It’s A Great Time To Like Classic Shoes
Welcome back to our new monthly column! This time around, we will make a recap and talk about News from The Shoe World during July 2019! Companies are gearing up for their A/W 19 Collection launches so one has to dig deep to find some actual news.
Actually, it is quite disturbing as one search on Google about shoe news will only return results about sneakers and clickbait. This is why we are here to keep the torch of classic menswear alive.
In this article we will talk about a few things. These include:
- French Septieme Largeur’s new website plans
- Changes to the great second hand marketplace by The Shoe Snob
- A New Trunk Show in Japan
- The Shoegazing Stockholm Trunk Show 2019
- And more!
Not too shabby huh? It is absolutely scorching hot in Sweden these days, so let’s all grab a cold drink and begin dissecting the Shoe News of July 2019!
Septième Largeur To Launch A New Website
Even though I have no hands on experience with Septieme Largeur, I have a hidden romance with them. For those of you unaware, they are an excellent value French Shoemaker. With some excellent designs and patina work, they are worthy of their spot in the Best Shoes Under $400!
The only complain I had was that the website is quite dated. After a brief exchange with Mathieu who is the co-founder of Septième Largeur I learned they are designing a new modern website. The release date is not set in stone, but looks to be around the end of 2019 – early 2020.
This is great news as a good website is the face of your company in this digital age. I also like to support businesses like Septième Largeur especially when they are so friendly and approachable people.
Check them out!
The Noble Shoe x ZEB Shoes In The Shoegazing Trunk Show
Shoegazing is one of the premier blogs about high end shoes in the world and a big inspiration to me. I had the pleasure to attend the previous two events (Stockholm 2018 & London 2019). This fall however it is time for me to actually participate in one!
The Stockholm Trunk Show 2019 opens its gates on September 28. That is just 2 months from now! For those of you unaware, we have now launched our own shop selling Carlos Santos Shoes. You can find it here or just by clicking the Shop link on the menu.
Additionally, my good friend and master shoemaker Bojan from ZEB Shoes will join me with a few samples of his work. I suggest you read here why I consider him one of the best in the world right now.
If you are around or you plan a trip to Stockholm, come say hi! I will have all the shoes currently on offer at The Noble Shoe for you to take a look.
Woohoo!
The Isetan Shoe Expo
Japanese shoemaking is revered across the globe for the quality, rarity, attention to detail and construction to name a few. During the 11-16th of September, there is going to be a large event at a famous Tokyo store called Isetan Men’s.
If you happen to be there during that time, make sure to visit! Additionally, Jesper from Shoegazing is working tirelessly behind the scenes to spread the love for classic shoemaking. This time around, he is creating a shining competition for champions around the world!
A contest of champions! I will refrain from writing more and I encourage you to read his own article for details.
Changes In The Shoe Snob Marketplace
The Shoe Snob is one of my favorite shoe blogs. Justin Fitzpatrick (Owner of the eponymous shoe brand) is one of the inspirations for this blog’s shift towards shoes.
He also runs the Marketplace, an awesome way to buy both used and new shoes. His desire was to improve it based on feedback by readers and users. Therefore he made some excellent additions to the site. I will not go into detail since he has an article (Read Here) but here is the quick summary:
- You can now distinguish between New and Used Shoes
- Filters are on the left to help you find the pair you want
- A “Make Offer” button for private inquiries and negotiation
Pretty cool and simple quality of life improvements.
TLB Mallorca Availability Expansion
TLB Mallorca is a relatively new brand, but one that is attracting a lot of attention due to the value and quality of their models. In fact, you can read our in-depth review here from their top of the line Artista Range to find out why.
The owner (Toni) is a lovely person with a lot of passion behind his projects. I am therefore very glad to see them increasing their reach by partnering up with more retailers.
A Fine Pair of Shoes will supposedly carry them from September, but the Instagram reveal photo has been removed since. On the official affiliate thread of Styleforum however they list TLB as a Brand. Take this with a grain of salt until a proper announcement.
Lastly, Kirby Allison from The Hanger Project is starting some project with them as well. A preview at the end of June verifies that. Let’s see what they do!
Meermin’s Unlined MTO’s
Looking around for new releases or special MTO’s, the only worthwhile mentioning are Meermin’s. With the scorching heatwave in Europe going strong, you have a few days left to fund a series of 5 unlined Chukkas in various colors along with a Gold Museum Calf Loafer.
If you have a tight budget and like value, they are hard to beat. Not the most exciting of news, but might be what you are looking for.
Foster & Sons RTW Prices
While writing last week’s article about the Best Shoes Over $700 I had a dilemma. Foster & Sons make incredible Bespoke Shoes but also have some RTW ranges. However, I did not have that much information on that.
After reaching out to them, they were very kind to reply and let me know that they updated their website to include prices. A big thanks to Andrew Murphy for taking the time to reply to me.
Prices range from £765 up to £1450 with a few cheaper models for evening events. Here’s the link to their website.
The shoes are fantastic and classic with a beautiful high quality finish. In the most expensive line, you also get lasted shoe trees.
The Not-So Indestructible Ryder Shoes – A Safety Perspective
We will end the July 2019 Shoe News with a not so serious (yet serious) discovery. Browsing YouTube, I came across a video from The Kavalier. He has a very nice, honest channel where he reviews and crash tests a lot of menswear brands. Please check out his content!
The video I saw was about an allegedly indestructible shoe/sneaker variant by Ryder. He puts them through the test comparing what they show in the advertisement. The results are shocking and you should not use these as a “shoe for the battlefield“.
Now, why should you care and what do I know about it?
I worked as an environmental consultant for years in the field and tough conditions. There are hazards everywhere that have to do with loose ground, nails, sharp objects and electricity. Additionally, to get clearance to work on a proper work-site you need shoes that extend over the ankle, not sneakers.
Now, this riles me up because it once again spreads misinformation. In short, they fail the grip test, puncture resistance and in fire situations you will end up like the terminator. Also, try stepping on a single nail and not a bunch of them which distributes the weight.
TLDR: Buy only quality, certified PPE (Personal Protective Equipment) for real works.
July’s Over, Welcome August!
What a way to end the July 2019 Shoe News huh?! With summer in full swing and temperatures out of control, it is nice to take a breather and relax a bit. Sales are ongoing almost everywhere, with even the Suitsupply Outlet behind us now.
Companies are getting ready to launch their Autumn/Winter Collections and it is nice to see expansions, increase in availability and new website designs to accommodate this digital age.
In the meantime, there is no break for Misiu Academy. Like each of the previous 60 weeks we will keep bringing you awesome content. I would love to hear your opinions about any of these news, or something I might have missed. Don’t forget to subscribe to The Noble Shoe for a 5% Discount on your First Purchase!
Thank you for reading,
Kostas Mandilaris,
Misiu Academy
