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John Cusey
The Ready to Wear
(RTW)
Shoe Pyramid
You really
have to separate the bespoke makers out from the RTW makers. The
process and the product are entirely different.
I'm not
fond of ranking shoe makers because there are just too many
variables and personal preference plays too much of a role. However,
here are some general comments about some RTW brands:
It's
been quite some time since I wrote the original text for this
post, but comments from Roger on the recent thread
that I started about bespoke shoemakers (among other things) have
convinced me that a revision would be useful. My thanks to him for
the list of RTW makers that he assembled and to medwards for his
collection of URLs. This list borrows heavily in concept from von
Rothbart's Comprehensive Links to High-End Shoes thread on SF,
but it aspires to have less content (just makers, no shops or shoe
porn sites) and more (annotations about the various makers, when I
know something about them).
Please note that this is intended
to be a work in progress. If I don't write about a RTW brand that
you care about, let me know. If you disagree with what I've
written, let me know. This is supposed to be a useful reference.
I'm not fond of ranking shoe makers
because there are just too many variables and personal preference
plays too much of a role. However, here are some general comments
about some RTW brands. Strictly for the sake of convenience,
makers are listed by country, either where the maker's business
operations are located or where their shoes are actually made,
according to what makes the most sense to me. This is supposed to
be an ongoing effort, so add those that I have missed.
England
 | John
Lobb Paris -- Just about the most sublime RTW shoe available
(Jermyn II) is made by John Lobb Paris. The shoes with the
"bevelled bootmaker" soles (Lobb calls them the
"Prestige" line) are usually superlative. They're
made from skins that are frequently close to bespoke in
quality, the lasts typically used (7000 and 8000) are elegant,
and the construction is every bit as good as the best
machine-made shoes in the world. The regular line isn't as
good -- no bevelled waists, some lasts used are less elegant
(8695, 9795), etc. -- but they're still excellent shoes. The
prices have gotten completely out of control -- nearly $900
for a regular-line cap-toe bal is outrageous, in my humble
opinion. The original John Lobb in London started its Paris
outpost in 1901. In 1976, the Paris shop was sold to Hermes,
along with the exclusive right to market RTW shoes bearing the
Lobb name (except in Japan, where there exists a substandard
line of shoes called Lobb's that is completely unaffiliated
with either JL St. James or JL Paris). JL Paris shoes are made
in the former Edward Green factory in Northampton, England,
which is why it appears in this section rather than in the
French section.
|
| Edward
Green -- Maker of the second most sublime RTW shoe
available (Dover) and user of some wonderfully elegant lasts
(82, 808, 888, etc.). EG doesn't make an equivalent to JL
Paris's bevelled bootmaker shoes, but their shoes are made to
standards equal to or better than JL's regular line shoes. EG
is known for the antiquing that they apply to their shoes;
they get their skins in a "crust" state, without
much if any pigment applied. That allows them to apply a
wonderful variegated finish to all of their non-black shoes. I
think it's beautiful, but others aren't so enthusiastic.
|
| Church's -- They use a lot of corrected-grain leather,
they half-line a lot of their non-summer shoes in linen, and a
lot of their shoes have rubber top-lifts. Not very nice, if
you ask me, especially at the prices that Church's tries to
charge. Church's built the first Northampton shoe factory in
the second half of the 19th century.
|
| Crockett
& Jones -- Crockett & Jones produces two separate
lines of shoes. The regular line are solid and well-made are
are a good value for the money. The Handgrade shoes are
freqently beautiful, particularly if made on the Dimitri
Gomez-designed 337 last. The Handgrade shoes retail for
perhaps $200 less than Edward Green and appear to be designed
to compete with EG. They're good shoes, but I don't think that
they're quite there -- the antiquing isn't as good, the last
shapes aren't as refined, the standards of construction are
just a little bit lower -- but whether you think that they're
close enough to make the $200 difference a bargain is an
individual decision. In any event, C&J does a tremendous
amount of private-label shoe manufacturing at various
different quality levels for various different retailers.
|
| Grenson -- This firm's name is a contraction of "William
Green and Son," which suggests that once upon a time
there might have been some relationship with Edward Green. I'm
not certain. This firm is capable of making very high-quality
shoes comparable to C&J Handgrade. Grenson used to sell
these "Masterpieces" shoes under their own label.
