Well, my favourite pair of shoes, the Oundles from Edward Green, are back from refurbishment and looking pretty darn good. As requested, here are a few pictures of them in their new, refreshed state.
The upper is unchanged, save for a few layers of meticulous polish. It still has that antiqued look created by dozens of layers of polish over the past few years. But the sole and heel are entirely new – clean and hard and ready to be worn – and the sock inside is new too. So my personal imprint (and therefore bespoke comfort) is retained in the insole and the upper. But the rest is new.
EG have also added in a full-length sock rather than the half sock it originally had. Because if I had to choose, they were a little big rather than a little small.
It’s a blessed relief after seeing them torn apart just a few weeks ago.
The two previous posts on the refurbishment, how the shoes are stripped down, followed by their repair, can be seen by clicking on those hyperlinks.
they came out beautifully! that leather finish is so timeless and right. hey, where can i get some women’s loafers slip on with leather fringe? i wish i could find really well healed lovely shoes to go with my new izod dress. have a lovely weekend.
Beautiful. Which last?
I’m curious whether Edward Green or comparable shoemakers (I hesitate to call them ‘brands,’ a word which now would seem to rob these artisans of their excellence) install metal taps on the toes of their shoes at customer request. It is my impression that doing so is the best way to ensure maximum life out of a pair of soles.
Thanks Laguna, 888.
Arctic, most will yes. I know some (eg Alfred Sargent) prefer not to as it can be hard to ensure their longevity, but most are happy to do so. Personally, I dislike it and if anything would add a couple of rows of nails instead. Less noisy too.
Is the application of a “half-sole” encouraged or discouraged on shoes of this or any other quality?
I personally have been a blind advocate(at least for my own shoes). They allow me to be much more flexible with regard to the weather and protect the original leather/shoe from refurbishment. Would u have a more educated opinion on this practice?
Hello, great article. What would you say to: before wearing a pair of shoes for the first time, having a rubber sole or any other man-made material added? I simply do not like to see the leather at the bottom of the shoe being worn down! Thanks.
Leather is always preferably, in terms of fit and breathability. Rubber should only be for wet conditions etc. Fine shoes deserve good leather soles.
Simon
hi simon, really enjoy reading your blog and have learnt a great deal about tailoring from you.
im looking to buy a pair of EG oundles, but am a bit concerned by a few bits and bobs ive read on forums, saying the stiching on the vamp sometimes causes issues as this is where the forefoot flexes (and apparantly EG changed the design between a previous similar model to try and avoid this). HAve you found this at all or have you found the stiching low on the vamp is irrelevant to the comfort of the shoe?
Thanks in advance, Andy
I haven’t found it a problem at all Andy, and have noticed no change between this old pair and a new pair I got this year. However, be aware that monk-strap shoes are always going to be harder to get a perfect fit than a lace-up, as there is less versatility to your foot. Not as bad as a slip-on, but always worse than an oxford or derby.
Can you try one on somewhere to see? The important thing is that your toes are comfortable and your heel does not slip.
Simon
thanks for the reply simon, glad you said that as i love the design of the shoe. do you know when the oundle was designed by EG, is it an old design?
yes im based in london so i’ll take a trip down to jermyn street and try a pair on. the colour of the pair you had refurbished is fantastic, a kind of chilli colour? does EG offer the oundle in this colour as standard or was that pair mto?
andrew
Andrew, I don’t know how old the design of the shoe is, but it’s been in the collection a while.
My pair is a straightforward chestnut, ready to wear. Most of the colour is down to years of wear and polishing.
Simon
ok thanks simon.
A
Simon
Really interesting article. I have been wearing Berlutis – ready to wear and a couple of bespoke pairs – for many years. Of late, I have considering looking at an English bespoke shoe.
From looking at your site, it would appear Edward Green, George Cleverley and John Lobb would be the three to consider, or have I missed anyone worth putting on the list? I think the Lobb pricing is slightly on the high side for me, but the first two seem to be relatively reasonably priced.
Keep up the good work, great blog!
Hi FSP,
Edward Green don’t do bespoke, merely made to order. I would say you should consider, among English bespoke makers, Cleverley, Lobb and Gaziano & Girling.
Simon
this is a fascinating post simon. one question which occurred to me was, you mentioned having a full sock put in rather than a half sock. any idea what the material is that shoe makers use on the footbed which you can see when there is a half sock used (a full sock obscures it)? its looks like a white hard cement like substance, is this put on the leather insole for protection?
micheal
Michael I don’t know what shoes you have, but in mine it’s the leather insole.
