Brogues..the shoes women love to see men wear

Traditional, some with a modern twist, stylish, smart and timeless, brogue shoesare simply the best bet if your out to impress.  A pair of brogues ooze style and panache, whether they are brown brogues or indeed mens black brogues, both demonstrate an attention to detail that women love.

One of the first things women notice about men, certainly as far as attire is concerned is mens shoes, and if one is sporting a pair of stylish brogue shoes your already ahead of the competition.  There is a well known saying that goes as follows:  you can tell alot about a man by what he wears on his feet ( brogues ), women tend to take note of what men are wearing on their feet ( brogue shoes ) in alot of cases more than the men themselves!

Brogues nowadays come in a range of designs many of which are based loosely on the traditional brogue shoes designs.  The eSHOEMAKER's brogue shoes are traditional but with an edgy, modern twist.  The brogues that demonstrate this in particular is the Mayfair, traditional gimping in two sections with some elegant brogueing.  The Kensington brogue shoes have a turned section with some brogueing. These shoes have been designed by the ex-creative director at Oliver Sweeney and are available as a Goodyear welted shoes construction or with Blake stitching.  All of the brogues are available with a range of custom options including the opportunity to personalise.

For further information on the brogues made by the eSHOEMAKER visitwww.eshoemaker.co.uk 

For Grooms

Have you purchased or hired your suit, chosen your shirt, tie and accessories just the shoes to go.  You may decide to hire which is fine but some do not like to wear dress shoes that have been worn several times previously and therefore choose to buy their own pair of dress shoes instead.

You’ve already made the right decision in choosing your suit prior to your footwear, other things to consider when buying your dress shoes as follows:

1. Ideally if the budget allows, dress shoes should be made of leather, this allows the feet to breathe.

2. The shoes should be very comfortable as you will be wearing them for a long time.  Nearly all leather dress shoes will inevitably be a little uncomfortable on first wearing, therefore it is advisable to wear them for a few days prior to your big day to wear them in.

3. The design of the dress shoes shouldn’t be too intricate with too much going on.  For example a pair of brogue shoes can have too much detailing and can draw one’s eye away from your suit as opposed to what it should be doing which is complementing it.  Some detailing is fine, in fact it is important but do not go over the top.

4. Regarding the detailing - the eSHOEMAKER’s shoes are designed by the ex-creative director from Oliver Sweeney and have been specifically designed as mens wedding shoes.  The Kensington and Mayfair Brogues each have an elegant stitch/embroidered stitch the colour of which can be chosen by the customer - it is worth considering the colour of your tie/pocket hankie etc in order to colour match.

5. If you intend on getting a decent pair of leather dress shoes then this is likely to be relatively costly and therefore it might be worth considering a pair of dress shoes that can be worn again and again after the wedding thereby giving you good value for money.

6. Consider all the custom options for dress shoes on the eSHOEMAKER website www.eshoemaker.co.uk

Custom Made

There is a little part of most people (although some might not admit it) who would love the opportunity to own a pair of stylish handmade shoes for their main dress shoes displaying their initials in an elegant, noticeable yet subtle way.  It feels great for a number of reasons; dress shoes, handmade and custom made shoes can display a certain level of wealth, can impress in certain situations and can increase self confidence due to a feeling of well being.

Brad Pitt proudly wore a pair of monogrammed shoes recently in Tokyo made by the eSHOEMAKER they were not, stylish nevertheless.  The dress shoes offered by the eSHOEMAKER are all designed by the ex-creative director at Oliver Sweeney. 

Custom made shoes have been made especially for the customer, sometimes we like to demonstrate our special purchases and shout out loud - by adding ones initials to the design can achieve this.

For further information on the eSHOEMAKER visit www.eshoemaker.co.uk

Shoe Maintenance

Your dress shoes will require ongoing maintenance and not just the obvious like keeping them clean and polished but also ideally you should try and do the following:

1. Use a shoe horn for your dress shoes - A shoe horn is an implement used for leveraging your foot into the shoe from the back of your foot.  This helps to protect the rear of the shoe.

