Grades Of Shoe Craftsmanship

Bespoke models by Corthay

As I have stated before, there seems to be a whole lot of confusion as to how a shoe is made (whether by hand, machine or a bit of both), particularly due to the lack of knowledge from salesmen at retail stores, as well as the misrepresentation of words (such as 'handmade') printed on a shoe itself. These two things, coupled with the gullibility and naïveté of many male consumers, leave a lot of people to believe that their shoes are of a higher quality/grade than they actually are. Normally I wouldn't care about such things, as it's hard to try and correct every lie that people are told each and every day in order to buy such and such product, but as a person who truly cares about the reputation of shoes and the fact that I have my own brand coming out soon, I feel that this issue must be acknowledged, thoroughly and constantly until people start to become more aware. Now some of these terms were created many years ago, and have been modified/altered in terms of their defining features, so I will give the account that I believe to be correct, which just might be up for debate...

Mass Produced

While I have never actually seen this done (as in never been to one of these factories), mass-produced shoes would be the kind that are pumped out thousands by the day, as common sense would tell you. Shoes that are predominantly created by machines, conveyer belts, and chemical products. Think glued shoes, shoes that are selling by the millions a year. There is simply no way that people can be there to pump each and every one of them through. Sure you have people who will work the machines and handle the shoes, as in maintain them electronically or however, so that there are no hiccups in production, but there are definitely not any skilled individuals guiding the shoes along, making sure that every detail is sorted out. These will be the shoes that will retail under $200 (£125). They will be shapeless, use low-grade leather, most likely not be that comfortable and won't last a long amount of time. This is not always the case though, as some brands (whose pockets are deep) have found a way to produce the shoes cheap, but give you something that can rival a decent shoe (think Ecco shoes - decent leather, long-lasting but mass produced).

Bench Grade 

Crockett & Jones

For me, a bench grade shoe denotes the presence of a skilled worker at each machine within the factory, who is actively taking part in the production process by guiding the shoes through each stage of manufacturing. This takes people with years of experience and knowledge. Not any 'ol Joe off of the street could just start doing this.... Now, this next bit is where myself and others might differ, but I don't believe that a bench grade level of craftsmanship strictly refers to goodyear welted shoes. Santoni, for example, who predominantly makes blake stitched shoes, has skilled workers positioned at every machine, guiding the shoes along, in order to produce them. This for me, also indicates a bench grade shoe. Now bench grade shoes, are going to be your entry point into quality footwear. They will use medium grade leathers, have a slightly more shaped last than a mass produced shoe, and will be of better quality overall. However, within the bench grade category of shoe, there will be some makes that are better than others, say C&J versus Loake.

Hand Grade

Edward Green, Photo Courtesy Of: Leffot

A hand grade shoe, will start off like a bench grade one, only that there will be more handwork involved, mainly in the finishing part of production. Things like the waist of the shoe, will be finished with a tool that rounds off the edges (bevelled), fudge wheels being used by hand to create those ridge-like indentations on the welt in order to pronounce the stitching, and the sole will have a channel stitch (closed and clean) as opposed to an open stitch that you can see. Everything will just look a bit cleaner, a bit more artisan. The shoes will be more shapely, as they will leave the last inside of it longer (to gain a strong mold), as well as just have a more shaped last, less bulbous. The leathers all around the shoe will be better, from sole, to upper to lining. But, just because the shoe says hand grade, does not mean that it was made by hand.

Semi-Bespoke/Handmade

Deco Range, by Gaziano & Girling

I had never really believed in using the term 'semi-bespoke,' because I always felt like there was no such way to half create something for someone. As in, being that bespoke is defined as 'spoken for' meaning that something was created specifically (to their measurements when referring to articles of clothing) for someone, then how could it be semi-specific? But, that was until I learned that through Saint Crispins MTO/semi-bespoke program, not only do you get a completely handmade shoe, but they also allow you to alter a preexisting last. This means that it is like the idea of MTM suits, whereby you take a standard block and alter it to someones measurements (not perfect, but close) but then created by hand, instead of machine. This to me, would define semi-bespoke, as well as 'handmade.' Now on the other hand, there is also semi-handmade, like the Deco range by Gaziano & Girling. It is considered so due to the fact that certain parts of the shoe (i.e. the waist), were not only finished by hand, but also lasted and stitched too. Therefore certain parts of the 'making' process were completely done by hand and not by machine.

