Shoes that look better with age...

[ranonranonarat]

Very nice, Ranon. How come the Kelsos have been collecting dust? Do you keep to a couple of pairs only at a time, or are you not loving them?

Richard currently has two pairs of shoes and a pair of chukkas from me for new soles...

Currently on my way down to London to have a look at the shops on Jermyn Street. Taking the old veldt boots into Edward Green as the shop manager said that he'd like to see them at some point...

thanks ben, i like the kelso's very much but they just seem slightly similar to the tricker's for me to break them out. i was actually planning to keep them as a spare in the event that the tricker's fall apart beyond repair. for now they will go in the box...

there are usually only so many pairs i can put on a week since my entire collection is largely suited for the casual occasion so i am keeping them for weekend wear. still looking for a boot in black (conventional) for my daily wear as my current footwear on the weekdays is killing me. anything MTO is too rich for my blood at the moment and hard to justify so i am thinking along the line of the tricker's chelsea boot (your disapproval!). been looking at the collection from loake and cheaney as well but can't seem to find anything.

richard's and michelle's communication has been perfect so far for me and it has been an extremely pleasant experience. just need to receive them back to see the work that has been done to them. i'm pretty sure it is going to be great as well.

do get some pictures of your visit! it does seem that you always have fantastic news to report back in here after your trips.

[CrashTestBrummie]

Sorry, Ranon, was a flying visit and am already on my way back now!

Was massively underdressed for Jermyn Street, battered veldts and jeans look a little out of place amongst the bespoke shirtmakers and upperclass lifestyle shops

The staff at Edward Green were superb, and the shoes were even better. Came close to picking up the Galway in walnut country calf and shearling leg but instead opted for the almond country calf. Pics tomorrow...

They have a new stock veldt arriving in a few weeks - the Galway in rosewood country calf with the boot leg in tobacco suede. Very, very similar to the burgundy country calf and polo suede option I've chosen for the MTO Snowdon, purely by chance.

Edited November 7, 2012 by CrashTestBrummie

[rkusmant]

Looking forward for the photos ben!

Is the galway veldt priced differently than the welted ones? I like the moustache stitchin on the side but EG prices has been higher than what I used to see.

[garden gnomes in space]

So, I know this has been addressed at some point most likely, but White's boots construction seem to be basically a welted veldtschoen, right? Paul T has an article on his blog that has a nice cross section of the construction method of veldts. Looking at my Whites, it appears the upper is stitched to the midsole, and then is turned out, welted and stitched down again through the midsole into the outsole. Am I understanding this correctly? I've poked around a bit online and cannot find much credible info.

one difference I notice right away is that a lot of the english veldt's are stitched all the way around. White's, Viberg's and Wesco's are only 3/4, and the heel is I guess nailed? Im trying to understand why not stitching all the way around is the preferred method...

Edited November 7, 2012 by garden gnomes in space

[CrashTestBrummie]

Looking forward for the photos ben!

Is the galway veldt priced differently than the welted ones? I like the moustache stitchin on the side but EG prices has been higher than what I used to see.

I didn't even bother looking at the welted ones, but I think the prices are broadly the same. I looked at the almond/rosewood country calf models, and also the walnut country calf model with reversed lamb shearling for the boot leg.

The shearling version was really something else, and I was very tempted as I doubt I'll ever get anything by EG again (I say this now...) but the colour of the boot body (the walnut country calf) looked identical to the zug on my 'vintage' EGs, after a few coats of black polish.

I may yet change my mind though...

So, I know this has been addressed at some point most likely, but White's boots construction seem to be basically a welted veldtschoen, right? Paul T has an article on his blog that has a nice cross section of the construction method of veldts. Looking at my Whites, it appears the upper is stitched to the midsole, and then is turned out, welted and stitched down again through the midsole into the outsole. Am I understanding this correctly? I've poked around a bit online and cannot find much credible info.

one difference I notice right away is that a lot of the english veldt's are stitched all the way around. White's, Viberg's and Wesco's are only 3/4, and the heel is I guess nailed? Im trying to understand why not stitching all the way around is the preferred method...

I'm not an expert on construction by any stretch of the imagination, but I'd be very surprised if a variation of the veldt boot hadn't been created in North America at some point, without being named as such. I saw a pic of some 'stitchdown' Wescos in some Japanese boot mag, and they looked like a higher-leg version of a veldt boot, complete with full-bellows tongue.

