The Bite Magazine - Summer 2019 - Issue 25

bite shoes uppers are ‘mulled’ (con- ditioned) in a special room in order to impart sufficient mois- ture to allow the leather to mould to the shape of the last.Welt sewing involves a strip of leather being stitched to the upper and the insole, to which the sole is also stitched. Because welted shoes are sewn together, rather than glued, skilled craftsmen can dismantle and repair them. After this, the soles which are lockstitched using two separate threads for maximum strength, are then stitched to the welts. The final three stages involve edge trimming, sole staining and burnishing/dressing. In edge trimming, the edges of the soles are trimmed to a shape before they can be stained.This is said by the brand to be a highly skilled operation which is performed ‘freehand’. Later on, they are waxed, ironed and then polished. Next, the sole bottoms are stained and polished, and then stamped and wheeled to add extra detail at a later stage.And finally, the burnishing, dressing and polishing operations are imple- mented; deemed very time consuming, it has to be done entirely by hand to ensure perfection and extreme atten- tion to detail. It goes without saying that Loake shoes are immac- ulate and showcase immense craftsmanship. Cobra in Brown, Tan, and Black is a fully leather lined brogue Derby shoe made in India using their ‘Viper’ Goodyear welted rubber sole. While Evans in Dark Brown, Conker Brown and Black, a premium and fully lined toe cap Oxford shoe with leather insoles uses the Bullet last shape for a contemporary rounded toe shape. Made in England, it features vegetable tanned linings. Almost iden- tical but without the toe cap is Atkin in Dark Brown, a premium plain tie Derby shoe that also uses the Bullet last, and is fully leather lined, with leather insoles and vegetable tanned linings. For that soft suede leather look, why not try Drake in Tan and Navy, a plain tie Derby shoe which is fully leather lined with leather insoles and features the Goodyear welted rubber sole? Or Mamba in a Brown suede leather or Tan calf leather Derby brogue boot made using their ‘Viper’ Goodyear welted rubber sole. For an immac- ulate smart casual look, Python in Brown pull up leather and Tan suede leather, a Derby chukka boot also made using heir ‘Viper’ Goodyear welted rubber sole is ideal.Another smart casual shoe is Kerridge in Navy and Tan: this stylish suede Oxford brogue shoe features fine punched brogue details and a GoodyearWelted rubbed ‘Shadow’ sole. With so many stylish and smart shoes on offer, Loake doesn’t just stop at men’s footwear. They also provide a series of bags and belts such as the Balmoral Weekend Bag made from brown smooth and grain leathers. It has a detachable shoulder strap, full width internal velcro fastened pocket and a single internal zip pocket. Also fea- turing a detachable shoulder strap and single internal zip pocket, the Burghley Black Overnight Bag is made from black leather. For belts, the Charles Belt in a choice of Black, Dark Brown and Tan features brogue punching details while the William Suede Belt is available in Dark Brown, Brown,Tan, Olive and Navy. To ensure you take the best care of your shoes, Loake has a number of accessories to do just that. Perhaps the most prestigious piece in the collection is the Valet Box that contains a cloth, shoe horn, oiled/waxed leather protector, suede cleaner, suede protector and polishing brushes. It also contains beeswax polishes in black, dark brown, mid brown, tan and neutral.The Shoe Care Kit contains black and tan wax polishes, two brushes, a shoe horn and a duster cloth, all within a pouch bag. Individual items can be purchased such as Leather Cream which helps to feed and condition upper leathers to keep shoes supple and helps prevent cracking, or a large Bristle Brush. www.loake.co.uk