Last week was my second fitting at GJ Cleverley on the bespoke pair of cap-toes in the Anthony Cleverley style I ordered at the beginning of this series.
Having found that there was a little too much excess across the vamp, above the joints of the toes, at the first fitting, the last was whittled down and the uppers relasted to reduce that excess. Dominic Casey, who originally checked and lasted the shoes for me, conducted this fitting as George Glasgow has been in hospital (get well soon George!).
Dominic noted that they often allow more excess than might seem natural through this point of the shoe to create a graceful curve from the instep down to the vamp, before it curves up to the point of the toe. Obviously if the shape of the foot were followed exactly this slope down from the laces would be rather sharp.
The fit was much improved. Dominic recommended that the best way to check the fit was to make sure the leather was touching but not pressing both the big and little toes, and that there was just a little headroom above those in between. One should not go on the way the shoe bends at this point, as the lack of a sole means there will naturally be greater bend and hence wrinkling.
It is also important to remember at this point that once the sole is in place there will be greater support through the arches, given how high and close the waist will be cut. There is, though, more support at this stage than you might expect as the heel stiffener runs right up to the arch, stopping halfway along it – most ready made shoes have far shorter stiffeners (though I’m glad to say that my Corthays did have long ones, upon close inspection by Dominic).
Elsewhere on the shoe, I appreciate how closely the quarters fit around my ankle, keeping the foot in place. As Dominic put it, I am “terribly thin through the ankle” and as such few ready made shoes fit as tightly there.
The shoes now go back to Andy, who will add the sole and create and attach the heels. Depressingly or excitingly, depending on your point of view, we are still a few stages off the shoes being complete (wait until we get to staining and finishing!).
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Simon these look excellent. I have no experience with bespoke but was wondering about the cap toe: it doesn’t look straight. Mig be the picture or just one of the effects of bespoke (adapting to asymmetric feet).
Given how the shape of the foot curves, the line across the bottom of the laces is never going to be parallel with the toe cap, as Dominic said at the lasting stage. You wouldn’t want it to be. And this is particularly true of Cleverley shoes with their suspicious squareness (more evident in fact on the George Cleverley toe, unlike this one which is Anthony). It’s not a result of bespoke.
Beautiful shoes, refined, balanced and understated. However, I have one question. In the third and fourth photo the closure seems to spread( the laces span a larger distance at the top than at the bottom. My (non bespoke) shoes have this and I always thought it was a sign of not being bespoke. Is there a convention or tradition in shoemaking I am unaware of? Is this a style choice?
The gap on the laces is intentionally done, the purpose is that after a long time, when the bedfoot is deepened on the insole and upper leather stretched, the closing will match perfectly.
Wonderful blog Mr. Crompton. You must to visit Spain someday and to see our tailors. Visit: http://www.elaristocrata.com/
Greetings from Spain.
Guys at El Aristocrata, I think I remember the store from a few years ago in Madrid. I’ll definitely stop by next time I’m there.
Simon
Simon
Why is there seam at the back of the heel, I would have requested it to be cleaner and not have one.
Regards
CDM
CDM,
It is possible to do without but Cleverley would tell you that any shoe without one would be less substantial and harder to repair – less from the seam itself but because of the restriction in the leather choice for the one piece otherwise required.
To be honest, it didn’t occur to me at the time to ask (I have since in response to your question), but for a first pair of Cleverley shoes I wished to go for house style, as it were.
Simon