John Lobb
Bespoke and RTW shoes, St James's bootmaker since 1866, Hermès RTW in Northampton
Among enthusiasts, consensus is that RTW quality is excellent but the price premium (~$1000 vs Carmina, Vass or Bonafe) is not unanimously seen as justified. You're paying for the name as much as the leather. The family bespoke from St James's (independent of Hermès) is another universe of price and quality.
Philosophy
The wooden last is the shoe's soul. John Lobb keeps it for life, some are over a hundred years old. As long as the last exists, the shoe can be reborn.
History
Cornwall, around 1829. John Lobb is born into a Devon farming family. As a child, he suffers a foot disability, a cruel irony for the man who would become the world's most famous bootmaker. It's precisely this disability that drives him to the trade: he learns shoemaking to make shoes that fit him.
In 1866, he sets up on St James's Street, London, the gentlemen's quarter, between private clubs and Savile Row tailors. One year later, in 1867, he wins a gold medal at the Paris Exposition Universelle. One year. The limping Devon farmer's son has just beaten Europe's finest bootmakers.
The reputation is made. The British Royal Household grants the Royal Warrant. Princes, diplomats, industrialists flock to St James's. John Lobb creates wooden lasts for each client, unique molds capturing the exact anatomy of the foot. These lasts are kept for life. Some date from the 19th century and remain in the archives.
In 1902, the family opens a Paris branch on rue du Faubourg-Saint-Honoré. Two workshops, two cities, one standard. But in 1976, the Paris branch is sold to Hermès. This is where the story gets complicated.
Since 1976, TWO John Lobbs exist:
• **John Lobb Bootmaker** (St James's Street, London): still family-owned, still independent, bespoke only. The absolute summit. Expect £5,000-10,000 per pair, 6 months minimum wait. This is where the historic lasts are kept.
• **John Lobb (Hermès)**: ready-to-wear made in Northampton (in the former Edward Green factory, no less) and Paris bespoke. Leathers come from Annonay (premier French tanneries), construction follows 190 steps. RTW between €1,200 and €2,000.
The two entities have no legal connection, just a shared name and DNA.
Among enthusiasts, the debate is permanent: RTW quality is 'impeccable, with no flaws whatsoever,' leathers are 'buttery soft, and unusually thick.' Nobody disputes the quality. What the community disputes is the price. 'Could not say that the difference is worth the $1000 price premium over Vass or Bonafe or Carmina.' In other words: John Lobb RTW is excellent, but at €1,500, Carmina at €500 delivers 85% of the quality at a third of the price.
It's the eternal luxury dilemma: are you paying for the shoe or the name? At John Lobb, the honest answer is: both. And the shoe is good enough that the name isn't a bluff.
Iconic Products
William II
The iconic double monk strap, the house's most recognizable model. Clean lines, perfect proportions, 190-step Goodyear welt construction. The shoe connoisseurs identify from ten meters. The William II is to John Lobb what the Birkin is to Hermès: the object that defines the house. Except here, you walk in it.
Philip II
The classic cap-toe Oxford, the essence of the English shoe distilled into one object. Cap toe, closed lacing, Annonay leather. The shoe you wear with a dark suit for occasions that matter. Has existed for decades without aging. The Philip II doesn't follow trends, it is the trend others follow.
Lopez
The signature loafer, the house's casual model. Supple leather, moccasin stitching, leather sole. John Lobb proves here that luxury doesn't need laces. The Friday shoe. The one you slip on sockless in summer, with linen trousers. Nonchalance that costs €1,500, but earns it in feel.