Go ahead, walk a mile (or more) in John Lobb shoes
Before John Lobb was a bespoke shoemaker to aristocrats, politicians and the business elite, he famously walked from Cornwall in South West England to London to start his apprecticeship in bootmaking. He was determined and wore shoes he made himself, which is a testament to the comfort and durability of every John Lobb shoe made from 1899 to this day.
“The story of John Lobb walking from Cornwall to London is very important to the latest collection,” says Nicholas Holt, regional director of John Lobb Asia Pacific and China, “because we made a lightweight, very comfortable, authentic walking shoes that are very functional.” Trust a man who walked over 200 miles to build his own footwear brand to make a good walking shoe. A lightweight EVA rubber sole is adapted onto classic styles, such as the Lopez penny loafter, which has been around since the ‘50s. “It was reintroduced into the collection in the 1990s but it was actually based on a 1950s bespoke model and the name takes itself from a customer called Mr. Lopez. Our creative director Paula Gerbase went into the archive and brought it back for the readyto-wear collection,” says Holt.
Walking is the theme of John Lobb’s fall/ winter collection — in particular, the founder’s long walk from Cornwall in the middle of win- ter, inspired the colors and functionality of the pieces. There is the Lawry, which is inspired by the classic Chelsea boot. “It’s a nice piece that also takes on that walking sole,” says Holt. “We also took on the William, a staple, classic double-buckle shoe designed by John Lobb’s son, William Lobb, in the first half of the century, and adapted the design onto a sneaker in contemporary navy suede.”
Thorne is another classic loafer design but with a more pointed toe, that’s been given a lightweight rubber sole for extra comfort and durability. “It’s unlined, so when you put on the shoe, it’s like wearing a glove. It’s great for travel.”
John Lobb, known for bespoke penny loafers and monk straps, makes a lot of sneakers for its ready-to-wear collection, knowing that its clientele has now expanded from monarchs and movie stars to modern, dynamic men who like to stay active and lead a busy life. According to Holt, even in the early days, John Lobb himself was making golf shoes, ice skates and walking boots. “If you look back into the archives, we definitely have a legitimacy in having elements of sport in our collection. Today, if we look at the sneaker collection, which has come a long way from the original bespoke styles, the idea of comfort and durability, all those things are still very relevant to John Lobb today even if it’s a very different shoe.”
The latest collection will be available this month, meanwhile the John Lobb boutique in Greenbelt 3 still carries all-time favorites. The Classic collection includes all the wellloved styles from the John Lobb archives, included the Goodyear-welted Lopez penny loafer, which was Hermès country manager Mario Katigbak’s first pair. “In a fully Goodyear-welted shoe, you can see the outside of the stitch, which means you can re-sole the shoe, which adds to the life of the shoe. If cared for the right way, the upper calf leather of the shoe will last a lifetime, or longer,” says Holt.
Katigbak shares his own experience with the welted Lopez, “We had a client, who bought his double-buckle shoe in 1986, and recently he wanted the sole changed and we sent it to the factory and they changed it. And welted shoes are more comfortable when you’re walking because it cushions, especially if the pavement is uneven.”
In England, it takes 190 steps to make a welted shoe and the process is the same now as it was 100 years ago. “Brands claim to be welted, but North Hampton in England, where our shoes are made, is the home of the welted shoe,” says Holt. Another unique characteristic of a John Lobb shoe is the shank, which gives strength in the mid-sole. While a lot of brands use a metal shank, John Lobb uses a wooden shank that offers more flexibility and also retains memory of its wearer’s foot over time. Holt adds, “We also have a layer of cork in the show, which also gives you a very unique fit with your weight imprinting on the cork. As your foot changes, so does the shoe.” John Lobb also uses the finest calf leather, which also adds to the comfort factor. The brand’s international locations offer Bespoke and By Request services, where clients can either create a new design complete with a last, or customize an existing style from the archives. “Recently we got a request for a buckle in solid 18-karat gold,” Holt shares.
Holt joined John Lobb in 2017, which was also when he got his first pair of John Lobb shoes. “I had the 2017 limited-edition, which is a double-buckle called Haze. Every year, we’d make a limited-edition shoe to honor Saint Crispin, who is the patron saint of shoes. The first pair of John Lobb shoes I have was a great experience for me. I didn’t want to take them off. I feel like I can literally walk all day on the street from day one of wearing it.” Today, he owns “so many pairs” and brought two of them (one is a Lawry boot in gray) for his two-day visit to Manila.
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John Lobb is located at the ground floor of Greenbelt 3 (beside Hermès), Ayala Center, Makati.
John Lobb’s long walk from Cornwall to London in the middle of winter, inspired the colors and functionality of the pieces in the latest collection.