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.