October 19, 2020
I have always loved the look of the Belgian style loafer design, but was never a huge fan of their traditional sole that was essentially built as a house slipper. Being a big loafer fan, in general, I was always waiting for someone to make that more mainstream in terms of a solid, dress shoe style that could be worn more ‘practically.’ And while I think that there have been a few brands that have […]
May 20, 2020
Francis Waplinger recently moved his workshop from deep-end Long Island to Brooklyn. A very smart powermove in my opinion and something that should ultimately be good for his brand and ability to grow it. Which I an pleased for as I really like Francis (we are both from Seattle) and I want to see him do well. The reason for this post, however, is this cool new adelaide that he made for himself and wanting […]
October 2, 2019
Young, American bespoke shoemaker, Francis Waplinger, recently came out with a new model that is truly unique and an idea all of his own. Never have I see a model like this that amalgamates 2-3 very unique designs, depending on how you look at it, to create one ultimate shoe. In one part it is somewhat of a gladiator brogue. In another aspect it is a saddle brogue. And to top it off, its cap […]
May 1, 2018
While having no real proof of this next statement, I can confidently say that now more than ever is a time for aspiring shoemakers. And I believe that global communication i.e. the internet has been the key factor to making this phenomenon grow so vast in the last 10 years. You wouldn’t believe how many people have written me saying that they want to get into bespoke shoemaking and look to me for advice on […]
