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Gaz
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Fast and furious shoe posts...

Here’s pair #2 as part of the recent shoe shopping spree – RTW Corthay Wilfred in old wood calf and Parisian brown suede calf. This is my first foray into the world of spectators, which are defined as shoes made from two distinctive leathers or colours. John Lobb, the famous English boot maker, claims to have designed the first spectator as a cricket shoe in 1868. Spectators for men were most in fashion in the 1930s and 40s, the era of Jazz, to which spectators are most commonly associated with Jazz musicians and the nostalgia of Swing, where the contrast of black and white leather were at its height of popularity.

More commonly, in England, spectators in a brown calf leather and a lighter brown suede or canvas are commonly matched and are considered a country shoe. The old English fashion tradition of "no brown in town" or "never brown with blue or navy" is still adhered to by some English traditionalist but the more fashion forward Italians and the French viewed these as rules to break. And break them did Pierre Corthay

In 2008, Pierre Corthay was awarded the lifetime title of maître d’art, or master of art by the French government. Each year, this title is bestowed upon French artisans in recognition of their specific craft and mastery of their skill. Pierre has certainly earned it with over 30 years experience, starting at the age of 16 where he spent six years learning his craft of shoe making across France. Upon completion, he worked for John Lobb Paris and Berluti (two brands that I have previously featured). From John Lobb, he learnt the importance of details in quality shoe construction while at Berluti, he mastered the art of shoe patina. Combining this with his French flair, he embarked on his own bespoke label in 1990 (anyone see the parallels between his career and many independent watch makers?). By 2003, he had established his own shop in Paris along with a line of ready-to-war models. He annually produces 2,500 RTW shoes and about 130 bespoke pairs.

Fortunately for me, Lane Crawford in Hong Kong is the distributor of Pierre's shoes. The danger with buying shoes untried is that the fit would be poor, resulting in uncomfortable shoes. Pierre refused my initial request for an MTO based on my own estimate of fit. Pierre makes two last in the RTW line, the 001 and 002. The 001 last is his signature last which is very slim and has a very chiseled toe. This means it runs narrow on the foot and for someone with broad feet, like myself, this creates some complications. Unfortunately, the retailer did not carry half or broader sizes. This ruled out Pierre's signature last and shoe, the Arca, for me as any size bigger would create much space in the toe box which can either be uncomfortable or create unsightly creases at all the wrong places or both.

Fortunately, I found the WIlfred in the 002 last, which fits true to my size. So here she is...



A bit of a close up…



Off we go on the 360 degree spin…












The finishing on the sole is very nice with beveling and detail that Lobb shoes are famous for.







Let’s get into the details. The finishing is just first class.







The reverse burnishing works well with as the shoe darkens inwards and here Pierre employs the techniques of patina of Berluti



Photo manipulated to bring out the way this would age.



Finally, the shoe trees look suspiciously like Berluti.



Thanks for reading



Gaz