Justin FitzPatrick is my idol. When I started to write a dress shoe blog, two people were my imitators, one was Jesper Ingevaldsson of Shoegazing, and the other was TheShoeSnob, Justin Fitzpatrick.
Today, there are definitely more dress shoe bloggers than at that time, but they are still the bright lights of the industry.
Justin FitzPatrick is my friend, and I appreciate his kindness.
Justin FitzPatrick is an artist I love. Because his creation steps on a thin line.
Justin’s experience may not be known to many people. Born in Seattle, USA, he worked in Nordstrom after graduating from college. he went to Stefano Bemer studio in Italy to study shoemaking. After graduation, he didn’t go back to the United States, but went to Britain and opened a shoeshine stand in Gieves & Hawkes, a bespoke tailoring shop at No.1 Savile Row. Because he got in touch with a lot of shoes, he started the creation of ShoeSnob. During his work at Gieves & Hawkes, he also designed and developed his own brand, and finally officially launched the brand, J.FitzPatrick, in 2013.
He founded his brand at the age of 28, it is a tremendous achievement.
I was fascinated the first time I saw J.FitzPatrick’s shoes. Because his design is so unique and beautiful, and it won’t make you feel weird and grandstanding.
I saw many shoes, many shoemakers and brands, and their wonderful ideas. The best innovation of classic men’s shoes is the deletion or arrangement of elements, which is the safest and most pleasing to those who know how to do it.
If the avant-garde design does not reach the right crowd, it is impossible to survive. But even if all these elements are put in front of me, and even the selection is done, how to complete the layout well, I think this is Justin’s greatest strength.
Compared with the more unconstrained design and sharp last shape of bespoke shoes, J.FitzPatrick is much more simple, but compared with the rut of Spanish brands and the low-key and steady of British brands, J.FitzPatrick is gorgeous and arouses people’s desire to buy.
Design is its strength, and the last is extraordinary. After all, the last was developed by Tony Gaziano, and Justin made fine adjustments himself. The overall harmony, the high-grade sense of arch and heel are equally remarkable.
I like his beautiful shoes. Is beauty the most important thing in the field of clothing?
“If I don’t launch these styles, people won’t see them in the market at all.”
Justin FitzPatrick