On Savile Row, in London, almost every shop has a pair for old riding boots displayed in their windows, almost as if the act of doing so is the prerequisite to being a Savile Row space occupant. Yet none of them are new. They are all very old and beat up looking, more relics than anything, yet are very elegant and intriguing. It’s funny to think about how moving to new countries truly opens your eyes to new things that maybe you knew existed but never thought to appreciate. For me, riding boots is one of those things.
After coming to England, seeing all of them displayed in the windows, finally watching the film Out of Africa and admiring a pair that one gentleman was wearing in a croccodile skin as well as another that is an antique and is in the Bentley’s shop at G&H, I have truly come to admire riding boots, yet still don’t know if I would ever actually wear them or really just admire them.
This brings us to the pairs that are pictured here, which come from a new luxury clothing-product website, Mad About Town, and are absolutely amazing and the best that I have seen yet. While I feel that riding boots stem from the heritage of British culture, it come’s as a shock (not really) that an Italian shoe firm (Bestetti) would make the most beautiful one’s that I have seen thus far. It wasn’t until I saw those top one’s that I really wanted a pair. But at a cost of $3000 to own them, although they do say that they are bespoke, it is quite a bit out of my price range and it’s not something that I think that I can resort to making, as I would not have the patience to do so. Nevertheless, I am finding that here in England, an exchange of services without the involement of money is quite common, so maybe I can find someone who makes them and start to bargain!
4 thoughts on “Shoes Of The Week”
Hey Justin…Never really considered myself a riding boots kinda guy,but these make me wanna put on a pair and go on safari. The black ones resemble those worn by German soldiers in WW2. Not that I’m a Nazi sympathizer, but I found their uniforms very fashionable coupled with the boots. I really like the ones with the two materials.(do you know what they’re made from?) Those with some bellowing khakis and a nice white shirt or polo would be good for me. Most of my friends already think I’m right out of a GAP ad.
Henry V. – I can’t say for sure, but it looks like canvas would be the other material paired with the leather on the top pair of boots. They would look great though, it would be strange wearing them in public, that would be bold!
-Justin, “The Shoe Snob”
You should try Horace Batten. They make very beautiful bespoke riding boots in the traditional way in a little workshop in Northamptonshire (they made mine, and they’re the nicest things I own). I sell Sanders’ Regent Riding Boots, which are lovely, but they’re not bespoke and handmade like Batten’s.
John, Lissom & Muster.
John – I will definitely look that up, thank you so much for the information! When you sell that you sell Sanders, does that mean that you are their representative?
-Justin, “The Shoe Snob”