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Shipton & Heneage Contemporary Collection

Thursday 25 March 2010

 
Like any Englishman I’m naturally biased towards Good Year Welted Northamptonshire shoes. So I was surprised that the newly launched “contemporary” Bloomsbury range from Shipton & Heneage should be Blake constructed and Italian made.
 
The company spiel says Shipton & Heneage has spent the past three years searching for an old-fashioned EU shoe factory that could make shoes by hand, and at a reasonable price. The Bloomsbury Collection combines some nice shapes in my view, which are anchored by classic styling. The range includes Derby’s, Loafers, Monks and Brogues.

It's an interesting deal;
 
-£350.00 gets you a hand-made to order Italian Blake constructed shoe and includes;

-Free first re-soling worth £79;
 
-Free Cedar Premium Shoe –tress worth £30; and

-Free cotton shoe bags worth £5

I rather like the black tasselled loafer (pictured above), which looks a little more square cut than most conventional loafers and of a softer leather. I actually spotted these a few weeks ago, but I haven’t made up my mind yet as to whether I could go Blake.

Little occupies more chat time on the various men’s clothing forums than arguments between Blake vs Good Year Welted shoes. Advocates of the Italian method of construction argue that Blake construction allows for a much lighter, more refined shoe. The way the upper is sawn to the sole means that the sole can be cut much closer to the upper, which gives a very elegant shape. Detractors point out that, while Blake suits the climate of Italy the construction is less well suited to wetter conditions, and the lack of a welt makes the shoe harder to re-sole. If you take the good with he bad, this makes them an ideal summer shoe.

While most Englishmen look down on Blake constructed shoes, there are plenty of poorly made good year welted ones about, and some of the Northamptonshire shoe makers do have theirs made in the Far East or Eastern Europe. It’s also true that some Italian shoe makers have as distinguished a reputation as any in Northampton.

The black tasselled loafers could make a nice lighter weight summer shoe for suiting, but I’m still unsure. Then again, my mother always told me I should try new things. 
 
Good Year Welted and Blake Construction Explained

Goodyear Welted
The name Goodyear Welted comes from the long strip of leather - called the welt - that is stitched to the upper and the insole of the shoe. The outsole (sole) is attached separately to the welt. This unique construction gives Goodyear Welted shoes their superior performance properties.

The more a Goodyear Welted shoe is worn, the more comfortable it becomes as the leather components gradually mould to the shape of the foot. And because the components are stitched rather than glued together, all the natural properties of the leather are retained, giving improved thermal insulation, durability, flexibility and shape retention, as well as the best possible breathing conditions for feet.

It is also possible to re-sole a pair of worn Goodyear Welted shoes or boots by stitching new soles to the existing welts, thereby increasing their life expectancy.

Blake Stitched
Blake-stitching is often used by Italian shoemakers as this method can make for a very light, thin-soled shoe. Shoes have an upper, an insole, and a sole but they do not have a welt. The insole and upper are attached to the last. Then the sole is glued on and a single row of machine-stitching is used to stitch through and attach the sole, the insole, and the upper.

Blake construction has two principal advantages. First, it is possible to get extremely close-cut soles with it, much more closely cut than would ever be possible with a Goodyear-welted shoe. Second, because Blake-constructed shoes have fewer layers in the sole, they tend to be more flexible than Goodyear -welted shoes. However, Blake-stitched shoes are not as durable, water resistant, or as easily repaired as a welted shoe.

Thanks to brogueshoes.com and The Last Shall Be First for the best descriptions of the different between Good Year Welting and Blake Stitched shoes that I have thus far read.

 

Posted by Stealth

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