23/06/2019
Over the soon 7 years I’ve been writing this blog, I have been on something of an adventure. Or a treasure hunt, if you like. I’ve built up a decent collection of pieces and sold or passed on a fair number as well. It would also be fair to say that there has been an escalation in what catches the…
15/06/2019
It’s a universal truth, that shoes made in the UK are good, very good. They are well put together, sturdy, made with materials far superior to that of a mass produced shoe that you would find in a High Street “Fashion Emporium. They generally look better too, are more substantial, a better shape, and a better and more standardised fit.…
08/09/2018
I have to admit, shoelaces can be a major frustration to me. You’d think the ones included with a pair of shoes or boots would be the absolute pinnacle of shoelace technology, to match the outstanding footwear supplied by the dedicated craftsmen that have carefully and lovingly designed, decided and crafted the footwear you are holding, using all their years…
07/09/2018
These days I’m doing a fair bit of travelling for work, an arduous task that provides ample opportunity for doing a spot of people-gazing. Or as is more often the case in these days where you should not catch anyone’s eye, looking at what people are wearing on their feet. Seeing how many Norwegian men wear really awful shoes, even…
07/04/2018
HebTroCo makes their Moto and Chukka boots at William Lennon & Co in Stoney Middleton, Hope Valley, Derbyshire and I found myself there by their invitation on an overcast Wednesday in March. This is the first in a series of articles about the background and makers of the HebTroCo products. Stoney Middleton. It’s such a typically British name. Not uniquely so though, as…
10/07/2015
An expression came to mind last week whilst preparing a new pair of rugged Red Wing boots for use, “tough as old boots”. It got me wondering where such an expression might have come from, and also whether there was any significance in the “old” part of it. Were boots stronger in previous times? I have observed that there has been…
16/11/2014
In recent times I’ve had a couple of pairs of my quality shoes, the ones with Goodyear welted shoe soles, resoled. In the grand scheme of things makes me something of a know-it-all, with regards to what goes on on the underside of Gentleman’s footwear. First I found a pair of custom-grade Church brogues, which I then had resoled with Dainite soles, then…
22/05/2014
Oslo is the capital and largest city in Norway and by Norwegian standards there are a lot of people living there and the surrounding areas. A big city, in one of the richest countries in the world. Yet in many respects it’s a provincial little town, and perhaps especially when it comes to good shops. Apart from the usual stuff you…
19/04/2014
I confess, I come from a family of scavengers. Jumble sales, small ads and charity shops all get our blood pumping that little bit harder. My Saturday trip to town always includes a visit to the local Salvation Army charity shop for a quick look through their stock. 999 times out of a 1000 there is nothing worthwhile there, but…
11/04/2014
Well Dressed Dad has been obliquely nagging for a piece to be written about the Clarks Wallabees for a while now. As it is, he is a latecomer to this most excellent of folds having only just purchased his first pair at a ripe old age so knows little more than he likes the look of them and let’s face it, every…