As I usually tend to put 'out of this world' type shoes on these pages, I feel like every once in a while I need to switch it up a bit and add a little bit of classic back into my blog. I have only just discovered this new up-and-comer in the European shoe industry and therefore wanted to share it with all of you. Once only a leather goods maker, company Enrile from Seville, Spain, decided to take up shoemaking as well, just 5 years ago, and have done a good job at creating a very classically Spanish product. As you can see in the pictures, they tend to make a very classic, yet elegant product, having very simple shapes, nothing too extreme yet just curvy enough to not be boring either. They have a small collection of RTW shoes but I feel that their strong base of production lies in made-to-order, where the customer can ultimately choose between last shapes, colors, and leather types. Being that they are Spanish made shoes, they specialize in shell cordovan as well as vegetable tanned greased veal, which is unique to Spain. As the veal is very difficult to work with, you don't tend to see it used in shoe products, but Enrile has managed to overcome the difficulty and thus offers something unique to them. While the bulk of their company specializes in making leather goods for larger companies, I feel that they more they focus on shoes, the more known they just might become!!
The beauty of being on Savile Row and working in a store like Gieves & Hawkes is that you get to see and appreciate well-dressed gentleman on a daily basis. And while the majority of shoes I see them wearing are black, every now and then, I get a treat and stumble upon surprises, such as these Clarks shoes from 22 years ago.
Having sold shoes for a few years and many of them being Clarks, I have this vision stamped in my head of what a Clarks shoe should look like. You know, orthopedic looking with a rubber sole and such. So when the gentleman told me that these were Clarks, I just nearly had a heart attack for the bewilderment of knowing that they actually used to make stylish, well-made shoes. That was something I would have never thought, but now that I look at it is something that does not surprise me, as many companies today that have migrated towards mass-produced, mass-market shoes made in China, once used to be well-made shoes built on their own soil, such as Clarks and Johnston & Murphy. But, things change and now we can just appreciate the beauty of relics like these!
While I can't really say that I am the biggest advocate of the toe shape, it's the color paired with the style that is really drawing me to this model by Gaziano & Girling. As mentally sick as this sounds, I am at the point where I own a shoe in every color possible (with the exception that will forever be pink or proper orange) and now I need to start acquiring my second pair of them (we all have our obsessions...). That being, I am currently in the slow process of making this full brogue, that is off white, and am having thoughts of stripping it down and re-dying green, in a similar nature to the color of this shoe pictured here. I really feel like a dark forest green such as this, can look extremely elegant with a nice navy or gray suit and while I am still waiting to get my green pair back from the States, I figured that I would make one in the meantime to start wearing before this sun goes away.
The reason that I put this shoe, not only because I like it and the color, is because there was a curiosity on Style Forum on how green shoes by G&G come out after they have been finished. This curiosity came about as I put up a picture of one of their green monks in production (where it looked a lot lighter in color) in my 'trip to the G&G factory post.' Many people felt that the green was too light and therefore a little ostentatious but as you all can see here, while this style may be a bit forward for some, the color is pleasantly elegant for everyone!
I know that for some of you, this has been a long time coming. So let me start off by saying sorry for the long wait. Unfortunately some of you may have been expecting a video, but I don't own a video camera and my regular camera can take about only 10-15 minutes of recording. And since this type of shine takes 2-3 hours and I really only had time to make this post while working, there was just no way that a video would have been possible. But, let you me tell you that even if you watched me on video, the only real way to learn this art, is to just do it and take in what you can from trial and error. I watched my friend Matteo many times and it did not teach me anything except the basic steps that I will share with you today. I learned, and continue learning to this day, by just doing it, trying new ways of going about it and learning from my mistakes.
Let me start off by saying that, in my beliefs, there is a profound difference between a polish and a shine. And what I do, is a polish and that is defined in the dictionary as, 'to make smooth and glossy.' And to achieve that, one needs to use their hands and have ample free time. That being said, you can see (above, left) the pair of Crockett & Jones' that I had to work with. These were the most perfect shoes I could have for my post as they had some leftover polish on them. That is important because time and time again I have had customers come in with their 10 year old shoes, that have just been caked with layer upon layer of polish right on top of each other. And the bad thing about this, is that you see cracked polish everywhere and it is not pretty, yet they tend to just polish on top of that, which does not make it go away, but rather help to set it in.
