Reply With QuoteIs this a one off ? Where in Northampton ?Originally Posted by Parabola
Oooh, how?
***Quickly Google Maps Northampton***
Oh, that is quite far from Edinburgh!! :lol:
Is this a one off ? Where in Northampton ?
John Lobb factory shop
John Lobb Westminster Works,
Oliver Street,
Northampton,
Northamptonshire
NN2 7JL
Tel: 01604 715 011
Opening times: Mon-Fri 9am-5pm
Sat 9am-Midday.
Most Northampton shoemakers have factory shops. They usually sell seconds, but I've got a pair of Seconds Barkers that cost me £30 and they're perfect as far as I can see
http://www.northamptonshireleather.com/ ... ectory.pdf
I hate this forum sometimes. I was having a cheap month until this morning when I bought some Jeffery Wests :roll: :D
Is there any significance to your mention of Saturday though?
This is the shop !!!!
http://www.edwardsofmanchester.co.uk/
I like Cheaney and Grenson and found them as good as the Churches I had.
I didn't know it was open any other time, only realised when I Googled it. There may be something about Saturdays in the dark recesses of my mind, but I don't like to probe that deep. Lord knows what I'll find!
So no comparison really then. Right, when my Timberlands have worn out I'll be back to this thread.Well, here are a few analogies :If we a moving into boots, how would these compare to boots from someone like Timberland?
Hoggs Veldschoen = Range Rover 5.0 V8 / Cordings covert coat / Savoy Grill / Puligny Montrachet / A weekend in Tuscany
Timberland = Fiat Panda 4x4 / Primark Shellsuit / Kentucky Fried Chicken / Blue Nun / A week at Butlins
Is that helpful?
"I forget who it was that recommended men for their soul's good to do each day two things they disliked ... it is a precept that I have followed scrupulously; for every day I have got up and I have gone to bed."
Yeah that place is 100m from my office. I've bought some good shoes in their various sales. Off the top of my head they do Barker, Loake, Tricker, RM, Grenson, Church, Cheaney and some very expensive Italian brand (£500 per pair). They used to do Jeffery West as well until they opened a Jeffery shop at the other end of Barton Arcade
Take a look at Ducker and Son of Oxford (their handmades go up to 1800quid :shock: ) but they do a fantastic range of other more realistically priced bench made shoes and a visit is one of lifes little pleasures- they keep every sale ledgered in books going back over 100 years and their service is beyond compare.
look em up!
ps their leather belts are about as good as you can buy for £35 or so.
Goat
Yeah similar to John Lobb and George Cleverly
Another vote from me for Edwards,I bought 2 pairs of boots made by Alfred Sargent from them,popped over to the cobblers over the road and had ribbed rubber soles glued on from new and they are absolutely fabulous for the weekend with jeans.Yeah that place is 100m from my office. I've bought some good shoes in their various sales. Off the top of my head they do Barker, Loake, Tricker, RM, Grenson, Church, Cheaney and some very expensive Italian brand (£500 per pair). They used to do Jeffery West as well until they opened a Jeffery shop at the other end of Barton Arcade
The staff and range are excellent,real old fashioned service,will definately go back there for my next pair of work shoes.
I've got narrow/shallow feet (D fitting), so struggled to get formal shoes that fit me (without going custom) until I discovered that Church's in the Burlington Arcade in London stock something that fits. My first couple of pairs (which I got as seconds, and I didn't treat very sensibly) lasted 10 years (with loads of wear, resoling now and then). Over the last 2 years or so I've picked up 3 more pairs, which I'm now rotating and looking after more - it makes a huge difference not wearing the same pair every day, and being more ruthless about remembering to use shoe trees.
Great quality shoes, and actually decent value when I think how much I use them. As has been mentioned above, the resoling/rebuilding is well worth it - it may be £85 or so now, but I sent back a pair of shoes which had a worn sole and a hole in the leather lining at the heel, and they returned looking like new inside and out.
My one concern is that I was told last time I was in the store that they might be discontinuing the narrow fittings... So I may have to go custom-made next time! It's "only" another £70 or so, though, so I guess it could be worse.
Oliver Sweeney. I've had a pair for 6 years now, worn regularly and had them resoled once. Never been polished and they still look great. :D
RM Williams, RM Williams, RM Williams!!!!!
FFS do not listen to other people, look at your UK deales, or their shop in London.
Be it dress, or work boots, there is no other brand.
You guessed it, I'm a fan...........
Cheers,
Daddel.
Got a new watch, divers watch it is, had to drown the bastard to get it!
How very Australian of you :D
Reminds me of a friend who started to wear cowboy boots with a suit to stir up his colleagues in the bursars' office of a grammar school. He was made redundant earlier this year............
Yup. That stuff is all good until things start to go tits up, then you wish you were the guy with the boring shoes... :mrgreen:How very Australian of you :D
Reminds me of a friend who started to wear cowboy boots with a suit to stir up his colleagues in the bursars' office of a grammar school. He was made redundant earlier this year............
