J FitzPatrick Appreciation Thread

[WhereNext]

Details on those boots? They are gorgeous. I'm waiting for a pair of oxfords to come back in stock and ship out.

They're the Delridge (I think that's the name): plum museum calf uppers and charcoal suede shaft plus double leather sole with toe taps (I wear through the toes of my shoes very quickly without them). As usual with Justin's shoes/boots, they broke in perfectly after wearing them around the house for a few hours.
The plum museum is great as it is a bit different under sunlight but inside/around the office, they're a bit more subtle. I've worn them already with grey and blue trousers with sportscoats; I figure for me they'll dress up as far as a casual suit or as far down as nice jeans/cotton trousers.

 

[LAluck5]



They're the Delridge (I think that's the name): plum museum calf uppers and charcoal suede shaft plus double leather sole with toe taps (I wear through the toes of my shoes very quickly without them). As usual with Justin's shoes/boots, they broke in perfectly after wearing them around the house for a few hours.
The plum museum is great as it is a bit different under sunlight but inside/around the office, they're a bit more subtle. I've worn them already with grey and blue trousers with sportscoats; I figure for me they'll dress up as far as a casual suit or as far down as nice jeans/cotton trousers.

Thanks for the info. You think they are wearable in the spring/summer time? Looking for a pair of suede boots but love the look of these.

 

[WhereNext]

Thanks for the info. You think they are wearable in the spring/summer time? Looking for a pair of suede boots but love the look of these.

I'd wear them in Spring, but I don't think I would in Summer here in Cape Town; I do wear balmoral boots in the Summer here (same sort of calf upper with suede shaft looks). I think you absolutely could wear these in Summer, but for completely illogical personal reasons (double sole doesn't feel "summer-y" to me combined with the dark charcoal shafts), I probably won't wear them much in Summer. I also have enough boots/shoes that I can be a bit picky about what gets worn when. So if you don't have weird issues like me, you'd be fine wearing them in the Summer!
I know there are people on the forum who won't wear boots in warmer weather, but that's not an issue generally for me so long as they're sleek, which I think Justin's boots are. And I've never felt like the boot shaft appreciably impacts on how hot I feel or anything, so that's not an issue for me either.

 

[LAluck5]



I'd wear them in Spring, but I don't think I would in Summer here in Cape Town; I do wear balmoral boots in the Summer here (same sort of calf upper with suede shaft looks). I think you absolutely could wear these in Summer, but for completely illogical personal reasons (double sole doesn't feel "summer-y" to me combined with the dark charcoal shafts), I probably won't wear them much in Summer. I also have enough boots/shoes that I can be a bit picky about what gets worn when. So if you don't have weird issues like me, you'd be fine wearing them in the Summer!
I know there are people on the forum who won't wear boots in warmer weather, but that's not an issue generally for me so long as they're sleek, which I think Justin's boots are. And I've never felt like the boot shaft appreciably impacts on how hot I feel or anything, so that's not an issue for me either.

That is good to hear. I am in Los Angeles so I think I could get away with wearing it in the summer as well. I don't have many boot options and the ones I do have definitely aren't "summery".

 

[CanadaCal]

Respect on those tweed loafers!

 

[shoelearner]

Justin, do you have more pics of the SS17 aurora button with cinnamon suede ?

Thanks !

 

[The Shoe Snob]



Justin, do you have more pics of the SS17 aurora button with cinnamon suede ?

Thanks !

Yes I do.

They are now live and you can see many pictures at the link below

http://www.jfitzpatrickfootwear.com/products/aurora-gold-museum-calf-cinnamon-suede

best

Justin

 

[The Shoe Snob]



^ Nice collection, man. I'm 4 deep into Justin's line -- the Green/Green Rainier, Plum Genessee, Suede Fauntleroy, and the Black Button boot. I've been obsessively checking the site and their social media for news of when that new cinnamon suede Aurora button shoe will drop as well as any news of a restock of the burgundy wallingford. Guess I'll be 6 deep pretty soon.

Aurora now live my friend

http://www.jfitzpatrickfootwear.com/products/aurora-gold-museum-calf-cinnamon-suede

Wallingford Burgundy should be in within a week or so

best

Justin

 

[The Shoe Snob]



How do J.FitzPatrick's shoes compare to brands like Crockett & Jones and Carmina in terms of leather and construction quality?

