Why Gaziano & Girling Is My Favorite Shoemaker

A few years ago, I did a podcast about comparing shoe brands and how I feel that so many people are often seeking to justify what is “best” based on someone else’s opinion. But really, one’s favorite shoemaker must be personal and for reasons most likely not tied to stitches per inch on the sole, fiddleback waists, and/or final price.

At the end of the day, those things do not move us emotionally. They are only small details in a much larger picture.

So, that being said, I thought I would tell the world who my favorite shoemaker is and let you know why.

Naturally, I am my own favorite shoe brand, but for the sake of giving you a perspective of my favorite brand outside of myself, let’s delve into the shoemaker that has probably had the biggest influence on my journey as a shoe blogger, shoe designer, and maker: Gaziano & Girling.

For most of you, this probably won’t come as a surprise. If you have followed me for a long time, you will probably have seen G&G referenced on this blog more than most brands.

And there is a reason for that.

My Introduction to Gaziano & Girling

Gaziano & Girling was the first brand that I was really exposed to in this realm of footwear.

I vividly remember the day that my father brought me a Robb Report that he had saved for me. He told me, “I saved you this magazine as I know there is something you will really want to see in there.”

And that was G&G’s first serious interview about their new brand.

It was an epic piece that highlighted their diamond-cap Regent Oxford in what I believe was Vintage Cedar calf. When I saw it, I was blown away and immediately knew that I wanted to make shoes like them, so to speak.

That was the beginning.

What Tony and Dean Taught Me

Later in life, I was fortunate enough to actually form a relationship with Tony Gaziano and Dean Girling and learned a lot from them about shoes, how to make them as best as possible, and the industry as a whole.

Tony shared a lot with me on the side of last and pattern making. Through him, I really began to understand what makes a shoe beautiful.

There are subtle details that people do not even realize they are appreciating when they look at a shoe. The way a pattern sits on a last. The proportions. The lines. The relationship between the shape of the last and the design sitting on top of it.

My time with Tony really opened up my mind to how I saw shoes. I could then easily spot a well-made and well-designed shoe in a matter of seconds.

I also used that knowledge when creating my own line, trying to make it as good as I possibly could with the shoemaking capabilities available to me at the price point at which I wanted to sell.

His teachings were invaluable to me. And once I understood them, I also understood why Gaziano & Girling shoes are so alluring.

Tony doesn’t miss a detail and knows how to perfectly execute a pattern on any given last.

And that, in my humble opinion, is one of the things that separates a great shoe from simply an expensive one.

Dean taught me a different side of the industry.

He shared more about factory production, as he headed up the RTW side of things, and helped me understand implementations I could make within my own factory to improve the production of my shoes.

Dean also taught me about profit margins, wholesale selling, factory production and the realities of actually running a shoe business.

Those lessons proved just as valuable.

Why Gaziano & Girling Is Still My Favorite

During my seven years living in London, I ended up becoming good friends with both Tony and Dean. They are like big brothers to me.

I have owned many of their shoes. They fit and feel great. They look beautiful and are amazingly made. The DG70 is probably my all-time favorite last.

All around, pound-for-pound, they are my favorite shoes.

Are they the best shoes I have ever seen? Among them, yes.

Are they the best value for money? Likely not, as they cost more than $1000.

But that’s precisely the point of this entire post. “Favorite” does not have to mean objectively best.

For me, G&G makes a beautiful shoe that is justified in its price for what you are getting in return and for where and how the shoes are made. They execute beautiful patterns, create well-shaped lasts that fit and feel good, and behind the brand are two people whom I greatly respect.

And all of that matters.

More Than Just the Shoes

Looking back at this post now, a few years after originally writing it, I don’t think my answer has changed. If anything, watching Gaziano & Girling continue to grow has reinforced it.

In 2026, Tony and Dean celebrate 20 years of Gaziano & Girling. That’s quite an achievement in this industry, particularly while operating at the level and price point that they do.

And after all these years, I still find myself looking at their shoes and appreciating the same things that caught my attention when my father handed me that Robb Report all those years ago.

That is ultimately why Gaziano & Girling remains my favorite shoemaker.

It has nothing to do with who has the highest stitch count, the most dramatic fiddleback waist or the most elaborate finishing.

Those things are nice. But they are not what makes you love something.

For me, it is the lasts, the patterns, the fit, the people behind the shoes, the influence they had on my own career and nearly two decades of memories attached to the brand.

That’s what makes a favorite.

Learn more here: https://www.gazianogirling.com/

—Justin FitzPatrick, The Shoe Snob

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