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  Regulars > Reviews and Commentary > The Bespoke Shoe

   Published in: Issue III of 2006
 
Text Size: GR | GR | GR
 
 

Walking into the antiquated charm of John Lobb's spacious, yet intimate, atelier, you get the feeling life was once a lot less complicated. With nary an electronic device in sight, the shoppe has a distinctly anachronistic vibe that is actually quite infectious. Once in past the threshold, you know John Lobb's is of an era now sadly past, and yearn in sympathy for such a time.
 

Located adjacent to King Henry VIII's St. James' Palace, Lobb's – the original John Lobb, (not to be confused with the Hermès-owned ready-to-wear brand of the same name) – is definitely a part of Britain's aristocratic heritage. Past clients of the bespoke boot- and shoemaker include royalty, celebrity, and business nobility, who keep returning to this day for yet more of Lobb's famed craftsmanship. Surely, the key to the company's reputation is their purely artisanal approach to hand-making their products.

Each pair of shoes is regarded as a work of art, and as such, can not be hurried. The entire process takes months, all for a pair of humble, hand-made shoes, but one can rest assured that each pair will be of the very highest standards of fit and finish, and should last at least a few decades with the right amount of care.

http://www.johnlobbltd.co.uk/
 
 


Named after its founder, GJ Cleverley is another of that rare breed of fine British bootmakers. The man himself was a master shoemaker for London's high society in the earlier part of the 20th Century, and for many years managed a famous shoe atelier in Mayfair. In 1958, he left to start his own business, which is now reputedly one of London's finest bespoke shoemakers.
 

Famed for their signature “chisel-toe” shoes, which have a distinctive, tapering front end, GJ Cleverley's products are hand-made to a very high standard by their dedicated craftsmen who do their finest work out of an evocative workshop on the upper floor of their Old Bond Street Arcade boutique. With just a handful of super-skilled men, whose calloused hands speak of generous experience, the shop has achieved a kind of cult status amongst fans of bespoke craftsmanship the world over.

Also favored by the world's social and cultural elite, with names such as Sir Winston Churchill, Humphrey Bogart, and Gloria Swanson in their order books, GJ Cleverley's products and superb reputation speak for themselves.

http://www.gjcleverley.co.uk/
 
 
 

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