John Lobb Appreciation Thread

[Texasmade]

Leather samples in the workshop. Typically first time bespoke will use about a whole roll. The middle section of the leather is used for the final product and takes up about 15-20% of the roll. Remaining is used for trial shoes, samples, and other random experimentation.

Shoes being made. This is the part when the upper is being stretched over the last. The top pair of boots are being refurbished. Patrick said the boots are about 15 years old.

 

[Texasmade]

A few other pictures I have since I wasn’t sure how receptive some of the workers were of being posted online.

Random lasts out and about being worked on. The very bottom row are wood blocks being turned into lasts. The other rows are lasts that are going to be used for shoe production. Patrick said that more famous or wealthier customers usually request psuedonyms on the lasts so when people get tours it won’t be so obvious who the clientele is. They have one customer who has over 500 pairs of JLP bespoke that has James Bond on the last.

Actual last room which is on the ground floor while the workshop is on the first floor (in the US, we’d call it 2nd floor). Shoe trees are also made in the ground floor by a single guy working by himself. Patrick estimated about 4000 lasts are in here. He said that they do burn lasts once they learn someone is deceased compared to JLSJ who keeps almost everything as part of their semi-museum.

 

[Texasmade]

After touring the workshop Patrick and Francois had me do another fitting but this time with plastic trial shoes. If I had know that was happening I would’ve brought a pair of dress socks instead of loafer no show socks. They brought out my last trial shoe fitting I had that was cut open and compared to the plastic mock-up to make any final adjustments. I should be good to go now with final delivery expected to be sometime in September.

 

[ntempleman]

Patrick’s a great guy, isn’t he.

You know at St James’s the lasts in the cellar are mainly current, as they need to clear space for new clients. After about 7 years without ordering they’ll try to get in touch, and if there’s no response they get stored off site for another 10 years or so before they become firewood. Spent many hours of my apprenticeship digging out lasts from those racks!

 

[Averroes1198]

Nice those pictures!

 

[Texasmade]

Patrick’s a great guy, isn’t he.

You know at St James’s the lasts in the cellar are mainly current, as they need to clear space for new clients. After about 7 years without ordering they’ll try to get in touch, and if there’s no response they get stored off site for another 10 years or so before they become firewood. Spent many hours of my apprenticeship digging out lasts from those racks!

Indeed he is.

I didn’t know that about SJ workshop.

 

[takashi78]

Patrick’s a great guy, isn’t he.

You know at St James’s the lasts in the cellar are mainly current, as they need to clear space for new clients. After about 7 years without ordering they’ll try to get in touch, and if there’s no response they get stored off site for another 10 years or so before they become firewood. Spent many hours of my apprenticeship digging out lasts from those racks!

On a seperate note, why is it that JLSJ does not do trial fittings?
Are they that confident in getting it "right" the first time around?

 

[stephenaf2003]

A few other pictures I have since I wasn’t sure how receptive some of the workers were of being posted online.

Random lasts out and about being worked on. The very bottom row are wood blocks being turned into lasts. The other rows are lasts that are going to be used for shoe production. Patrick said that more famous or wealthier customers usually request psuedonyms on the lasts so when people get tours it won’t be so obvious who the clientele is. They have one customer who has over 500 pairs of JLP bespoke that has James Bond on the last. View attachment 978462

Actual last room which is on the ground floor while the workshop is on the first floor (in the US, we’d call it 2nd floor). Shoe trees are also made in the ground floor by a single guy working by himself. Patrick estimated about 4000 lasts are in here. He said that they do burn lasts once they learn someone is deceased compared to JLSJ who keeps almost everything as part of their semi-museum.
View attachment 978463

hmmmm, looks like my shoe room..lol

 

[ntempleman]

On a seperate note, why is it that JLSJ does not do trial fittings?
Are they that confident in getting it "right" the first time around?

Good question! I suppose it comes down to what you think is the best service, it’s certainly quicker and simpler to go straight through. I’m no more or less confident now than I ever was but personally I think a fitting is better for the client and me. If things aren’t quite correct it’s less of a concern to put it right at the fitting stage, rather than fudge things or throw shoes away. Maybe if my prices were double I’d be more confident in being able to put things right at whatever cost. If nothing else it’s nice just to catch up with the client, most are more like friends now and it’s a pleasure to hear what’s going on with their lives and vice versa

 

[Texasmade]

Good question! I suppose it comes down to what you think is the best service, it’s certainly quicker and simpler to go straight through. I’m no more or less confident now than I ever was but personally I think a fitting is better for the client and me. If things aren’t quite correct it’s less of a concern to put it right at the fitting stage, rather than fudge things or throw shoes away. Maybe if my prices were double I’d be more confident in being able to put things right at whatever cost. If nothing else it’s nice just to catch up with the client, most are more like friends now and it’s a pleasure to hear what’s going on with their lives and vice versa

George Glasgow made a comment about the no fittings for JLSJ when I spoke to him.

“You don’t tell me how the shoes fit, I’ll tell you how they should fit.”

 

[peppercorn78]

Thanks for the great pics, @Texasmade !

 

[jhcam8]

Nice review, @Texasmade

 

[crazn]

George Glasgow made a comment about the no fittings for JLSJ when I spoke to him.

“You don’t tell me how the shoes fit, I’ll tell you how they should fit.”

Interesting comment. wish there was more elaboration on this

 

[Texasmade]

Interesting comment. wish there was more elaboration on this

Basically, JLSJ takes measurements and then makes the shoes. GJC, JLP, G&G, and many other shoe makers at least do 1 trail pair. In my case for JLP, 3 cutaway shoes and 1 plastic pair. At the JLSJ price point, I'd want at least 1 trial pair done.

George also made a comment on the extra charge for shoe trees with JLSJ which aren't part of the price.

 

[Texasmade]

One more picture. This is a bespoke sample that has a 24k gold bottom. Patrick was saying that after like 100m, the gold will scratch off. This was made at the request of a customer as sort of a joke and asked JL if they could do it. The response was we can try and this is the response.