Guide – My shoe collection 4

Every year I go through my shoe collection, as it looks at present time. A lot of lovely shades of brown, and one black model. 23 pairs in total, but several pairs will be sold of due to foot issues I have, more about that further down in the article.

 

As always on his blog I use the model Loake Aldwych on the Capital last as a reference shoe. In that I have size UK10 in standard width. My regular shoe size today is UK10 in extra width or UK10,5 standard width. Since the Capital last is large in size, UK10 works well there.

 

First row from the left: RM Williams Wentworth, Crockett & Jones Chelsea 5, Vass for Shoegazing Sarek, Italigente Stoccolma II, Italigente Treviso
Second row: Heschung Crocus, Italigente Venezia, Loake Aldwych, Gaziano & Girling Cambridge, Melker Shoes Plain cap toe oxford
Third row: Maftei Seamless wholecut, Yohei Fukuda Willow, Maftei 3-eyelet derby, Myrqvist Strömsö, Crownhill The Stewart
Forth row: Riccardo Bestetti Novecento Special oxford, Hiro Yanagimachi L33, Gaziano & Girling Cambridge, Jan Kielman Quarter brogue, Alfred Sargent Exclusive Hunt
Fifth row: Italigente for Shoegazing Napoli, Riccardo Bestetti Novecento Maverick, John Lobb Paris Towcester

 

 

 

 

RM Williams Wentorth

 

Color: Brown suede. Last: ? RM Williams is a big selling brand around the world, their chelsea boots have been very popular among many for several years now. Wentworth is a model with their own rugged rubber sole on a last with a round toe, here in dark brown suede. I wear size UK10,5, which works fine except that left pinky toe goes gets squeezed. Smaller overall than the reference last Loake Capital. Retail price around €500.

 

 

 

 

Crockett & Jones Chelsea 5

 

Color: Antique nubuck, last: 335. One of my most worn pairs during the winter season. Double Dainite sole and the waxy so called antique nubuck leather, which still takes polish rather well. One of Crockett & Jones roomier lasts, where some can go down half a size. I wear UK10, which is similar in size to the Capital last. Price around €550.

 

 

 

 

Vass for Shoegazing Sarek

 

Color: Tärnsjö chestnut, last: P2 (New Peter). A model which was developed for the Shoegazing Super Trunk Show last year, of Vass and me and the forum moderators and co-organizers of the event. A variant of Edward Green’s model Galway made in vegetable tanned leather from the Swedish tannery Tärnsjö, with a nice character. Made in a size EU45 standard width. The P2 last is slightly smaller in width than the reference last Capital, but roughly comparable in length. Price € 530.

 

 

 

 

Italigente Stoccolma II

 

Color: Mogano, last: 15. Chelsea on the last that I have been involved in developing for Italigente, an elegant last with a classic round toe. I have size 45. The 15 lastis just like the rest of Italigente’s lasts a bit on the large side in size. The fact that it is EU sizes makes it a bit difficult to compare directly to the Capital last, but if we take 45 of the 15 last it’s quite similar to Capital in UK10. Price €455.

 

 

 

 

Italigente Treviso

 

Color: Nero, last: 29. Black wholecut on Italigente’s slightly chiseled last 29. As mentioned is Italigente a bit large in size, but even so size 45 works very well for me. A little more inwardly curved arch than the default for most RTW shoes which suits me fine. Size 45 is quite similar to the Capital in size UK10. Price €425.

 

 

 

 

Heschung Crocus

 

Color: Aniline Caffe, last: Oden. Heavy derby with reversed welt and coarsely patterned rubber sole. Unusually soft and comfortable shoes to be double soled, here Heschung has succeeded. Unfortunately, a bit small for me. I have UK10 in these, which is also big in size but not quite as long as Capital, therefore, my pinky toes goes against the front part. Price about €380.

 

 

 

 

Italigente Venezia

 

Color: Caffe, last: 29. Deep brown shade on these wholecuts with medallion. I am personally very fond of wholecuts, and when you add a decorative medallion like here it becomes a less formal, and they are excellent even with informal clothes like jeans. For fit info, see the model Treviso above. Price €425.

 

 

 

 

Loake Aldwych

 

Color: Dark brown, last: Capital. The reference shoe itself, the immensely popular plain cap toe oxford from Loake. Even though prices have gone up in recent years, they still sell well, and is a solid choice for the money. These are in UK10, Loakes Capital last is rather large in size, both long and fairly wide, but with a quite normal instep. Price around € 310.

