The London Lounge

Hello,
Which bespoke shoe makers use traditional hand sewing techniques and which use the goodyear and blake stitching machines?

Many thanks

All of the West-End London firms use hand-sewn welts and outsoles -- Lobb, Cleverley, Foster & Sons -- as well as G&G. Likewise, the leading French firms (Lobb Paris, Corthay, etc) also hand-sew these parts of the shoe. As a general matter, when you are talking about bespoke shoes north of $2000/pair, I think they virtually all feature handsewing.

Anonymous wrote:All of the West-End London firms use hand-sewn welts and outsoles -- Lobb, Cleverley, Foster & Sons -- as well as G&G. Likewise, the leading French firms (Lobb Paris, Corthay, etc) also hand-sew these parts of the shoe. As a general matter, when you are talking about bespoke shoes north of $2000/pair, I think they virtually all feature handsewing.

I think that some places now you are looking at far north...even, maybe, veering north by northwest...

Anonymous wrote:I think that some places now you are looking at far north...even, maybe, veering north by northwest...

Trickers in Northampton (with a shop in Jermyn Street) offer a bespoke service at almost half the cost of traditional artisan shoemakers.
http://www.trickers.com/index_MAIN.html

They will make an individual last for you, hand-last and hand-welt the shoes, but the sole will be attached by machine.
(Grenson used to offer a similar service, but, I believe, have stopped it.)

It might be a good halfway house between a made-to-order and a fully bespoke pair of shoes.

Rolf

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think that some places now you are looking at far north...even, maybe, veering north by northwest...

Trickers in Northampton (with a shop in Jermyn Street) offer a bespoke service at almost half the cost of traditional artisan shoemakers.
http://www.trickers.com/index_MAIN.html

They will make an individual last for you, hand-last and hand-welt the shoes, but the sole will be attached by machine.
(Grenson used to offer a similar service, but, I believe, have stopped it.)

It might be a good halfway house between a made-to-order and a fully bespoke pair of shoes.

Rolf

Don't Tricker's offer fully hand sewn anymore? 18 months ago Grenson still did offer bespoke.
NJS

Out of ignorance, I ask whether this service through Tricker's might (despite the individually made last) be the shoemaker's equivalent of MTM? Even if it is, the opportunity to save half the cost yet still receive a sleek pair of well-fitting shoes appeals to me strongly.

RWS

Anonymous wrote:Out of ignorance, I ask whether this service through Tricker's might (despite the individually made last) be the shoemaker's equivalent of MTM? Even if it is, the opportunity to save half the cost yet still receive a sleek pair of well-fitting shoes appeals to me strongly.

RWS

I know that Tricker's do special orders on standard lasts and, I have used this (one of their standard lasts is really very good for me). I telephoned to ask how the last one had turned out and the reply was a confidence-inspiring 'Bloody marvellous!' This represented about tmy feeling on taking delivery!
NJS