Hand Embroidered Velvet Albert House Shoes

I have recently made some velvet house shoes for the Metropolitan Club and also for a few well known clients. the beauty of these house shoes is not only the comfort of them but being able to choose the colour you would like, the different linings available and of course your choice of initials in either 'fancy block' or 'script'. If you have a family coat of arms then this too can be hand embroidered on to the velvet or like the initials of the Metropolitan Club, the logo that is recognised as being part of the club. The colours of velvet available are black, navy, wine, bottle green, pink, gold, white & lime green, choose then the colour of the luxurious quilted lining in black or red. The house shoes come with a dress sole of about an 1/8" thick, ideal for around the house or for the occassional trip outside. The heels too are of leather and they measure 3/4" in height. The formal house shoe looks good whether worn indoors in the privacy of your own home or with a black tie suit for a very formal event.

The house shoe with the 'A' embroidered on them is embroidered in 'script' a single initial stands out very well and looks good, this is the ladies style of slipper and has a slightly lower cut to it than the mens slipper to the right.

The house shoes are $500.00 per pair with up to 3 initials, family crest or logo hand embroidered on them are a little more. To order or for more information please go to the website and email or telephone me with the details and size required.

Why choose The London Shoemaker?

A lot of people get their shoes handmade to measure, there are a few good shoemakers still in England to choose from but they do tend to specialise in a 'house' style. I like to think that with my history of the shoe business, that i have the knowledge of making a variety of different toeshapes & styles and can help you in choosing a shoe that you have always wanted. Whether you choose a timeless classic, something modern, in black box calf or something exotic with a fancy colour lining, all these i can help you make the right decision in the choice of shoe that will look good on you.

This pair above i have recently made and as i mentioned above it carries an age old style of the elastic sided shoe together with an alligator top and a box calf front and back. There is a very smart line of broguing in a single hole punch that carries forward to the front and the tassles are also in alligator. There is a very smart toe design to the front of the shoe that i think looks very delicate and carries the shoe off extremely well. It may be a little too much for some but as a modern twist on an old design it goes very well.

It is something that won't suit everybody but it does show that if you have a style in mind and want a touch of the exotic material too, then with the help in choosing what will look good i am able to help you make that decision.

Welcome

Welcome to my bespoke handmade custom shoe weblog.
I have been in the shoe trade for the past 30 years and at the age of sixteen after finishing school I started work with:

Alan McAfee.
I worked within the Aquascutum store on Regent Street before running my own shop for them in Old Bond Street. Over the years with them I ended up running their shops in New Bond Street, Knightsbridge, Brompton Road, Mayfair and the City.

New & Lingwood.
On Jermyn Street, where i was fortunate enough to train as a lastmaker and worked in a small room with a vice and a bench, this was the same small room that shoemaker George Cleverley used to make his shoes, and i was able to talk and watch him whilst he was there. I learnt a lot in my years with New & Lingwood and also travelled to the USA and Japan for their overseas trunk shows.

Foster & Son.
Also on Jermyn Street and learnt under the guidance of Mr Terry Moore, who is regarded as the best last maker in London. Here i studied more on lastmaking & clicking (the cutting of the leather). For the time i spent here i learnt a great deal on shaping and hand carving the lasts. I also re-started their overseas visits to the USA.

G J Cleverley.
In The Royal Arcade off Old Bond Street. It seemed funny returning alsmost to the same place that i started work many years ago and how some of the places had changed over the time and how the fashion houses had moved in. I worked for cleverley for over ten years, and over that time i took on the roll of workshop manager, dealing with the makers, closers and repairers. I also travelled to the USA and Japan for them measuring and fitting the shoes, and of course lastmaking and helping in the training of people who wanted to know how to make lasts, one of them being Mr Tony Gaziano, who came from Edward Green to learn with us.

The London Shoemaker
In 2005 i started my own business and travelled to the USA on my first trunk show, i travelled regularly to New York, four times a year with Steven Hitchcock - Master Tailor and i also travelled to Washington DC where i worked with Field Custom Tailors n Wisconsin Avenue. I am now able to make and create the shoes and ideas that i was unable to do previously and take them from paper to the finished shoe.

At Journeymen Saddlers-Middleburg VA
I moved to the USA in April of 2007 on a work visa and am currently based in North Virginia in Middleburg, i have taken on the repairing of the riding boots and also tack repair at 'Journeymen Saddlers' who specialise in custom chaps, saddle, tack and riding boot repairs. I am also their person for the measuring for 'Vogel' riding boots.

Journeymen Saddlers are able to offer a complete service for all equine related repairs, whatever needs repairing can be done at their store on West Federal Street, Middleburg.