The Bespoke Shoes Thread

[j ingevaldsson]

If i'm not mistaken you can actually see the counters on their picture, ridiculous...

Yeah, well not the counter but the seam, it's a regular wholecut with an inside seam.

My impression is that they have different "assembly lines." If your shoes go down one route, they can be fine. If they go down another route, they can be bad. This is why I brought up my supposed maker to Senior, and asked if my remake can be assigned to different people.

I've heard they're the largest bespoke shoemaker in London in terms of volume. So perhaps there just aren't enough qualified, skilled people to keep up with orders.

If you meet with Adam and he makes the last, and one of the good makers do bottoming, you'd likely end up with a well fitting good looking pair. If you get measured by Sr. and his scribbles are sent to Springline (who do what they can with it, but know it's a mess for them trying to figure things out), and then a it goes to one of the makers who throw things together very quickly since they know that it's accepted to do work that way (not necessarily that they can't do better work, they just don't need to, and I can surely understand why some then don't bother, some just want to make a living), then you are more likely to get a pair that doesn't fit and look like... well, not good...

I'd be surprised if Cleverley is bigger than Lobb, still think they have a larger production, they make loads of shoes. Cleverley makes quite a lot as well though.

 

[clee1982]

I was under the impression Springline make rtw last or in volume, so some bespoke maker use them as well?

 

[j ingevaldsson]

I was under the impression Springline make rtw last or in volume, so some bespoke maker use them as well?

They make a lot of base lasts for bespoke makers as well, and have their own range of base lasts makers can buy, although of course production lasts and shoe trees are the big volume. Then they do some bespoke lasts from measurements as well, I believe Cleverley use them when their regular lastmakers can't keep up. And you can send your own measurements to them and have them make a bespoke last for you if you wish, but rarely any point in that.

Here's an example of one of their own wooden lasts:

 

[dieworkwear]

[at a trunk show]

Fitter: "Very well sir, can you please take off your shoes so I can have a look?"

You: *removes shoes, prepares for exquisite measuring experience*

Fitter: *peers inside your shoes, jots down "size 8.5, Edward Green 606," later orders the same Springline last*

 

[clee1982]

[at a trunk show]

Fitter: "Very well sir, can you please take off your shoes so I can have a look?"

You: *removes shoes, prepares for exquisite measuring experience*

Fitter: *peers inside your shoes, jots down "size 8.5, Edward Green 606," later orders the same Springline last*

the funny thing is if they have done that the shoe would come out fitting better for the OP

 

[dieworkwear]

Here's an example of one of their own wooden lasts

How do you know that's for Clev?

 

[j ingevaldsson]

How do you know that's for Clev?

It's not, it's one of their own, which is what I wrote.

 

[willyto]

Well, at least we know where all the GC bespoke shoes end up in the end. They go to Lee Morrison which he then restores and fixes to wear himself:



By the way I don't want to be paranoid but I was watching the following videos restoring the tear in the heels and noticed something very odd. Am I seeing things? That reminds me of blake stitching but it doesn't go all the way through the insole.

 

[daizawaguy]

A completed Cleverly inferior to a Japanese fitting shoe! But where does that blake stitching fit in!?

 

[daizawaguy]

Maybe the Blake stitching is for rubber soles!!??

 

[boot_owl]

Well, at least we know where all the GC bespoke shoes end up in the end. They go to Lee Morrison which he then restores and fixes to wear himself:



By the way I don't want to be paranoid but I was watching the following videos restoring the tear in the heels and noticed something very odd. Am I seeing things? That reminds me of blake stitching but it doesn't go all the way through the insole.

Looks a bit like a blake stitched waist - enzo bonafe offers that as an option. I’d expect a real blind waist at GC price though

 

[j ingevaldsson]

Well, at least we know where all the GC bespoke shoes end up in the end. They go to Lee Morrison which he then restores and fixes to wear himself:



By the way I don't want to be paranoid but I was watching the following videos restoring the tear in the heels and noticed something very odd. Am I seeing things? That reminds me of blake stitching but it doesn't go all the way through the insole.

We knew they've done Goodyear welted bespoke shoes, now they've added Blake stitched to the mix as well ?

 

[willyto]

We knew they've done Goodyear welted bespoke shoes, now they've added Blake stitched to the mix as well ?

He mentions in 6:25 on this video that it's an original GC bespoke repair and has seen it before:



Also quoting the message about it:

No, this is common on very old pairs which have been repaired by Cleverley, I have several pairs of Cleverley with this curious stitching inside, these stitches are done by hand, before new sole is applied

What kind of repair is it that would warrant such a stitching in the insole? I'm no maker and have no idea but why would they stitch through the insole like that when resoling/repairing? What is the purpose of the stitching going through the insole?

I'm very confused, never seen that before on any shoe that wasn't blake stitched.

 

[clee1982]

well, wasn't there at least one member on SF request AM to have his loafer blake stich instead of HW because out of box comfort, maybe same request to GC (benefit of doubt here)...

 

[RJman]

well, wasn't there at least one member on SF request AM to have his loafer blake stich instead of HW because out of box comfort, maybe same request to GC (benefit of doubt here)...

Why are you assuming that the repair was done by Cleverley? In point of fact the 1960s Cleverley closed when he retired by the early 1970s or so. George Cleverley then worked a little at Henry Maxwell and then New and Lingwood, but someone who bought shoes from Cleverley in the 1960s might not even have been able to take them back to him for repair given that he was no longer in business on his own account. Nor did bespoke customers always have their shoes maintained to bespoke standards. Convenience meant the owner might have taken it to his local shoe repair place that did whatever repairs to any old standard.
The current GJ Cleverley was founded in 1991 after George Cleverley had died, by his former colleagues at New and Lingwood George Glasgow Sr and John Carnera.