Bespoke

Bespoke Spat Boot by Anthony Delos

Bespoke shoes are shoes that are completely customized and made entirely (with the exception of the stitching of the upper leather) by hand. This invokes a long process, whereby the customer must get measured by the last maker, talk through design ideas, choose toe shapes and await for his trial fit. After the shoe company has made his last and a mock-up of the shoe for the customer to try for fit, can the shoe then be completed. It usually takes anywhere from 4-6 months, depending on whether or not the customer is new (i.e. has never had a trial fit). Be wary of anything that takes a shorter amount of time or does not involve this process. With a bespoke shoe, there should be no size on the inside, you should then have your own last (but they don't give them to you) and it should (in theory) look like a work of art, and not something that you can pluck off of the shelf...

Shoes Of The Week - Crockett & Jones Boot

It's funny because the last time I was in Spain, working out my prototypes, I was thinking of the different combinations of colors/materials to use on my balmoral boots and a medium brown paired with a snuff suede was precisely what I had in mind, until I saw these boots by Crockett & Jones..... While my boot is quite different, aesthetically in shape and pattern, and using similar colors is by no means copying, being the weird individual that I am, I am now having second thoughts about using these colors as I do not want have something that is too similar to someone else's shoe/boot. At least not for my first collection....but then again, I have a couple of months to think about it and when my prototypes are all finalized, I am planning on giving all of you a chance to influence the different color options that my shoes will come in.

But anyway, back to the subject at hand. When I saw these, I was pleased nonetheless, not only because I like them and enjoy shining shoes that I like, but also because these shoes come from an individual that appreciates nice shoes and it always makes me happy to meet people like this. This is already the second pair of his that I have put on the blog and am sure that there will be more to come...

I won't be posting until at least Sunday, so I wanted to wish all of you not only a fantastic weekend but a wonderful New Years!! Enjoy the festivities......and until 2012!

Best,

Justin, "The Shoe Snob"

Toe Shapes And One's Country

Crockett & Jones 'Edgeware'

Having been fortunate enough, it has been with pleasure that I have seen (and now lived in) a few different countries in my life. And what always seems to amaze me, is how a whole country can be influenced by the same thing i.e. dress in the same sort of manner. Obviously, you will have those that stand out on either end, being that there will be some who dress great and unique and others who seem to have just completely missed the memo on the simple rules of dressing. But what you do generally find, is that depending on where you come from, there will be a toe shape that seems to be favored by the majority of your culture's population. What's even funnier, is that the more that person is into his/her culture the less willing they are to break out and try something new (in the toe-shape world). For example, time and time again, have I seen older American men wanting a certain shape of shoe and if it was not available they would not look at anything else, not even try to see if it may look good.

The States

--Older Men (40+)

All of my years selling shoes in America,  I really began to understand just how much the older gentleman of the States love a big, fat, round-toed shoe. Now I am not talking about a round-toe like the one on my first prototype post, I am talking about one that has no elogation to it, nor any shape for that matter. One that is very symmetrical, just like a circle is. Don't get me wrong, I like a round-toe too, but at least one that has some character to it. It therefore comes as no surprise that the Allen Edmonds 'Park Avenue' and Cole Haan 'Pinch Tassel' (see below) are among the all-time top selling dress shoes in America.

Allen Edmonds

Cole Haan

--Younger Men (>40)

As I am a young American male, it gives me great displeasure to talk down upon my fellow breathren but when it comes to their choices in attire, I just cannot help myself. Simply put: we are among the worse dressers, especially when it comes to our shoes. The ugliest crazes have come out of the States: Skecher's Shape Ups, square-toe shoes, the boot brands Jo Ghost and Mark Nason, and last but not least, Steve Madden and Kenneth Cole (see below). Apart from the Shape Ups, the younger American generation embraced all of these atrocities. And to top it off, even after the trends have died they continue to wear many of these awful things, worst of all being the chunky square-toes. It's sad, very sad..... But I will say, that as bad as we can be, I do strongly believe that my generation (and those younger) are slowly but surely getting better and becoming more conscious of what it means to dress stylish as opposed to trendy.













 The UK

 --Older Men

The older men in the UK actually dress very well. Some of their trousers are a bit too baggy for my taste, but nonetheless, they look like gentleman and usually wear classic shoes. With these gentleman, you still find that a round-toe is preferred, but it is a round-toe done with elegance, as would be an old Church's (pre-Prada) or a classic Crockett & Jones. It has a lot more shape to it, not just something that looks like a semi-circle at the toe.