My parents live about 200 feet from the Lobb factory, its true that they do sell off seconds but this has become somewhat overly popular. Nigerians carrying out boxes and boxes of em probably to sell on and Japanese tourists often seen making a pilgrimage to the factory.
I have a couple of pairs of Loakes that seem to be holding up really well, I have started using leather cream on them though which seems to really help the leather. I tend to be very hard on the soles as I walk a lot but very gentle on the rest of the shoe so for me a traditional sole and construction is a big benefit, I used to buy cheap shoes but got fed up buying new ones every 6 months.
Yup - I have bought 2 pairs of Churchs there. One pair is now 2 years old, and you can hardly tell they have been worn.
Bally for me.
Got a couple of pairs about 30 years ago which are still amazingly comfortable to wear and look good. Shoe trees and good polish help.
Regards.
Bob.
Fresh pair of Jeffery West arrived this morning. The question is, will they break me in before I break them in?? :?:
Bally Swiss Edition shoes all the way - I have circa 15 pairs of this brand - the oldest one in nearly 15 years old and just gets resold and reheeled and is tsill as new.
Crockett & Jones for me; used to be Church's but i struggle with buying an 'old english shoe' that was bought and 'relaunched' by Prada, and their styles are definitely getting pointier! - the Crocketts are a shade more expensive than Church's but are beautifully made; the custome grade line with some made from a single piece of leather with just the stitch at the back are very smart.
Definitely look after them; get two pairs (at least), and half decent wood shoe trees (especially when it's wet outside - you need to get them dry).
oh and RMW boots for the weekend!
Another thumbs up for Bally. Also, worth a trip down to Kildare Village outlet. Superb value in the Bally shop down there. You should get 2 or 3 pairs for £350 down there.
Luckily for me I live in Holland, and I can wear what I like at the office :)Yup. That stuff is all good until things start to go tits up, then you wish you were the guy with the boring shoes... :mrgreen:How very Australian of you :D
Reminds me of a friend who started to wear cowboy boots with a suit to stir up his colleagues in the bursars' office of a grammar school. He was made redundant earlier this year............
That being R.M. Williams with Cuban heels, Justin boots, Tony Lama etc.
A pair of 501 and a polo and of we go on the steel horse (bicycle) :D
Cheers,
Daddel.
Got a new watch, divers watch it is, had to drown the bastard to get it!
I swear it's mandatory to wear boots to work in Holland :P :D :wink:Luckily for me I live in Holland, and I can wear what I like at the office :)Yup. That stuff is all good until things start to go tits up, then you wish you were the guy with the boring shoes... :mrgreen:How very Australian of you :D
Reminds me of a friend who started to wear cowboy boots with a suit to stir up his colleagues in the bursars' office of a grammar school. He was made redundant earlier this year............
That being R.M. Williams with Cuban heels, Justin boots, Tony Lama etc.
A pair of 501 and a polo and of we go on the steel horse (bicycle) :D
Cheers,
Daddel.
I think the most comfortable pair of shoes I own are from Foster Maxwell in Jermyn St - readymades obviously and quite affordable if you shop in the sale. George Cleverly readymades are also good value in their sale though they are actually made by Crockett & Jones as real Cleverley are bespoke only. This point also reinforces that you should not just look at brand alone as all of the Northampton makers do different ranges to differing price points. John Lobb and Edward Green are probably at the top of the tree; they claim that only their staff have the skill and experience to work with the higher quality leathers that they use.
One top tip I would recommend to anybody visiting London is John Rushton in Wimpole Street. It functions as an extension of a Northampton factory shop and John is an absolute gent and always has time for a chat. As you go in, on the left there is a random assortment of oddments from John's trawls around Northampton; often starting at £95. The rest of the shop carries a more complete range; a large proportion of which is by Alfred Sargent and normally at 20% off RRP.
In the Sotadic Zone, apparently.
Newbie here but a bit of a shoemaniac. Have you tried Tim Little in London. He does handmade shoes which are more comfortable than Church's.
I have some Grenson brogues bought in 1987 and still going strong after being resoled with leather three times and several stick on rubbers too. Also have Barkers from 1986 and Loakes over 10 years old. If you use shoe trees and alternate the shoes they can last years. I buy at sale time and from shops which sell 'seconds' - also the local market when they have Northampton 'seconds' . There is a shop in Ross on Wye which has good 'seconds' stocks of all high end brands including Church - well worth a look if in the area. 'Seconds' are often half new price and the defects are usually hardly noticeable.
Cheers
dunk
"Well they would say that ... wouldn't they!"
Oooh, now those look rather nice. Mental note for next visit to London.
What a bunch if girls we are...
Doesn't that depend on your feet ? I dont know how people buy shoes on the internet unless you already own a pair of the same make and know they will fit.
