Bradshaw and Lloyd Fine Shoe Blog

Sebago sale shoes

The Sebago shoe brand has worldwide credibility for producing some of the finest deck shoes in the world. They are also continuously introducing exciting new colour combinations. As a result we are able to offer an extensive range of discontinued Sebago sale shoes at discounted prices.

Sizing

As with all their shoes Sebago sale shoes are true to size. Therefore if you normally take for example a UK size 8 you can be pretty confident that a UK size 8 in Sebago deck shoes will fit you well. They are also easier to fit than most shoe styles since the rawhide laces go right around the heel. This means that the upper can be tightened to provide a good close fit.

Availability

All the sizes of Sebago sale shoes listed at bradshawandlloyd.com are available for immediate despatch. We provide a next day delivery service throughout the UK . Therefore so long as we receive your order by 1pm.

Sanders Diplomat collection

Quality

The Sanders Diplomat collection is the premium grade range of shoes and boots from the famous Sanders factory.  Only the finest premium grade calf leathers and suedes are used in this collection. The footwear is handcrafted using only the goodyear welted method of construction. There are other, cheaper methods of shoe construction, but goodyear welting is generally regarded as the very best.  It provides good support for the foot and moulds nicely to the shape of the foot.  Also the shoe may be re-soled numerous times without degrading the upper leathers.

Origin

The Sanders factory is owned by the Sanders family and has been hand crafting shoes on the same Rushden site in Northamptonshire since 1873.  The factory is presently run by Henry Sanders and his daughter Megan.

Availability

Bradshaw and Lloyd offer the entire range of Sanders Diplomat shoes and boots.

Loake sale

At Bradshaw and Lloyd we are pleased to offer an extensive collection of Loake sale footwear at discounted prices. These are a varied range of discontinued shoes and boots in perfect condition and limited sizes.

Delivery

The Loake sale shoes listed on the website are available for immediate despatch. Orders received by 1pm on weekdays will be despatched the same day and for UK mainland addresses will reach you by the end of the next working day. Orders received over the weekend will be despatch on the following Monday.

Returns

So long as Loake sale shoes remain as new they may be returned for a full refund, however the customer is responsible for the cost of any returns postage.
Sale shoe of the week:
Our favourite Loake sale shoe this week is the Loake Whitehall in stunning mahogany calf. The price has been reduced to just £198 and is presently available in most sizes.

The history of Sebago footwear:

The Sebago footwear brand began life in the 1940’s on the shores of Lake Sebago in the United States. Until around the turn of the century Navigair on England’s south coast was responsible for the distribution of Sebago footwear throughout the UK. Then in the early years of the 21st century the brand was sold to American footwear giant Wolverine who concentrated production in the Caribbean and the Far East.

The present:

Wolverine successfully ran the brand for many years but for reasons best known to themselves they decided to sell the brand in 2018. The brand is now owned by the Italian company BasicNet Group and distribution throughout the UK is the responsibility of GL Dameck Ltd in Blairgowrie.

The future of Sebago footwear:

At Bradshaw & Lloyd we are excited at the prospects for the Sebago brand. BasicNet are restricting production to the Dominican Republic where the quality has always been at its best. They are also concentrating on high quality, stylish men’s styles in both formal and recreational variants. We certainly approve of this approach and will continue to support this great brand.

Veldtschoen v goodyear welted

You may be confused over Veldtschoen v goodyear welted footwear and what exactly is meant by these terms.

Veldtschoen

Veldtschoen construction is in some ways similar to stitch down construction. Here the upper leather of the shoe or boot is folded outwards away from the upper and this is then stitched through the welt to the sole. The overriding advantage of this is that water is directed away from the shoe and is therefore far less likely to ingress. The disadvantage of veldtschoen is that each time the shoe requires a re-sole the stitching goes directly into the upper leather. Repeated re-soles will therefore weaken the upper and so reduce the life of the shoe. This all means that veldtschoen construction tends to be limited to country style shoes and boots where heavy downpours of rainfall are more of an issue.

Goodyear welted

With goodyear welted construction by contrast the upper leather folds inwards and is attached to the welt with stitching which cannot be seen from outside the shoe. The sole is stitched to the welt only and this stitching does not touch the upper leather. This means that re-soles only weaken the welt and this relatively inexpensive welt can be replaced as and when necessary.

Conclusion

In this veldtschoen v goodyear welted analysis I would suggest that you only select a veldtschoen shoe or boot if they are mainly going to be used for serious outdoor activities.

Barker shoes

At Bradshaw and Lloyd we are proudly expanding the range of Barker shoes which we are offering both instore and on our website. These styles offer superb value as are made to the very highest standard at Barkers factory in Earls Barton in Northamptonshire but don’t use their name to inflate their prices. We particularly like the Country, Professional and Creative collections which come in an array of leather and suede options as well as having either traditional leather soles and more modern Dainite rubber soles.

Free accessory

As an added bonus at Bradshaw and Lloyd we include a pair of premium cedar wood trees or deluxe shoe care kit with each pair of Barker shoes.

