Two years after seeing a pair of handsome, single-buckle boots on master tailor Antonio Panico, I finally got a chance to own a pair through Edward Green’s made-to-order program. Like Panico’s, mine have a single buckled-strap going across the top of each shoe, where laces would otherwise be. Unlike his black sueded pair, however, mine are made from Edward Green’s dark oak leather, which I would argue is the best dark brown calf in the business. These were also made on the company’s conservative, round-toe 202 last, and finished with light antiquing at the toes and slightly weathered-looking brass buckles.
Edward Green recently revamped their made-to-order program so that there are now two tiers. Well, three if you count Top Drawer. Top Drawer is the company’s premium made-to-order service, where shoes are produced with fiddleback waists, the client’s initials pegged into each sole, and extra time and attention at each stage of the manufacturing process. My chukkas (and the Shannons I wrote about earlier this year) were ordered through the standard made-to-order program, which was recently split into two offerings (at least when you go directly through Edward Green). For simple customizations, such as a change in leather, the upcharge is now just 150 GBP, while more complicated requests, such as a change in the pattern, will cost more.
This makes Edward Green’s made-to-order service much more affordable for people like me – people who are just looking for a standard model made in a different leather, or for an old archived model to be made again. From my last count, the company has over twenty-five leathers, and they keep adding more. This past year, for example, they just got in something called Delapre, which I’m told is an extra fatty, extra waxy material that’s good for wet weather conditions. If you’re not in London, swatches of these materials can be sent to you for your choosing.
The only downside is that for archived shoes, there’s still no catalog that contains everything. So, for that, you’ll have to browse StyleForum, keep an eye out at various stockists (Leffot carried this single buckled chukka last year), or go though An Uptown Dandy and Centipede (two sites with pictures of old Edward Green models).
Of course, you can avoid the MTO upcharge entirely if you’re willing to wait. Standard models are made with different materials every season, which you can keep up with through their catalog. For 150 GBP, however, it’s hard to say no. I’m already hoping to save up enough money for these city boots, which Edward Green made for Asprey many years ago. A new project to look forward to.
Below: photos of my Olney boots being made, and then them sitting on my desk at my home. Many thanks to Euan Denholm at Edward Green for taking the factory shots for me.