Competition: Win one of Loake's New Leathergoods Range

[This competition has closed and a winner announced. Steve Baker has won a choice from the range] Traditional shoemaker Loake has introduced a range of leathergoods for the first time. The small and reasonably priced collection comprises four pieces: the Horseguards messenger bag, the Thames washbag, the Balmoral weekend bag and the Guildhall briefcase (left to right below).

In this exclusive competition you can win a choice of one of the range by simply by signing up for the Loake newsletter by clicking here. The competition closes at midnight on Sunday 11 June 2017 and the winner will be selected and announced on Monday 12 June.

L-R: Horseguards messenger bag, the Thames washbag, the Balmoral weekend bag and the Guildhall briefcase

I've been using the Guildhall briefcase and am very impressed by the quality of the design, construction and leather. A nice touch, for example, is that the carry strap has a suede lining to prevent it slipping off the shoulder.

With the exception of the messenger bag, they come in vegetable tanned leather, specially selected for its round, plump tannage which is relatively scuff resistant. The messenger bag comes in dark brown combination calf and full grain leathers. All the leathers will develop a beautiful, natural patina with age and are teamed with 100% cotton twill linings. 

The range (which will soon be extended) has been designed and engineered in-house with classic styling, practicality and ruggedness in mind. It is manufactured in India by the same people that make Loake’s Indian Goodyear Welted footwear. It is exclusively available in Loake shops in the UK and overseas, and from the Loake online store.

Balmoral Weekend Bag £225

Horseguards Messenger Bag £165

Guildhall Briefcase £180

Thames Washbag £55

This post is a collaboration with Loake.

We Are Loake: shoes for all

I've worn Loake shoes for years, attracted by their style and comfort. It was a pleasure to be asked to join fellow blogger John Jarrett of Individualism (below left) on a photoshoot for this year's Loake advertising campaign, the theme of which is "We Are Loake". 

The success of the campaign is that it shows how classic British shoes suit young and old and all tastes. Despite our difference in age and styles, We Are Loake.

I wore a pair of brown suede Loake Perth derbies (pictured above, made in Kettering) and John (pictured central in the advertisement below) burgundy Loake Dawson polished leather brogues (made in Loake's own factory in India with every last detail being to Loake's specification, allowing the costs of some ranges to be kept down). Both styles, whether made in England or India, are rooted in traditional Northamptonshire shoemaking skills supported by factory refurbishment and repair when required.  

For more information on Loake and the "We Are Loake campaign, see their website, or follow on Facebook or Instagram.

For more of my blog writing about Loake, including a factory visit and a shoe refurbishment, click here.

'We are Loake': new advertising campaign features two bloggers

Loake's new campaign, We are Loake, finds its inspiration in Loake's active and popular Facebook page and celebrates everyone involved, representing those who make, sell, wear and love the shoes. 

I'll be writing more about Loake and our photo shoot for the campaign next month. Meanwhile have a look at the new advertisement, above. You may spot Grey Fox and another blogger, John Jarrett of Individualism. For the full story visit the Loake website.

A Blogger's Favourites 1 - Loake Otterburn brogues

Some of the products I've acquired in four years of blogging have really stood out and I wanted to feature them in this new series, 'A Blogger's Favourites'. All have become firm favourites and have the following in common: quality, comfort and (in differing amounts) style. Inevitably, many are British made. 

I start with these Loake Otterburn brogues. Made in Kettering in England, they have already been through a factory overhaul. Read about the Loake factory overhaul of these shoes here. Stylish and robust, they are among my favourites. The Otterburn isn't on the Loake website, but can be found elsewhere. The Loake Chester is a similar shoe. See Loake. 

Do you have similar favourites? Please let me know, by e-mail, on social media or below in comments.

Loake: a visit to their Kettering factory

I recently visited Kettering to see the Loake footwear factory. As a blogger, I've had the privilege of visiting several factories around England and Scotland. All were similar in many ways: the smell of oil, the sounds, the ordered but well-worn furnishings and machinery, the quiet focus of the workers, their enthusiasm and care and the breathtaking expertise shown in those quick, deft movements used by those totally familiar with their work. 

All were proud of their work, from managers, owner, designers to those working on the factory floor. All were gratifyingly busy and it's good to see the continuing growth of British fashion manufacturing.

I own three pairs of Loake, all made on last 024/F, which just suits my foot shape. It was interesting to be shown the last on which these would have been made (pictured above).

Loake has been a family business since 1880 and I spent time with Andrew Loake, whose great-grandfather opened the factory. Loake is almost the only shoe factory left in Kettering. Andrew's father remembered when there were at least thirty footwear factories and associated tanneries and industries in the town. One other has recently opened up; a sign, hopefully, of the world-wide growth of British-made menswear.

Shown round by Factory Manager Brendon Drage-Dawes, I watched as shoes were made from the first cutting of the leather, to the construction of the Goodyear-welted soles and uppers around the last and on to the finishing and polishing before packing and despatch. 

The size of the factory surprised me, but each shoe goes through some 230 stages during the manufacturing process. Much of the work is done entirely by hand to remarkable tolerances by highly-skilled and experienced men and women. 

Seeing the processes drives home the sheer quality of the product. These are shoes made to last; a synthesis of high quality materials and 300 year-old tried and tested construction methods. There are no cheap gluing techniques, only processes designed to make a durable and comfortable shoe.

Increasing capacity is given over to refurbishing of shoes for the large number of customers who send them in for repair. What they get back is virtually a new shoe, re-heeled, re-soled and polished.

