Crown Northampton – AWMS collab

The Brockton Belgian loafers

Note: At our request, Crown Northampton agreed to send us the loafers that you will discover in this article.

At the 26th Salon des Indépendants in Paris in 1910, visitors could admire a painting entitled "And the Sun settled on the Adriatic", signed by a certain Joachim-Raphaël Boronali. At the time, this painting caused a great stir. Indeed, the lively polychrome brushstrokes used by this mysterious artist left visitors perplexed. At the end of the Salon, the public was flabbergasted as they discovered the artist was none other than...a donkey. This little experiment, at the initiative of Roland Dorgelès, was to prove it was indeed possible to "paint like a donkey, praise a picture and also contribute to modern painting".

This curious History of Art anecdote allows us to approach the art of illusion. Illusion not in the intention to deceive, but in that of blending into the background. To this end, a men’s wardrobe is full of pieces allowing us to follow this doctrine. For instance, military clothing with camouflage patterns - "camo", for the most knowledgeable - have invaded the streets in recent years.

However, there is a missing link for an outfit to be in complete harmony: footwear. How does one dress the feet with a little fantasy? Why should this only be reserved for the upper body? Fortunately, we found the answer to this unsupportable dilemma.

The English brand Crown Northampton - on which we had already written about - has partnered up with Anthony Sylvester, a brilliant journalist, giving birth to an absolutely unique pair of shoes: the Brockton Belgian Loafer. Their inimitable quality is what makes them beautiful: the upper resembles a leopard’s coat.

We are truly honored to present them to all our readers, through an interview of Anthony Sylvester, founder of the new brand AWMS.

You've recently launched your own brand, AWMS. What made you choose slippers over more "traditional" shoes (derbies, loafers, sneakers...)?

Over lockdown, I simply stopped wearing shoes with laces completely. I went from indoor shoes to outdoor shoes seamlessly - essentially replacing one pair of slippers for another. Just before that happened, Crown Northampton made me a special-order pair of their Brockton slippers in black kudu suede with a cordovan apron and they became my de facto uniform for the next year or so. They're deceptively hard wearing and tough for such a delicate looking shoe.

I started the brand a little under a year ago with the ethos of making things that I wanted that didn't already exist in the world, so a special Brockton slipper with an animal print apron certainly fit that criteria!

Leopard, cheetah and jaguar. Those are the animals you chose to print on your collaboration with Crown Northampton. Do these animals mean something special to you ? Why choose to offer your (unique !) slippers in these particular animal prints ?

I love animal print in menswear. It works in a similar way to camouflage in my opinion, and has been utilized by subcultures from the rockers to the punks. I thought they would add a little flamboyant touch to a very classy and discreet shoe. The specific prints were chosen to compliment the suede colours of the body of the shoe. I think they work perfectly.

Northampton is the UK's "leather belt", what made you choose Crown Northampton over any other manufacturer ?

I think Crown Northampton have a rich and varied heritage, and make some exciting and unique offerings - the Jazz collection in particular. So many Northampton makers just make variations on a theme, whereas Crown are genuinely forward thinking. Also, their business model is "made-to-order" which I think is both practical and ethical.

How do you convince someone who has never worn animal print shoes to do so ? Where should one start ?

If you can wear camo, you can wear animal print. Let the shoes be the accent to the outfit and keep everything else fairly neutral or restrained.

Lastly, how would you pair them in an outfit ?

The leopard print I would wear with old 501s, white socks and a beaten-up old Oxford shirt. The Jaguar with a grey flannel suit with cashmere socks and rollneck. And the Cheetah with Gurkha shorts, no socks and a camp collar shirt.
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Thanks a ton Anthony !

Regarding size, we recommend you choose your usual one. In our case, a 6.5UK. The Kudu leather as well as the half-rubber sole make them a perfect indoor or outdoor shoe. The Crown x AWMS Belgian Loafers are a true home-run from our point of view !

Thank you once again Anthony for taking the time off your busy schedule and thank you Crown Northampton for trusting us in the long run.

If you wish to order your pair, please let us know or write to info@crownnorthampton.com to order your MTO pair, you won’t regret it !

Note : we asked the brand for a discount in exchange for a full review.

Crokett & Jones (22).JPEG — Crockett & Jones

*Harvard cordovan penny loafers*

“One of a pair of coverings for your feet, usually made of a strong material such as leather, with a thick leather or plastic sole and usually a heel". This is how the Cambridge Dictionary defines the word "shoe". There is no equivalent of the French word “soulier” in the English language, perhaps the expression “dress shoe” might convey best the sens of this fine word. “Soulier” – now scarcely used – first appeared in the French language in the 13th century. Over the centuries, the term semantically found its way into everyday expressions for instance, "être dans ses petits souliers" means "to be uncomfortable or find oneself in an embarrassing situation"; " mettre son pied dans les souliers de tout le monde " refers to the fact of interfering in everyone's business. Also, "n’avoir pas de souliers" is the symbol of a state of complete destitution; finally, "mourir dans ses souliers" is the result of a sudden death. The term "souliers” seems to be intimately linked to the moods and habits of a society, as if to describe it fundamentally. I remember the first time I preferred to use the word "souliers" for a "pair of shoes". It was 5 years ago, my father offered me my first pair of Crockett & Jones. A brogue derby in brown grained leather and a rubber sole. The "Pembroke" model, for connoisseurs. Year after year, my collection grew and so did my ultimate desire: to acquire a pair in cordovan leather, the famous "cordovan shell". A leather from the horse's hindquarters that is less than 0.5 m2 wide. Then I discovered the "Harvard" model in cordovan from Crockett & Jones, a completely “Ivy”-looking soulier.

