Uncategorised – Herring Shoes Journal

Boys’ school shoes for 2023/2024

29 August 2023

Buying school shoes is a trial. If you enjoy it, then I take my hat off to you. I cannot understand what there is to love about busy shops, long queues, and a lack of choice. With this in mind, I would urge you to purchase your boys’ school shoes nice and early, so you can enjoy what is left of the summer break.

This is where Herring can help. We have a few styles that may suit your girls, but we have an abundance of formal shoes that will set your sons up for the year. And if they take care of them, they will last too, as many of our styles can be re-soled depending on how many miles they cover through school corridors.

Herring stock shoes for men’s sizes 5 to 12, so your boys or older teens should be covered. We have both leather and rubber-soled shoes, but I have opted for rubber or hybrid soles below to help protect feet on rainy days.

If you think your son’s feet have stopped growing, this could be the ideal time to invest in some quality black formal shoes that can take them into university formals and balls, interviews or the workplace…after a bit of spit and polish, of course!

Here are my top picks for the 2023/04 academic year:

Edgeware II
The Edgeware II is a classic Oxford laced toe-cap shoe but is a new addition to Herring. An Oxford like this is crucial for any men’s wardrobe. They work so well for multiple formal occasions, starting with school. This shoe is made on an elongated last to give it a more contemporary look. It is also made on a cemented sole for more flexibility. The sole is half leather and half rubber to get the best of both worlds!

Edmonton II
Where lace-ups are not required, this is a smart slip-on alternative. The Edmonton II is a super shaped loafer with an apron seam on a blake-stitched sole making it lightweight and flexible. It’s repairable too.

Enfield
Something a little different if your son likes a bit of individual style. The laces have been done away with and replaced with a buckle. Introducing your son to a monk shoe sounds like outstanding parenting to me! Monk shoes ooze sophistication and if they opt for this style early in life, they are likely to adopt this style as stride into adulthood. The Enfield is blake-stitched to a half-leather half rubber sole. This has been made on a generous last shape, so we would recommend dropping down half a size from what you normally wear.

Gosport
If a brogue is more your son’s thing, then consider the Gosport. This is a traditional longing brogue that oozes style. It is made with a Goodyear-welted rubber sole and premium calf making it a great wardrobe classic. As a welted shoe, the Gosport is a repairable shoe so is a good investment.

Newcastle
Lastly, the Newcastle. This is another classic Oxford. Again, it is Goodyear-welted, made on a good fitting last. Made with premium calf leather uppers for comfort and flexibility, and a rubber-stud sole for durability and comfort, this would make a great school shoe.

Bit of advice
If you haven’t bought formal shoes for your son before, you may find they need a size smaller than any current trainer type style so, for example, if they wear Vans or Converse in a size 9 they will probably be an 8 in our formal shoes. You can speak to our customer service team for more guidance.

Lastly, if you are reading this, but you’re not usually the one who buys the school shoes, we would really appreciate it if you would forward this on. There are also plenty of formal shoes available in our summer sale. Use our size picker to filter on the styles available in your son’s size to view your options.

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“Oxfords, not brogues”

9 September 2022

We can’t help it, it’s in our DNA to find the above quote from The Kingsman quite annoying.

Let me explain why.

When referring to shoes as an Oxford, this terminology is referring to the construction of the lacing area. The lacing is a nice simple V shape; it’s the classic form of a dress shoe and considered the most elegant, neat and tidy variation. It has nothing to do with the pattern on the shoes.

So, maybe you are wondering what a brogue lacing construction is? Well…there is no such thing. As I am sure you are aware, a brogue refers to the punching on the shoes that can form many different shapes, from long-wing to austerity, but imperatively it has nothing to do with how the lacing area is constructed.

At this point you may be wondering what the shoes are called with the ‘line’ across the toe, as the above quote would have you believe this makes it an Oxford. Well, this is called a capped toe. Quite self explanatory, right? Again, there are many variations, but this terminology has no bearing on the lacing construction.

Let’s add in the mix the alternative lacing construction: the derby (AKA the gibson). We have written about this before but it’s worth talking about again. Instead of the V shape lacing, you have what looks like two flaps of leather to create an ‘open lacing system’. This means there is more flexibility in the instep area, ideal for those who have higher arches or like to wear thicker socks. It is considered a more country, casual style.

Let’s summarise: You can have an Oxford brogue style, an Oxford toe cap style, a derby toe cap style and a derby brogue style…. Let’s not forget a wholecut which is completely plain with an Oxford lacing.

Are you still with me? Good, I didn’t doubt it for a second. Hopefully you now understand why we dislike the quote “Oxfords, not brogues”, as really it should be “toe caps, not brogues”.

