This pair are a copy of a pair we made a couple of years ago. The customer fell in love with them but wanted a rounder toe and a blue lining. Your wish is our command, dear customer.

They are made from Siena veg tan calf by Badalassi Carlo, our favourite Tuscan tannery. The royal blue lining is bold and the navy blue tugs on the backseam compliment it perfectly. The customer chose antique brass eyelets and a row of three rivets iin the waist. He originally wanted eyelets in the waist but thought his rainy hometown would mean wet socks too often. The rivets are a good compromise.

UPPERS: Siena Minerva veg tan calf; navy blue leather tugs; antique brass eyelets; antique brass rivets; blue crow’s foot stay stiches

LINING: Royal blue calf

MAKING: hand lasted; hand  Norwegian welted; machine stitched sole and heel unit; machine finished; 5/16″ sole thickness; sticker sole

If you like these derby ankle boots, check these out from our Bespoke Manufactured range.

The post Silex Derby Boot appeared first on Carreducker.

They were a gift from the customer’s wife which is a service we inceasingly offer – the Carreducker Promise.

The customer came in and was immediately taken with our more unusual styles on display at the workshop. So we went away and riffed on a couple of designs and came up with the Tallis. He loved the mix of leathers, colours and textures.

He also wanted something hybrid in style, somewhere between a classic oxford and a trainer. This allowed us to throw some unusual lines and shapes into the mix. Along with the suede/smooth leather/lizard combo.

He asked for striking and striking is what he got!

UPPERS: tan Pueblo veg tan calf by Badalassi Carlo; chocolate reverse suede by Stead; brown lizard skin; plain vamp with straight toe cap; padded bagged topline; five lace holes with eyelets; lizard facings; lizard shield on the back; 3 eyelets in the waist; padded tongue

LINING: purple lamb nappa and straw calf

MAKING: hand lasted; hand welted; 5/16″ leather sole; standard heel height; regular welt; 8 spi; natural finish throughout; Vibram sticker sole

If you like hybrid oxford shoes, you might like these.

The post Tallis Oxford Shoes appeared first on Carreducker.

They were a gift from his wife to celebrate an important anniverssary and the customer naturally erred towards this classic style

The soft chisel toe seems to compliment the style and the colour perfectly.

To add a personal touch by adding a row of tiny 1mm holes punched along the topline and a complimentary green kid lining. A very tasty pair of bespoke shoes.

UPPERS: Siena veg tan Minerva calf by Badalassi Carlo; plain vamp with double row of stitching; five lace holes; slip beading; backseam with dog ear; 1mm hole punched on topline; integral half moon tab on the vamp; stitched in tongue

LINING: green glace kid

MAKING: hand lasted; hand welted; 1/4″ sole; standard heel height; regular welt; 10 spi; natural finish throughout

If you like these tan oxford shoes, you might like these which are similar but with a grain leather and toe cap.

The post Dorset Oxford Shoes appeared first on Carreducker.

The shoes themselves are classically simple – a plain fronted oxford with a simple backseam and dog ear. So far, so simple.  But the choice of both the colour and the suede elevate them to a level gorgeousness rarely reached. Can you tell I like them?

The elegant chisel toe seems to compliment the style and the colour perfectly.

I would definitely wear these shoes, just as they are, no changes.

UPPERS: mustard yellow suede by Stead; plain vamp with double row of stitching; matching slip beading; five lace holes; slip beading; backseam with dog ear

LINING: straw veg tanned calf

MAKING: hand lasted; hand welted; 1/4″ sole; standard heel height; regular welt; 10 spi; natural finish throughout; integral half moon tab on the vamp; stitched in tongue

If you like these oxford shoes, you might like these which are similar but with a grain leather and toe cap.

The post Morgan Oxford Shoes appeared first on Carreducker.

The customer came in wearing a pair of very old, very battered R M Williams chelsea boots which he said were the only footwear he could wear. The reason being that he had developed large bunions on both feet over the last few years. They had become painful and regular ready to wear just couldn’t accomodate them any more. They really were on their last legs, so he decided that bespoke was the root to go down

We made a version of the boots with a few adaptations to suit his foot shape. We added a zip into the inside quarters of the boot to allow his feet to get in and out with more ease

The upper leather is a black veg tanned Minerva Box by Italian tannery Badalassi Carlo. It is robust, yet has a soft enough handle to cater for his bunions. The customer chose a natural finish for the sole edges and heel edges which relaxes the overall feel of the boots.

UPPERS: Black veg tanned calf; zip on the inside quarters; lightly blocked vamps; fabric tugs front and back

LINING: Peach glace kid quarters; veg tanned calf vamps

MAKING: 1″ heel height; 3/8″ sole; hand stitched welt; square waist; stacked leather heel; hand finished heels and edges; natural finish throughout; 10 SPI; commando rubber sticker sole

If you like bespoke chelsea boots, you might like these from our Gallery.

The post Melior Chelsea Boot appeared first on Carreducker.

We started with the bespoke lasts she used on the course because they fitted well and looked super elegant. We also riffed on her original design, adding in some caviar grain for an extra pop. The galosh derby design narrows her feet and the boots look amazing on. That is something we can do in all of our designs – accentuate or minimise certain features of the foot of each customer.

The upper leather is black Italian Softee for comfort. It is characterised by its soft handle and comfort on the foot.

