The London Lounge

After I showed several pictures of side elastic wingtip shoes photos to my local shoe maker, he just showed me his very first attempt in this design last week. This is his prototype. I plan to order a pair from him.




Please share you views with me.

Cheers,

Fabrics:

There are more graceful designs of side-gusseted brogures available, not least the beautiful versions handmade by Gaziano & Girling. Have a look at their site and explore it thoroughly. There is a balance
and attention to details and finish on the G & G shoes that far surpass the prototype pictured. If G & G
isn't to your liking, have a look at the offerings by George Cleverly.

JMB

I find this style of lazyman shoe to be the most comfortable shoes in my wardrobe

My next commission is working with Northampton bespoke artisan Clifford Roberts for a full brogued imitation laced shoe with the use of a bespoke last I'm making through Springline.

I love the Barclay from G&G and Tony was kind enough to add on some imitation lacing for me...something he learned in his Cleverley days


http://www.gazianogirling.com/barclay.html

Also the design of shoe #144 is awesome. http://homepage.mac.com/syrit/PhotoAlbum7.html

Koji Suzuki makes some awesome designs too

I also love this Anthony Cleverlely range semi-bespoke lazyman shoe from them

ay329:

Imitation lacing on a side-gusseted slip-on brogue makes no sense. It has no purpose, other than faux decoration, and doesn't enhance the design. The beauty of the shoe is all that meticulous punching and pinking along the cap and the rear quarters, the leather- or suede-covered gussets, and even more punching that arches gracefully up the vamp and continues along the top line of the side quarters. It's truly a tour de force and attests to the skills of the closers at Cleverly, G&G and Suzuki. When a style of shoe is this beautiful and comfortable to wear, it needs nothing else other than handmade trees and good care.

JMB

JordanMac...the imitation lacing is very personal

I can agree that on some side gussetted designs...nothing more is needed

But then on a full or 3/4 semi-brogue lazyman...it adds that unique touch of class that only the wearer cares for...let the unwashed masses have their "plain" look

where i am not a huge fan of side gussets that cleverley one is just ugly i am afraid, the boarder wing detail on it has just totally spoilt them.

if the have down a shorter wing or even a standard wing then they would have abeen a beautiful pair of shoes in a great color - i am sorry i just dont get that quirk!

Jordan Marc wrote:ay329:

Imitation lacing on a side-gusseted slip-on brogue makes no sense. It has no purpose, other than faux decoration, and doesn't enhance the design. The beauty of the shoe is all that meticulous punching and pinking along the cap and the rear quarters, the leather- or suede-covered gussets, and even more punching that arches gracefully up the vamp and continues along the top line of the side quarters. It's truly a tour de force and attests to the skills of the closers at Cleverly, G&G and Suzuki. When a style of shoe is this beautiful and comfortable to wear, it needs nothing else other than handmade trees and good care.

JMB

It seems that you are in the minority. Steven Hitchcock has a pair from Paul Davies - http://savilerow.blogs.com/.shared/imag ... hoes_5.JPG and http://savilerow.blogs.com/.shared/imag ... /shoes.JPG.

I gave away a pair of brand new Weston side gusset brown suede shoes last week that I decided were not worth the trouble of adjusting to my particular orthotic needs. While I mourned for them immediately, this thread has made the loss feel more acute. They looked almost exactly like these, from a Suitable Wardrobe, but in a darker brown suede:

I have a pair of bespoke shoes in progress with Foster and if they turn out well, I had planned a pair of high vamp slip-ons, which I thought I preferred to the side elastic models.
The construction would be like this Cleverly pair, though not with, necessarily, an apron or that punching style:


I want something that can be put on an and off quickly when going through security at the local convenience store and I was never sure I liked the side elastic version of the slip-on.

This thread is making me reconsider.


BTW, I think the DAvies/London Shoemaker touch of putting a stitched lines down the center of the fake laces is a great touch. It really sells the run. Every lazy man version should do that.

They are finally ready for me.







My new shoes and Brisa charcoal grey suit.

Personally, I dont like the faux lacing on side gussetted brogues. I dont think it looks great and its pointless. I really like side gussetted brogues in suede. I rememebr one time when I was in for a fitting with Len Logsdail and he was wearing a pair of side gussetted suede brogues. I thought they were just superb and I definitely want to get a pair at some point. But, I really think the faux lacing looks less elegeant. Its like its tryign to hide the fact that the show is a side gussetted slip on, I just don't understand the appeal.

Nothing completes a lazyman shoe like faux lacing.

For those who strive for the comfort of a side gussetted shoe, but prefer the shoe to appear more formal, imitation lacing is a MUST

I love the latest shoes, and am glad I am commissioning a full brogue and semi-brogue balmoral...both with imitation lacing

I also like the leather facings on the side gussetting for that extra touch of class

But mixing the shoes with the Grey Brisa...well thats just stylish

I'm sorry, but there is something fundamentally wrong about this type of shoes. I just don't like the style or the idea of it.

BespokeMex wrote:I'm sorry, but there is something fundamentally wrong about this type of shoes. I just don't like the style or the idea of it.

I have to agree. I can't help thinking that they look like fish gills.

ay329 wrote:Nothing completes a lazyman shoe like faux lacing.
For those who strive for the comfort of a side gussetted shoe, but prefer the shoe to appear more formal, imitation lacing is a MUST

I disagree, surely a brogue shoe is informal and the most formal side gusseted shoe is without decoration like the ones below but in black if you must.

A.Hacking wrote:I have to agree. I can't help thinking that they look like fish gills.

You can either embrace them (as some of the designs above seem to) or hide them. I favor the latter approach. If you get only one set of gills per shoe, on the inside (keeping the outside edge clean), it looks much more like a normal pair of Oxfords.