Happy Easter - time to pack up the Winter Balmoral boots

It looks like I have to pack up the Winter boots for storage and unpack the Spring/Summer shoes. The Winter boots to be stored away until next Winter are from Crockett and Jones (Avebury) and Gaziano & Girling (Canterbury) both are Balmoral boots.

With the two boots to be packed I wish all of you A Happy Easter and hope that you enjoy the seasonal holidays.

Gaziano and Girling Balmoral boot (Canterbury) in black (leather) and brown suede, punched cap toe on the GG06 last (round last)

Crockett and Jones Avebury Balmoral boot in Chestnut, punched cap toe, 337 last, chiselled soft square.

All photos sourced from me.

Lajos Balint - Shoemaker from Vienna

Vienna (Austria) had another underrated bespoke shoemaker, Master Lajos Balint, who provided shoes and boots to the Aristocracy and top business people from Germany, England and Asia. A new pair of shoes from the Balint establishment can take up to three months to be completed. The house makes very beautiful shoes. View and judge. Have a pleasant weekend. I was made aware of the fact that Master Balint pictured below passed away in 2010, but the shoemaking business is being attended by his widow and sons.

Master Balint (passed away 2010)

The workshop/store front

Bela Balint (one of the sons runs the shoe operation business

A full brogue oxford spectator in brown and cream

A semi brogue oxford 

 A two toned Balmoral boot

Photos sourced from Cyberspace & Styleforum

Cliff Roberts - Bespoke Button Balmoral Boots and more

Master Cliff Roberts has made a beautiful rendition of a buttoned balmoral boot which can be seen below. I can not stop mentioning that I am sold when it comes to balmoral boots, especially the buttoned ones. What is interesting about Master Cliff's pieces is that all are commissioned by clients who heard about him from the net or mouth to mouth service. 
The beauty and endless options of bespeaking a pair of shoes/boots is: the client decides the last, select the leather and colour, decoration (medallion, brogue, punching, gimping, sole type and more) and the style (monk, oxford, derby, whole cut etc.) of the shoe/boot. Master Cliff has two lasts, a square chisel and a round last. However he accommodates if and when the client brings his/her favourite last along. Not many bespoke shoemakers accommodate for that.

As mentioned earlier on this blog (here), Master Cliff is a "One Man bespoke operation" ala Eric Cook, which means it takes time to get the product out of his hands, but this is true of most artisans who work solo. As said, a one man operation, but the end product is amazing and worth the waiting process.
For those gents who are into exotic leathers, you can see his work here which was a gift for his son. 

A punched cap toe two toned button balmoral boot in black and dove grey suede. These are working buttons and not sham, please note that.

A two toned buttoned balmoral boot (black and grey suede), the shoe on the left is a pigskin punched cap toe oxford also on the squared chisel toe.

 A brown on brown (leather and suede) laced balmoral boot (square chisel toe). I am in favour of the side seams punched and gimped instead of simple stitching as on the above boot. 

 A black leather and cream suede laced balmoral boot on the square chisel toe.

Photos sourced from Master Cliff Roberts

The Hurd Shoe Company (USA) Balmoral boots

Another laced balmoral boot theme for the day by the Hurd Shoe Company (USA). The boots are from about 1895 -1915 period. The boots depicted are well preserved and kept. Very beautiful pieces of craftsmanship.

Brown laced balmoral boot, punched cap toe

 Black laced Balmoral boot with punched cap toe

 Sleek laced brown balmoral boot with cap toe, very beautiful piece

The ultimate two tone button balmoral boot for children by Hurd Shoe Co.

 Two tone button balmoral boot for children by Hurd Shoe Co.

Pictures sourced from the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

A 1900-1910 Peal Vintage Balmoral buttoned boot

For today I have picked up an old two toned buttoned balmoral boot from Peal the English bespoke shoemaker, the company closed in 1965. 

 "Peal and Co were founded in 1565 and were the oldest-established and most successful makers in the World, employing up to 200 staff. The firm was established in Durham and moved to Derby in 1765, reaching London in 1791. In 1953 Peal bought their Oxford Street neighbours, Bartley and Son, inheriting their Boot and Fox emblem and moved to Wigmore Street in 1958. The business closed early in 1965, when the family decided that lack of family succession, a declining trade and shortage of skilled staff made closure their best option. The closure of Peal and Co was very helpful to the remaining shoemakers in London including Foster and Son, who acquired two important assets, the boot and fox emblem and Terry Moore.The Peal family had an excellent reputation as innovators, and developed a semi-mechanised production method (not used by us) by which a last hand-made by Terry (Terry Moore last maker at Foster and Son )and his colleagues could be duplicated up to 8 times on a copying lathe. The pattern-cutting was done by hand, but the making itself was done in a large works in Shepherds Bush to increase productivity. The unique Peal "easy exit" last was very suitable for riding boots and slippers. Terry brought many of the Peal lasts with him to 83 Jermyn Street and today our collection of old Peal lasts are retained as a valuable reference point for certain styles of riding boots and slippers for which they where particularly suited". 

