WS Foster & Son - Full brogue spectator

What is Spring / Summer period like without a stunning spectator? Not sure... but I think that the spectator is linked to the Spring and Summer. I prefer the brown and white (the white being of buckskin) coloured spectator and must be a full brogue Oxford. So, for the day I have sampled a WS Foster & Son, London bespoke shoemaker's full brogue spectator in brown and white colour combination with a medallion. Soft square chisel toe.  This shoe is Just amazingly beautiful and stunning shoe too. 
Note the punched holes of the brogue and on the medallion have been touched white to bring the beauty and thus admiration for this shoe. Hmm, polishing might take some time on this beauties, as you would not like to ruin the white with a touch of brown. Quite stunning, a beautiful rendition of a full brogue spectator.

WS Foster Full brogue spectator in brown calf and white buckskin with a medallion. Perfect shoe for a linen suit and a Panama hat.

Photos sourced from WS Foster & Son

The 337 Last in various designs

Spring is supposed to be here but is it still very cold and according to the weather forecast, the Winter will still have a grip on us for another week or so. Last weekend and partially this weekend I was polishing my shoes and getting the Winter stock ready for storage and the Spring/Summer stock to be taken out. To my surprise I realised that I have a number of shoes on the 337 last (Crockett & Jones) from three different English shoemakers. The 337 Last is a soft square chisel toe from the Crockett & Jones Hand grade collection.

So I had to do a line up of these shoes, all in the 337 last which was designed by Master Dimitri Gomez for Crockett and Jones. However GJ Cleverley & WS Foster are producing shoes based on the 337 last.  

The 337 Last "usual suspect" line up. From the top, a semi brogue punched cap toe in brown buckskin suede, from GJ Cleverley. Black punched cap toe side gusset ("Jack") from GJ Cleverley. Antique chestnut punched cap toe oxford ("Westbury") from WS Foster and Son. Black stitched cap toe oxford ("Audley") from Crockett and Jones, burgundy punched cap toe side gusset ("Jack") from GJ Cleverley and lastly tan full brogue oxford ("Clifford") from Crockett & Jones. You may remember the Clifford from here.

Not included in the 337 line up below is the "Avebury" Balmoral boot from CJ and the "Thornham" full brogue from WS Foster both in antique chestnut.

 All photos sourced from myself.

WS Foster boots for the gent

WS Foster and Sons London Bespoke boot and shoemaker offers a ready to wear Chelsea boot, the Oakley, which is the type of boot a gent needs to cope with the Winter snow and the wetness. The Oakley is made of a warm mahogany pebble grain and comes with a Dainite sole to have a good grip whilst walking the city streets.

 The "Oakley" Chelsea boot from WS Foster, just the boot for looking good in the snow. 

All photos sourced from Foster's 

Faded natural patina - WS Foster and Sons

WS Foster bespoke boot and shoemaker, made these not so basic black patina shoes. It is my understanding that the origins are from a pair of bespoke shoe which was never collected by a client and was later used as a display pair at the window. Over the years the sun had produced the fading colour and thus a natural patina was on the make. Today the same patina can be replicated for an additional charge if the client wishes so. 

Faded patina quarter brogue punched cap toe oxford with medallion on a squared chisel last

Faded patina on punched cap toe oxford on a rounded last

Faded patina on a loafer

Faded patina on a brogued wing tip monk

Faded patina on a side gusset

Pictures sourced from WS Foster and Sons and A Suitable wardrobe

More Japanese beauties - Master Daizo Emori

Master Daizo Emori Japanese bespoke shoemaker has made a rendition of a semi brogue cap toe with medallion, on a square chisel toe last. This shoe resembles some older bespoke W. S. Foster and G. J. Cleverley made shoes, not to forget Master shoe designer and shoemaker N. Tuzcek and Eric Cook. I suppose the inspiration for this shoe is from the afore named bespoke shoe masters and houses.

I like the shoe because the lines, decoration and perforations are well balanced and the dark brown colour shows the attention to small details.

Master Emori himself in working attire.

 The semi brogue oxford with cap toe with a medallion

Side views of the shoe

The back of the shoe

The sole of the shoe

Upper view of the shoe

Client fitting, probably final stage of the fitting process.

Photos sourced from the En grande pompe forum

WS Foster - Shoe of the Week (Spectators)

For this week I have chosen two styles of spectators from one of my favourite shoe makers, WS Foster & Sons (bespoke boot and shoe maker). Currently, I do not own a pair of these beauties (spectators) but after seeing these, I am ready for the ride.

The below depicted oxford shoe has all the elements I like within a spectator, the full brogue, squared chisel toe, and the colour. The white part is of buckskin which is better than nubuck.

 Below a Derby styled spectator in a round toe.

Pictures sourced from A Suitable wardrobe 

WS Foster and Son Bespoke Shoemakers

WS Foster & Son Bespoke Boot and Shoe makers in London, a company with a long and interesting shoe & boot history making.

When looking at the bespoke pieces of WS Forster & Son, one can see the tracks of history as well as the fingerprints of The Honourable Mr. Terry Moore, the WS Foster house last maker.

Odd that when googling the WS Foster shoes, not so many hits, compared to other English brands.
WS Foster deserves more than that. Here I give you WS Forster creations, both bespoke and Ready To  Wear products.

The legendary Mr. Moore below

Above picture of Mr. Moore, sourced from "A Suitable Wardrobe"

WS Foster's Bespoke Buttoned Balmoral Boots

Below a bespoke Adelaide Oxford shoe

Below a bespoke punched cap Oxford, faded by the Sun. Unique.

 The channelled sole of the above shoe

Above photos sourced from WS Forster's web site 

Pictures of bespoke samples sourced from "A Suitable Wardrobe"

A "city shoe" as named by "A Suitable Wardrobe". 

The below is a bespoke shoe, sourced from a

"A Suitable Wardrobe"

The below pictures are samples of WS Forster's Ready To Wear (RTW) shoes. Reasonably priced too.
The RTW shoes are either on the Crockett & Jones, 337 Last or Edward Green, 888 Last and other EG lasts.  Forster's RTW shoes are very elegantly made, and do have the fingerprints of Mr. Moore.

Look at the pictures of the RTW collection and be the Judge.

The RTW collection is worth a starting point for gents building a good and elegant shoe collection, when bespoke is just a dream.

RTW  Punched Cap-toe Oxford CJ 337 Last. 

RTW Stitched cap-toe Oxford on CJ 337 Last

 RTW Full Brogue on CJ 337 Last

 RTW Semi Brogue on CJ 337 Last

  

A RTW Chelsea on the CJ 337

A RTW Two-toned Balmoral Boot on the CJ 337 Last 

A RTW formal slip-on on the EG 888 Last

All of the above pictures are sourced from "WS Foster & Son" web site.

I strongly advice, gents who are building a good shoe wardrobe, which is good looking, elegant & stylish to consider the WS Foster RTW collection as an option.  

I own a few of these creations and I am more than happy with the shoes. 

The WS Forster & Son team is very helpful and are very knowledgable about their products.