Simon, one of the reasons for sending shoes to the original makers for resoling is that they would have the exact same lasts to put in the shoes for the operation. However from your three articles I don’t seem to see any photos of the original lasts being inserted into your shoes. Any comments?
Vincent
The last is in there Vincent, even if not photographed. Though as these are not bespoke there are quite a few Oundle lasts, size 9 around.
Great series of articles.
A quick question, is it possible to size down a little when resoling?
Yes, they can put it back on the last or even a half-size down. Not always reliable, but definitely worth trying
Hi Simon. These shoes are just beautiful. What leather and color are these, i would like to order the same pair? I cant figure it out vs available options. Thank you. Keep up the great work.
Hi
It’s the Oundle model on the 888 last in I believe burnt pine colour. The same combination might not be available in stock currently however, as it was a long time ago!
You should be able to order them though
Simon
Simon, fantastic post as ever. I need to get some high-end shoes resoled, and I am planning on having them sent back to the manufacturer for the complete refurbishment process which I gather includes putting them back on the original lasts. The shoes wer always a touch loose on me when new, especially around the vamo, and have since additionally lost something of their snuggness and original fit as a result of my poor treatment of them – putting them on poorly shapped shoe trees after getting them wet and then putting them near a radiator. Do you think the factory will be able to regain the original fit, and more over to do you think it would be a good idea or even possible for the manufacturer to put the shoes onto a last a half size down to get them snugger for me? I would appreciate your thoughts before In advance of me approaching the brand (a high end Northampton manufactured company). Thank you
Yes, it’s worth asking about putting them on a half size smaller. But if they recommend against it when they see the shoe, go with what they say. You’ll still notice a substantial difference
I got the same EG 888 last monk with you. The same taste with Mr. Simon.
Simon,
I’m wondering what you think of the Oundle in black. While I’ve built up a modest collection of brown shoes, I still only own one pair of black shoes, which are plain captoe oxfords.
It’s time to diversify the black range a little bit; but given how infrequently I wear black shoes (once ever week or two), I’d like to find something a little more interesting than, e.g., another pair of captoe oxfords with the addition of some broguing. At the same time, I don’t want anything ostentatious, because I’ll mainly wear them in the office with a charcoal suit.
Intuitively I tend to discount monk straps as casual shoes and a bit out of fashion, but this model’s single strap, the stitching on the vamp, etc. seem to maintain a smart and reasonably conservative look.
If you agree, would you go with a medallion toe,? A silver or brass buckle? Is there another shoe that comes to mind for what I’m after?
Thanks!
I think the Oundle would be nice in that mould, and it would be a very subtle version of a monk strap. I’d go with a medallion toe and a brass buckle myself.
The other shoe that comes to mind is a loafer, which would add a slightly more casual edge and some variation, yet still be fine with the charcoal suits. Perhaps Piccadilly or Belgravia
Great advice, as always. Thanks!
Are this shoes still alive?
Yep. Not worn quite as often, just because I wear more casual shoes (loafers, suede, cordovan) more these days. But still great when I get them out.
After a lot of time of wearing Edward Green and bespoke shoes, how do you think is a bespoke pairs more better and comfortable than EG shoes?
Hi Sergey,
I think you could make the comparison between bespoke shoes and any high-end maker, like Edward Green.
And I would say that most of the time, a RTW shoe in a last and style that works really well for you, will be as comfortable as a first bespoke shoe. A second or third bespoke shoe might then exceed the RTW – it has that potential. And there is variation between bespoke makers too. But the benefit of bespoke is largely a long-term one, not through just the one pair.
As to whether bespoke is ‘better’ in other ways, that depends a lot on what you value. Bespoke has the potential for style details like a bevelled waist, thinner welt, pitched heel and so on, which you might want or not (and other shoemakers, though not EG, do offer these things on RTW shoes). And then bespoke is stronger and theoretically lasts longer – but that will only tell over decades.
Interesting to hear that you now wear more casual shoes, Simon. Could you please elaborate on the reason why? Is it that you find shoes such as these monk straps too formal for your odd jacket and trousers outfits? When would you wear these monk straps (or similarly formal shoes) then? Thanks.
Yes, I think that it’s because I wear more jackets and trousers, fewer suits. And because those jackets and trousers are also likely to be less dressy. Less high, fine tailoring and more Oxford shirts, flannels and cashmere or tweed jackets. Which often (but not always) suit more casual shoes
Hello, Simon. These Oundles are beautiful. What’s your opinion about the Mercer? Between the Mercer and the Chelsea (both in dark oak and 82 last) which would you prefer? Thanks.
I’m not a big fan of a more normal monk strap like the Mercer. I’d go for the Chelsea myself