FUNCTION, FASHION AND LONG TERM VALUE: DER DAU CUSTOM BOOTS
MY PHILOSOPHY, LEARNED THROUGH EXPERIENCE
I have a philosophy that the most important pieces of a wardrobe include: footwear, timepiece and handbag (women)/wallet & belt (men). These items should be carefully invested in to transcend time and trends because they are worn daily. The balance should be filled with well fitting and cared for items, not necessarily the most expensive. Your riding wardrobe should not stray far from this theory. The basis is your boots and of course a well-fitting helmet. This would explain why over the last 5 years I have ordered custom boots from 3 different companies and ordered 3 pairs of ready-made boots. My experience was like Goldilocks- too short, exceptionally late delivery, horribly stiff leather, broken zippers. I think I experienced most of the frustrations riders complain about when purchasing custom boots. I could have saved a lot of money and time if I had not had to withstand this arduous process of finding a well made boot that fit my specific needs.
MY TOP EIGHT QUALITIES
From personal experience, these are the attributes that my US made boots possess:
1) Overall fit- especially calf and height of boot
2) Leather quality- must be supple, yet durable
3) Workmanship- from seams to soles
4) Time from order to receipt
5) Zipper quality
6) Customer service & warranty
7) Refurbishments for resoling and conditioning; This process should be simple and quality boots should last several years
8) Comfort of foot bed
Through unique circumstances, I have discovered the one boot company that meets all of these requirements: Der Dau Custom Boots. Since I live in the Northwest, these boots had not been previously been readily available in our region, until business introduced us.
JOSEPH DER, JR.
I first met Joseph Der, jr. in person last January in Wellington at WEF. Der Dau had flown me in to discuss their company strategy. Anyone that knows me closely understands that I interview prospective clients as much as they interview me before agreeing to work with them. Stealing a few minutes from the constant traffic off his showroom/booth, we stood under an awning to avoid the pouring rain. During our conversation, it became very apparent to me that he is EXTREMELY passionate about his business and his family’s legacy and is committed to sustaining Der Dau through innovation and design.
Around the World with Joseph
Images clockwise from top left1) Home town designer in New York at Central Park Horse Show 2) With his father and staff at WEG in Normandy 3) With Frank Madden at Old Salem Farm 4) Visiting with customer, John Meadows, at Spruce Meadows
To say Joseph is involved and enthusiastic about the company founded by his father over 50 years ago would be an understatement. During our one day meeting, it became apparent that this man is hand’s on in every facet of Der Dau. At WEF, I observed him assisting visitors at their showroom. He not only helped clients select boots by their riding discipline, but also for their technical needs. Because he is a true designer that also knows how to build boots due to his many years producing boots in the workshop, he then provided suggestions for personalization including exotic trims types, cuff designs and monogramming. I also observed him personally provide final fittings for clients that were picking up orders they had placed at the Royal Winter Fair.
MADE IN NEW YORK
Scenes from my trip to the workshop
Later in the year I visited Der Dau at their headquarters in Brooklyn, New York. Joseph was in his element seamlessly moving from handling management issues in his office to working with his sleeves rolled up building individual patterns for customers. His workshop was running at full speed and each team was focused on their area of expertise. Seeing the process in action in New York, I could then understand why boots are delivered in only 4-6 weeks from the time of ordering.
Images: 1) Joseph fitting a customer with a pair of custom boots trimmed with exotic skin and a custom cuff insert logo with the customer's logo inlaid in stingray 2) Joseph in his office showing a custom designed paddock boot with gold trim, front lace and zip back.
I spent the majority of my two days in Brooklyn working with Der Dau’s marketing coordinator, Victoria Campobianco. An avid young horsewoman and IHSA alumni, she is sharp as a whip and one of the most organized people I have ever met. She discussed show logistics (including WEG), sales representative schedules, website planning and general marketing and promotional issues. She is as comfortable in the workshop as she is assisting customers at events like the Hampton Classic.