Loake has a factory in India, to which they send components which are made into shoes (designed in Kettering) to similar quality to those made in England. This enables them to offer a lower-priced shoe of good quality to those looking for this rather than a full-British-made shoe. The company believe that it is important to be totally transparent about the origin of their shoes, as Andrew Loake discusses in this article on the Loake website.

As with all my factory visits, I came away fired with enthusiasm for the quality of British manufacture. But 99% of the footwear we buy in Britain is made abroad. Hopefully I can instead persuade you to try a piece of British-made craftsmanship.

For more about Loake, or to buy their shoes or find a local stockist, see the Loake website.

Loake shoes made in England - a video

Last week I visited Loake Shoes in Kettering. I'll be reporting on a fascinating visit soon. Meanwhile, here's a video that shows some of what I saw - British shoemaking at its best. 

For more information, or to buy from their wide range of men's shoes, go to Loake.

Friday Favourites: men's boots for winter

Winter means a man needs a pair of boots, comfortable, warm, robust and reasonably weather-proof. Here are a few I like. From the high street on a wet day to muddy winter walks on rock or mud, I've selected boots for most needs except the high mountains. Priced from £85 to £400, these are classic styles for all ages.

Loake Dovedake

These are the boots I wear regularly. Made from Loake's last 024, a last they use for their Chester and Otterburn brogues which I also own and which fit me well, I knew they'd be comfortable before I acquired them. I wear them around town or for muddy dog walks. After gentle drying, mud-removal and a good wax, they come up like new.

British-made, they are available from Loake outlets or their website £235.

Trickett Grey Paw boots

I like the look of these from Trickett, who always seem to find interesting and well-made designs. They're made in Northampton, are Goodyear welted and come with a crepe sole, in a British tanned Brown leather and presentation box. 

Iain Trickett told me,

'They are a mixture of all things I like about boots, Kickers, Red Wings and Clarks Wallabees. Perfect for winter and go with any outfit. We are short on words around these parts, we prefer the goods to speak for themselves I guess!'

 The Trickett Grey Paw boots cost £180 from Trickett England.

Oliver Sweeney Danby boot

From Oliver Sweeney, these buffalo and country grain hide boots cross the town/city divide by effectively combining black and brown in a robust Goodyear-welted construction with a bellows tongue.

They have a rubber commando-type sole and look good on city or village streets. From Oliver Sweeney £259. I own a pair of shoes to a similar design which I will review shortly.

Grenson Marcus

For those looking for a boot for wear in town, the Grenson Marcus black chukka is ideal. Elegant, yet suitably boot-like to be warm, comfortable and reasonably dry (they have leather soles) on draughty city streets, these could be worn with a business suit or jeans.

These boots are in the Grenson G:Two Collection; designed in England, made to high standards in India and checked and finished back in England. This enables them to sell a high quality shoe at a more accessible price. I applaud Grenson's openness about the origins of these lovely boots. We see too many brands fudging the issue of origin to suggest British manufacture when a product is actually assembled abroad and finished in the UK. Grenson also make shoes in England. Grenson Marcus £195 from Grenson.

Vandra High boot by Lunghans

From a favourite supplier of mine, Lissom & Muster, these are a single-layer, high shaft, shell boots with a padded top edge that is made from Tea Green Nubuck Leather giving a stable and reliable boot with a modern design. Being unlined, they are for use for layering on warm or cold days. For genuine tough use. Lissom & Muster has a small but beautifully-curated collection of outdoor clothing.

From Lissom & Muster, priced £213.75 with 24% off at present.

Aigle and Nigel Cabourn collaboration Le Godiot boots

Like the Vandras above, these boots are serious bits of kit, as you'd imagine from a collaboration with Nigel Cabourn, whose products are often based on robust military or outdoor clothing of a very practical design.

Manufactured from rubber with leather uppers, these are made in France by Aigle, cost £400.

M&S Collection leather hiker boots

I like the slightly retro look of these leather hiking boots. They are probably more suited to wet and muddy winter walks than the high fells and mountains, but look robust and comfortable. 

Made to M&S's usual high standards and available from Marks & Spencer stores or online.

Rockport

From the Rockport Heritage Collection, I like the robust look of these Umbwe Trail boots. They contain ADIPRENE® by adidas Sport Technology in the heel which provides shock-absorption and comfort. With a Vibram sole and Hydro-Shield waterproofing, these boots will stand up to most lowland walks and trails.

The waterproof construction is guaranteed to seal out moisture - even in heavy rain, sleet, or snow. This style is priced at £150 and is available online now at Rockport and elsewhere. 

Getting the new Dr Who look - Timeless style?

So Peter Capaldi's new Dr Who is apparently ditching the tweed and woolly scarves and going for a mod-style red silk-lined navy Crombie with dark blue trousers, white shirt (buttoned at collar, of course), navy waistcoat and black Doc Martens (maybe more skinhead than mod?). As an honorary member of the Grey Fox Club, an older man of style, Capaldi gets our approval. He'll help the gradual rediscovery of the powerful grey pound by the fashion industry. [Edit - since posting this the BBC has changed its description of the shoes to 'sturdy black shoes'. I'm told that those in the image below are Loake, not Doc Martens. I already had a photo of Loake boots below.]

Will we be seeing many Dr Who lookalikes on our streets? Here's how you can be one too.

Image BBC

The main feature is the red lined Crombie - a coat much favoured by everyone from City gents to skinheads and mods. It's interesting how a former symbol of capitalist power can also have been adopted by rebel youth movements and, of course, rebel time lords.

Navy Crombie with red silk lining - from Crombie of course

Arthur & Henry ethically-made white shirt

Sir Plus navy wool waistcoat

Oliver Spencer navy wool fishtail Pennington trouser

Doc Martens 3989 shoe

Or...........

Loake smooth black leather boots