The English shoe industry, based in Northamptonshire, is famous for its goodyear welted type of shoe construction. Traditionally of course soles were made of leather however these days the shoe industry has embraced rubber soles as well, the most well know brand of which is Dainite. Rubber as well as leather can be used in goodyear welted construction. There are advantages of both.

Leather soles

As one would expect there are many different grades of sole leather but the best has a tight grain which will allow the longest wear. A leather sole certainly looks very fine on a quality pair of shoes although they can be a little slippery until roughed up a bit. It is important to allow leather soles to dry out between outings since wet leather will wear relatively quick on a hard, dry surface. Leather soles are easy to re-sole and stick-on rubber soles can be added. The advantage of doing this is that you don’t need to find a skilled shoe repairer, a heel bar can replace stick-on rubber soles at fairly minimal cost.

Rubber soles:

The Dainite factory is famous for its stud rubber soles. These can be the same thickness as leather soles and so long as they have a leather welt look exactly the same as leather soled shoes from above. Rubber is considerably harder wearing than even the best quality leather soles. Also rubber remains impermeable to water ingress even when the rubber has worn very then. Leather conversely can begin to let water through at this stage. You will find that all the best English shoe makers have embraced Dainite rubber soles.

When they do eventually wear out there are two repair options for both leather and Dainite rubber soles: Either a long sole which replaces the entire sole unit or half sole which replaces just the sole material which hits the ground. Done properly a half sole is quicker, cheaper and can be done be a reputable local shoe repairer. A long sole should be returned to the manufacturer.

A little trick I’ve picked up can help with one rather irksome issue with rawhide Sebago laces. This is that the laces tend to come undone whilst walking. Of course this doesn’t just occur with Sebago shoes but pretty much all rawhide laces. According to scientific studies it’s down to reverberations whilst walking. Nothing surprising there Sherlock. You certainly can’t fault the quality of Sebago laces, only the best grade of well-tanned rawhide leather is used and they are rarely known to break. It’s all down to the fibres of the leather and the solution is water. Simply dip the laces into a bowl of water for a minute or so and let the laces take up some water. Henceforth the laces are far less likely to come undone, however a double knot is always recommended. Docksides are of course designed to get wet so alternatively go for a swim in your new deck shoes and that little issue with Sebago laces will be resolved.

If you ever do need replacement Sebago laces we do stock all the different colours at https://www.bradshawandlloyd.com/sebago

The simplest and cheapest way of making a shoe is by sticking the upper to the sole. And certainly glues have improved immensely over the years and today they are extraordinarily strong. However there are disadvantages and there are superior methods of shoe and boot construction in the form of goodyear welt and blake stitching.

Glued, alias cemented, shoes are certainly very flexible from day one but they aren’t designed to be successfully re-soled. So when the soles do wear through that tends to be the end of their life. However stick-on soles if done when there is still plenty of sole leather is a way around this. And certainly cemented shoes work well especially for women looking for a fashion shoe.

In 1856 Lyman Blake developed a stitching machine which allowed the sole to be stitched directly to the upper leather, hence blake stitching. The sole remains attached directly to the upper so the shoe remains fairly flexible and re-soles at least a couple of times are realistic. Blake stitching shoes work perfectly well in the Mediterranean climate where it doesn’t matter too much if the upper is very close to the sole and make for a lighter looking shoe. However for more inclement weather it is better for the upper to be a little further away from the ground.

The revolution in shoe construction, especially for northern climes, came in 1869 with Charles Goodyear’s development of the Goodyear welting process. This method continues to be used today and is generally considered to be a superior method to blake stitching for the following reasons. The upper leather is stitched to a strip of leather, called the welt, with stitches which are not visible from outside the shoe. The welt is then stitched to the sole. The void created by the welt is filled with compressed cork. The combination of the welt and the cork makes for a well supported shoe which can then mould to the wearer’s foot. The fact that the sole is stitched to a replaceable welt means that the soles may be replaced numerous times without degrading the upper.

It’s worth clarifying what exactly Oxford Brogues are as opposed to other types of formal lace up shoes. The word Oxford simply refers to the way in which the various sections of the upper leather are stitched together. Essentially there are just two options for the shoemaker but on the whole more shoe styles are made with the Oxford version than any alternative.
With an Oxford brogue all the leather meets at a stitched point at the bottom of the laces. With the alternative option the upper opens up much more fully and the panels of leather with the lace eyelets can flap open. This latter construction technique is known as a gibson or derby shoe.
The advantage of a derby shoe is that it caters much better for a foot with a higher instep since it offers more versatility. An Oxford style tends to look better when used on a brogue or toecap style of shoe.
The term brogue refers to circular holes and other decorative punched gaps made in the upper leather. These tend to be most concentrated around the forepart. There can be various degrees of broguing. A simple punch cap has holes punched along the seam where the toecap meets the forepart. A half brogue has holes punched into the toecap and possibly also along some of the other seams. A full brogue has holes punched over most of the forepart and these will also sweep down the sides of the shoe. All these styles may be termed Oxford brogues so long as the various panels are stitched together at a point directly below the lace eyelets.