For John Lobb spring ’18 Paula Gerbase drew inspiration from her beloved Cornwall. But it wasn’t just the county’s gorgeous heritage color palette that gave her pause for thought.
“It was also all about the coastal walk with the sea and the air all around you and that real feeling of lightness,” she said. “We’re all constantly moving around, and most of us are wearing sneakers, so I was thinking: How do you achieve that level of comfort in a welted shoe?”
Enter the new tensile sole construction — used for both loafers and laceups alike. It’s still Goodyear-welted, but the innovative material is substantially lighter and more flexible.
The tensile fabrication also comes combined with a crepe sole — as seen in desert boots in suede and canvas (the latter material being another novelty). “That’s never been done before,” said Gerbese. As for those aforementioned sneakers, the new John Lobb versions come as close to a welted shoe as you can get.
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Collection highlights were penny loafers in reversed suede, barefoot luxury in a shoe, and the brand’s classic Levah, done in one piece of unlined suede so it’s totally collapsible. John Lobb launched women’s footwear for fall ’17, but the Levah is unisex.
The beauty of a John Lobb shoes is all in the detail. “It’s so much about the imperceptible,” Gerbese said.
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