I figured no one else would respond as your comment appeared to have been overlooked so wanted to say that if you go back 10-20 pages you can see two commenters that have left lengthy comments on the quality of our shoes that should have give you an idea

The two commenters are @Adamjonzey and @rbhan12

-Justin

 

[shoesforever]

Now that I'm 6 pairs in, I think it's only fair that I write J. FitzPatrick Footwear a review. If 6 pairs isn't a clear "endorsement" then I'm not sure what is! Apologies in advance for the many photos to come.

Anyway, I first met Justin a little under a year ago at Leffot for his trunk show. I can safely say this was my plunge into the world of high-end shoes. For those of you that don't know, Justin packed up his life to move to Florence, where he trained under the late Stefano Bemer making bespoke shoes and learning the craft. From there he went to Gieves and Hawkes as an artisanal shoe shiner, while launching his brand of shoe care products and designing his shoes. His shoes are made in Spain by what appears to be a pretty good factory.

What attracted me to his shoes were the mixed materials and patterns used. There were some models that I don't think I would personally wear, but others I instantly fell in love with. The first shoe I bought from him is the Wallingford. This was all before I had a reasonable understanding of what makes a good shoe in terms of leather, construction, components, etc.

Nonetheless, the leathers are sourced from some really good tanneries, like suede from C.F. Stead, museum calf from Ilcea, and others from Annonay. In all of my 6 pairs, I have never seen a single pair with a flaw in the leather, and not a single one has had excessive creasing. He uses good cuts of the leather and it's clearly visible.

But above all that, and what I think Justin needs to emphasize more with his photos, is the shape of his lasts. His round toe lasts in particular are fantastic with a nice form-fitting shape. As I said earlier, Justin trained with Bemer, and there's some clear similarities with Justin's JKF last and some of Bemer's lasts. The photos below show a strong resemblance. This is very hard to find from a brand that prices shoes at less than $400 with the present currency exchange.

Bemer RTW:





Justin's Wallingford:





This patina is present after 40+ wears, but probably accelerated by my then unknowing overuse of cream polish and Renovateur. Sorry for getting the creams and wax onto the suede! Still need to figure how to get that out...But continuing on about his lasts, they're shaped really nicely, which is pretty hard to get from shoes priced so competitively. A few more photos below showing the lasts getting the love they deserve.

These two Magnolia Oxfords are F-width on the classic round-toed TMG last. They maintain the elegant shape and curves that are even more accentuated with his E width lasts.





The curves are again visible on my MTO boots in F width, this time on the soft-chiseled LPB last.



One thing I've noticed with the lasts from high-end makers like GG, Bemer, Bestetti, etc., is the lacing actually leans off and to the forefoot side on each respective foot. While Justin's last do not present this as dramatically as the previously named makers, they certainly have it to a reasonable degree, which provide a much more elegant look of the shoe.

More photos showing the last shape, the Wallingford (JKF) and the Wedgewood (TMG) are both E width (This was before I realized I had wide feet and am actually a UK7F, not 7.5E)





Some other makers use lats that have a flat progression from the vamp to toe, and others even bulge back up a little towards the toe. I personally love how Justin's lasts continue to slope downward from the vamp all the way to the toe. This is just my personal preference, as I think it adds to a sense of refinement, "sleekness," and elegance to a shoe. This is shown particularly well in the photos of the Wallingford oxford and the Wedgewood boots, but also shown on my MTO boots on the soft-chiseled LPB last.




Another detail about his lasts that need to be emphasized are the heel cup. The photo here shows the nice shape it holds, after already having molded to my foot reasonably well and losing some of its curvaceousness. This sort of shape is tough to find on shoes in this price range.




We can talk about leather quality until the cows come home, considering pretty much every Joe Schmoe brand says they use really good leather, sourcing from the same tanneries as the big guys. While this may be true and I'm confident Justin uses really good leather, his shoes are a step above the rest in the lasts and patterns. They patterns are well suited to the lasts, with lines and brogues of the oxford meeting certain "turning points" of curvature on a given last. Overall, just very well balanced and complement the designs of the shoes well.

For less than $400 right now, these are some of the best valued shoes I can think of. Other details like the closed channel stitching and slightly beveled waist on the sole are indicative of handwork and craftsmanship that is uncommon on shoes in this price range. Further, his soles are bark tanned and the ones I've left un-topy'd have held up extremely well. Might need toe-taps because I'm a weird walker with weird feet.

Now for a bit of criticism...I'd like to see some fudge wheel work on the welt. This extra decoration (when done well) adds a little bit more class and elegance to a shoe. Further, a slight Cuban heel (where it becomes narrower the further down you go) would be a fantastic addition. I know Justin has made improvements to his shoes in terms of components over the past few years, and I hope his sales volume reach a point where he can add these two details to really separate himself from the boys. While the shoes already beat those priced in the $500-$700 range (I'm looking at you, C&J and Alden), they're priced significantly lower.

