Affluent Page Introduces Shiny Boots of Leather

Think of bespoke shoemaking and the first two words that should roll off your tongue are “John” and “Lobb.” In a catalogue featuring over fifty different types of skins—crocodile, lizard, suede, calfskin, among others—no two John Lobb shoes are alike. The task of crafting the perfect shoe is one that John Lobb does not take lightly, and, as a result, a pair takes up to a year to complete. It takes time to make a good shoe just right.

The process is split into four stages, and begins with the initial measurement of the feet, which takes between 45-minutes to an hour to complete. The shoemaker creates an outline of each foot, taking nine different measurements, and marking “soft spots” where veins are located. The actual made-to-measure shoemaking happens at John Lobb’s Paris workshop, where the next step in the process occurs.

At the workshop, a wooden version of each foot, called a “last,” is made by a last-maker. The last-maker stretches the leather over each foot before melting the material down to create a mock pair of shoes. After three months, these are sent to the shoemaker’s customer to try on. After the shoemaker marks the necessary modifications, the toe and heel of each shoe are pulled back to see how well each foot fits.

Back to Paris for the next step, called the vacuum press trial. After another two to three-months, a clear, heated-plastic shoe is made using the modifications from the leather model, and sent back to the shoemaker. This gives the tailor an “x-ray” look, showing exactly how each foot fits inside its shoe. Further modifications are made, and the shoes are sent back to the workshop.

It takes another three-months before the finished shoes are crafted. The aim is for these to be the final product, but this part of the process is often still considered a trial, though the last modifications are usually minor. After another three months, the finished shoes are ready to grace the soles of the customer’s feet.

Everything at the John Lobb factory is done by hand, including the stitching. Only the upper stitching is done on a machine, and even that requires a skilled workman to operate. What separates John Lobb from other shoemakers—besides the incredible detail of their work—is the quality of the leather. There are no shreds from fillers or surfaces on the leather, because it has no imperfections. Usually, an entire skin only produces a single pair of shoes.

Mogador Purple is John Lobb’s latest line, named for their new bespoke atelier. Featuring purple-stained soles, its namesake comes from Essaouira in Morocco, a port city famous for trade in Tyrian purple dye. This pigment has been highly valued since the Roman times, when its deep red tints were used to trim the robes of Roman emperors.

Paul Wilson, the bespoke shoemaker at John Lobb’s Madison Avenue boutique (one of only two in the United States), aims to give customers a completely personalized experience. “Pretty much anything is possible,” said Wilson.

John Lobb’s made-to-measure line of shoes typically range from $5,700 to $6,900, and from $10,000 to $12,000 for boots. For more exotic skin like crocodile or lizard, the price can exceed $20,000.