Instead, one should remove the excess polish and start fresh again, each time they wish to create a new shine. So that's what I did. Now, you can do this several ways depending on how bad it is set in. For the sake of time, I used a little bit of help with the nail polish remover and added it to a rag in order to easily remove the old polish. (But before I did that, I brushed the shoe down with a horsehair brush to remove dirt and dust, as well as took out the laces) Sometimes this can be done with the liquid and sometimes you can use alcohol spirits instead of nail polish remover. The only thing is to be careful with whatever liquid that you use because you can take the finish with you if you rub too hard.
Top Two: Left Pic - removed old polish; Right Pic - with old polish Bottom Two: Left Pic - one shoe with, one shoe without old polish; Right Pic - Both clean of old polish
Now the next thing that you need to do is to rejuvenate the leather. You can do this with many different products: saddle soap, mink oil renovator or some cream based conditioner. What I currently use is a very nice saddle soap but I will be switching to a mink oil renovator as I am in the process of branding my own Shoe Snob products for shoe polishing (will let you know as soon as they are ready for sale). You do this step in order to soften up the leather and get it ready to absorb the polish better, as well as clean off any dirt or dust that may have been missed from the brush. To get it deeply into the leather, I apply it with my two fingers that are wrapped by a cotton t-shirt that I cut up. I also use this same method to apply the polish but use a different t-shirt to do so, as to not mix the products together. After applying the conditioner, it is best to let the shoe dry for 10-20 minutes. And you will notice that in-between each stage there needs to be this dry time period as to not over-soak the leather and allow for the products to truly set into the leather.
The next step is to apply the first round of polish with an applicator brush. I tend you use more of a cream-based or regular polish for this step (not a wax) as it is better for bringing back the color. You do this to really get the polish into the leather and want to make sure that you hit ever part of the shoe, like the welt and the stitching areas. Do not cake on the polish but apply thinly and evenly around the whole shoe. This step can be particularly tricky when dealing with a very light colored shoe, as light leather can sometimes be easily affected by moisture (i.e. the polish) if not applied carefully. So if you do have a very light tan shoe, I always suggest applying a small amount on the heel first to see how the leather reacts and if it does darken, then quickly and lightly brush that spot with the soft bristled horsehair brush to make it spread evenly. And just know that some light leathers are going to darken no matter what, so deal with it if it happens. After this stage, let the shoe sit for 10-20 minutes again.
The next step is to add the wax polish, by hand. In my opinion, a bee's wax based polish with turpentine gives off the best shine. You will find that most of the higher end polishes have these ingredients and they are also very much used in the production of shoe polish made by French based companies (i.e. where they do the best patina's and shines). When you apply this, you want to give it those little round about motions and do so evenly and thoroughly throughout the whole shoe. You also don't want to be shy in applying a little bit of pressure when doing so, but not too much that you are cramping your fingers nor damaging the leather, just enough to really get into the pores of the skin. Speaking of pores, the way to get that mirror like shine, of which I am showing, is to completely fill in the pores of the leather in order to create a flat surface that then looks like glass. Getting back on subject, you want to apply 1-2 layers of wax polish for this step before going on to the next one. Let the shoe sit for 10-20 minutes.
Picture below left: 1 tin of dry wax polish, 1 tin of fresh (and moist) wax polish, 1 tin of water (on the right). When the leather simply won't turn flat and glossy, use the dry polish to get it there. Sometimes using the moist polish will never allow the leather to be dry enough to truly set in the polish
This next step is the hardest and in reality, will be what you will have to learn on your own, just by continuously doing it. That being, I will still try and walk you through it. As you have already applied several layers of polish onto the shoe, you have a nice coat on by now which will allow you to directly add water to the mix, as in the old spit'n'shine. The way that I do this, is to again affix the t-shirt to my hand, and then lightly dab my wedding finger (or equivalent on right hand) into the tin of water to get a drop of it on the tip to then apply to the leather before polishing over. Look at pictures to see. Again, I dab my finger into the water, then dab my two polish fingers into the wax, apply the drops of water onto the leather, then rub away the water with the polish in circular motions. Repeat and do for 1-2 hours throughout the entire shoe. This is the only way of really explaining it. The only thing to look out for is to make sure that you do not apply too much water and thus over-soak the leather or leave a water stain. If you do so you will have to let the shoe sit and dry for awhile before starting again. A way to knowing when you are close is to feel the leather and how it will get smoother and smoother after each layer. And when you feel like you are nearly there, I always recommend letting the shoe dry overnight before applying the final layer of wax'n'water.