Recently, however, Grenson appears to have fallen on hard
times and has ceased selling these shoes except as
private-label offerings. It's a pity. They were wonderful
shoes. The good news is that Stuart's Choice shoes from Paul
Stuart are made to the old Masterpieces standards by Grenson.
I have never seen any Grenson shoes from the lower lines (Feathermasters
and what not), so I can't comment about the level of quality.
|
| Tricker's
-- Well-made shoes. Some of them are unexciting or made on
inelegant lasts, but the quality of construction is very good
and the prices are very reasonable.
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|
Barker
-- I have never seen these shoes in the flesh. From their website, it
looks like they specialize in low-priced shoes with a high proportion
being made from corrected-grain leather. Barker
Black is Barker's attempt to go upmarket. They're certainly
distinctive (skull and crossbones medallions and whatnot), but I don't
know if they're entirely successful aesthetically.
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|
| Cheaney -- Cheaney is owned by Church's (at least they were
the last time I checked), although I don't think that Cheaney and
Church's have cross-pollinated much. The Cheaney shoes that I have
seen have been solid, if unexciting.
|
| Loake -- Another English maker that I know little about
except what I have seen online, and what I have seen online leads me
to believe that Loake produces a profusion of cheap, corrected-grain
shoes.
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| Alfred
Sargent -- Alfred Sargent is another maker that produces
private-label merchandise for everybody and another maker with a
profusion of different lines of varying quality. The Premier and
Premier Exclusive lines appear to be very good and very fairly priced.
|
| Schnieder
Boots -- I know nothing whatever about Schnieder except
that they hold a royal warrant and that most of the footwear they sell
is equestrian.
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| New
& Lingwood -- George Cleverley himself used to work in
N&L's bespoke operation, as did George Glasgow and John Carnera,
the men who inherited Cleverley's name and set up the GJ Cleverley
bespoke firm in the early 1990s. Sadly, N&L's bespoke operation is
a thing of the past, and most of their shoe offerings appear to be
rebadged Grenson and Alfred Sargent shoes. They do have some RTW shoes
made from the famous Catherina
von Flensburg Russian reindeer hide, and I believe, although I
am not certain, that those shoes were made by Crockett & Jones.
|
| Wildsmith -- Another former bespoke maker with a
wonderful past and a somewhat less glorious present. My understanding,
although I have never seen the shoes, is that Mr. Wildsmith sells
rebadged Edward Green and Crockett & Jones shoes at steep markups.
|
| GJ
Cleverley -- The sample Cleverley RTW shoes that I have seen
are almost certainly made by Crockett & Jones. In fact, a pair of
Cleverley bespoke shoes came to me in a RTW box very similar to the
light blue box that C&J uses, complete with the last number 337
emblazoned on the side. It is possible that Cleverley uses other
makers for some of their models, however.
|
| Peal -- Yet another now-defunct but legendary name in
bespoke shoemaking. Brooks Brothers acquired the right to market RTW
shoes bearing the Peal name from the Peal bespoke company in the early
1950s (JLibourel below places the date in 1953, and I have no reason
to doubt him). The Peal bespoke firm later ceased operations in the
1960s, leaving Brooks Brothers with the only Peal-labeled shoes left.
The original BB Peal shoes were made by Edward Green, and, if pictures
are any guide, were things of beauty, both in quality of construction
(is anything from Edward Green anything else) and in last shape, which
was a distinctive high-walled banana sort of thing.