Next time someone asks if you are an Oxford or brogue kind of person, remember this journal entry….

A quick test for you, can you work out from the photos which styles are which? I will post the answers below, no cheating, lets see if you know your Derby brogues from your Oxford toe caps!

Example 1) Oxford lacing with an Oxford toe cap

Example 2) Derby laced Brogue

Example 3) Derby laced toe cap

Example 4) Oxford laced brogue

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Our best British shoes to celebrate the Queen’s Jubilee

27 May 2022

As people plan street parties and start stringing bunting across their homes, it struck us that the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee represents a very British occasion. We are a British company through and through, and while we love all our customers from overseas, one of the reasons they choose us is the traditional shoemaking heritage our products offer.

It got us debating on which of our British shoes are the top five most British! See what you think.

Churchill II
Named after one of our most famous Prime Ministers, the Churchill II is a traditional black Oxford. They are handmade from start to finish in Northamptonshire – the home of British shoemaking. This is a classic formal shoe that will never let you down.

Eden II
Another Prime Minister, another classic shoe from the craftsmen in Northampton. The Eden II has a more contemporary look with a brogue punch to the toe and elegant swan neck brogueing to the sides. The Eden is handmade using the finest calf leathers, stitched onto a Goodyear welted sole and then hand burnished. It really doesn’t get much better than that for British shoe making.

Chelsea boot
With the Chelsea boot’s origins firmly with our previous long-serving Queen Victoria, this boot had to appear on this list. We have plenty of examples, but we decided on the suede Taverner. It’s gorgeously elegant with a spectacular, rich suede upper made on the perfectly proportioned 109 last. We think this is a must-have for the well-dressed.

Carnaby
Not a Parliamentarian in sight for this one with a nod to the rural gent despite its uptown name! You must have a brogue in a British list of shoes, and the Carnaby are our best-sellers. They look great with a grey or navy suit but can work equally well with chinos or jeans. Tan brogues are a man’s best friend!

Greenwich II
The Royal Borough of Greenwich was the inspiration for these very fine monk shoes. In fact, Greenwich became a royal borough to mark the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee in 2012. The Greenwich II are super smart formal shoes that again have been made in Northamptonshire. These have a medallion of punching on the toe to make them stand out…in a good way!

So, what do you think? Are these the most British of British shoes? If you have any other suggestions, please let us know! Until then, enjoy the Jubilee celebrations.

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The provenance and alchemy of belt-making

8 October 2021

Herring has long associated itself with British craftsmanship by working with the best shoe factories in Northamptonshire to bring our customers quality footwear. The same can be said of many of our other products too. Look no further than Tanner Bates, based in Dartington, Devon.

Tanner Bates founder John Hagger was already entrenched in the leather industry – his father was a leather guilder who followed in the footsteps of a family of glovers – before he trained as a saddlery and bridle-maker in Walsall. John brought his love of leather and traditional expertise to make a range of products, including belts for Herring.

Tanner Bates use oak-bark leather made from Devon cow hide. Oak-bark leather is made by placing the leather into large pits with water and seasoned oak-bark chippings from Lake District coppices.

This part of the process is carried out by J & FJ Baker & Co in Colyton, East Devon, which is believed to be the UK’s only remaining traditional oak bark tannery still in production. No chemicals are used, and the entire tanning process can take up to 18 months.

John said: “I am fascinated at the way we can make leather just from animal skin and tree barks. The transformation is alchemy.”

This makes the leather very hard wearing and flexible. The perfect belt material in fact. This material is then cut, trimmed, stitched, riveted, punched and polished by hand to create a quality product, such as the oak bark belt sold by Herring.

What drives John is provenance and his enthusiasm for it is infectious. He relishes in the expertise and familiarity with those he works with. He says he knows the names of everyone involved in making the raw materials for his belts and other leather goods, from the people who make the sand-cast brass buckles in Walsall to the man whose oak trees are used at Baker’s tannery.

Such traditional values do not mean John’s designs are old-fashioned though. A glance through the range available from the Tanner Bates web shop reveals a modern edge has been applied to classic items.

In his own words, he says: “In making my products, this combination of rich, rustic leather, my own traditional making technique and the product’s contemporary purpose is what fuels my creativity. There’s an ironic juxtaposition of tradition and technology.”

And, so concludes our peek behind the name behind one of our products. We are sure you will agree, Tanner Bates are very much aligned to our Herring way of thinking.

Browsing category: Uncategorised

Boys’ school shoes for 2023/2024

“Oxfords, not brogues”

Our best British shoes to celebrate the Queen’s Jubilee

The provenance and alchemy of belt-making