Questions about bespoke shoe makers

[TinaBranford]

Hello guys, I want to know where the finest shoe makers are..

I know there are a lot of great bepoke shoe makers in Japan..like Guild of Crafts and Il Micio and Hiro Yanagimaci..and so on.

But this time I want to go England which is the main land of shoes, I think.

So Do you have any ideas of JOHN LOBB LONDON and Foster & Son?

I just want to know the information about them, but it's hard to find.

Let me know if you are interested in bespoke shoe makers/.

 

[sully]

Originally Posted by TinaBranford

Hello guys, I want to know where the finest shoe makers are..

I know there are a lot of great bepoke shoe makers in Japan..like Guild of Crafts and Il Micio and Hiro Yanagimaci..and so on.

But this time I want to go England which is the main land of shoes, I think.

So Do you have any ideas of JOHN LOBB LONDON and Foster & Son?

I just want to know the information about them, but it's hard to find.

Let me know if you are interested in bespoke shoe makers/.

This is a debate that is destined to never be answered fully.
Bespoke makers have an individual style to their work and just as in choosing a tailor the appeal is in differing shapes and cuts.
The standard of work of all the well known makers is much the same, but the choice of leathers and last styles vary a lot and this is often why some opt for a particular maker.
John Lobb London have a very traditional look ( some say shape is not the best )
My favourite Foster & Son make a sleeker looking shoe and have the talent of Terry Moore making their lasts.
Cleverley have their famous square toe and make some very elegant shoes
G&G are making a very modern looking shoe, long and narrow,beautifully finished, a little too sharp for some tastes.

All these makers will try to make a specific looking shoe on request, but fit is of great importance as well so choose the look you like but bear in mind not all feet suit long narrow shoes .The maker will be able to advise you as to what is possible.
All have websites with useful info and if you trawl this forum there are a wealth of opinions some more informed than others

So who are the best ? take your pick....................................

 

[Eligius]

http://www.styleforum.net/showthread.php?t=12201 for general reference.

For London Bespoke Gaziano & Girling, Cleverley and Lobb are the "big three"; you can't go wrong with any of them.

 

[Frog in Suit]

Originally Posted by Eligius

http://www.styleforum.net/showthread.php?t=12201 for general reference.

For London Bespoke Gaziano & Girling, Cleverley and Lobb are the "big three"; you can't go wrong with any of them.
I would make it the "big four" by including Foster & Sons (which incorporates Maxwell, the oldest of the bunch, founded on 1750) on Jermyn Street.

Frog in Suit

 

[MarquisMagic]

There are, of course, fabulous shoemakers in countries other than Japan and England. I note that a number of senior SF members seem to prefer John Lobb (Paris) to the London maker.

 

[fritzl]

Originally Posted by MarquisMagic

There are, of course, fabulous shoemakers in countries other than Japan and England.

Scheer comes to my mind. the "Lobb of Vienna". older than the St. James branch, anyway.

 

[sully]

Scheer comes to my mind. the "Lobb of Vienna". older than the St. James branch, anyway.[/QUO
I agree there are many fine shoemakers worldwide, I just gave a focus on U.K. makers because the op was interested in these shoemakers. Other makers have a very fine history and style too !

 

[TinaBranford]

Thank you for your kind answer, sully.

Actually, I just have one bespoke shoes from Japan, and I also have Edward Green Top Drawer.
Both shoes are the top level of quality, and extremely good for fit.

But this time I want to go to London, and I want to meet Eric Cook, who is great shoe maker.
Thank you.

 

[comrade]

Fritzl is, of course, correct about Vienna, to which I would add Balint,
St Crispins, Materna and others.

The Lobb Bespoke catalogue is online. It shows basic bespoke models
to which individual preferences can be added, etc.

http://www.johnlobbltd.co.uk/main/main.htm

 

[fritzl]

Originally Posted by TinaBranford

Actually, I just have one bespoke shoes from Japan, ...
Both shoes are the top level of quality, and extremely good for fit.

But this time I want to go to London, and I want to meet Eric Cook, who is great shoe maker.
Thank you.

...and they are fantastic. probably one of the nicest pair of shoes posted on sf.

can you bring up more pictures?

dunno, who this cook guy is, but i don't think you'll get better than your il corno blue.

http://www.styleforum.net/showthread.php?t=162384

 

[TinaBranford]

Originally Posted by fritzl

...and they are fantastic. probably one of the nicest pair of shoes posted on sf.

can you bring up more pictures?

dunno, who this cook guy is, but i don't think you'll get better than your il corno blue.

http://www.styleforum.net/showthread.php?t=162384

This is another picture of the Il corno blu shoes..good in shape I think..

 

[maomao1980]

For Europeans I would try G&G as a start. Although for you, if you are based in Japan, why give Koji Suzuki a try first? Anyway you have to wait such a long time for him to finish, so you would still have time in between to try others

 

[Fishball]

Or try Otsuka shoe Company, the Emperor's Shoemaker in Japan.

 

[fritzl]

Originally Posted by TinaBranford

This is another picture of the Il corno blu shoes..good in shape I think..

noice. i would stay with them. it can hardly getting better.

Originally Posted by RJman

Bespoke shoemaker Eric Cook has a sitting at Alexander Boyd, whose website http://www.alexanderboyd.co.uk/ has a small gallery of some very handsome shoes!

that's the only reference, i found to your favourite maker, but it seems not to be valid anymore.

 

[bengal-stripe]

Originally Posted by TinaBranford

........I want to meet Eric Cook, who is great shoe maker.

Originally Posted by fritzl

...dunno, who this cook guy is,

Ah, the elusive Eric Cook - the "˜Scarlet Pimpernel' of the shoe world ("They seek him here, they seek him there.......")

Nick Foulkes is his loyal customer and he likes to write about him. According to Foulkes, once you order a certain pair, he will come up six months later with something entirely different.

Nick Foulkes Says:
February 24th, 2009 at 3:41 pm

English shoes on the whole. I am lucky enough to have some of my shoes made by Eric Cook, a genius. For beautiful soles he is not to be beaten.
http://www.finchsquarterly.com/fqr-s...land-vs-italy/

Cook's son is also a shoemaker and used to work at one time for Cleverley.
For those who can read Japanese, here is a feature on Cook in "Man's Ex - World of High-End Shoes"