A few years ago, BB revived the line, this time with shoes made by
Crockett & Jones. More recently, other Peal shoes, probably made
by Alfred Sargent, have come to dominate BB's Peal offerings. It's
worthwhile to note that just because a particular pair of Peal shoes
is made by Crockett & Jones, it doesn't mean that those shoes are
made to the standards of any particular C&J-labelled shoes.
Retailers will specify the quality level of the upper leather, sole
leather, and so on in order to bring the shoes in at a particular
price; and shoe factories are happy to accommodate them.
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| Ralph
Lauren -- As everybody knows, Ralph Lauren does not actually
make any shoes. He buys shoes. A lot of them. From a lot of different
manufacturers in a lot of different countries. So why am I putting him
in the England category? Because the most noteworthy shoes bearing his
name are made in England. First are the Polo-labeled English-made
shoes. These used to be made by Crockett & Jones, and the models
sold were identical to models that appeared in the C&J catalogue.
In late 2004 or early 2005, this changed. The models were different.
The interior markings were different and were unlike anything I had
ever seen from C&J. The soles were channeled instead of stitched
aloft as they had been previously.
My overall impression was that the quality level of the shoes
increased. The price certainly did. In any event, I suspect that these
shoes are no longer made by Crockett & Jones. I could certainly be
wrong, but the interior markings make me suspicious. Second are what
used to be called the Purple Label shoes and what are now labeled
Ralph Lauren Made In England. These shoes are made by Edward Green and
appear to be of the same quality in every respect to EG-labeled shoes.
They do come with laquered, lasted trees, unlike regular EG shoes; and
many of them are made on 89 last, which is generally only used for RL
shoes. They are often available at considerable discount during RL
sales.
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Italy
| A.
Testoni -- Three different levels of quality. Regular-line
shoes (now called Studium, I believe) are okay, if a little bit
fashion-forward. The Black Label shoes are better. They're all
Bologna-constructed, and every so often I see a model that I actually
could wear. Most of them are a bit too fashion-forward for my tastes,
and the prices (over $700 per pair) are high. The third line is called
Amedeo Testoni and consists of Goodyear-welted and Norwegian
constructed shoes. These are excellently-made but mostly unattractive
to my eyes. They're also extremely expensive for what you're
getting.
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| Bruno
Magli -- Magli has a number of different lines. The only
line worth talking about is the Platinum line. They appear to be well
made (I think that they're Blake-constructed), but the designs are a
bit over-the-top for me. They're also very expensive for the quality.
I don't believe that Magli actually owns any production facilities but
rather contracts all production out to third parties.
|
| Silvano
Lattanzi -- Handmade shoes of impeccable quality.
Lattanzi was originally brought to the United States by Louis Boston
and is a pioneer here of handmade shoes and very high prices. He's
best known for gunboat-sized Norwegian- or Bentivegna-constructed
shoes with flashy antiquing, but he can do more subdued styles as
well.
|
| Kiton -- Kiton's shoes have a eye-popping antiquing similar
to what one sees on Lattanzi shoes, but the last shapes tend to be
sleeker and the designs, while unusual, are generally more
conservative.
|
| Sutor
Mantellassi
-- I will admit that I have a soft spot in my heart for Sutor
Mantellassi shoes. I love the way that they do Norwegian construction
(with a single row of stitching rather than the flashier two braided
rows favored by other makers) and their innovative use of skin
stitching. Like most Italian producers, Mantellassi has more than one
line: a Blake-constructed line of good but not outstanding quality and
a Norwegian or Goodyear-constructed line that is of excellent quality.
|
| Gravati
-- One of my favorite Italian manufacturers, not because there aren't
better producers out there (there are) but because Gravati makes an
excellent shoe for a reasonable price and because they are almost
infinitely flexible in what they can and will produce. Over the years,
I have placed many, many special orders for Gravati shoes, and they
are always right and of remarkably consistent quality. Their shoes are
mostly Blake- and Blake/Rapid-constructed, but they will make
Goodyear-welted shoes on request.
|
| Borgioli -- Borgioli is a major producer of
private-label shoes, some of which are made to execrable standards of
quality and which Borgioli would never want to claim. Hey, they need
to survive. The shoes produced under their own label are very good.
