Black gives you nothing to look at except the way the shoe is put together, which is why it is the colour that exposes a maker. On the Foster the decoration stops at the punched toe cap and the seams, the lacing closes flat under the vamp, and what is left to judge is the line of the waist, the set of the cap and the welt running round the edge of the sole.
That welt is not a guess on our part. The sole is stamped GOODYEAR WELTED and the sock lining carries the same words under the John White name. Goodyear welting stitches the upper to a welt and the welt to the sole, so a cobbler can cut the old sole away and stitch a new one on without disturbing the upper. A shoe built that way lasts as long as you are willing to pay for soles.
The run is UK 6 to 11 in whole sizes, and it stops at 11. There is no 12 in this model, which is worth knowing if you have bought elsewhere in the range. F is John White's standard width.
The sock also reads NORTHAMPTON and EST 1919. That is where the brand belongs rather than where the shoe was made: John White design in Northamptonshire and have the shoes made by partner factories. The original firm closed its factory in 1991 and the name lay quiet until David Corben bought it in 2000. The Foster is one of three models we can verify as welted, with the Sergeant capped Oxford and the Turner derby.
Care: Renovating cream first, then black wax in thin coats on the cap and the counter, buffed with a horsehair brush. A mirror finish is realistic on this one if you want to spend the time. Trees after every wear and forty-eight hours between wearings.
You can ask any question about this product.
Our specialists will answer you shortly!
Black gives you nothing to look at except the way the shoe is put together, which is why it is the colour that exposes a maker. On the Foster the decoration stops at the punched toe cap and the seams, the lacing closes flat under the vamp, and what is left to judge is the line of the waist, the set of the cap and the welt running round the edge of the sole.
That welt is not a guess on our part. The sole is stamped GOODYEAR WELTED and the sock lining carries the same words under the John White name. Goodyear welting stitches the upper to a welt and the welt to the sole, so a cobbler can cut the old sole away and stitch a new one on without disturbing the upper. A shoe built that way lasts as long as you are willing to pay for soles.
The run is UK 6 to 11 in whole sizes, and it stops at 11. There is no 12 in this model, which is worth knowing if you have bought elsewhere in the range. F is John White's standard width.
The sock also reads NORTHAMPTON and EST 1919. That is where the brand belongs rather than where the shoe was made: John White design in Northamptonshire and have the shoes made by partner factories. The original firm closed its factory in 1991 and the name lay quiet until David Corben bought it in 2000. The Foster is one of three models we can verify as welted, with the Sergeant capped Oxford and the Turner derby.
Care: Renovating cream first, then black wax in thin coats on the cap and the counter, buffed with a horsehair brush. A mirror finish is realistic on this one if you want to spend the time. Trees after every wear and forty-eight hours between wearings.
You can ask any question about this product.
Our specialists will answer you shortly!