Here is a vintage two toned Balmoral buttoned boot from about 1900-1910, in brown (tan/chestnut) and white calf hide, punched cap toe, a single sole and seven functional buttons. Even for its age the boot has a nice patina and shows that it was well kept and cared for by the owner. It is a very stunning & beautiful boot. 

Peal & Co (England) Buttoned Balmoral boot from 1900-1910

Terry Moore (last maker extraordinaire) and his "brood" - Emma, Emiko and Kasia.

Pictures sourced from the Internet, Style forum and Peal's history from Ask Andy About Clothes.

Buttoned Balmoral boots from Perfetto

I can not have enough of Balmoral boots, be laced or buttoned. The Japanese boot & shoemaker "Perfetto" had these beauties exhibited at Pitti. 

Perfetto two toned buttoned balmoral boots

Pictures sourced from Dandy Shoe Care Tumblr

Crockett and Jones - Balmoral Boot - Somerville

Crockett and Jones of Northampton (England) has produced another Balmoral boot named the Somerville, a Hand Grade boot on the 363 last (more rounded toe). The boot is similar to the Avebury which is on the 337 last (soft square chiselled toe). The Somerville comes in black and chestnut, however two toned (leather and suede) can be found.

I am very fond of Balmoral boots, therefore I could not resist the temptation not mention the Somerville from C&J. I have two pairs of Balmoral boots, the Avebury from C&J and a two toned Canterbury from Gaziano and Girling on the (GG06 Last). 

The difference between the Somerville and Avebury is: Avebury is a punched cap toe boot, whilst Somerville is a straight stitched cap toe shoe/boot.

Avebury on the 337 Last (Chestnut) - punched cap toe - Style Forum (Holland)

Somerville on the 363 Last, straight stitched cap toe (Chestnut) - C&J site

 Somerville in black calf leather - C&J site

 The stitched cap toe (without punching) on the Somerville - C&J site

The channeled sole of both the Avebury and Somerville (trademark for the C&J Hand Grades) - C&J site

Two toned Somerville after a good shine handling (leather and suede) - The Shoe Snob

 Two toned Somerville - leather and suede (black and purple), below babies go for about €590 (Euros) in France - Upper Shoes

Pictures sourced from Crockett and Jones, Style Forum, The Shoe Snob and Upper Shoes (France).

Gabriele D' Annunzio - Italian Dandy, poet & more

Mr. Gabriele D' Annunzio (1863-1938), Italian author, military hero and a political leader.
His colorful career, his scandalous relationships, his daring in wartime, his eloquence and political leadership in two national crises, all contributed to make him one of the most striking personalities of his day. But for the day we will look into Mr. D' Annunzio's shoe (rather boot) collection, which is amazing & breath taking that his shoe wardrobe was 90% made of balmoral boots in all imagined combinations. Hope you all have a pleasant weekend.

Gabriele D' Annunzio himself

In civilian and military uniform

Black and grey balmoral boot with three piece shoe trees

 White balmoral boots

Balmoral boots collection and spats

 Boot/Shoe cases with three piece boot trees

Mr. D' Annunzio's shoe trees

Pictures sourced from Flickr and Britannica

Japanese Bespoke Shoemaker (Clematis Ginza)

On my journey of finding more bespoke shoemakers, I found Clematis Ginza, another Japanese Bespoke shoemaker. At first I thought it was about the plant "Clematis", could not see any connection to shoemaking.
From the looks Clematis-Ginza produces  well designed, elegant and stylish shoes that are timeless and classic. The shoes are European inspired, probably English shoemakers have left their mark on Clematis-Ginza, but I maybe mistaken. Anyway...
Look at the below shoes and judge for yourself.

Two toned balmoral boot

 Brogued side gusset

 Brogued side gusset sole

 Whole cut side gusset in suede

 Two toned strapped loafer

 Whole cut oxford 

 Winged full brogue

 Sole of the winged full brogue

All pictures sourced from Clematis Ginza