Most are Blake-constructed. A few are Norwegian-constructed, and they
are excellent.
|
| Romano
Martegani -- Martegani operates a very good Blake and
Blake/Rapid factory, and they are endlessly flexible. Gravati will
almost never say no to a customer's cockamamie ideas for a shoe, but
they will say no sometimes. Martegani won't. These are good, not
excellent, shoes offered for a reasonable price. User Ron Rider,
formerly the shoe manager at Franco's
in Richmond, is now the US distributer for Martegani.
|
| Salvatore
Ferragamo
-- Like Bruno Magli, Ferragamo doesn't own any of their own production
facilities. Also like Bruno Magli, they market shoes of widely varying
qualities. The Studio line shoes are cemented and not worth the money
they cost. The Lavarazione Originale line shoes are generally
Blake-constructed and are often attractive and well-made, if
overpriced. The Tramezza line shoes are Goodyear-welted and are very
good. Ferragamo has a joint venture with Zegna called Zefer,
and Zefer produces all of the Zegna-labelled shoes. I believe,
although I am not certain, that Zegna owns the production facilities
for these shoes, some of which are very good.
|
| StefanoBi -- I don't know a whole lot about StefanoBi shoes,
but I believe that this was Stefano Branchini's original company and
that he sold it to LVMH in the 1990s. The StefanoBi factory apparently
produces shoes for all of the LVMH companies, including Berluti. The
only pair of StefanoBi shoes that I ever saw (square-toe tan wingtip
balmorals) were attractive in a flashy, Italian sort of way.
|
| Stefano
Branchini -- If I recall correctly, I believe that Sr.
Branchini started this company after he sold StefanoBi to LVMH. I have
never seen any of these shoes in the flesh, and I really can't comment
on the quality of construction. What I can say is that these shoes, to
me, represent everything that is wrong with Italian shoemaking today.
They're ugly and over-the-top. It's like Sr. Branchini took all that
is excessive about Lattanzi shoes and used it as a toned-down model
for what he wanted to do.
|
| Artioli -- I believe, although I am not sure, that Artioni
shoes are mostly Bologna-constructed. They look to be well-made and
are undoubtedly very flexible. I have two primary complaints with
Artioli shoes. First is the leather that they tend to use: it's that
glove-leather-looking stuff that Italian shoes were known for in the
1980s. Sure, it's soft, but it doesn't wear very well. Secondly, they
have succumbed to the witch's shoes trend: their shoes nowadays tend
to have elongated, needle-nose snouts that I think are extremely ugly.
|
| Santoni -- Santoni produces many, many different lines of
shoes. The Nuvola shoes have natural rubber soles and are
decently-constructed and comfortable Blake shoes. The Classic line
consists of some Bologna, some Blake, and some Goodyear shoes. The new
Bologna models, in particular, are made on a very attractive round-toe
last and are extremely flexible. The Fatte a Mano line consists of
some Blake and some Goodyear, Norwegian, or Bentivegna shoes. Many of
the Fatte a Mano models are, well, ugly, with overly-elongated,
pointy, witch's-shoes-looking snouts; but when they're right, they're
very, very right. Regardless, while you can complain about the looks
of the non-Blake Fatte a Manos, you can't complain about the
construction. It's excellent.
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| Moreschi -- Moreschi is yet another good maker of mid-range
Blake-constructed shoes. Much of what they sell is, ah, exuberant.
Combinations of blue peccary with blue ostrich leg are to be found.
