looking forward: casely-hayford shoes autumn winter 2009/2010

when i first saw the fall winter preview images from casely-hayford, one of the things that popped out was the exquisite shoes, in particular this pair of tasselled loafers. so i wrote back to enquire more about the shoes:

in previous seasons, the shoes were all made in northampton, england (widely regarded as one of the most prestigious places for shoe making), using very bespoke techniques. the shoes retail between £450 to £800.

this season, they are broadening their range of shoes to make them more accessible whilst still maintaining the brand spirit. for fall winter, their shoes are made in turkey where they are rich in highly skilled artisan footwear tradition. this significantly brought down the costs involved. i don't know which is more sad: the shoes are no longer made in northampton, or that the tasselled loafers are only available in japan for now.

dover street market in london however will be stocking "bentley", another of my favourite shoe from this collection. the olive green leather is sumptuous, and the quilting is just the icing on the cake. this should be available from july 2009 for about £364. i like!

this is how it appeared on the lookbook:

and an exclusive piece of news: their english bench-made signature shoe style "peal", which originated in fall winter 2008, will be returning as part of their classic range in spring summer 2010 with a more accessible manufacture. the side of the shoes are signed too!

i love shoes, i really do. our feet carry our weight and burden, so it's only fair and right that we protect and dress them well. i really do think shoes make or break an outfit.

ahhh shoes.

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