The London Lounge

From archive search, it seems like EG gets the thumbs up, again.

Besides EG, is there a maker that specializes in suede - like the way Alden and Albaladejo are known for shell cordovan?

I know of no maker that specializes in suede. EG does have a nice range of suede colors, but many other makers do, too. Pick whomever makes a shoe that fits you well and appeals to your eye.

I tried a pair of JM Weston 636 in dark brown suede. Looks and feels good. Does anyone know more about this last? Seems like a newish addition to Weston's repertoire.

Right now I am wearing a pair of Church`s dark brown suede brogues. I also have a similar pair with rubber soles for rainy/snowy days. They are - I suppose - pre-Prada, so the quality is quite good.

Green, Crockett & Jones, and Lobb (RTW) all use beautiful suedes.

Alfred Sargent uses a lesser qualtiy of suede.

A shoe salesman friend who has good experience with many of the top brands says that Ferragamo as a general rule uses the best suedes available. I have found the Ferragamo suedes to be excellent.

As a general rule the top makers will use the best materials. The second tier ones (such as Sargent) will use lesser ingredients.

I have only ever bought suede from JL Paris and Cleverley, both RTW, and both very satisfactory.

I must note however that I have seen much finer grade suede being used for bespoke shoes. I have no experience how fragile these better qualities are. As I my suede shoes are mostly casual loafers that get knocked about a bit, I never dared to take the plunge.

Jona posted pictures of bespoke reverse calf brogues some time ago, and he may be able to elaborate on the different qualities that may be available.

Can someone elaborate? This interesting thread makes me realize how little I know about suede:

What is reverse calf?

What makesa good suede? Why is Alfred Sargent suede inferior? I inspected the Alfred Sargent suede shoes at Brooks and they looked fine.

You mentioned a rubber soled suede for slop. Why would anyone wear suede shoes in slop? I thought suede is very vulnerbale to water stains.

Alfred Sargent suede is a notch lower than Green, Crockett, and Lobb because Sargent uses skins which are lesser than Green and company.

I am basing my opinion upon two pairs of Sargent suedes against its betters. The Sargent suede is not as fine as Green's or Ferragamo's. It is rougher in texture.

I am also basing my opinion on three pairs of Sargent leather shoes.

All in all Sargent is a good shoe, but it's below Green, Crockett, and Lobb.

I am not a Sargent partisan, I was not interested in what makes Sargent inferior to EG and Lobb and Crockett, but specifically the issue of its suede. So superior suede has a finer nap than inferior suede? I would imagine these are aesthetic choices. Or are they? What about weather-resistant suede? What is "repello?" Didn't Jcusey write that the traditional weatherproof suede was "cape butt?"

I have suede shoes from C&J from both their handgrade and benchgrade lines. The handgrades (Belgrave model) are much much nicer with a very fine nap, the benchgrade is noticeably coarser. The colour of the handgrade is also a richer dark brown.

David - Cusey was referencing "Cape Buck", a fine suede from South Africa.

"reverse calf" is a pretentious/technical expression for suede

I have EGs in reversed calf and reversed goatskin, and pre-Prada Church's in Cape Buck.

The reversed goat has the finest nap, so fine that I initially took them for calf.

Reversed calf is OK in rain though I don't deliberately wear it on rainy days. Rubber soles and reversed calf seem to me an odd pairing. Rubber soles are perhaps better suited for willow grain.

TVD wrote:"reverse calf" is a pretentious/technical expression for suede

Not necessarily pretentious. Not all suede is reverse calf. Some are made from other animals; some are not finished on the flesh side. "Reverse calf" may be technical, but at least it lets the buyer know what he's getting.

As an aside, is Cape Buck available any more? I can't seem to find it anywhere. Tony G. told me it was pretty much down to the odd cut here and there, and that he uses kid as a substitute. I have an ancient pair of Cape Buck shoes that are finally coming apart that I want to replace, and I don't want a reverse calf replacement.

Oh, and the Cape Buck that I am thinking of is definitely not water repellent. You don't want to get them wet. Repello suede is, as I understand it, reverse calf with a chemical treatment that resists stains and water. I tried on some Marteganis in this material once. It is not that fine, either to touch or to look at. But it was OK for a mid-range business shoe. They were going to be my "rain shoes" but the lasts did not fit my foot. I have since explored other options and hope to get some good rain shoes this year.

manton wrote:As an aside, is Cape Buck available any more? I can't seem to find it anywhere. Tony G. told me it was pretty much down to the odd cut here and there, and that he uses kid as a substitute. I have an ancient pair of Cape Buck shoes that are finally coming apart that I want to replace, and I don't want a reverse calf replacement.

I am hopeless at sorting out materials suppliers-- at least anything more complicated than Lessers vs. Smiths-- but I think that Paul Davies had something in his book that was labelled "Cape Butt." Worth an e-mail. Don't know exactly what Cleverley is offering these days. I look, I ask, I don't get a lot of very coherent explanations. Just good shoes.

With respect to Repello, I'd bet that Brooks Bros sells this. My first pair of decent suede oxfords came from there, and water beads up on it like mercury.