2. Use a shoe tree for your dress shoes - A shoe tree is an implement that is placed inside the shoes when they are not being worn.  Traditionally made of cedar wood, the shoe tree will not only maintain the original shape of the shoe but it will also absorb any residual moisture from the leather in the shoe.

3. Ensure the dress shoes are stored in a dry cupboard to prevent the leather from getting damp.

4. As mentioned above your dress shoes should be kept clean and well polished to keep the leather nourished and to protect them from the wet.

For further information on custom made shoes and mens dress shoes visit www.eshoemaker.co.uk

Goodyear Welted or Blake stitched

When buying dress shoes for men it is worth considering the construction.  In the UK there tend to be three main types of mens dress shoes construction; Goodyear welted, Blake stitched and glued sole.

Goodyear welted shoes tend to be favoured by the traditionalists and the British shoe connoisseur for their sturdy construction.  Goodyear welted dress shoes for men have a mid welt with an external stitch allowing the shoes to be easily resoled - named after inventor, Goodyear welted mens dress shoes are known for their strong construction.

Mens dress shoes with Blake stitch construction do not have a midsole and the stitch routes directly from the outsole into the insole - Italian shoes tend to have this type of construction.

A glued sole construction mens dress shoe is one where there is no stitching and instead, the sole is cemented to the upper.  This method of construction isn't normally as longlasting as the two methods mentioned above.

Most mens dress shoes nowadays tend to be Goodyear welted.  Dress shoes for men should be of a sturdy construction.  Mens wedding shoes due to the very nature of the day should be strong and comfortable.

Regardless of the type of construction it is important that the mens dress shoesare well made and ideally handstitched - this is what differentiates decent dress shoes for men and the not so well made.

Attn all Grooms - before you decide...

You’ve purchased or hired your suit, chosen your shirt, tie and accessories just the shoes to go.  You may decide to hire which is fine but some do not like to wear mens dress shoes that have been worn several times previously and therefore choose to buy instead.

You’ve already made the right decision in choosing your suit prior to your footwear, other things to consider when buying your dress shoes as follows:

1. Ideally if the budget allows, mens dress shoes should be made of leather, this allows the feet to breathe.

2. The shoes should be comfortable as you will be wearing them for a long time.  Nearly all leather mens dress shoes will inevitably be a little uncomfortable on first wearing, therefore it is advisable to wear them for a few days prior to your big day to wear them in.

3. The design of the mens dress shoes shouldn’t be too intricate with too much going on.  For example a pair of brogue shoes can have too much detailing and can draw one’s eye away from your suit as opposed to what it should be doing which is complementing it.  Some detailing is fine, in fact it is important but do not go over the top.

4. Regarding the detailing - the eSHOEMAKER’s shoes are designed by the ex-creative director from Oliver Sweeney and have been specifically designed as mens wedding shoes.  The Kensington and Mayfair Brogues each have an elegant stitch/embroidered stitch the colour of which can be chosen by the customer - it is worth considering the colour of your tie/pocket hankie etc in order to colour match.  This is an example of the Mayfair.

5. If you intend on getting a decent pair of leather mens dress shoes then this is likely to be relatively costly and therefore it might be worth considering a pair of shoes that can be worn again and again after the wedding thereby giving you good value for money.

6. Consider all the custom options on the eSHOEMAKER website www.eshoemaker.co.uk

A gift for the groom...

Gifts with some form of a personalised element are increasingly becoming more and more popular as wedding presents for obvious reasons - being able to demonstrate that personal touch just means that much more to the recipient.  So the idea of providing the groom with a pair of custom made, personalised, mens dress shoes seems a logical 'marriage made in heaven.'  

Beautifully packaged with the option to have either the Grooms initials or the Groom and Bride's initial elegantly hand punched onto each toe, these mens dress shoes from the eSHOEMAKER are professionally designed and extremely well made. 

If your not sure of the Groom's preferences then the shoes can be purchased in the form of a gift voucher.

For further information visit www.eshoemaker.co.uk

Maintaining your leather shoes

Your mens dress shoes will require ongoing maintenance and not just the obvious like keeping them clean and polished but also ideally you should try and do the following:

1. Use a shoe horn - A shoe horn is an implement used for leveraging your foot into the shoe from the back of your foot.  This helps to protect the rear of the shoe.