THE INCEPTION OF THE DREAM BOOT
Joseph’s hands on involvement in the workshop, interaction with customers and his passion for design is why the Der Dau Dream Boot is possible. The Dream Boot concept is not just a trendy marketing ploy to attract new business. Using input from rider’s, he created a boot that has a heavier interior lining to withstand the rigors of use and the exterior leather is more supple for a beautiful show ring impression and comfortable fit. The result is a boot that is both functional and beautiful. This style can be personalized with your choice of trims, leather colors, monograms, etc. and you can also add orthotics for added comfort. Although more expensive than off-the-rack boots, they are warrantied and can be refurbished over time.
MY EXPERIENCE
A quintessential perfectionist, it took me a few months learning more about leathers, trims, styles and trends before I finally worked with Joseph to finalize a design for “my dream boot”. As a hunter/equitation rider, I had to maintain a traditional look. yet I still wanted something that emulated my own signature style. Joseph made sure this was accomplished by incorporating subtle black exotic trim, orthotics to help with soreness in my right foot due to a bad knee and lasered initials on the heel. When my boots arrived, Goldilocks was finally happy! Not only are they beautiful, they fit perfectly and had barely any break in time. True to my philosophy of investing in classic quality basics and Der Dau’s refurbishment workshop, I should have my boots for many, many years.
Descritpion of my Dream Boot Clockwise from Upper Right: Subtle tone on tone alligator trim that is appropriate for equitation 2) Elastic back panel on the INTERIOR with heavy YKK zipper to virtually eliminate broken zippers.4) My initials are lasered on the back heel for personalization
TAKING THE WEST COAST BY STORM
In 2014, Der Dau recogzined the ned for a high quality custom and personalized boot for West Coast customers that did not have easy access to Der Dau. The company is now a regular at West Coast AA shows in both Northern and Southern California and wll also be at the Longines Grand Slam in Los Angeles. At any of these events, make sure to stop by the Der Dau showroom/booth and visit the West Coast Represetative, Brittany Baron. A competitive equestrian herself, she also is very familiar with leathers and design as she previously worked for Lous Vuitton.
WANT TO LEARN MORE ABOUT DER DAU?
Watch the new Der Dau VIDEO explaining their processes and featuring client testomonials, CLICK HERE
{INFORMATION AND TO PURCHASE}
CALENDAR OF EVENTS: Der Dau is present at most AA shows on the East Coast and in 2014 they added a full show schedule on the West Coast. For a list of shows to view their collection and/or to order, CLICK HERE.
TRUNK SHOWS: If you live in an area where Der Dau is not present, they are happy to coordinate a trunk show for your barn. The host or hostess receives a discount on their order or a custom pair of paddock boots. For more information and/or to schedule. CLICK HERE
TRADE-INS FOR THE RIDER'S CLOSET: Der Dau offers special promotions including TRADE-IN’S applied toward your future orders. Visit with a Der Dau representative to have your boots evaluated and valued. Der Dau has partnered with Georgina Bloomberg to provide all trade-ins to her charity, The Rider’s Closet that provides riding clothing to those needing assistance.
GENERAL INFORMATION: Please visit the Der Dau website for additional information including an online catalog, product specifications and customer service. To visit CLICK HERE.
{CURATED PRODUCT GALLERY BY K.M.THORNTON & CO.}
THE JUMPER RING
Not only are Der Dau's boots built for function and durability, they also are designed to fit your unique personality and style. The jumper ring has a little more flexibility in style and below are some recent designs created by Joseph.
HOT TRENDS
Exotic skins and inlaid and lasered personalized initials are currently the most popular aethetic custom boot trends. They came be created from subltel tone-on-tone textures to bold contrastic colors.
{EDITOR'S FAVORITE}
The Sabrina- almost everyone I know loves this boot due to the striking exotic skin leathers, handwork and personalization.
DER DAU DOES DRESSAGE
An important attribute of the Der Dau Dressage "Dream Boot" is that they are actually constructed quite differently from the hunter/jumper boot. They have a sturdy exterior lining for a traditional dressage look, but a more supple, yet durable, interior leather for a better feel with the horse.
"STREET STYLE" BY JOSEPH
Most people are not aware that Joseph is a brilliant fashion boot designer. His designs have a slight equestrian influence, and they are defintiely swoon worthy!
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