The key advantage of having the 360 stitch is that it 'seals' the footwear - storm welts are ok for providing some water resistance, but aren't as good as a veldtschoen shoe when exposed to 'static' damp, such as moving through deep snow or wet grass - veldt footwear has traditionally been used as golfing and shooting footwear due to this.

(I've actually waded through water in my Lotus boots without getting my feet wet at all. Tried it on a different occasion with another pair, and was fine until I got cocky and started moving too quickly - the water ended up coming over the top of the boot... )

It could be that the White's et al are stitched 3/4 of the way round as they are built for specifically different purposes and maximum water resistance isn't needed? Or maybe to make it easier to just replace the heel if worn, rather than having to stitch down the whole shebang to prolong the overall life of the boot, given that veldts apparently have a limited number of 'lives' when it comes to sole replacement?

[fre-co]

White's natty cxl nomads ordered.

mini-lug sole

natural edge

standard heel

Now I'm waiting on two pairs of boots....

[ndalgas]

White's natty cxl nomads ordered.

mini-lug sole

natural edge

standard heel

Now I'm waiting on two pairs of boots....

SD or SJ's?

[garden gnomes in space]

Nomad's are White's engineers

[denimjunky]

Ordered: SD C461last, CXL #8, 1/4" lowered block, mini lug half sole, brouge cap, brown sides. antique eyes and hooks.

now, Im waiting on two pairs too. This is crazy. Crazy fun.

[fre-co]

How many pairs of sd do you have?

[denimjunky]

4. but will be 6.

[CrashTestBrummie]

Edward Green Galway in almond country calf on the 64 last:

The 64 last has been used by EG for veldtschoen boots for decades, as that old catalogue page posted a few pages back showed.

Apparently, the boot was originally made as a shooting boot for Holland & Holland, the renowned gun-makers. The style was originally just known as model 253. The last is sleek for a veldtschoen boot - probably the closest thing I have to compare it with is the unknown last on which my old Tricker's veldts are built (not the 4497s used for the later Skipton model).

My other, older EG veldts are built on the 25 last which EG no longer have - and might have been a special order back in the day. See the difference in shape (the Galways are half a size smaller):

[exaptavist]

.

Edited October 8, 2015 by hoggreaser

[exaptavist]

.

Edited October 8, 2015 by hoggreaser

[CrashTestBrummie]

The colour kills it, for starters. Will look bloody amazing dressed up with some flannel or tweed trousers, for when jeans won't do...

[ranonranonarat]

whoaaa. now that is one hell of a boot.....

[mikedbt5]

Havent visited or posted in a while ..... Cheaney Pennine from earlier this year . Only started reguarly wearing them now that the weather has turned . Uppers are bullet proof , tougher than I expected . If anyone is thinking of buying a pair , though sized as G , they are more like a F fitting for me . If I get time will post my espresso Stows , worn throughout spring / summer .

Edited November 8, 2012 by mikedbt5

[Crat]

Nice once again CTB!

Why do you think you won't ever get anything from EG again?

[CrashTestBrummie]

Nice once again CTB!

Why do you think you won't ever get anything from EG again?

Cheers! And I think you heard the sound of me trying to convince myself, that's all.

To be fair, most of what EG do is lovely, very lovely. There's not much though that is really me (veldt Galways notwithstanding), at least for stuff that I'd wear regularly - I've a small handful of pairs of oxfords that I use for occasional special occasions only and this isn't likely to change at any time soon. Not sure even I could justify dropping serious cash on upgrading this stuff when the stuff I have is good enough.

I'd happily add the shearling Galway to my collection, though, and I'd be lying if I denied having had a look through my existing collection to see if there was anything there that I could shift for those!

[garden gnomes in space]

I have to agree, that almond county calf is fantastic.

[CrashTestBrummie]

The other two veldt options were the rosewood country calf:

and the walnut country calf with shearling-lined leg:

[Crat]

Hehe, ah ok.

I thought you might have seen something wrong with their quality. Tbh EG has the best rtw shoes I've seen so far, quality wise. If its just a matter of taste I can't argue with you though : )

I doubt however that there are ever any goof arguments against buying a good net pair of shoes

[exaptavist]

.

Edited October 8, 2015 by hoggreaser

[CrashTestBrummie]

Hehe, ah ok.

I thought you might have seen something wrong with their quality. Tbh EG has the best rtw shoes I've seen so far, quality wise. If its just a matter of taste I can't argue with you though : )

I doubt however that there are ever any goof arguments against buying a good net pair of shoes

Ha, nah - nothing wrong with the quality of the stuff in the EG shop. Far from it! And I know deep down that I'll own another Galway by Christmas, if I'm being honest with myself.

