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I’m pleased to introduce a new place online to talk about classic quality shoes – the Shoegazing Discord. A chat server aimed at complementing forums and Facebook groups with a space for quicker talks and shoe discussions.
After the news that the oak bark tanned sole leather tannery J. Rendenbach were to close down, many people hoped for some sort of solution for the products to live on. Now it’s announced that the fellow German tannery Kilger has bought the recipe, took over equipment and tanning liquids and more, including the J.R. brand, and will already next year offer the new soles.
The famous Italian tannery Ilcea and its owner Gruppo Vecchia Toscana has launched a webshop where one easily can buy single hides and have them shipped worldwide. A welcome addition especially for bespoke shoemakers or other small operations.
The Japanese bespoke shoemaker Masaru Okuyama has moved from Hong Kong to England and London, where he is now setting up a workshop and preparing for a new chapter in his shoemaking life.
According to information given by a US sales representative of the famous tannery J. Rendenbach – most known for its oak bark tanned leather soles – the German company is to close the tannery. More info will follow later on, but here is a summary of what is known.
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The “online tailoring” brand Luxire has become a big player in classic menswear, offering highly affordable made to measure clothing. Now they have introduced a range of Goodyear welted shoes, offered from only €110 including free worldwide shipping.
When Alfred Sargent went into liquidation last winter, fourth generation of the founding family, Paul Sargent, quickly announced that he was leading a project to restart it all under a new name. Now Paul Sargent Shoes has officially launched.
The New York-based shoe store Leffot has done an awesome collaboration with Edward Green, the legendary mill Fox Brothers and tailor Justo Gimeno. Using a number of Fox tweed fabrics for matching shoes, caps and jackets, including Edward Green Galway boots with shafts in the lovely fabrics.
In the latest episode of the rather famous workwear boots and shoes focused podcast The Stitchdown Shoecast, I’m the guest. A really interesting talk spanning across many different topics, like the similarities and differences between the dress shoe world and the workwear boots world, discussion on “handmade” shoes and how it’s used for marketing, the actual difference in experience wearing Goodyear welted vs hand welted shoes, and much more.
Lots of various types of shoe brands start their journeys on Kickstarter or similar crowdfunding sites nowadays. Most are of zero interest in my view, but every now and then exceptions come along. One such is Caswell Bootmakers, who offers American-made workwear boots with leathers from Charles F. Stead and Horween Chromexcel at a good price point.