 

 

 

 

Gaziano & Girling Hove

 

Color: Vintage oak, last: DG70. A very versatile shoe with its single Dainite sole which makes it great for wet fall, spring and winter days. I’m not normally a derby guy, but these I love. Like that it’s more sleek than Edward Green Dover. G&G’s shoes are quite small in size, many have to up in size or width. These are UK10 F width (extra wide). MTO, so the price is around €1600.

 

 

 

 

Melker Shoes Plain cap toe oxford

 

Color: Annonay Vegano Burnishing calf 2444, last: bespoke. From our renowned Swedish bespoke shoemaker Janne Melkersson. The burnishiable calf leather from French D’Annonay has a beautiful deep right from the start. Very nice shoe this classic brown cap toe in stylish round toe last, which I use a lot. Price about € 2700.

 

 

 

 

Maftei Seamless wholecut

 

Color: Antique Brown, last: bespoke. My first pair from Maftei, which is a seamless wholecut, which involves pulling the upper over the last as a full leather piece, and then cut the opening at the end. Had a bit darker toe from the start, but after an accident with candle wax part of the darkening cream came off, and I haven’t returned them to their original state yet. Unfortunately, these are bit too tight today, when I gained weight a lot since they were ordered. Price about € 1 400.

 

 

 

 

Yohei Fukuda Willow

 

Color: Burgundy, last: modified chiseled last. Last pair in, made to a really high standard, as a semi bespoke/MTM of Yohei Fukuda’s chiseled last. A so-called faux full brogue, in which the wingtip and heel cap brogueing only are decoration on whole leather pieces. The fit is really good, not least for being the first pair, some corrections required in the arch area for the next pair, but that’s all. Price about € 2 600.

 

 

 

 

Maftei 3-eyelet derby

 

Color: Antique burgundy, last: bespoke. A 3 eyelet derby in hand painted crust leather with lizard facing from Maftei, my second pair from them. Quite daring to be me, with the lizard leather. As with my Maftei’s above the last has become a bit too small now, sadly. Price about €1400.

 

 

 

 

Myrqvist Strömsö

 

Color: Dark brown, last:? Another newcomer in the collection, the Swedish online store Herrstil’s shoe range known as Myrqvist, whose Kickstarter campaign just ended. Have only been used indoors for somet occasion so no in depth perception of them so far, but they seem fairly good for the price. I have size UK10,5, which is clearly smaller than the corresponding size in the Capital last, not least in width. Price €220.

 

 

 

 

Crownhill The Stewart

 

Color: Dark brown, last: Faraday. From the Spanish budget brand Crowhill’s Goodyear welted top range, with for the price nice uppers from the French tannery Haas and oak bark tanned leather soles. I wear UK10,5, and they are definitely small in size, this is a bit smaller overall than Capital in a half size down. Price €250.

 

 

 

 

Riccardo Bestetti Novecento Special oxford

 

Color: Vintage tobacco, last: modified Almond toe. My second pair from Riccardo Bestetti, from his range called Novecento which are made to the same standard as his bespoke shoes, but are made as semi bespoke/MTM where standard lasts are slightly modified. Inspired by John Lobb Paris St. Crepin 2008 with the special decoration stitch, made on my last at Riccardo in the color Antique Tobacco. Price €1500.

 

 

 

 

Hiro Yanagimachi L33

 

Color: Medium brown, last: International last. A clinically made shoe, and in my eyes the most beautiful split toe derby available, with a perfect balance between last shape and pattern. The upper leather is very delicate parts of an aniline dyed leather from the French tannery Annonay. It is probably the shoe with the finest materials that I own, in competition with my Gaziano & Girling Cambridge and Bestetti Maverick, where I also had a bit of luck and got shoes made of these real gold pieces of leather. These are MTO in UK10, which unfortunately turned out to be on the small side for me now when I’ve worn them a bit, so these will be replaced with the same model on modified semi bespoke last. Price about € 2 200.

 

 

 

 

Gaziano & Girling Cambridge

 

Color: Vintage cedar, last: MH71. When it comes to looks this is my favorite RTW last in the world, Gaziano & Girlings MH71. Soft square, elegant and just the right aggressiveness in shape. These are in UK10 in F-widht (wide fit) but are still smaller than the reference shoe Loake Aldwych on the Capital last. Many have to go up in size or width in Gaziano & Girling’s lasts. Price around €1 200.

 

 

 

 

Jan Kielman Quarter brogue

 

Color: Tan, last: bespoke. The Polish bespoke shoemaker Jan Kielman also accept orders over distance where you take the measurements yourself, this was such a pair. They fit pretty good taking this into account, and for being a first pair. The upper leather are from Tannery D’Annonay and is alright, the building quality is nice. Price today around €1 000.