Let’s have a closer look.

Crockett & Jones, Northampton and Paris: a winning trio

James Crockett and Charles Jones founded Crockett & Jones in 1879 in Northampton, the cradle of English bootmaking. However, it was not until 1998 that the first French boutique - the second in the world after Jermyn Street in London - opened its doors in Paris, at 14 Rue Chauveau-Lagarde, a stone's throw from the Madeleine. The 160m2 store displayed the double "Hand Grade" and "Main Line" collection.

Thomas and I meet up at the Madeleine store, on a beautiful Autumn day. A muffled atmosphere transpires as soon as we open the door, we understand we are entering a "club". The dark brown leather armchairs and sofas echo the beautiful woodwork transpiring an authentic British store from the past. Shoes are everywhere. Icing on the cake, there really is something for everyone: Oxfords, derbies, moccasins with monk-straps, boots, tassel loafers, penny loafers and even slippers. Crockett & Jones embodies this Europeanized "British phlegm": the house even dresses James Bond and his French equivalent, OSS 117 !

The “Harvard" penny loafer: cordovan at your feet

I walk to the back of the store where the coveted model is displayed: the "Harvard" penny loafer in Cordovan leather. Having already a pair of penny loafers from Crockett & Jones - the "Boston" model in grained brown leather - I ask to try on the same size, 6.5 UK. These two moccasins have an identical "last" - the shape of the tip of the shoe - the 314. A rounder shape than its 341 or 375 counterparts for example.

The cordovan used by Crockett & Jones is from the American Horween Tannery, founded in 1905 in Chicago. Very few tanneries in the world produce cordovan - etymologically, "cordovan" comes from the Andalusian city "Cordoba", the first place of manufacture of this horse leather already in the sixteenth century - Horween is undoubtedly best known for its dark purple-brown beautiful cordovan color.

The Harvard penny loafer is of Goodyear-welt construction, has a leather sole and an unlined interior. The pair is remarkably comfortable from the very first try, like indoor slippers! No future blisters will ruin my feet and that is an important point to consider. Note however that Cordovan leather will only loosen up a little, so it is crucial to feel comfortable from the start.

I wear penny loafers quite frequently, I don't think they are exclusively reserved for formal wear. That is why I chose an outfit with a pair of white jeans, cream socks, an ecru turtleneck and a Teba jacket. The jeans and socks are from Uniqlo, the ecru sweater from Danish brand Andersen Andersen - teaser - and the Prince of Wales Teba jacket from Justo Gimeno through Beige Habilleur. With an outfit like this one, I wanted to try on subtle degrees of white. Also, when one wishes to wear a white top and bottom, one just has to choose two different shades of white, hence avoiding the "full-white outfit".

The dark brownish Cordovan leather color - sometimes tending towards purple - makes it possible to effortlessly combine this type of shoe in any outfit. Cordovan is a rare and therefore expensive leather. A pair like this one will thus be "an investment piece". I simply advise you to try them on before purchase to see how they feel on your feet. The “Harvard” could easily be the quintessential cordovan penny loafers one has been seeking all along.

My personal experience leads me to say that cordovan “souliers” have no equivalent. Eventually, I prefer to use the word "souliers" rather than simply “shoes" when describing beautiful, well-made pieces that last over time. Harvard penny loafers fall into these categories.

After all, doesn’t James Bonds’ footwear deserve to be called “souliers” ?

My routine for caring cordovan shoes – or “souliers”

Cordovan shoes are sacred to some...Much has been written and said about this beautiful horsehide leather.

My routine revolves around 3 steps:

I start by brushing the shoes, removing dirt and dust. A genuine horsehair brush is preferable. I usually repeat this step continuously and stop here as cordovan leather does not need much maintenance: regular brushing is enough to maintain it effectively. However, always use shoetrees inside your shoes to guarantee their shape and longevity.
I only apply the Cordovan Special Saphire Cream very rarely and very sparingly. Otherwise, to make the pair shine, here is a little trick: I use old nylon tights and I rub the whole pair following a circular movement.
To remove small scratches that might appear, I use a somewhat shamanic instrument: the famous deer bone. One simply has to rub the bone on the surfaces to be treated or roll it on the front of the shoe. I find it effective but you can of course do without it, no doubt that this device contributes in the whole “Cordovan folklore”. For such an accessory, consider 20 to 30 Euros. Mine is from the Scandinavian eshop with the unpronounceable name: Skoaktiebolaget.

If you notice the appearance of a whitish substance after a few wears, don't worry! It is a part of the liquor that breathes out of the leather during the natural flexing of the shoe and its wear. This substance can be easily cleaned with a dry or damp cloth, then brushed: nothing more!

However, I advise you not to wear your shoes in wet or rainy weather, even though the leather is very resistant. Cordovan leather acquires a beautiful patina over time, just let it do its job.