If you have "normal" feet (whatever the heck that means), there's no reason why you shouldn't try a pair of JFF shoes. Justin is a great guy, and more importantly he's accessible to his customers, which is really valuable. Lastly, for those of us in the US, the minimum customs price to be taxed on is now $800, and Justin offers free shipping to the US on his shoes.

If you're looking for your next pair of dress shoes, or want something with some mixed material and a little more pizazz, definitely give JFF a look and reach out to Justin.

Bumping this review. Finding information can sometimes be tiresome in long threads. I'd say that the leather quality is slightly better than both Carmina and Crockett & Jones benchgrade when it comes to calf. Although the shoes are less structured even though they are fully leather lined, which makes them easier to break in. The heel stiffeners are made of leatherboard instead of celastic. Leatherboard is less stiff, takes less time to break in and conforms better to your heels than celastic heel stiffeners. Like Carmina the soles are channeled instead of open like Crockett & Jones. I don't remember where Carmina sources their suede leather from, but they are known to be very soft and beautiful. Justin uses suede from the English tannery Charles F Stead, which are known to be very durable, but less soft to the touch.

I have three pairs of J.Fitzpatrick shoes. I'd say that it's not really about quality when comparing these mid level brands as they are pretty comparable in terms of quality in construction and leather.It's more about preference. People tend to forget that when they ask which ones are the best. Ask yourself what brand has lasts with the best fit for your feet. Do you like the look of the design and the lasts? What kind of sole do you prefer?

The best value in terms of Justin's shoe line is the versatility of his MTO and wanting something a bit different or if you want to support a smaller company. There are also a lot more options than a lot of the other brands and with a surcharge of only 100 pounds, compared to Carminas 50% surcharge.​

Crockett & Jones strength lies in the fact that they are available in a lot of retail stores, which makes it easier to get a hold of and easier to try out the different lasts. The exeption is in Norway, where I've only seen them in one store.

 

[laufer]

Guys,
Can any of you comment on TMG last? How does it fit in respect to Carmina Rain or Detroit lasts? If you have GG 06 or E.G. 202 lasts and can compare them to TMG last that would be great too.
Much obliged.
PS those of you with NGT last are also welcome to chime in.
Thanks in advance

 

[Shawl Lapel]



Guys,
Can any of you comment on TMG last? How does it fit in respect to Carmina Rain or Detroit lasts? If you have GG 06 or E.G. 202 lasts and can compare them to TMG last that would be great too.
Much obliged.
PS those of you with NGT last are also welcome to chime in.
Thanks in advance

I did some comparisons earlier in the thread but I can do a side by side of just JFP shoes and Rain if you want. I may have an NGT to throw in the mix too.

http://www.styleforum.net/t/344162/j-fitzpatrick-appreciation-thread/1000_100#post_8526349

 

[LAluck5]



I did some comparisons earlier in the thread but I can do a side by side of just JFP shoes and Rain if you want. I may have an NGT to throw in the mix too.

http://www.styleforum.net/t/344162/j-fitzpatrick-appreciation-thread/1000_100#post_8526349

If you don't mind, I wouldn't mind seeing that comparison.

 

[MissingBuckley]

Aurora now live my friend

http://www.jfitzpatrickfootwear.com/products/aurora-gold-museum-calf-cinnamon-suede

Wallingford Burgundy should be in within a week or so

best

Justin

Thanks, just submitted my order -- I was pretty stoked to see it on the LPB last.

As for quality, I am and will continue to be blown away by the fact that I can get J Fitz at full retail for less than a new pair of Allen Edmonds. That isn't mean to disrespect AE at all, but the beveled waist, sleek lasts, and the bolder design choices are why I keep coming back. I love G&G, but I can't always justify spending $1k+ on one pair, so I tend to buy J Fitz/Carmina and I'm a huge fan of both.

 

[The Shoe Snob]



Thanks, just submitted my order -- I was pretty stoked to see it on the LPB last.

As for quality, I am and will continue to be blown away by the fact that I can get J Fitz at full retail for less than a new pair of Allen Edmonds. That isn't mean to disrespect AE at all, but the beveled waist, sleek lasts, and the bolder design choices are why I keep coming back. I love G&G, but I can't always justify spending $1k+ on one pair, so I tend to buy J Fitz/Carmina and I'm a huge fan of both.

Thanks for your continued support, I really do appreciate it!!

If only more people realized our shoes are cheaper in cost than AE and the difference you are getting. Thanks for saying so