You don't have to buy those. The normal shoes are well-made and
reasonably priced. Probably a small step below Gravati in quality of
construction, and much below Gravati in flexibility of offerings and
receptivity to special orders.
|
| Fratelli
Peluso
-- I have seen a number of different types of Peluso shoes. The first
is a line of Goodyear-welted shoes that look to be well-constructed
and fairly-priced. From the website, it appears that these shoes have
a gemmed linen feather and are machine-welted just as most English
welted shoes. Given the price (under $500 per pair), this is to be
expected. Peluso also makes a line of Blake-constructed shoes and yet
another line of Blake-constructed shoes sold under the "Peluso
for To Boot Adam Derrick" label. Both appear to be relatively
well-constructed shoes offered for reasonable prices.
|
| Barrett -- I have never seen a Barrett shoe in person, but
their website certainly shows a number of beautiful models. Although
the website doesn't specify the construction methods used, it's likely
that most of them are Blake or Blake/Rapid constructed, with a few
Norwegian models.
|
| Bontoni -- This company has made a recent splash on the US
market, getting themselves carried by Louis Boston and Stanley Korshak.
The shoes are very much of a piece with a lot of high-end Italian
shoes nowadays: a bit clunky, with eye-popping antiquing. If you like
that sort of thing, these shoes appear to be well-made versions of the
aesthetic. The problem is that they're grossly overpriced. They're
Blake/Rapid-constructed, and the channel for the Rapid sole stitching
isn't closed. Frankly, the quality of construction is inferior to
Gravati or Martegani, in my opinion; and yet the retail price for the
calfskin models is nearly $1000 per pair.
|
| Bonora -- Florentine bespoke maker that has branched into
RTW. I don't know if these are factory-made shoes of if they are made
in Bonora's workshop. Given the prices, I suspect that the former is
more likely than the latter. The shoes themselves appear to be mostly
Goodyear-welted and staid in their styling.
|
| De Tommaso -- A specialist in handmade Goodyear,
Norwegian, and Treccia shoes.
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| Zegna
-- A few years ago, Zegna began a joint venture with Ferragamo called
Zefer (oh, the originality!) to produce Zegna-labeled shoes. I
suspect, although I do not know for sure, that Zegna actually owns the
production facilities for these shoes. In any event, they run the
gamut from the very ordinary to the very nice. Most of the
lower-priced versions are either cemented or Blake-constructed. The
top-of-the-line shoes, however, are Goodyear-welted and very
attractive. As with a lot of Zegna's products, they are probably
overpriced for what they are, but what they are appears to be
excellent quality shoes.
|
France
| JM
Weston -- The triple-soled hand-welted Chasse model is
amazing and one of the true classic shoes available today. The other
shoes aren't made to the same standards, but they are well-made
machine-made welted shoes. I don't think that they're quite to EG
standards, but they're not priced like EG, either. The Perry-designed
Weston shoes are extremely distinctive. People either love them or
hate them. I happen to love them.
|
| Berluti -- I will admit that I feel betrayed by Berluti.
Since I became aware of high-end shoes, Berluti's classic Club
three-eyelet wholecut has been on my list of sublime RTW shoes. I
wanted a pair terribly. Then Barney's started carrying Berluti, and I
got to see the shoe in person. Talk about a let-down. There's just
nothing special about the construction. Most Berluti shoes are
Blake-constructed in the StefanoBi factory in Italy, and, frankly, you
can get a better-constructed shoe for $700 less from Gravati. It just
doesn't seem right.
|
| Aubercy -- Aubercy's shoes typically are flashy, and I
believe that most of the RTW is Blake-constructed in Italy.
Nevertheless, I like them. To me, they succeed where Berluti's RTW
fails. But that might be just me.
|
| Altan -- Another maker that I know very little about.
According to Étienne below, Altan's shoes are Blake-constructed, made
in Italy, and fashion-forward, concentrating on extreme patination, a
la Berluti and others.
|
| Marc
Guyot -- I know nothing whatever about the quality or
construction methods of these shoes. You can see as much as I can from
looking at the pictures on the website. According to Étienne below,
these shoes are Blake-constructed and Italian-made.
|
| Heschung
-- Heschung is a specialist in rubber-soled Norwegian-constructed
country shoes, although they make a full range of other styles, from
driving mocs to dress shoes. For a time, they made some of JL Paris's
more casual shoes, although I believe that this has been discontinued.