One observation though, and only vaguely on-topic and possibly a little controversial to those who care about these things: it seems ironic that, in order to survive, the great English shoe-makers have had to arguably move away from classic English conservative (with a small 'c') preferences in order to attract the overseas sales that they need to thrive.

By this I mean that the classic English style of business dress is one where the eye is drawn to the face - clothes, no matter how well cut and/or made, shouldn't distract from this.

A lot of what is now being produced, like some of EG's models, C&J's handgrades, AS's exclusives, et al, is being produced on such elegant lasts, and with such eye-catching finishes, that it inadvertently draws the eye downwards and makes the shoes the focal point of whatever's being worn.

One thing I noticed on Jermyn Street was how few 'traditional' models were on display (sorry again, Ranon, for the lack of photos!) - even John Lobb had a range of multi-coloured shoes as the focal point of their window. Is it that the traditional models don't sell as well as the more extrovert styles which, having made their way across the Atlantic and onto forums such as Styleforum, are now influencing tastes back over here?

A similar effect to that rosewood grain might probably be achieved over time with judicious use of a little black polish I would have thought. Both are very nice indeed.

The 64 last appears very, very well shaped indeed. Gentle contours and nicely foot hugging. Comparable to C&J 325 at all??

I wonder what became of their 25. Surely not discarded you would think. After all we only have the one last maker left in Spring Line so I'd think them to be pretty valuable commodities and if 'retired' kept for prosperity or at least passed on to the Northampton museum.

Not so keen on the shearling lining. Cheaney have one too incidentally, the Scott. You'll have noticed it by now though no doubt!

The 64 last has a flatter toe in comparison to the 325 and fits a little snugger although there's more room in the heel. I'm still impressed with how sleek these look on the feet for veldt boots and how (relatively) light they are.

EG went through a period of chaos in the mid-80s or thereabouts, when ownership changed hands twice in short succession and some of their archived stuff was lost.

The manager of the Jermyn Street shop was only able to confirm that the older boots were made by them by asking someone at the factory to dig through the records and cross-reference them with the similar model on the catalogue page shown earlier.

Seen the Scott model by Cheaney and not a fan at all...especially having handled the EG shearling model!

[beeetus]

Never been much of a fan of English boots, but I have to admit there is some gorgeous looking boots the last couple of pages.

[coleslawyum]

Yeah, I didn't have a clue either, until I tried on a pair of C&J and then it rolled downhill from there. Been almost an obsession of mine these days. I love the history, the craftsmanship as well as the small shops that still do bespoke. Beats a pair of Alden's or any American shoe any day, (sorry) in terms of style, craft and finish.

CTB, I didn't really pay attention, that a lot of shoemakers were moving away from the classic English look. I think I like that English manufacturers have stepped their game up a bit, because denim looks great with those wild finishes!

[CrashTestBrummie]

I can confirm that C&J are an effective gateway drug - my Arrans started all this and now I'm ordering MTO and picking up EG as nothing else will really do...!

Have you seen any of the Paul Smith and John Lobb collaborations? Interesting colours, to say the least:

[Maynard Friedman]

CTB, I think the more conservative or traditional models may already have a steady, captive market and subsequently don't need the more assertive marketing that some of the fancier models require. Re these new models, I think the traditional companies are possibly breaking into new markets and therefore competing heavily with each other in these whilst retaining their core, legacy customers.

With regard to attracting attention away from the face, I let my rhinestone codpiece do the talking!

[CrashTestBrummie]

CTB, I think the more conservative or traditional models may already have a steady, captive market and subsequently don't need the more assertive marketing that some of the fancier models require. Re these new models, I think the traditional companies are possibly breaking into new markets and therefore competing heavily with each other in these whilst retaining their core, legacy customers.

With regard to attracting attention away from the face, I let my rhinestone codpiece do the talking!

Fair comment, and as long as overall standards remain constant (or improve) then it can only be a good thing for British business as long as manufacturing remains in this country. Maybe I need to throw caution to the wind, burn my bra and embrace the rainbow with my feet!

[fre-co]

I agree with Maynard. It's a very similar situation to Savile Row. The vast majority of their business is done through word of mouth and fathers introducing sons. Tailors don't advertise except for the one striking out with RTW and diffusion lines.