All Mix Blog

'We don’t want to modernise. We don’t want to go modern, we’re not a heel bar. We’re going back to the beginning of the nineteenth century. There’s a lot of people bringing vintage shoes and we can take them apart and put them back together again. There’s nothing we can’t do to a pair of shoes here.' Ken Hines, cobbler at Well Heeled, Bethnal Green, London E2. Quote from this piece from Spitalfields Life on the work of cobblers in the area. As the tag from many a reputable cobbler reads: ' Shoes worth wearing are worth repairing .' Image from Spitalfields Life

WHAT IS INVOLVED? Initially our experienced staff take a number of measurements – this allows for a last to the shape of your foot to be made. During the initial appointment with the lastmaker, you choose the style, leather and sole that you would like. Twelve to fifteen weeks later, you attend your first fitting, at this stage your shoes are half finished. This allows for any adjustments that may or may not be needed. If an adjustment is required this usually takes seven to eight weeks and you return for a further fitting. If after the fitting you feel comfortable with the shoes they will then be finished. This takes a further five to six weeks. HOW MUCH DOES IT COST? A pair of bespoke shoes costs from £850, which includes the making of the last. SOME QUESTIONS THAT WE ARE SOMETIMES ASKED: Why does it take so long? Tricker's bespoke shoes are made to exacting standards mainly by hand, it takes over a hundred and twenty different operations, and any new shoe needs to be rested...

We admire the work of Amsterdam based Tenue de Nimes and are looking forward to seeing their collaboration with Grenson . We understand that the boots pictured above will be available at the end of January. Grenson's manufacturing process takes place in Rushden, where the Tenue de Nimes team were fortunate enough to pay a visit recently. Click on the title for more.

The people behind Journal de Nimes were fortunate enough to visit the Grenson factory in Rushden, Northamptonshire, yesterday. We look forward to seeing a full report of the visit in their publication due out next year.

Walking through Northampton town centre shortly after 9am on a Wednesday morning it seemed bereft of life. The high street had three pound/99p shops within close proximity of each other and a gentleman's club offering 'topless football.' After navigating the unfriendly road network I eventually arrived at the address that was scrawled in my diary: 56-60 St. Michael's Road. Across the road is an old, disused shoe factory - it is in a sorry state. The home of Tricker's however, audibly buzzes with life as you cross the street. Stepping into the modest reception area I thought I would be asked to head to another premises in order to get to the factory store. Instead, the friendly receptionist led me across the factory floor to the shop, situated at the rear of the building. As we walked, my mind tried to absorb everything around me - neatly stacked yellow lasts, a young cobbler applying colour to a leather sole, the noise of different processes, a radio playing The Smi...