I have very little experience with them, but I have been impressed
with the shoes that I have seen, especially for the price. Heschung is
based in Alsace; but I believe I have read that they are moving at
least some of their production out of France, although to where I
can't remember.
|
| Corthay -- I believe that Corthay's initial foray into RTW
shoes was composed of a line made for them in Spain. Now, I am told,
their RTW shoes are made in a factory outside Paris. I don't know
about the standards of production, but the pictures make them look
very nice indeed.
|
| Finsbury -- I know nothing about this maker. Help me out,
guys.
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| Bexley -- In what must by now seem like a recurring theme, I
don't know a bit about this maker. They offer good-looking
Goodyear-welted shoes at good prices, but I have never seen them and
know nothing of their quality.
|
| Loding
-- This maker seems to be similar to Bexley in that they offer
good-looking Goodyear-welted shoes for low prices and that I know
nothing about their quality.
|
| Paraboot -- More well-priced, attractive Goodyear-welted
shoes. Unlike the preceeding two makers, I do know a little bit about
Paraboot: people whose opinions I trust tell me that these are
well-made. That's about all I know.
|
Spain
| Carmina
(Albaladejo)
-- Carmina is shell cordovan specialist, but instead of sticking with
the standard deep burgundy Color 8, they like to branch into more
exotic colors like green, blue, tomato red, and whiskey. They do make
calfskin shoes, too. In the past, Carmina has suffered from inelegant
lasts, although over the last two years or so, they have remedied that
with the Philly 2 and the Rain. The shoes themselves are
Goodyear-welted and may have a slightly lower quality of construction
than the very best in the RTW shoe industry; however, they are good
shoes that are typically offered at very good prices.
|
| Yanko -- I know very little about Yanko. Others have
commented that they make solid, if unexciting Goodyear-welted shoes,
and that seems reasonable given the models shown on their website.
|
Central
and Eastern Europe
| Vass -- Vass gets a lot of discussion on the forums,
mostly, I think, because Gabor Halmos and Andrew Harris, the faces of
Vass in the United States, participate here. That attention is
well-deserved. Vass shoes are handmade products made to extremely high
standards, and they are works of art. They are among the finest RTW
footwear that you can find anywhere, at any price. Their traditional
Hungarian lasts are distinctive but not for everybody. Recently,
though, they have branched into sleeker last shapes such as the P2 and
especially the F and the U, both of the latter developed for the
Roberto Ugolini RTW shoes sold in Japan and made by Vass. In case it's
not obvious from the preceding, I think the world of Vass shoes and am
conflicted about the possibilities of Gabor and Andrew having success
in establishing the brand here in the United States only because I
fear that it will mean increased prices. For a more extended
discussion of Vass shoes, see my post here.
|
| St.
Crispin's
-- St. Crispin's is based in Vienna, although both their bespoke shoes
and their RTW shoes are made in Romania. From the descriptions on
their website, these are handmade shoes; and I like the look of them
very much. The last shapes are Central European, with high walls at
the toe; but they're more elegant than, say, Vass's traditional lasts
(not F, U, and P2 -- think Peter or 3636) or Dinkelacker's.
|
| Heinrich
Dinkelacker -- Aside from Vass, Dinkelacker makes the only
legitimate RTW Budapesters with anything like a wide distribution.