 

 

 

 

Alfred Sargent Exclusive Hunt

 

Color: Chestnut, last: 104. Alfred Sargents full brogue model in a special make-up for Skomaker Dagestad in Norway, with a single Wensum rubber sole. Excellent for fall and spring, and Sargent Exclusive is a lot of shoes for the money. I wear these in UK10,5 standard width, they fit pretty good for me in width but is sligthly long. These in 10,5 fits pretty similar to Loake Capital in UK10 actually. Price approximately €600.

 

 

 

 

Italigente for Shoegazing Napoli

 

Color: Castagna, last: 29. The model that started my cooperation with Italigente, one can say. Here I crossed a punched wholecut of Antonio Meccariello with Italigentes wholecut with medallion Venezia in the color Castagna. It has been one of Italigente’s most popular models, which is pleasing. The last is described more above in the text for the model Treviso. Price €425.

 

 

 

 

Riccardo Bestett Novecento Maverick

 

Color: tan, last: modified Almond toe. The first pair I ordered from Riccardo Bestetti, Maverick, which is an exquisite interpretation of an adelaide, with very nice shapes. As mentioned above, the material is really nice. Fits very well except at the heel, which messes things up a little for me unfortunately. Price for Novecento starts at € 1 700.

 

 

 

 

John Lobb Paris Towcester

 

Color: Parisian suede, last: 7000. A kind of special model from John Lobb Paris with the brogue wing on the sides and the round medallion which looks a bit like a sun. Lovely brown shade on the suede. 7000 last is relatively roomy, especially in length where it’s quite similar to Loake Capital, but less roomy in width. Pris kring €1 100.

 

 

Here is a simple and very generalizing quality comparison of the shoes above, since there is a request from our readers:
Crownhill, Loake 1880, Myrqvist < Crockett & Jones Benchgrade, Heschung, Italigente, RM Williams < Alfred Sargent Exclusive < Vass <Gaziano & Girling, Jan Kielman, John Lobb Paris < Maftei, Melker Shoes, Riccardo Bestetti Novecento < Hiro Yanagimachi, Yohei Fukuda

 

So then over to the sad, to me, but maybe fun for those of you who can buy the shoes that are being sold. As I mentioned in last year’s post (on the Swedish version of the blog) I had some couples who were on the verge of being too tight, and now all will be sold together with some new ones to come and fall into the same league. I have had foot problems, mainly hallux valgus on the right foot, but also a couple of other stuff that was caused by the fact that I wore too tight shoes back in the days and additionally continued with the already tight shoes when I gained weight. It is also continuing weight gain that places the part in several of the cases are now sold. The problems haven’t really gotten worse the past year, but not better either, that’s something I’m getting a bit tired off so therefore all pairs that are only half decent in fit are being sold now. The money I receive will go to the new shoes.

If interested e-mail to shoegazingblog@gmail.com. Those that do not go directly here will be posted in Buying and selling forum here on Shoegazing’s Swedish site and then the Style Forum and Ebay. Below the shoes to be sold, and the price in SEK (shipping varies depending on country, but outside Sweden the cost is usually €30-60), and in any case they are very tidy and in good condition, in some cases, very little used or brand new. Payment via bank transfer or PayPal (where buyer pay the PayPal fee, if any). I hold firmly to the principle of first come first served.

Hiro Yanagimachi L33, UK10: 10 900 SEK (price new 20 000, very limited use, about ten times short periods)
*SOLD* Bestetti Maverick, UK10: 5900 SEK (price new 17,000)
*SOLD* Bestetti Special oxford, UK10: 5900 SEK (price new 17,000)
*SOLD* Maftei Seamless wholecut, corresponding to UK10: 3900 SEK (price new 13,000)
Maftei derby,corresponding to UK10: 3900 SEK (price new 12,000)
John Lobb Towcester, UK10: 3900 SEK (price new 10,000)
*SOLD* Gaziano Girling Cambridge, UK10 (F width): 4900 SEK (price new 11,000)
Crownhill The Stewart, UK10,5: 1200 SEK (price new 2300, mint condition, just use the short time indoor)
RM Williams, UK10,5: 3 400 SEK (price new  5000, using 5-10 times)
Heschung Crocus, UK10: 2400 SEK (price new 4200, used about 10 times)

There is some new stuff going in. Bespoke pairs from Gaziano & Girling and Janne Melkersson, as mentioned a similar pair of split toes from Hiro Yanagimachi but on modified lasts will be ordered, plus I wait for shoes from Awl & Sundry and Broken Bird Boot Makers.

 

Finally, some bonus pictures from the presentation: