Some time ago – ten years in fact, I wrote about the London Shoe Company; someone very kindly commented on my post, mentioning that she had inherited a pair of shoes made by this company! I began to have a footle about, (footle – see what I did there!) seeing if I could find out more about them and came across an article on Trove. Trove is a brilliant Australian site with a massive library of newspapers and journals from the past. I found three articles about shoes and boots about the London Shoe Company, from 1906, 1914 and 1934. At that time the company had premises in Regent Street in London, number 260. The advert I was looking at gave the address of their premises in Queen Victoria Street and New Bond Street in London.
Friday 2 November 1906
” WHITE WHALE” BOOTS – New Footwear that Costs 50s. a Pair
“White whale” boots are the latest novelty in men’s footwear. The boot has been produced by the London Shoe Company, and is made from the hide of the white whale, which is found in the Northern Atlantic and the Arctic Ocean. The white hide is tanned black on its arrival in England, the texture of the hide then resembling gutta-percha. For durability and water-tightness the while whale boot is claimed to be unrivalled, being especially suitable for sportsmen. “For fishing, shooting, and climbing the boot is without equal,” said the manager of the London Shoe Company to the “Daily Mirror.” “It is probably the ‘longest-lived’ boot one could possibly have, being guaranteed for four or live years’ wear. The whale hide is light, too, a single boot weighing 1lb. 12oz. A pair costs 50s., and although most people would call this very ex-pensive, we have sold over a dozen pairs to-day, which is a large sale for such an expensive boot.” Manchester Courier.
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Launceston Daily Telegraph
Thursday 19th June, 1914
SOME FASHIONS FROM ABROAD
The last ‘Queen’ describes novelties in shoes now being shown at the Lon don Shoe Company, New Bond-street. Most prominent is the ‘Salome’ made in black suede, with Louis (heels, its chief feature being the ankle band fastened with handsome paste ornament. The ‘Ruchette’ is distinguished by the ruched trimmings, to which it owes its name, down one side and over the instep, where it fastens with a paste stud. These are made in patent calf black or white suede and champagne kid. The ‘Lavalliere,’ in black brocade, essentially a summer shoe, is al ready popular in England. Some ‘dreams of summer gowns,’ by Mrs Evan Nepean, comprise a ‘copper pink silk muslin, -with draping of brown crepe de chine, the brown of a mature mushroom’s lining, the copper pink gleams through warmly, just toned down by a sash of Indigo blue, with round copper bulb fringe. Another gown suggested by a bowl of forget-me-nots ; A little thin cotton voile frock, in ivory, with the flowers all over it in dull far away blue (‘celeste’ is the word in Italian), with a delicious broad sash over the shoulder, spreading out like a waistcoat, and tying in a big heavy loop almost in front, of grey green-like for get-me-not leaves, and a little touch of the mauve pink of the buds in a little tulle collar and folded vest.
Northern Star (Lismore, NSW)
Thursday 12th July, 1934
About Your Shoes
It is good news to know that metal buckles-the nice, upstanding kind are coming back into fashion again. Many of the news models shown by the London Shoe Company are adorned in this way. Bows, too, are creeping back into the picture. They are seen most often on demi-evening shoes-the kind one wears with cocktail frocks. Tie shoes are your best bet if you are sensible about selecting shoes with enough support for walking. They are being shown in more guises than ever by all the leading shoe shops. Combinations of colors and materials appear rather more often than plain effects, particularly in tie shoes.
For actual country wear brogues, ghillies, and good stout Oxfords have no peers and no competitors. Ox-fords of the less strenuous variety, however, have been somewhat lightened and feminised. They are lower cut and the collar hugs the instep with a slightly more curved line.
260 Regent Street London, The London Shoe Company, photo from RIBA
Lois Elsden 