John Lobb
England, Circa 1970
Bespoke Alligator, Tuczek Style, Slip-on
& Original Fitted Trees

Euro 3600

All original, the last word for the collector, a museum piece but eminently wearable, this is among the most elegant, not to mention, rarified of shoe available anywhere. The style has a long pedigree reaching back to the greatest master shoemakerof the 20th Century, Nikolaus Tuczek who premiered the side-gusseted slip-on. Upon Tuczek’s retirement the company was taken over by John Lobb around 1970. In a phone call Mr. John Hunter Lobb recalled to me that “We took over the remnant of Tuczek in 1968.” Lobb has an unbrogued model called Elastic Sided with Plain Tuczek Style Elastic – (SS597) which, no doubt, they consider derivative of the great master’s style. The shoe shown here was, of course, made to order.

The warmth and beauty of the leather can hardly be described nor can the photos do more than begin to do this masterpiece justice. The richness of the leather is balanced by the simplicity of the long, uninterrupted line of the front and chisel toe, both characteristic of the Tuczek last.

The overwhelming beauty of these shoes is likewise to be found in their absolute correctness. By this I mean that they are not a copy of something, or a quotation, or a “version”, or some clever shoemakers fantasy; no, these are firmly in the tradition passed down (along with all the physical remnants, tools, lasts, etc.) from the originator of this unique model, Nikolaus Tuczek.

The effect of this shoe on the connoisseur who sees you wearing it is incomparable. Imagine wearing this shoe when visiting your own shoemaker or popping into Lobb’s shop in London, Paris or New York. It would be as if you entered an art gallery with the Mona Lisa under your arm. With this acquisition you are at once transported into the inner circle of shoe connoisseurs and cognoscenti. Since this pair bears the earlier three Royal Warrants, one can only imagine that you have inherited it.

John Lobb bespoke shoes start at £5000 for shoes and £1000 for shoe-trees, plus VAT 20%. http://www.johnlobbltd.co.uk/pricelist/  I can only estimate but it is safe to say that, today, ordering this pair from Lobb, in finest alligator, with VAT and custom trees, it would easily top Euro 10,000.

Size Details:

Shoe Condition:

Splendid original condition, requiring nothing. Nevertheless, to restart the clock on this beautiful leather, the shoes have been cleaned and “fed” in-house using a tested procedure requiring many days, applying sparing coats of the neutral English shoe cream, Autoglym, a product I discovered 30 years ago and which I have used with great success to treat the leather seats of my vintage cars. To allow complete absorption, one applies a few successive light coats with many days between. This restores the natural oils in the leather and if the leather is maintained properly from then on, it will last indefinitely. This pair hardly needed conditioning as it was meticulously maintained throughout its life by a fastidious and knowledgeable owner.

John Lobb
England, Circa 1970
Bespoke Alligator, Tuczek Style, Slip-on
avec Embouchoirs.

Euro 3600

La renommée de la marque John Lobb n’est plus à établir: elle est acquise depuis des générations pour la maison mère à Londres ainsi que pour la succursale ouverte à Paris au début du siècle dernier, et rachetée par Hermès en 1976.
La pointure – 9,5-10E, mesure anglaise, (10,5-11D US), – correspond à un 44-44.5D continental.

Elles sont dans un excellent état, ne présentant que quelques traces d’usure sur le talon original. Il n’y a aucun doute que, pour leur age, cet paire n’ont été portées que peu de fois.