It's a German company, although I believe that the shoes are made in
Humgary. They're not for the faint of heart or for those who want a
sleek, minimizing shoe. They're big gunboats, and proud of it. I have
never seen any in person, but I like the way they look. If only they
were distributed in the US.
|
| Bally
-- Bally is a Swiss company, and if their website can be believed,
they still maintain a factory in Caslano, Switzerland. Jim Pierce, the
owner of the shoe department at Harold's
in the Heights in Houston likes to reminisce about how years ago,
Bally was the first company that he ordered spec shoes from. Sadly,
Bally decided that its future was in becoming a fashion brand, and
they degraded their quality and became unwilling to work with
independent fiddlers like Jim. What I've seen on their website about
their Scribe line of shoes is encouraging, however. The shoes look to
be, well, solid, double-soled things; but all the verbiage about
construction is right. I hope that this signals a return of Bally to
the land of quality shoes.
|
United
States
| Alden -- Along with Allen-Edmonds, one of the two premier
US makers of shoes. Alden is a shell cordovan specialist, and their
shell cordovan shoes have something of a cult following in Japan and
Germany. For the most part, aside from limited production spec shoes
made for a few retailers like Alden
of Carmel, Alden shoes are extremely conservative, both in design
and last shape. The latter is frequently chunky and blob-like,
particularly on the shell cordovan models. Alden makes both calfskin
and shell cordovan shoes for Brooks Brothers, sold under the Brooks
Brothers label.
|
| Allen-Edmonds -- Allen-Edmonds is a much bigger company than Alden,
and they're more willing to take risks and bring out new styles, some
of which work and some of which are ugly, than is Alden. Their
largeness is also the reason why they're easier to find and to find at
a discount. I'm not going to get into the whole Alden vs.
Allen-Edmonds debate except to say that I don't like Allen-Edmonds'
use of 360-degree welting on all of their shoes and that I wish they
didn't use uncovered insoles. There is no doubt that Allen-Edmonds
makes good-quality shoes and that it would be difficult to go wrong
spending $300 on a pair.
|
| Johnston
& Murphy
-- I mention Johnston & Murphy here as a general lament about what
has happened to US shoe companies. It used to be that J&M, Cole
Haan, Stacey Adams (yes, Stacey Adams), Nettleton, and others joined
with Alden and Allen-Edmonds to produce excellent welted footwear. One
by one, all except Alden and Allen-Edmonds either shut down or shipped
production overseas and went downmarket. J&M was the last holdout,
but, alas, they couldn't resist forever. A few years ago, they shut
down the factory in Tennessee and moved almost all production overseas
(except for their Crown Aristocraft line, which continue to be made in
the US; I can't say whether they are made in Tennessee or at another
US facility). It's a shame, really. If you can find any of the NOS
(New Old Stock) J&M Handmades around in your size, snap them up.
They will never be made again. |
-- John Cusey
Look for John Cusey's posts (and
musings) about shoes in the Ask Andy
Fashion
Forum
A few shoe terms from The Encyclopedia:
Last
– from the old English word “laeste” meaning “footprint” it’s the form in
metal, plastic or wood shaped like the human foot and over which a shoe is
formed or repaired.
Welt or welted sole
– the method of stitching a piece of leather to the shoe upper lining and
insole before being attached to the outsole with the seam concealed. It
allows your foot to flex and permits the shoe to be resoled easily. Look
closely and you should see a ¼” thick leather layer at the top of the
sole. It may be only from the heel around the front of the shoe to the
heel on the opposite side, or completely around the shoe. Goodyear
welting (stitching on the bottom of the sole) is done entirely by hand.
Some shoes use an
imitation welt stitched around the top flat edge of the sole for
decorative purposes, but it is not a functional part of the shoe.
Lyman R. Blake
patented a machine in 1858 for sewing together soles and uppers. Called
the McKay process, it revolutionized the shoe making industry by
making manufactured shoes available to the public. The upper is pulled
around the last and fastened to the insole by means of tacks. The Outsole
may be attached by stitching or gluing.
Around 1874 the
welt stitching machine of Charles Goodyear, Jr., made possible
machine production of high-grade welt shoes. Goodyear welting (stitching
on the bottom of the sole) is done entirely by hand.
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