Unboxing Joffre from Septieme Largeur

Septieme Largeur is a French mid range brand and its most talked feature is wood pegging at the waist. But hoenstly, that is not the real selling point of this brand, because its patina and wonderful value are.

The founder, Mathieu Preiss was introduced to me by Justin FitzPatrick, the man behind blog ShoeSnob.

I am very happy to try one pair.

Unboxing

Light grey colour shoe box with wonderful and simple logo, great design.

The shoe box is drawer alike and the sticker is very similar to J.FitzPatrick. Model name Joffre, last 206, black box calf, UK5.

Shoe box is in burgundy colour.

Shoes are not put inside of shoe bags, which is quite abnormal when these shoe bags are the only thing to provide protection.

White string of the opening matches white logo on the shoe bag.

Two shoes are divided by a cloth.

This cloth is very useful but not every brand offers.

There is a card and a hard paper which tells how to care and break in.

Last

I introduced its lasts, you can think of it as French last, English last and English-French middle last.

This pair sits on 206, the English last.

This round toe is between John Lobb 7000 last and 8000 last, and it must be a safe choice.

Pattern

Black Adelaide Oxford.

I quite like the Adelaide Oxford style, because Oxford as the most rigorous needs decorations to reduce its formality

U shape brogue under the shoelace is the most important design element of Adelaide Oxford, and Joffre gave a big and wide one.

Wide is a rough feeling, fine is a sharper feeling, yes, I don’t think fine is delicate and beautiful, because many Italians like to use small ones.

The side is typical Adelaide, and the Brogue has been extending down the ankle to the heel.

So where is the French flavor of this pair of shoes? I mentioned before, and many people have seen but can’t remember, that is, this is 6-eye Oxford.

Generally, Oxford laces have 5 eyes, while the French prefer slender ones, so there are more eyelets. J.M.Weston has a model with 7 eyelets.

Out Sole

Most people had interest of this brand is because its wood pegged waist.

When I had this pair on hand, I am stunned.

Wood pegging is the traditional construction popular in Austrian shoemaking and Saint Crispin’s make it well known. When I have Maftei, I know that this construction can be made even finer. However, Septieme Largeur chooses another route and make this element super rough.

Toe nails are used to provide abrasion resistance and seven is enough.

The sole is painted and formed a wood fiber texture which is quite original.

Construction

Septieme Largeur is made in Spain and shares the same factory with many brands, so the construction is quite consistent with them. The welt edge is not fudged.

But the waist is greatly narrowed.

Stitch at waist is amazingly executed.

Details

This is the first time I have seen the connection between the tongue and the vamp. This side connection is Edward Green’s favorite, and so is the Paolo Scafora.

Most of the time the connection two is made of cotton band, but the Septieme Largeur uses leather, which is another very subtle innovation.

As for the inner side to write the style name, last and size is the regular operation.

Conclusion

There is no mention where it was made, but from the information I learned, of course, more importantly, looking at the craftsmanship of the shoe, I knew it was made in Spain.

If everyone uses the same factory to produce shoes, what is the difference? It is your aesthetic and innovation.

Septieme Largeur has a completely independent last, and wood pegging on the sole is also the only one on the market at the same price. As for the small innovation of the fixed tongue, it is even attractive.