When people talk about British shoes, in terms of the frequency, first of all, the three premium ones (John Lobb, Edward Green and Gaziano & Girling). Then it is Crockett & Jones. Bespoke shoemakers are also darlings to shoe enthusiasts, such as Foster & Son and George Cleverley.
In fact, there are Laoke, Herring, Cheaney and Barker in the UK, all of which position lower than Crockett & Jones. Among them, Laoke and Barker are heritage brands established in 1880.
In the process of building my shoe collection, I paid attention to this brand for a long time, because I thought it was a good choice to get started.
But when I really got his shoes, I did feel that the Spanish one was more suitable for entry.
Let us see why.
Last
The last is not too ostentatious, maintaining the traditional shape. While elongated a bit on the very blunt toe.
Pattern
For this conventional Cap Toe Oxford, Nevis leans to the decorative side with jigsaw edge of leather, and distant double stitches on the upper.
Construction
Stitches on welt are quite neat and sturdy which is not bad at all. Welt edge seems to be cornered a bit but not pronouced.
Leather
This is the reason why Barker costs not so much, the leather has obivous plating even though the creases are fine.
Summary
If we don’t consider the leather performance, it is a perfect workhorse, the last is traditional, the craftsmanship is satisfactory.