shoes

[DWFII]

I don't know where to put this (mods, have at it if it's not in an appropriate place)...

But I just finished these for a young fellow who is just getting into wearing kilts.

The colour is a deep burgundy so they're a little more red than it appears in the photo. Not an historically "correct colour" but I made them to his specs. Premium French calf, fully lined and round closed on the side with a reproduction buckle from the 18th century.

[The Kilted Reverend]

Man them are beautiful shoes.

Slainte,
TKR

[McMurdo]

Moved to Kilt Accessories. Great looking shoes.

[Highlander31]

Nice looking shoes.

[turpin]

I've been thinking more and more about a pair of Glenfinnan shoes. I'm not a fan of the gillie brogues or Mary Janes, but the GF strikes the right balance for me. Beautiful Work!

[haxtonhouse]

those are great looking shoes- I sent a pm.

[Mael Coluim]

Handsome soles!

[piperdbh]

Those are exquisite shoes. I'm sure your customer will be tickled with them. You've outdone yourself on that buckle!
I looked through your album, and discovered you don't make shoes; you create art. Thanks for posting them.

[Fougasse]

Most impressed! Where can I find out more about your work?

[DWFII]

By request...

Here is a photo of the shoe being worn;



I don't want to get too "promotional" here but since I have had several inquiries, I thought I would answer all of them...generally...by providing a few details:

These shoes are what I call my "Prince" line (the name has gone back and forth between "the '45," the "Tearlach," and the Prince).

They are a "interpretation" of shoes that would have been common from the mid 18th century to the early 19th century using modern materials, modern last and modern fitting techniques. They attempt to preserve the proportions, style and lines of the originals while addressing contemporary sensibilities of comfort, durability and fit.

They are fully leather lined. They have a toe stiffener (leather), side stiffeners, and heel stiffener. The insole, welt and several other components are cut from leather produced by J.F. Baker & Sons, Ltd., one of the last, if not the very last manufacturer of pit tanned outsoling and insoling. The leather is oak bark tanned and sits in the tanning pits for at least a year--unheard of in this day and age.

The upper leathers are the finest on the market that I have access to.

Some of the techniques used to make these shoes go back as far as the 16th century...documented in the literature...and the round closing, in particular, is nearly emblematic of 18th-19th century men's shoes. Some of the techniques are hand work of a kind that is never seen in commercial products and are preserved only in the old literature and in the best bespoke shops in London, Paris and Rome.

The buckles are fully functional and are re-castings of period buckles found at archaeological digs here and abroad.

There is no elastic, no plastic, no paper, no nails used in the construction of the shoe.

We fit the shoe to each customer and there is a procedure--a trial shoe--that allows the customer to guarantee his own fit even with large or hard-to-fit feet.

These shoes are expensive by most standards. More than the cost of a tank.

I ask your forgiveness if I have tooted my horn a little too loudly.