LIMITED EDITION ANKLE BOOT From John Lobb

Today see’s the launch of the limited edition ankle boot - FOWEY
FOWEY is the most intricate and complex shoe John Lobb have made this year and showcases the level of skill and talent at John Lobb.

 The complexity of its construction is a result of six weeks highly skilled craftsmanship that pays tribute to the uncompromising quality and care that goes into every John Lobb shoe.
 This single eyelet ankle boot is crafted from two pieces of Museum Calf leather and its primary seams are entirely hand sewn to provide its unique and elegant design.
 Crafted on the 8695 last, it features an elegant almond shaped toe and sits on the John Lobb Prestige sole which can be identified by its finely wheeled welts, hand sculptured waists, tapered heels and rounded sole bottoms.

 Available in - plum, black and navy, its beautifully mottled patina is based on an ancient tanning method that sees layer upon layer of natural dyes artfully applied to create a gradual and subtle variation in tone.
 With only 1,000 produced, each pair of Fowey is individually stamped with a number on the sole and will come in a unique blue John Lobb shoebox.
Price £1500.00
Direct link:

http://www.johnlobb.com/uk/fowey-1

JOHN LOBB FILM LAUNCH - A Singular Journey‏

In 1851 a farmer’s son by the name of John Lobb set foot on what was to become an exceptional journey of accomplishment. Aged 22, Lobb left his home in rural Cornwall and walked to London, carried only by his handmade boots.

 The film opens with a map of Cornwall as it would have looked in the 19th century, introducing the villages Lobb journeyed through on his travels, many of which have informed the names of new styles in the Autumn | Winter collection.



A Singular Journey from John Lobb on Vimeo.
Directed by Lisa Gunning, the film depicts a young John Lobb venturing through the rugged Cornish countryside until he eventually reaches the city London.
The film's title; A Singular Journey, signifies not only this epic adventure, but the life of John Lobb himself. The voiced poem, commissioned especially for the film, is written by Cornish poet CP Nield and represents that of an older John Lobb looking back at his life.

John Lobb AW15 Footwer Collection

The AW15 collection celebrates the legacy of John Lobb’s heroic walk from his home in rural Cornwall to London in 1851.  

The Combe – a single buckle, lace up boot with storm welt and double sole  is constructed in heavyweight misty calf in tones inspired by the ruby moss found on the edges of Dartmoor.

The  Grove - a new two eyelet suede boot is presented with tonal French binding around the quarters.

The Morval – a double buckle shoe with plain vamp and October sole in buffalo.

www.johnlobbltd.co.uk

Don't do anything by half - unless it's a Brogue Shoe

Semi or half brogues were first designed by John Lobb on an Oxford in 1937 to give their customers a shoe more casual than a plain oxford but more refined than the full brogue. 

John Lobb

Here the decorative perforations and serration goes only along the caps edge with additional decorative perforations in the centre of the toe cap. John Lobb holds two Royal Warrants and all their shoes are handmade to measure, costing approx £2620.00 plus VAT from www.johnlobbltd.co.uk or from their London shop at 9 St James’s St (the very spot once occupied by Lord Byron’s bachelor pad).

Tricker's Kensington

For a cheaper and ready to wear pair, Trickers has the Kensington, a semi brogue in black from their 1829 collection, price £305.00 www.trickers.com or 67 Jermyn Street London

When Last is for the Best in Shoes

Most people will agree that men have it comfortable when it comes to shoes. However this was not the case in Ye Olde Days as both men and women suffered when it came to footwear.
The worst culprit was the last – a three dimensional model of the foot used to mould the leather over to create the shoe shape. Up until the mid 19th Century, one straight last was used to make both the left and right shoe, and so not fitting either foot properly. It made having two left feet sound like heaven!
But those days are over and separate lasts are now moulded in the shape of a left and right foot, bringing comfort and joy to the feet.
Shoemakers will have a variety of lasts in sizes and styles, but if you can afford it, then why not splash out on a pair of bespoke leather shoes made from your own bespoke last?

John Lobb Paris Monk shoe with special hammered buckle

John Lobb is famous for bespoke shoes and their London shop at 9 St James’s Street only sells handmade to measure shoes. Prices start at £2620.00 plus VAT.
Here your feet will be measured and examined by a fitter. His measurements and notes will then be used by the last maker to carve your very own last as a precise contoured model of your foot including indentations, protrusions and all. The last is then stored waiting for your next pair to be made.
But you have to be patient as a bespoke shoe takes about 6 months for the first pair to be finished and then about 3 months for subsequent pairs.
And to keep your shoes in shape they will make a hollow hinged wooden shoe tree approx £508 plus VAT.
www.johnlobbltd.co.uk

Tim Little Rolling' and Tumblin' whole cut shoe

Tim Little is an independent store at 560, Kings Road, London, who also offers handmade bespoke shoes using bespoke lasts. The 1st pair starts at around £1550 and then subsequent pairs will be cheaper at around £775. It can take about 12 weeks for the first pair and then 8 weeks for the next pairs. Tim’s bespoke shoe trees cost approx £450 and are made of Obeche wood, a dry desert wood which will absorb the sweat left in your shoes.

This Rollin’ and Tumblin’ whole cut in burnt pine is from Tim’s ‘Black Sole’ range which are left to rest on the last for at least 30 days allowing the Italian calf leather to adopt the perfect shape of the last and hold that shape over the years. And the name? Well Tim loves the blues
www.timlittle.com

Lodger's April shoe of the month

However if your savings won’t stretch that far then go for the next best thing – the custom fit shoe.
This is great for you guys who have wide or narrow feet and the standard shoe width doesn’t fit.
Lodger offer a custom fit service for their shoe of the month where they will take exact measurements of your feet to ensure the shoe fits just right. They take a classic style shoe every month and give it a slight twist. After the month is over that particular shoe is no longer available to buy, so you have a kind of limited edition pair. April’s shoe of the month is the Burlington Country Brogue in brown. Instead of the traditional eyelets, Lodger have given this brogue a Tyrolean hiking boot twist with classic hooks for lacing. Price starts from £450.

Also Lodger makes sure you can treat your shoes with tender loving care and includes in the price a pair of bespoke shoe trees, a bamboo shoe bag, photo ID tag and a storage box. This is not just for the shoe of the month but all their shoes. Their shop is 15C Clifford Street London.
www.lodgrfootwear.com


So now it is just women who tend to suffer. And I can hear you say that’s because we are slaves to fashion rather than comfort. True, but again in days gone by, it was the men who were avid followers of shoe fashion rather than the women (yes even I find this hard to believe) whose feet were covered by their long skirts.
The more outrageous styles men wore were:
The poulaine with extremely long pointed toes – it was more tripping over your feet than tripping the light fantastic.
The duck-billed which were very wide at the toes (and often made the wearer waddle) with slashes to pull out the coloured lining for decoration. In fact Queen Mary passed a law restricting the width to 5.5 inches.
The red high heels with red soles made fashionable by Louis XIV. – maybe the first Christian Louboutins?
It wasn’t until the 19th Century when men’s shoes became more conservative in their styles, bringing comfort in to the equation.