After completing the shine, the last touch is to take a piece of black nylon (think women's tights) and rub it around the shoe, as this will help to take off dust, blend in the polish residue left behind from the cotton shirt and bring up that shine even more! And to maintain the shine, you should just use this nylon to wipe down your shoe every night. And that's it!
Well I hope that this helps out. Best of luck and don't be afraid to send me pics if any of you manage to get the mirror shine!!
When I see shoes like this, I can't help but feel sorry for the people that actually buy them thinking that they are cool and stylish. Granted, I come from the Western world, where views and norms are quite different than most third world countries, but I can't imagine that these could be seen as elegant or stylish in any sane person's eyes. It really makes you understand just how different people views/beliefs/opinions/tastes can be in other parts of the world. I mean, as a designer myself, I feel that if I took these shoes to Northampton to have a factory make them, they JUST might let me leave without giving me a black eye.
So when you think about the guy who actually designed these, in his mind, he was really believing that these were the 'bee's knees!' And the fact that a store may have bought them, to sell them to the public, just goes to back up his belief. It's crazy, that's all I really have to say. I am just glad that, where I live, these are not the only options I have to choose from, because it that were the case, I would just have to go barefoot everyday!! Enjoy the smile you will get looking at these :-)
UPDATE (June 8th, 2011) - It would appear that many people are misunderstanding what I was trying to say in this post, thinking that I was knocking 3rd world countries and saying that 1st world ones are perfect. NOT THE CASE AT ALL! (To back that up, read here - dedicated to 1st world inhabitants) What I was saying was that, IN MY OPINION, the ideology of how one should appear in public, is less conservative in many 3rd world countries as opposed to some of the Western world, such as the USA, where many men are afraid to wear what they truly like due to fear of being ridiculed. That being, I believe that (ugly) shoes such as this are more commonly accepted (in some 3rd world areas) because it is not as frowned upon to wear such things. If you still have a problem, and think that I am being stereotypical, then so be it.
When I usually discover something new and I like it, you can bet that for the first few weeks, you will see it several times on my blog, kind of bombarding you. But, hey, when you find gold, you flaunt it. So that takes me back to this Japanese shoe maker, Imai Hiroki, that I have most recently discovered, who I must say, just might make some of the most unique and daring shoes, THAT I HAVE EVER SEEN. But I absolutely love them!!! His version of a double monk is amazing and I can't quite recall if it is the first time that I have seen it done, but I must say, the way he contrasts the colors from the straps to the shoe, is genius. His style of shoemaking is so unlike most Japanese makers, who will generally have a certain feel and look about them. I would be willing to bet that the style that Imai creates comes from a background of studying shoemaking in France, as the resemblance to shape and his patina's, strike me as French influenced. While I could be wrong, his work is breathtaking nonetheless!! Well, for me, this is shoe porn at it's finest, so if you are like me, then enjoy and if not, sorry!
While I am usually not into heavy looking shoes, I must say that this model by Alfred Sargent, is one of the nicest 'working man' type of boots that I have ever seen. Thanks to a reader of mine from Finland (who sent me this picture), I was able to gain some appreciation for this 'denim' type of boot, as he described it. As I love jeans myself -- although I am no 'denim head'-- and I am sure that many of you do too, I can say that it is always nice to find a good looking leather shoe (or boot) that can compliment a good pair of jeans. And I can't argue with my reader when he told me that these would look great with denim, because in all actuality, they definitely would! There is something about a nice derby boot that is quite appealing. While I can't lie about balmoral boots being my preferred style, I can say that a derby boot such as this, definitely gives off that man's man type of feel. That alone, is reason enough for many man to flock to this style, as a way to boost their esteem in the macho department. But nonetheless, macho or not, this boot would look good paired with some nice, denim jeans!!
