Holland & Holland Shoes

[pejsek]

I saw a pair of these pebble-grained brown leather lace-ups with a dainite sole in the thrift store yesterday (alas, about a size too large) and they seemed quite nice--certainly a cut above the clothing I've seen with fraying edges and loose buttons after a year or two of wear. I see no mention of shoes on the H&H website, so I wonder if these might date back to the more discrete good old days. Must make a note to keep my eyes open for the older stuff.

 

[faustian bargain]

funny. i bought those today. they're UK size 10 so i'm hoping they fit my dad's size 11's. i too would be interested in getting some info about them. such a coincidence, i can't get over it...

/andrew

 

[bengal-stripe]

I have seen the identical boots to Crockett & Jones "Coniston" sold (at a premium) under the Holland & Holland label (although in a different color).

Are these your boots? Then I presume C&J would be a pretty good bet, C&J also makes the shoes sold under the name of that other famous London firm of gun and rifle makers: James Purdey. (Crockett makes shoes for everybody and his grandmother.)

 

[faustian bargain]

well, they're shoes, not boots. also they don't have the double welt. and no cap toe. and their color is more orangey-tan. but they are bluchers.

/andrew

 

[bengal-stripe]

Sorry, but those boots came to mind as I have seen them, identical to C&J under the Holland & Holland name and some GBP 100 dearer. Have a look through the C&J catalogue: http://www.crockettandjones.co.uk You'll probably find your shoes there. (Details might vary, when C&J has a storm welt and a leather sole, H&H might have opted for a narrow welt and a rubber sole.) But of course C&J will have many patterns, which are not in the current catalogue. Without having seen the shoes, they will almost certainly be C&J.

 

[faustian bargain]

i will post pictures this weekend.

i looked on the C&J site, but didn't see any that were very close.

i do believe this pair are 'double soled', it appears the dainite ('Medway') sole is stitched onto a leather sole.

the holland and holland site doesn't show any shoes at all, so i'm wondering what is their history of shoe-selling? did they exclusively use c&j shoes? when did they offer them?

/andrew

 

[pejsek]

If I recall the shoes in question correctly, the C&J Stirling may be close (though the H&H shoe had some decorative detail around the back, I think). Had they fit they would have made a great gardening shoe--very nice with the threadbare Huntsman cords and an old frayed bespoke Charvet shirt with someone else's initials.
Again, I would bet that these shoes predate the big H&H marketing push

 

[faustian bargain]

 

[faustian bargain]

also i'm looking for suggestions about how to clean, shine, or otherwise spruce up the dainite soles. just soap and water?

 

[ViroBono]

The shoes look remarkably similar to mine (less the toecap, of course), which are by Alfred Sargent. They are labelled Bowen, which is a brand name used by Sargent for some export markets. In the photo are my boots, made by C&J for Shipton & Heneage. Soap and water is fine for Dainite soles.

 

[bengal-stripe]

Nice example of an English country shoe. Whether they are made by C&J, Sargent or Cheaney (one of the three most likely), I cannot say from the pictures. That's the nature of private label work: you might change suppliers from season to season.

By the way, the soles are called Medway (just a different pattern from Dainite). As ViroBono has pointed out, soap, water and, if really muddy, an old nailbrush is all you need. Your shoe might not be the proverbial old boots, but without a doubt, they will be as tough.

 

[faustian bargain]

thanks, gents. good-looking boots, virobono.

before i boxed them up to ship to dad, i scrubbed the soles with a wet paper towel, and then i sprayed them a couple times with silicone lubricant. seemed to give them a little 'life'.

...

indeed i perused some of the old posts here about dainite (and other rubber soles) and (re)learned that Dainite makes Medway, Ridgeway, and Commando (and possibly others that I don't recall or didn't see listed) - all different styles for different applications.

they are really nice outdoor shoes. not waterproof storm shoes like a veldtshoen, but still very sturdy for walking trails, etc. ...i wish they fit me, but i suppose i can enjoy them vicariously through my dad. plus it's almost father's day, so it works out well.

/andrew

 

[faustian bargain]

my dad did a little research and here is what he turned up, regarding these shoes:

From: [email protected] To: faustian bargain's dad Sent: Thursday, June 09, 2005 4:22 AM Subject: Shoes Dear Sir, The shoes you mentioned are "Churchill" shoes and the price is £385. At the moment we have limited sizes in stock,but we are expecting new delivery in August. In the meantime if you need a pair we might have your size in stock. Kind Regards Nino

so i thought that was interesting. their hardcopy catalog must be more comprehensive than their website; i wouldn't be surprised anyway. /andrew