How Lobb of St James's Has Measured Feet for Over a Century
John Lobb, a Cornish farmer's son who walked to London in the 1850s, established himself as a bootmaker of extraordinary skill. He won a Royal Warrant from the Prince of Wales in 1863 and opened premises on St James's Street in 1866. The firm has been making bespoke shoes and boots at that address ever since, holding a Royal Warrant from the current Prince of Wales.
The Lobb bespoke process begins with the creation of a wooden last carved to replicate the exact dimensions and contours of the client's feet. This last, which takes approximately four hours to carve from beechwood, becomes the client's permanent record and is stored in the firm's vast last room, where thousands of lasts line shelves from floor to ceiling (https://www.johnlobb.com).
The measurement ritual is detailed and exacting. A fitter takes more than thirty measurements of each foot, noting not only length and width but arch height, instep circumference, toe shape, and any asymmetries between left and right feet. These measurements guide the last maker, who carves a last that is unique to each client and will be used for every subsequent pair ordered.
A single pair of John Lobb bespoke shoes requires approximately fifty hours of handwork spread over several months. The upper is cut from the finest European calf leather, hand-stitched to a Goodyear welt, and finished with a sole made from oak-bark-tanned leather. Two or three fittings ensure the shoe conforms precisely to the foot before final finishing.
The firm's most celebrated models include the William double-buckle monk, the Philip II Oxford, and the Lopez loafer. Each represents a distillation of English shoemaking tradition refined by more than a century of continuous practice. The waiting list for a first pair of bespoke Lobbs can extend to several months.
Hermes acquired John Lobb in 1976, a partnership that has provided financial stability while preserving the firm's operational independence. The Hermes connection also spawned the John Lobb ready-to-wear line, produced in Northampton, which offers a more accessible interpretation of the Lobb aesthetic and last shapes.
For the man who considers footwear an investment in daily comfort and lasting quality, a visit to John Lobb's St James's workroom is a revelation. The experience of wearing a shoe built on a last carved to your exact foot is transformative: once you understand how a shoe should fit, compromising becomes very difficult.