2. Use a shoe tree - A shoe tree is an implement that is placed inside the shoes when they are not being worn.  Traditionally made of cedar wood, the shoe tree will not only maintain the original shape of the shoe but it will also absorb any residual moisture from the leather in the shoe.

3. Ensure the shoes are stored in a dry cupboard to prevent the leather from getting damp.

4. As mentioned above your dress shoes should be kept clean and well polished to keep the leather nourished and to protect them from the wet.

For further information on custom made shoes and mens dress shoes visitwww.eshoemaker.co.uk

Is David Beckham wearing a pair of shoes made by the eSHOEMAKER

Was David Beckham wearing a pair of shoes made by the eSHOEMAKER at Prince William’s wedding, they look very similar to the Crest, a Derby style closure upper oozing style and panache with an elegant, subtle hand punching of the owner’s initials on each toe.

With a choice of lining colours, heel heights etc these mens dress shoes are available through the eSHOEMAKER website and partner retailers.  All of themens dress shoes are designed by the ex-creative director at Oliver Sweeneywith the emphasis on creating a modern twist on traditional timeless classics.  In particular the designer brogue shoes comprising the ibrogue range have been designed with maximum attention to detail.

For further information visit www.eshoemaker.co.uk

Can't beat a pair of brogues...

Brogue shoes never really became unfashionable, its a shoe style that will always stand the test of time.  During the course of the last 12 months or so we’ve seen an increase in the different types of brogueing seen on the shoes - designers putting a modern twist on a traditional classic!

Traditional brogue shoes tend to be a little too intricate and detailed in their design to make the ideal mens dress shoes - the designers at the eSHOEMAKER have toned down the typical brogueing on their dress shoes to produce a more subtle look.

Brad Pitt who as far as the press and media have reported loves his shoes and an example of this can be seen in the photo below where he is wearing what looks to be a great pair of brogue shoes.

 To wear a stylish pair of designer brogues that can be customised and personalised visit www.eshoemaker.co.uk 

Personalised shoes

There is a little part of most people (although some might not admit it) who would love the opportunity to own a pair of stylish handmade shoes displaying their initials in an elegant, noticeable yet subtle way.  It feels great for a number of reasons; mens dress shoes, handmade and custom made shoes can display a certain level of wealth, can impress in certain situations and can increase self confidence due to a feeling of well being.

Brad Pitt proudly wore a pair of monogrammed shoes recently in Tokyo made by the eSHOEMAKER they were not, stylish nevertheless.  The mens dress shoes offered by the eSHOEMAKER are all designed by the ex-creative director at Oliver Sweeney. 

Custom made shoes have been made especially for the customer, sometimes we like to demonstrate our special purchases and shout out loud - by adding ones initials to the design can achieve this.

For further information on the eSHOEMAKER visit www.eshoemaker.co.uk

Are they really handmade...

So many companies these days shout from the rooftops that their products are handmade, the question is, are they really and to what extent?

In reality very few shoe companies currently selling in the UK, truly produce handmade shoes, the phrase ‘handmade’ tends to be used somewhat loosely.  The majority of shoe companies/manufacturers take advantage of factory equipment/machinery that can save time and money and therefore reduce the selling price of their shoes in order to successfully compete.  Surely if a company is advertising the fact that their shoes are handmade then they should be handmade.  In reality it may well be some minor leather finishing on the shoe that has been done by hand and very little else. The shoemakers at the eSHOEMAKER make all the shoes by hand including hand punching, cutting and stitching - even the lasting of the shoes is done by hand compared with the more conventional lasting machines used by most mens dress shoescompanies.

A shoe that is completely handmade should be more superior in quality than a machine made equivalent and most importantly in the case of the eSHOEMAKER it has been made especially for the customer.

Mens dress shoes are advertised as handmade shoes on a regular basis despite the fact that there has been far more machine input than hand - the best way of identifying handmade shoes is firstly to look at the price; a handmade shoe imported into the UK from anywhere in the world realistically cannot be sold commercially for at least £100++.  It takes at least a day/2 days to make a pair of shoes, at least 6 days to last the shoes.  A pair of handmademens dress shoes made in the UK would cost at least £250++.