I find Barker always seem to fit me perfectly, Jeffery West take a lot of breaking in, Loakes take a little. Don't remember anyothers that I've had... I think some Alfred S were quite an easy break as well though
I have a pair of RM WIlliams ostrich skin boots in brown!! My favourite footwear ever!! They did cost me £1000 so I do wear them sparingly!! Work shoes wise, I really like Moreschi and I even have a pair of Berlutis!! Now those are real class!! Apparently Laszlo Vass working out of Budapest Hungary, is going to be the Manolo Blahnik for men. His shoes do look very nice....may be worth checking out if anyone goes to Budapest/Hungary.
Thurein
Foot shot needed :wink:
dunk
"Well they would say that ... wouldn't they!"
+1 :D :DFoot shot needed :wink:
dunk
Don't suppose you remember a name (or the street)? My dad lives nearish there, and I think he might be interested in checking that shop out.
http://www.herringshoes.co.uk/contact.php ... check out the clearance linesDon't suppose you remember a name (or the street)? My dad lives nearish there, and I think he might be interested in checking that shop out.
dunk
"Well they would say that ... wouldn't they!"
I suspect it's http://www.herringshoes.co.uk/about.phpDon't suppose you remember a name (or the street)? My dad lives nearish there, and I think he might be interested in checking that shop out.
I bought a pair of their Church's shoes only a fortnight ago by mail order (having earlier tried on a pair in Church's shop in Chancery Lane...)
Very prompt service and £100 off the RRP.
They'm in Devon too
edit; Sorry Dunk - didnt read your post 1st. My bad.
Thanks, guys. Will pass those details on.
Looks like a good shop and good choice, Ill give them a go.I suspect it's http://www.herringshoes.co.uk/about.phpDon't suppose you remember a name (or the street)? My dad lives nearish there, and I think he might be interested in checking that shop out.
I bought a pair of their Church's shoes only a fortnight ago by mail order (having earlier tried on a pair in Church's shop in Chancery Lane...)
Very prompt service and £100 off the RRP.
They'm in Devon too
edit; Sorry Dunk - didnt read your post 1st. My bad.
One of the best retailers for choice of quality shoes in the UK.Looks like a good shop and good choice, Ill give them a go.I suspect it's http://www.herringshoes.co.uk/about.phpDon't suppose you remember a name (or the street)? My dad lives nearish there, and I think he might be interested in checking that shop out.
I bought a pair of their Church's shoes only a fortnight ago by mail order (having earlier tried on a pair in Church's shop in Chancery Lane...)
Very prompt service and £100 off the RRP.
They'm in Devon too
edit; Sorry Dunk - didnt read your post 1st. My bad.
dunk
"Well they would say that ... wouldn't they!"
But, and this counts for all brands, if you take care of your boots, you boots will take care of you 8) .
RIP Mr. Williams :D
Cheers,
Daddel.
Got a new watch, divers watch it is, had to drown the bastard to get it!
Well you can't go wrong with Trickers and Grenson. Another favouite of mine are Bass Weeguns , the original penny loafer I believe and at approx £100 a bargain .
Interesting thread this, I ran it past a friend of mine who is a leather wholesaler and supplies a lot of the shoe industry.
Once he'd stopped laughing at all the praise a certain well know and recommended brand in this thread is getting (cheap leather, and he's now supplying even cheaper skins to them) he came up with this list:
Loake - still actually made in Northampton unlike a lot of "British bench made shoes", good entry level
Shipton and Heanage - they make a lot of the other brands (Alfred Sargent / Grensons etc) but sell direct at lower prices
Spending more than that? Go to a shoe maker and get some that actually fit was his advise.
Well Shipton and Heanage are the same price as Church shoes.....(British bench made shoes ?)
http://www.hughgreenly.co.uk/
I am fortunate Hugh has his shop close by. A first class service and very reasonable. A true Gent as well.
For as long I can remember I have had three pairs of business shoes - plain, oxfords and half brogues in black. I wore Church's for a while and liked them. Then I found Cheaney, which as far as I can see are just as good and quite a bit cheaper. I wear the three pairs in rotation and send them back to the factory for a full resole and heel on the original last every few years. (Mind you, that was before I moved to Australia. Not sure what I'll do when they wear out now.).
And three sets of shoe trees, or course. :)
This forum never ceases to amaze me.
Errrr ... no, S&H are a lot cheaper than Church by about half !! They offer two levels of shoe (broadly speaking), one is at the Loake price point and the other at the Crockett & Jones level (whole cuts etc).
Well Shipton and Heanage are the same price as Church shoes.....(British bench made shoes ?)
"British bench made shoes", apologies, that was my poor phrasing. What I was trying to indicate were brands that people concive as being British / Northampton but are in fact made abroad now - for example Clarkes.
Although I am sufficiently vain to like decent looking shoes and the fact that I live in a city and have no car means I walk probably a couple of dozen miles every week, so need comfy, durable footwear; reading this thread has made me realise that the last time I got really, really excited about a pair of shoes they had a miniature compass secreted in the heel and left animal tracks when you walked in mud.
______
Jim.
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