Shoe News June 2019: Amblier Shoes, Cordovan Sneakers & More

A Nice Recap Before A Big Launch

I always liked journalism. While not the best at it I find it fascinating especially when it involves shoes! With the final preparations to launch The Noble Shoe next week ongoing I thought compiling footwear news every month would be a great addition. In this article in particular I will show you the most important Shoe News I could find during June 2019.

Highlights include a New Goodyear Welted Line by The Sabot, confusion about what is a Goodyear Welt and a pair of stunning (yet controversial) Nike Shell Cordovan Sneakers.

Enough chit-chat, let’s dive right into the action!

Amblier Shoes – Goodyear Welted By The Sabot

So to be honest with you all, I don’t understand The Sabot. A Swedish shop that opened its doors in July 2017. It had a robust selection of RTW shoes. Their own “Sabot” Line by Antonio Meccariello, entry level Andrés Sendra, Meccariello’s own Argentum range and even some shoes from world famous Yohei Fukuda.

A few months ago my interest on Antonio Meccariello spiked and I landed on The Sabot’s website. Everything was sold out so I peaked around to see what is available. Unfortunately, nothing was in stock at the moment.

Recently they just released Amblier Shoes which is their (second) own brand. Goodyear Welted in Spain with a closed channel sole (or rubber) and a price point starting at €325 ($370/£290/SEK 3435) up to €345 ($393/£310/SEK 3650).

A very interesting choice as the $300-400 arena is very competitive right now with brands sprouting left and right. It is very hard to build brand awareness and you need to offer something different. The Amblier Line has currently 10 shoes available:

• A Penny Loafer in Mid-Brown Suede or Black Calf
• A Cap-Toe Oxford in Black, Espresso Calf or Brown Suede
• One 5 Eyelet Derby in Oak Calf
• An Adelaide Oxford in Snuff Suede
• A Semi Brogue Oxford in Chocolate Suede
• A Wingtip in Burgundy Calf or Brown Suede

As you see the designs are quite classic and that is my biggest problem. I do not see why I would pick these instead of a more established brand. They do come with free shoe trees and the finish is nice but that’s all. What is the unique selling point?

Other than that, there is a MTO section that is “coming soon” and a couple models left from Yohei Fukuda and Joe Works. I wish them the best though!

Trivia: The Ashton Black Calf Oxford has a typo. Capote instead of Captoe.

Can You Do A Goodyear Welt By Hand?

Archibald London is an online platform selling high quality items. From simple accessories to tailoring and of course shoes. Last week I came across their own article where the author (Maja Bayyoud) discusses how they branded their shoes as “Goodyear a Mano“.

So the deal is that they did not know exactly what a Goodyear Welt is. They trusted what the Italian Shoemaker said to them, but something was lost in translation! Turns out their shoes are Hand-Welted but everything including the sole had a “Goodyear a Mano” stamp.

This causes a whole lot of issues that they need to fix, but their article was super transparent and what is best is that now they know the process. Very simply, you use a machine for Goodyear Welting while there is no machine during Hand Welting.

Lastly, I urge you to check out one of their shoes and scroll to the bottom. There is a very detailed breakdown comparing the cost to make and sell Archibald Shoes with luxury Brands. A very bold and good move in my opinion.

Not sure what a Goodyear Welt is? Read our amazing Shoe Construction Methods Article!

The Nike-Cordovan Hybrid Sneaker

There is a lot of buzz around a color 8 Shell Cordovan Nike Sneakers. For good reason too! They look different and lovely. My first taste was on Reddit but I also read a nice interview by Stitchdown on the matter. The creator is Bill Wuyek and has some very interesting things to say.

While discussing the matter with my good friend Bojan from ZEB Shoes, he pointed out to me that there is no confirmation that Nike endorses this. It is clear in the article that this is a Nike shoe.

Interestingly enough, Stitchdown has not approved my comment. On the newest article however, a comment exists which for me means they selectively chose to moderate my question.

Let’s see how this plays out. For all it’s worth, I hope there is no legal action against Bill since this is an amazing piece of work.

US-China Trade Wars

Another difficult topic with loads of complications is the recent Trump sanctions against China. If I understand correctly, the tariffs for many imported goods could increase up to 25%. China accounts for 70% of the footwear imports in the US which is a massive number.

This means a pair of sneakers that cost $150 would jump to $206! In the tailoring world, I am not sure how this will affect Suitsupply as everything comes from China. Meermin is a company that produces shoes there as well so we will see how it goes.

Hopefully a solution will come to fruition eventually as many businesses are facing important decisions.

Sons Of Henrey – Yet Another Entry Brand

Sons of Henrey did not launch this month. In fact, that was last year after 2 years of research. Now they have finally a nice website with a selection of 6 styles:

• Two Quarter Brogue Oxfords in Black and Dark Brown Calf
• Two Split-Toe Derbies in Dark Brown and Chestnut Utah Calf
• A Double Monk-Strap in Walnut Museum Calf
• A Chukka in Dark Brown Baby Calf

Nothing groundbreaking and they choose to play it safe with some classic options and nice soft square/round lasts. They retail for about €355-375 (around $405/£320/SEK 3750) including VAT. Goodyear Welted in Spain with a nice, clean website. It is a very tough spot with Carmina, TLB Mallorca, Carlos Santos in this range.

You can also check out their small Sale Section with up to 50% discounts on three models. An excellent deal if you ask me. A few models also are available on the Shoe Snob Marketplace.

Initially I was curious by the choice of name (who am I to speak with Misiu Academy!) but on the bottom of their site it pays homage to their great-great grandfather. I love such messages. Subtle and rewarding to those who search and a reminder that you deal with a small family business.

Hey, What About Your Own Shop?!

I guess this is Shoe News from June 2019 right? A very quick update, my shop is almost ready for launch and I must admit I am very proud of my Instagram Photos. Hopefully I will launch this week as I have some product photos left before going live. For more information, check out last week’s post.

Any Other News?

We are in full Sales/Clearance mode! Tricker’s, Cheaney, even Crockett & Jones are having Sales. Be on the lookout for the Suitsupply Outlet in July and of course check our article on the matter.

That’s All Folks!

A nice quick article on the best Shoe News of June 2019 that I could find. A bit of controversy, some new releases but always something to think about. Do you think Trump can win the trade wars with China? How about the two new Brands we introduced?

Let me know in the comments down below and don’t forget to subscribe we have a very big amount of content coming up! Also let me know what you think of the new logo at Misiu Academy!

Thank you for reading,

Kostas Mandilaris,
Misiu Academy