UPPERS: Black Italian Softee Calf; galosh derby; hand stay stitch; short backstrap with tab; seamed tongue

LINING: Black glace kid

MAKING: 1 and 3/4″ heel height; 1/4″ sole; hand stitched welt; stacked leather heel; hand finished heels and edges; black finish throughout; 10 SPI; bevelled waist

If you like bespoke derby boots, you might like these from our Gallery.

The post Riley Derby Boot appeared first on Carreducker.

The customer first came to us wearing a pair of Hoka sneakers which were totally fine in and of themselves. But they didn’t really suit his personal style. Subsequently, the reason became clear. He had an arthritic big toe in his left foot which made wearing anythig other than the Hokas extremely painful. The Hokas work for him because they have a built in rocker sole which isolated his big toe joint and made walking alll day possible for him. The rocker sole alters your gait by preventing the foot from flexing and helps in these circumstances.

But what he really wanted was a pair stitchdown style work boots. Previously every pair he had tried was impossibly painful for him so he came to us hoping to find a solution. And the Blackfriars hybrid boot is the result.

We designed a very simple derby style with a straight cap and a counter. But the real work was in developing the rocker sole. We made it with a lightweight EVA and spent many hours fine tuning the profile to get just the right amount of rock, in just the right place.

Also, we played with the heel strike as well and gave it a Kickers style slope (if you remember those!)

This pair will find a home in New York and we hope they will be very happy there. The customer had struggled to find work boots to fit so these free him from his sneaker hell.

We think they look pretty cool.

UPPERS: chestnut veg tanned calf leather by Badalassi carlo; straight cap with brougue punching; counter with brogue punching

LINING: burgundy kid quarters and straw veg tanned calf vamps

MAKING: hand welted; Bakers leather through; hand crafted EVA rocker sole; Vibram sheeting sole

If you like the idea of bespoke, please get in touch with us – bespoke@carreducker.com and we will happily talk you through the process.

And maybe take a look at this boot for inspiration.

The post Blackfriars Hybrid Boot appeared first on Carreducker.

We styled them based on the Buckland, our first bespoke sneaker. So they have the same retro lines and long facings, inspired by bowling shoes. We felt we had to play to our making strengths, so the foxing is stitched by hand to a Bakers’ insole . As a result, the inside is as cushioned and comfortable as the outside. From day one.

The customer wanted a simple white trainer so we chose a super soft calf with a matte finish, specially designed for sneakers.  Also, we padded the top line to create that classic soft feel of bespoke sneakers. We used our classic veg tanned straw lining leather to match the hand stitched foxing.

We hand stitched a double welt to the insole to create the foxing (the strip of leather around the trainers) and filled it with light flexible EVA. Then we finished the construction with a durable Wellen sole which is easily repairable any number of times. So the Sumner will last as long as your other bespoke shoes. As long as you look after them! So a little shoe cream is all you need.

This pair will find a home in the west of Germany and we hope they will be very happy there. The customer had struggled to find shoes to fit so these are a real treat for her.

UPPERS: matte white calf leather; turned, padded top line and tongue

LINING: straw veg tanned leather

MAKING: hand stitched double foxing; lightweight EVA inner sole; white Wellen outer sole

If you fancy a pair of bespoke sneakers, please get in touch with us – bespoke@carreducker.com and we will happily talk you through the process.

And maybe take a look at these bespoke sneakers for inspiration.

The post Sumner Sneaker appeared first on Carreducker.

This pair are a copy of a much loved pair the customer bought many years ago but which had seen better days. In fact, they were totally wrecked and almost unwearable.

However, when a customer asks us to copy a pair of existing boots, we always ask if we can make a few changes because experiance tells us that an exact copy will lead to disappointment. Much better to make a similar pair but with their own flavour. Also, there are copyright issues involved in copies.

The Chaplin fits the bill perfectly, catching the essence of the previous zip-up boots but with a different aesthetic.

We love the two-tone, specilally in black and grey which is very cool

The customer absolutely loves them and he has already ordered a second pair in brown

UPPERS: Black and grey Italian Softee calf; hand stitched stay stitch; side zip with cover

LINING: Black glace kid

MAKING: hand lasted; hand welted; machine stitched sole and heel unit; machine finished; 5/16″ sole thickness

If you like these derby ankle boots, check these out from our Bespoke Manufactured range.

The post Chaplin Derby Boot appeared first on Carreducker.

They are this customer’s first pair of bespoke boots and she came in with her father who is an old customer of ours. They were a gift from him, a wonderful, generous gift. You can see the shoes he chose here.

She  arrived with a quandary – ankle boots or knee length boots. After much talk and deliberation, we suggested the best of both worlds – ankle boots with matching gaiters to convert them into knee boots. Perfect! That is the beauty of bespoke, we find solutions.

She had a very clear idea of the aesthetic she wanted which was a play on the classic biker boot – simple styling, thick sole with straps and buckles. We rubbed our hands toger with glee, a project to sink out teeth into.

The boots have two straps with buckles and the gaiters have a third. Both have zips to make them easy to put on and take off.

The gaiter sits on the boot and is strapped under the waist to stop it moving. It is a really ingenious solution and gives her the flexibility she wanted – the best of both worlds indeed!

The leather is black Tempesti veg tan calf from Italy, the same leather as her father’s shoes.

All in all this was a fun project for us and she was absolutely delighted with the result

UPPERS: black Tempesti veg tanned calf; two straps with Carreducker buckles; zips

LINING: British Racing Green glace kid

MAKING: hand lasted; hand welted; machine stitched leathger sole;commando sticker sole; commando heel top piece; 3/8″ sole thickness

If you like these black ankle boots, check these out from our Bespoke Manufactured range.

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