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experience with lobb william

post #1 of 34
4/4/12 at 6:21am
Thread Starter 

I went to lobb in london with the intention of buying a pair of William double monks. Seeing them in person was a bit of a surprise as the double leather sole is even chunkier than i imagined. What would SFers wear these with as they seem like a very casual shoe and i imagine they wouldnt really go with a tie and blazer? correct me if i am wrong? 

 

Also I found on trying them on the leather on the back heel is stiff as a board. The store assistant said that this was because the leather is reinforced inside. Does anyone have experience of wearing these, do they break in after a little while with this leather becoming softer?

 

dandy/    

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post #2 of 34
4/4/12 at 8:55am
I have two pairs in black and brown. I wear mine with casual clothing and sport coat and tie. I've also worn them with a suit, though I don't do this regularly. One pair is a couple years old and the other is about a year old; both have held up very well.
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post #3 of 34
4/4/12 at 9:49am
Thread Starter 

thanks jayjay.

 

did you find the leather esp the back of the heel softens up with wear?

 

dandy/

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post #4 of 34
4/4/12 at 10:01am
Quote:
Originally Posted by dandy1 View Post

thanks jayjay.

did you find the leather esp the back of the heel softens up with wear?

dandy/

the stiff heel is a trademark of quality shoes.
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post #5 of 34
4/4/12 at 2:51pm
Thread Starter 

sure you want a stiff heel .. but perhaps the last isnt great for my foot shape as I found that as I bent the foot there was pressure on the outside portion of the heel .. its difficuly to tell if the last doesnt suit or if i just need the leather to soften up slightly .. its the kind of risk you dont want to take on a pair of 1000 buck shoes!   

 

dandy 

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post #6 of 34
4/4/12 at 3:23pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by JayJay View Post

I have two pairs in black and brown. I wear mine with casual clothing and sport coat and tie. I've also worn them with a suit, though I don't do this regularly. One pair is a couple years old and the other is about a year old; both have held up very well.

JayJay my compliments to you and a question: how would you describe sizing on the William in comparison to American sizing?
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post #7 of 34
4/4/12 at 4:45pm
I have a pair in Black Buffalo, they are 8.5UK and they fit like a tts US 9D, more or less. They might me closer to a 9.5US in fact. Length is good, but it seems a touch wider than any other 8.5UK shoe I own. Of the shoes I own, closest in fit terms is a pair of AE Sanfords in 9D. My other Lobbs seem a bit tighter and snugger than the William. It might be the last, I think the William is on the 9675 last (something like that), while the others are on the 7000 or loafer last.

Bought them three months ago and the leather is only now starting to soften up. The shoe is not really meant for formal suits, but I have worn them with a suit. Hope this helps.
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post #8 of 34
4/4/12 at 4:48pm
Forgot to add, I don't think the soles are that thick, standard double sole, nowhere near like on Trickers or Sargent brogues.
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post #9 of 34
4/4/12 at 4:58pm
I own Lobb Williams and several other models. Their leather quality is as good as any shoemaker, but the trade off is that they also seem to take a while to break in. Once they do, they become very comfortable if you select the right size. I find they are best when the heel has a good, solid fit but I have plenty of room to wiggle my toes. Lobbs never seem to become truly broken in until the soles get good and wet while walking in them.

I have a pair of Williams and Russells that are are some of the most comfortable shoes I own. I would take them if I was walking around a city all day. Plus, they both get a lot of compliments.
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post #10 of 34
4/4/12 at 5:53pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Man Of Lint View Post

JayJay my compliments to you and a question: how would you describe sizing on the William in comparison to American sizing?

Sizing is fine, and consistent on all my Lobbs. I wear UK 10 which is US 11 in Lobb.
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post #11 of 34
4/4/12 at 5:55pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by dandy1 View Post

thanks jayjay.

did you find the leather esp the back of the heel softens up with wear?

dandy/

I've not noticed this. I use a shoe horn to put them on, and after they are on, they're fine for a full day of wear.
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post #12 of 34
4/5/12 at 8:12am
Thread Starter 

hmm thanks guys, i get the impression they need a long break in period but become v comfortable afterwards ..

 

they definately are an old school english shoe .. weighty, solid shoes. when looking at lobbs shoes i definately got the impression that their lines fall into two distinct camps, the old school pre hermes lobbs which are very english in look and feel and the modern fashion forward ones with a more euro look and feel .. these are very much in the former category.

 

dandy/

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post #13 of 34
4/5/12 at 8:33am
This thread inspired me to reach for my black pair this morning. I love these shoes.
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post #14 of 34
4/5/12 at 9:20am
Thread Starter 

what did you wear them with?

 

dandy?

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post #15 of 34
4/5/12 at 9:27am
Quote:
Originally Posted by dandy1 View Post

what did you wear them with?

dandy?

I'm far from being a dandy, lol. I wore them with a charcoal suit.
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