Monday 26 October 2009

The shoe that fits...

Shoes worth waiting for...Lodger's Striped Oxford.

In an era before shoe stores, every pair of shoes was custom made. Lodger Footwear are dedicated to reviving the tradition of custom made footwear through the combination of age old handcrafted techniques alongside the use of modern technology. Back in July my head was turned by their latest shoe of the month. The breathtaking Striped Oxford was duly added to my shoe list and after saving the required pennies needed, I decided to invest in a pair. Inspired by the Duke of Windsor (undoubtedly one of the best dressed men of all time) the design is a interesting blend of fine Scabal striped linen and burnished French calf. It is this combination which makes it a great addition to the shoe pile for the warmer months. All in all, these make for a fine investment. The only downside was I had to play the waiting game because the shoe had to be custom made. I only describe it as a downside merely because I am an impatient chap, however, after my initial finger tapping moments my outlook altered. As the weeks passed, I increasingly became excited by the thought that my shoes were being made to order. To my specification. I began to truly appreciate what I was about to receive. Now the time has come and my shoes are ready, they are mine and they are truly something.

From the regular emails I received to update me on the shoe making progress right through to the moment I entered the Clifford Street store to pick up the finished pieces, I knew these were special shoes. This was carried through to how the shoes were beautifully packaged. The folks at Lodger don't like waste, so they give the customer a box that they will want to keep and actually help organise their shoe collection.

The shoe bag is specifically designed to cradle the shape of the new shoes perfectly whilst minimising waste. Every pair of Lodgers comes complete with a pair of bespoke shoe trees that are turned from the original last used to make the shoes. As they are built to exactly the same size as my shoes, they will keep them perfectly formed for many summers to come.

Lodger Footwear have an irrational passion for beautiful shoes and they quite remarkably release a new shoe each month. Each shoe is individually made using the latest technology in a factory with more than one hundred years of shoe making experience. It is this mix of continuous design, in combination with cutting edge technology and traditional craftsmanship, which makes this a truly unique shoe company. These are shoes worth waiting for. By releasing a shoe every month, they design for every occasion throughout the year. These are a treat for those winter holidays taken in sunnier climates than London. Now, all I need to is escape this gloomy city...

7 comments:

TheSundayBest said...

Holy shit Salter. These are beautiful.

Mumbling Elf said...

Wow - definitely worth the wait, these are stunning!

georgeface said...

i definitely need a pair of custom made shoes, my feet fail.

Style Salvage Steve said...

TheSundayBest: I know! Ha! Now, I just need to find me some winter sun...tis a shame I've spent all of my money on the shoes...
Mumbling Elf: Yes. I don't mind waiting for quality things. I certainly could get used to this method of shopping though...
georgeface: You really should then. It is worth the extra few pennies. I'm sure it isn't not your feet which fail but rather the shoes fail!

Anonymous said...

they look great but on a practicality note how do you clean them? how do you clean linen shoes? or do you not and do you just have to embrace the fact they will get dirty? In my mind the best shoe is one which has also been built to get better with age and with wearing - as then the whole process has been thought through. So, any insights would be welcome.

Ernest

Style Salvage Steve said...

Anonymous Ernest: You make a damn good point, one I really should have asked before I was seduced by their beauty. In some ways this linen is the perfect fabric to use on a summer shoe as it is lightweight and breathable. The linen has been strengthened with the use of soft Italian calf lining and slip beading has been used to present fraying. I will report back to you on my chosen cleaning method once I've researched it. Thanks for your comment.

enimie said...

Oh my, I've never been so jealous in my life!
I didn't know you had actually ordered these! What's next? John Lobb shoes? Your feet are so lucky.

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