--Younger Men

The younger men in England fall into two categories: those who wear winklepickers and those who enjoy a nice British chisel-toe. Now, you will find that the latter of those two is definitely the minority and most younger men are trotting around in their decent suits but with shoes that they found at Office or Kurt Geiger. This bunch reminds me of a more refined version of the younger American men generation, where as they dress nicer but still wear crappy shoes that make them look clueless. But, there are a growing few who seem to have been passed down that generation of style from their fathers, of whom appreciate something a bit more shaped and elegant. This is the bunch making Crockett & Jones rich, and in my opinion is directly related to the creation of one of the most amazing lasts to have been made, the 348. (see below right and top of post)

Crockett & Jones

Italy/France

I can't really break down these into the two categories of younger versus older, because I believe that in general, you find that men from these countries (whether young or old) tend to lean towards the same thing: elongated shoes. The toe-shape can actually be any design (square, chisel, round, pointy) so long as there is a good amount of space between the end of your long toe versus the end of your shoe. This is a trait that can either be extremely elegant or some cases, extremely offensive. However, you will find that many of the men tend to dress on the more elegant side, whereby they manage to put things together that you would not have dared thought of, but do so in a manner that it is actually impressive. Only on rare occasion do you find the the oddball wearing something so long, it looks as if he was about to go skiing.

Silvan Sassetti

Altan Bottier

Today's Favorites - Crockett & Jones

When I first saw all of these pictures, I could not believe my eyes! Not because Crockett & Jones does not make nice shoes, but they are usually on the relatively conservative side. If you walk by their shop in the Burlington Arcade in London, you will see a bombardment of black, brown and tan, with a small hint of burgundy somewhere in the trenches, but NEVER have I seen green chelsea boots and blue saddle shoes. It makes me wonder if these, like some of G&G's factory shoes, are for another market, such as Japan and the Far East?  Nevertheless, I was very impressed when I saw them, and I think that I gave C&J a couple of extra points in my book of cool shoe brands. The shame is that I will probably never see these in the flesh, as I truly believe that they will not hit the UK (nor US for that matter) market. And because of that, I still think that when I go to Japan for the first time, it's going to be like a kid going to Disneyland, with shoes everywhere in blue's, green's, red's etc.

Gieves & Hawkes New Shoe Collection

 

Every few years it seems that Gieves & Hawkes switches the manufacturer who makes their private label shoes. As there is newly appointed upper management and a new re-vamp of the Gieves & Hawkes Flagship store and company image, the old shoes had had their time and the new line is finally here. What's great about this new line of dress shoes, is that it is under the name of a very old bespoke shoemaking firm that dates back to the early 1900's, here in London. And that name is Pouslen & Skone. If you try and search them in Google, what it will bring you, is to the website of New & Lingwood. This is due to the fact that some time in the early 70's, Poulsen & Skone's business was tanking and New & Lingwood saw an opportunity and therefore purchased the rights to the name. Around this same time, New & Lingwood was also employing George Cleverley on a consultancy basis, as is hinted by the famous 'Butterfly' loafer in this collection and stated to be designed by Cleverley himself. But from then until now, the Poulsen & Skone name has been casually floating in the wind, popping up here and there but is now here to stay, under the Gieves & Hawkes shoe collection.

For a little bit of background knowledge, the Poulsen & Skone shoes, that we carry, are made by Crockett & Jones (the loafers) and Grenson (all of the rest of the models). The prices range from 350 GBP to 425 GBP. The shoes made by Grenson, must be similar in quality to their highest grade line, because their feel reminds me of the handgrade line by C&J or of regular Edward Greens. Needless to say, I was quite shocked when I tried them on and felt how well made that they were, the brogues in particular. I was unaware that Grenson produced to that level of quality. They hugged my foot quite well, as they tend to run a tad bit on the narrow side, and felt as though I could tread around the concrete jungle of London all day long and would still be comfortable. As I have been longing for a burgundy loafer for a long time, I patiently awaiting for the butterfly loafer to arrive in burgundy so that I can add a Poulsen & Skone shoe to my collection!!

Another addition to the new Gieves & Hawkes shoe collection are the more casual shoes, provided by Harry's of London and a boot by Lodger. Gieves & Hawkes' new idea apparently wants to provide every kind of shoe, to go with all of the attire that they sell, in which apart of that is causal wear.Therefore, they teamed up with Harry's to create a comfort shoe selection, ranging from Tod's style loafers to sporty chukka boots, with contoured rubber soles. Another collaboration was with Lodger, to provide a more rugged jean type of boot which certainly appeals to the rainy London city-life. The new collection is also providing what any gentleman's dress line should, and that is a monogrammed Prince Albert loafer, for the distinguished gentleman. (Sorry, I had to try and crack a joke to this relatively dry yet informative post) But in all seriousness, I am quite fond of the new line, it certainly beats the old collection and I am excited to get my first pair in the not so distant future.