For further information visit www.eshoemaker.co.uk 

Three new styles launched by the eSHOEMAKER

Three brand new styles of mens dress shoes have just been launched by the eSHOEMAKER all of which can be customised and personalised.  The company’s designer Roland Haynes, the ex-creative director at Oliver Sweeney has produced three elegant shoe styles; the Crest, and the Kensington and Mayfair both from the ibrogue range (brogue shoes).

The Crest has a Derby style lace closure and the upper has a modern sleek look to the design.  The shoe although originally designed with a Blake stitching construction, is available with a Goodyear welted sole.  Other custom options include a choice of lining colours and heel heights.  An elegant personalisation in the form of the customer’s initials can be hand punched onto the toe.

The ibrogue Kensington has an Oxford style lace closure and is a modern take on a popular classic with one line of designer brogueing with a turned finish.  The Goodyear welted construction can be replaced with a Blake stitched construction.  Again, the customer’s initials can be elegantly hand punched onto the toe.

The ibrogue Mayfair also has an Oxford style lace closure but has a more traditional look in the form of two lines of gimping (with a natural edge) with some designer brogueing.  Again, available in both the Goodyear or Blake construction and with the same custom and personalised options as the Kensington.

Look out for three new designs currently being finalised.

For further information visit www.eshoemaker.co.uk 

Handmade or not, this is the question

Interesting question, do you think you could tell whether your shoes were really handmade? If you know what to look out for then yes, with ease.  The clue is in the imperfections, this doesn't sound good does it but it is what makes a handmade shoe handmade, its as simple as that.

It is nearly impossible to hand stitch in an absolute perfect line, a machine will do it with ease, look out for the very occasional tiny mark left by the slip of a knife, check out the slight lack of symmetry between the two shoes, the uneven seat, there are many more...the point is these imperfections are the very difference between a factory made shoe and one that has been handcrafted by a true artisan made especially for you - this should of course be celebrated and is.

Next time you see a pair of shoes with a claim of being handmade look out for the odd imperfection, if there aren't any, chances are they will be factory made.

Our shoes are truly handmade, by true artisans, especially for you.

'Style, elegance & sophistication used to come at a price'

Check out our ibrogue, all handstitched http://www.eshoemaker.co.uk/brogues

Groom's and Bride's shoes

Are Groom's shoes as important as the Bride's?

Good question!  Well why shouldn't they be, all things being equal?  Its probably fair to say that the perception of most wedding attendees would agree that the spotlight tends to be occupied slightly more by the bride and the dress etc etc than by the poor groom and his attire!  This may well be the case, but I think things are changing slowly but surely.  Us grooms care a great deal what we wear and after all, its our special day to!  We tend to care more about our suit as this covers the vast proportion of our body but its the attention to detail that really matters here.  Alot of people say you can tell alot about a man when looking at his shoes!  Very true in alot of cases.  Its not just about what the shoes look like but its how they make you feel which is just as important.  Wearing something that has been made especially for you, in the design, colour chosen by you, with some personalisation does make one feel good.

Our customers want to feel special and they want to look stylish, the combination of which creates an inevitable air of self confidence and self assurance as well as looking great!

For further information visit http://www.eshoemaker.co.uk/

Bespoke or 'just short of fully bespoke'

What are bespoke shoes?  A true bespoke shoe is made on a last that has been individually hand crafted for the customer and the design of the shoe is in accordance with the customer's specification.  This really requires the customer to be fitted with the shoe midway through the process to ensure an accurate and comfortable fit.

The eSHOEMAKER's shoes are just short of fully bespoke; the only difference is we do not make the last in accordance with the EXACT (although there is very little difference) customer's measurements.  We stock an extensive range of UK sizes for each last design - from 7-12 in length (including half sizes) and three width sizes E, F & G.  This means we can effectively match one of our lasts to virtually any foot size.  The shoes are made entirely from scratch from start to finish so we really can tailor a shoe in accordance with what the customer requires whether its choosing a different size for each foot (60% of people have at least half a size difference between each foot) or opting for a suede mid section on our ibrogue.  We will try where possible to fit in with the customer's requirements.

