Jon Gray the shoemaker came to Ontario and I got a pair of...

[Asian Afro]



ps the shoes look great, is he from ontario canada? if so why didn't you just write the city? nobody in ontario says they are from ontario, they just say they are from toronto or some other city etc.

Jon told me he grew up in Hamilton, but currently lives in Royal Annapolis, Nova Scotia.

 

[Asian Afro]



the heels look high. what is the measurement? seems to throw the proportions of the heel/back of shoe off. would look better if the heel lost .25 inch

also not a fan of the square toe, it is ok to be different but only if it looks great. and yours looks a bit aldo i have to say. but id ont blme the makr since this is beapoke, this time it is onthe cleint.

I'll measure the heels then get back to you. Could just be the picture. They didn't feel high. (Not wearing the shoes today because it's snowing.)

The toe looked that way because I chose a sharpened toe, but didn't specify the look of the sole edge. Based on the pictures on Jon's web site, he usually sharpens the sole edge along with the toe.

 

[Asian Afro]

One-inch heel. Nothing special.

 

[Asian Afro]



Really really like these.

Thank you! They are growing on me.

I probably can't wear them outside this week because the forecast is all wet weather.

 

[Asian Afro]

For my second order, the first thing I needed to decide was the colour of my cordovan boots, so Jon directed me to Tannery Row, Horween's retail arm. However, the web site only showed four colours. I didn't know whether the following picture represented all my choices, or whether I could ask for a certain colour (e.g., Color #8).



Perhaps small buyers only get to pick the leftovers. If so, it would mean there's an excess of green shell cordovan. I'm sure some SF member could put them to good use.

Anyway, Jon and I are finding out what we can get.

 

[Son Of Saphir]

Good shoe for price.
Not perfect,
but it very good.

Some general shots of the shoes. (Click to enlarge.)

Machine sanding not even.
Need pay more attention to detail here.



Toe area off ground to much for me liking,
make it look cheap and not right.




Close-ups in my next post.[/quote]
it look very plain,
no art.

Shoe very good value.

 

[Asian Afro]



Good shoe for price.
Not perfect,
but it very good.

...

Machine sanding not even.
Need pay more attention to detail here.

...

Toe area off ground to much for me liking,
make it look cheap and not right.

...

it look very plain,
no art.

Shoe very good value.

Agree with most of your comments. I don't really care about the toe area. The shoes don't have the refined air of a pair of G&G, EG, or Lobbs, but they have a whole lotta leather. I plan on keeping Jon working until he gets them looking really, really good.

 

[Son Of Saphir]



I plan on keeping Jon working until he gets them looking really, really good.

yes

 

[Asian Afro]

Something I promised a while ago: pictures taken while Jon was making my shoes.

 

[Asian Afro]

Update on my austerity brogues: after breaking in, I sent them back to Jon for adjustments. The left shoe had become a bit loose, and it couldn't be tightened up. The right shoe could be a tad wider. My little toe didn't hurt but it could use more room. To my surprise, he proceeded to remake them. Jon said when lasting my shoes, he had them done up tighter than he did on my fitting model. Since he was doing an overhaul, I asked him to round the edges of the toes.

Jon took my shoes on the road recently as examples of his work. I hope to get them back soon.

 

[Asian Afro]

(I thought I posted this earlier today, but I guess it didn't take.)

My austerity brogues, take two.

The shoes now have six pairs of eyelets instead of five. Jon thinks the lines look better this way, but I don't think they look very different.

The toes are rounder this time.

The waist feels tighter, and the finish on the soles and the uppers are better this time.

When Jon told me he was remaking the shoes, I assumed he was giving them an overhaul, but he actually made a second pair of shoes. The original pair now sit on a shelf in his workshop. I'm not sure he made any money from me, but he made sure I got my money's worth.

 

[bellyhungry]

^^^^ Looks pretty good

 

[jesask]

I like these much better

 

[jerrybrowne]

Congrats. They look great.

 

[simondg]

You're dialling in the design and fit.