Last Monday Morning I arrived in London. After checking into the hotel my buddy and I decided to get started on looking around. 1 of our first stops was John Lobb. We did not have an appointment and did not plan on commissioning a pair of shoes from them as we had already started the process with another company. When we walker in we were met by Neil. He is a 41 yr employee. He is a fitter and a last maker. He could not have been any more gracious and kind. He spent a ton of time explaining to us the history of John Lobb and how the process works. I can only upload 10 photos here, but trust me there are a lot more. The pictures of the shelves full of wooden lasts are only a fraction of what is there. All of these lasts are for current customers (within 15yrs). They are currently a Royal Warrant holders of 2 separate Royal Warrants, they have had up to 3 going at any point in time. The Gentleman in the picture does all the Shoe Polishing. That is his sole job! There is another room where the "closers" sit. They sew the welt to the upper and the upend welt to the sole. They each make their own thread, and each closer has their own style in thread so the shoes can be distinguished by who's thread is used to make it as well as who made your last. They all have their own style. The still do everything very much the sale as they have done for 150yrs. Same tools all by hand. You can see Queen Victoria's last, HM King George's Last as well as Jackie Onasis last. When all was said and done my buddy and I couldn't help ourselves and we commissioned another pair of shoes. The history and the pride of the entire process was too much for us and we had to do it. Neil has now become our Last Maker! The process is such that he will be our last maker forever, or until he leaves or we leave. All of our orders will go through and be made and supervised by him. It will take 5-6 months for the last to be made, then we pick Style & Color, toe shape, heel hight etc. Then another 5-6 months for them to be ready for a fitting. Assuming no major changes we will have the shoes shortly after. The entire process will take at least a year.

Before factory sizing, synthetic materials, and mass production, shoes were made slowly: measured, cut, stitched, and shaped entirely by hand. Here we travel to Heimerzheim, Germany, where an elderly master shoemaker demonstrates the complete process of traditional shoemaking as it was practiced for centuries. From taking precise foot measurements to selecting leather, shaping the last, cutting patterns, skiving edges, sewing uppers, lasting, welting, and building the sole and heel layer by layer, every step is carried out using hand tools and long-established techniques. Hemp thread, boar bristles, wooden pegs, glass shards, and carefully sharpened knives replace modern machines, revealing the patience and precision once required to produce a single pair of shoes. This film documents a craft that has nearly vanished—custom shoemaking as a local trade, performed by a master who once served his entire village. It is a quiet record of skill, endurance, and knowledge passed down through generations, preserved here for future viewers. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F9vIkgYqbeE

Last day of the Mid-year Regional sales meeting. Get to head home later today. - gray long sleeve button down with company logos (one on front and one on the sleeve). - Brown leather belt - Navy slim fit Chinos - Brown lace up boots - SOTD Spice Bomb night vision