Bespoke shoes online is an incredibly risky business when it comes to fitting for the reason mentioned above.  Buying from the eSHOEMAKER, you get the best of both worlds, a shoe that WILL fit, with all the custom options you get from fully bespoke.

For further information please visit http://www.eshoemaker.co.uk/

Made in England, handmade etc really....

How often do we hear various marketing phrases such as made in England or handmade associated with retailers?  In the shoe business this is certainly the case - alot of companies use these phrases loosely on a regular basis much to the annoyance of those businesses that are legitimately using the same phrases, to reflect their operational procedures accurately.  Surely marketing your product as handmade should mean handmade i.e. not using an electrical powered machine.  Call me old fashioned but I used to think that made in England mean't the product was made in England in its entirety and not made elsewhere and merely packaged here in the UK.  These misleading marketing statements are happening all too often for the simple reason that retailers/manufacturers feel they can command either a higher price for their product or can make the product appear more saleable when compared to others.

Surely transparency and honesty allows the consumer to make an informed decision - this makes far more sense when thinking longer term.  Trust between retailer and its customers is incredibly important and statistics bear this out.

Next time you look at a label inside a shoe or an advert associated with a retailer, look at the type of brand and its price and then think about its potential origin.  Sometimes things aren't quite what they seem!

A quality product can be made anywhere in the world - just be open and honest on where and how.

For information on our competition (to win a pair of custom made shoes), details to be announced shortly visit http://www.eshoemaker.co.uk/news

Shoes for the Groom!

Wedding shoes for the Groom are just as important as they are for the Bride!  We would say that wouldn't we! 

Your Wedding day should be one of the most important and enjoyable days of your life and looking good is incredibly important not just from a visual point of view but also to feel good, self assured, self confident and to stick out from the crowd!  Tailored articles whether its shoes, suits or shirts can provide you with this 'feel good factor' because they have been made especially for you in accordance with what you want.  Our ibrogue (a traditional brogue shoe) fits impeccably into the ideal grooms attire being entirely handmade from calf's leather with the novel twist of the Bride & Grooms initial subtley displayed and meticulously hand punched onto the toe of each shoe.

Our shoes are just short of fully bespoke which means they are handmade from start to finish to the customer's individual order but based on existing UK last sizes.  We stock an extensive range of sizes including half sizes in length as well as 3 different width sizes for each shoe design.  This means we can fit virtually any foot size and with our 100% FIT GUARANTEE (when measured by one of our design advisors) in the unlikely event the shoes do not fit we re-make them free of charge.

Unlike the wedding suit, which, hopefully will not be used again for the same purpose, the shoes can be worn on a formal or informal basis time and time again.

For further information visit www.eshoemaker.co.uk/groom

100 pairs of shoes sold!

A steady start in terms of numbers by comparison to some of the large online retailers but a successful one nevertheless when taking into consideration customer satisfaction levels which have been impressive.

Our entire business ethos is based around satisfying our customers core requirements; offering a quality product at great value, followed up by a personal service that is second to none.

I'd like to take this opportunity to thank all those concerned in what has been a great start in our first quarter of trading, despite the current economic situation.  A special thank you to Sujit Kumar, our Quality Manager based out in India who has been instrumental in the setting up of our new premises and the implementation of our new operating procedures in order to maintain quality throughout the entire shoe making process.

Why buy from the eSHOEMAKER...

Why buy your shoes from the eSHOEMAKER as opposed to Church's, Loakes, Cheaney or any of the other well known Northampton based brands.

eSHOEMAKER offer something a little different, more choice, more flexibility, more control and more value when it comes to buying shoes.  Due to the fact that the manufacturing facility is based in India and the main distribution channels are online mean that overheads are low as are costs.  These low costs are passed on to our customers in the form of low prices for what otherwise would be a very expensive product if made in the UK.  If one were to purchase the equivalent of a genuine handmade to order and customised pair of leather shoes made in the UK, the cost would probably be in the region of £500+.

So long as consumers continue to demand value for money in what is a very competitive market and the quality is not comprimised, manufacturing facilities will continue to shift to Asia where costs are much lower.