricably linked to his/her (their?) product", but they don't feel the need to rip the piss out of their customers.

[Sorrybut]

Visvim doesn't appeal to people who are looking for a good value for money as there are tons of better constructed footwear sold at lower prices on the market.

[Cooly P]

Why you guyz so mad?

[Michael]

" Even better when you beat em up, saw an employee at Union NY skating in his...looked amazing." - Dan


...YOU'RE THE WORST

[Dan]

Haha. Love it Michael.

What beef you got with beating the shit out of visvim?

[Visvim_defender]

the plastic bit is a TPU heel stabilizer and it is for improved comfort and shape retention of the boot.

all virgils are made in china not korea. get your shit talking right.