John Lobb...

[johninla]

Can someone out there tell me about John Lobb sizing. I wear 9.5 CJ. Do CJ and JL run about the same?

 

[sho'nuff]

they are pretty comparable in sizing but it really comes down to the lasts.
i wear different half sizes within john lobb due to the wider and different last shapes.
it is best to let us know what shoes specifically you are trying to compare.

 

[mell]

I can wear a full size smaller than my US size in JL whereas I wear a .5 size smaller in C&J.

 

[Almighty1]

Speaking about John Lobb shoes which seems to be more expensive than Salvatore Ferragamo Tramezza's. Are the JL's a lot better in quality and durability?

 

[sho'nuff]

many may disagree here as what i will say ,as tramezzas are looked upon with much favor as well as i, they are a very great shoe to be had , one of the few shoes that are a good deal at retail OR at discount.

that being said,

compared to JL, the lobb leathers are much richer and have better colors and antiques.

that is a deciding point between the two as leather richness is a key to me.

the construction on both are goodyear (not sure who has the more qualitative goodyear method /practice and the shoe shape/lasts on both are appealing to different tastes.

 

[zjpj83]

I am finding more and more that expensive leather is key. My more expensive calf shoes that fit well have barely any creasing at all - they still look brand new practically, becasue the grain is so fine on teh leather. It just makes them look 1,000,000 times better than even mid-level shoes costing hundreds and hundreds.

 

[LabelKing]

I have noticed that certain Italian brands and their leathers are more prone to creasing.

There is, of course, the infamous Berluti.

 

[william]

Originally Posted by zjpj83

I am finding more and more that expensive leather is key. My more expensive calf shoes that fit well have barely any creasing at all - they still look brand new practically, becasue the grain is so fine on teh leather. It just makes them look 1,000,000 times better than even mid-level shoes costing hundreds and hundreds.

Where would you rank C&J handgrades in leather quality? Mid-level compared to EG/Lobb?

 

[minimal]

Originally Posted by zjpj83

I am finding more and more that expensive leather is key. My more expensive calf shoes that fit well have barely any creasing at all - they still look brand new practically, becasue the grain is so fine on teh leather. It just makes them look 1,000,000 times better than even mid-level shoes costing hundreds and hundreds.

I've noticed exactly the same thing, even more so since I'm hard to fit and tend to stretch shoes a little in the forefoot: my expensive shoes look very good as they crease, much better than my middle-line shoes. Even my Alden's don't look very good after wear: the creases are a bit big. My C&Js and Santonis, in contrast, look great. Basically, the dividing line seems to be around $500 retail. Oof!

One datapoint that is off: the leather my relatively-inexpensive RM Williams boots still looks great, with very fine creasing only after two years of heavy wear. (Unfortunately, their soles do not hold up nearly as well, being comparitively thin.)

 

[khiev]

Originally Posted by LabelKing

I have noticed that certain Italian brands and their leathers are more prone to creasing.

There is, of course, the infamous Berluti.

While I agree that JL and EG tend to have outstanding leather that creases (or not) extremely well, I've also found that my Berlutis have held up exceptionally well compared to these traditional powerhouses. There is truth that JL leather usually only makes one 'major' crease along the forefoot part of the shoes, but I also think that getting shoes that fit closest to your natural foot size is also a factor that is overlooked when considering how fast a shoe creases. For instance, Finsbury is renowned for their outstanding service in shoe fitting, and while they do not feature the best leather on their shoes (not even close to Berluti, JL, ED, etc.) , I've noticed that my Finsbury have barely, if at all, any creases. I can personally testify to that. On the other hand, my LV pair, which I bought 1 size too big at the time (online shoe folly) have at least 4 major unsightly creases at the front.

Now, I do not agree that Italian brands are more prone to creasing. That is simply not true. It is a common truth that great quality leather holds up very well, whether they are used by british or italian powerhouses. They all 'feel' the same at the forefoot when walking- that is, they all feature some sort of 'rigidness', if you will, along the natural crease line which prevents them from truly creasing badly. I can testify that my JL and Santoni fam have barely any creases, other than the natural one, because of the fit of the shoes and the outstanding leather being used.

So while these shoes feature great durable leather, they certainly DO NOT feel anywhere as supple as the leather used by my Berlutis. It is true that Berlutis crease a bit more, but certainly not so much as it has been exaggerated on this forum. I feel that they simply crease more, and beautifully at that, because the leather certainly hugs more of the foot, in addition to the leather being much more supple than JL's and co.

My berlutis have barely 2 more very very minor creasing than my JL, ED, and Santoni Fams... I can tell you that the creases do NOT distract the shoes from their original magnificent beauty. They have held up superbly well thus far even though they feel a lot more fragile than my other shoes (but also much more like a piece of art).

 

[zjpj83]

My Santoni FAMs crease more in my humble opinion.
My Borrelli/Mantellassi are nice, about on par with Edward Green.
John Lobb prestige I have worn dozens of times and with shoe trees in immediately after wearing, the uppers still look brand new.

 

[dkzzzz]

On a similar topic., I have noticed that my English shoes have very messy looking workmanship along the sole, where the shoe's upper attached.
I noticed the same mess on Peal, EG, C&J hand grades...
It looks like some glue/varnished that has not been cleaned off. Fit and finish of the edge of the sole is not looking clean and finished.
On another hand my Italian shoes have impeccable clean sole edges with nice clear teething.

Why such a difference ?

 

[RJman]

Originally Posted by dkzzzz

On a similar topic., I have noticed that my English shoes have very messy looking workmanship along the sole, where the shoe's upper attached.
I noticed the same mess on Peal, EG, C&J hand grades...
It looks like some glue/varnished that has not been cleaned off. Fit and finish of the edge of the sole is not looking clean and finished.
On another hand my Italian shoes have impeccable clean sole edges with nice clear teething.

Why such a difference ?
Got a picture? Ideally one of the English mess and one of the Italian?

 

[zjpj83]

In my experience, the Italian shoes with "nice clean teething" are those that aren't welted. Like Moreschi and Berluti. The teething isn't real, it's faux. Hence why it's cleaner.