I recently ordered a pair of Bulwark hiking style boots from Sandeep and Pradeep at BlkBrd Shoemakers and I have to say it was a thoroughly rewarding experience. First of all I supplied them with accurate measurements of my feet (they send you a link and all you need is a piece of paper, a tape measure and a pencil) I particularly wanted an inexpensive pull up leather so I could give them (and their interpretation of my measurements) a try before I started to get stuck into ordering more expensive leathers such Shell Cordovan, Chromexcel, hatchgrain etc. In just over 2 weeks the package arrived by DHL and inside were the beautifully made boots with boot bags and tissue, rugged cotton laces and a nice pair of "spare" leather laces. They fit like a glove, apparently they use a standard last and make tweaks during manufacture (by hand) to take account of individual foot measurements. It works like a dream. I guess the analogy I would use is just like a made to measure suit where they take a standard design / last and tweak it for the customers own choices of leather, sizes etc. I subsequently did the same on a pair of their Romain X butterfly loafers choosing my own leather / suede combination and again they fitted perfectly and looked amazing, the quality is easily up there with Crockett & Jones, Cheaney and the like. Not quite Lobb, Green or G & G but literally a fraction of the cost. I have just added to my collection with an order for 9 more pairs of various loafers, shoes and boots in everything from Horween Shell Cordovan to Stead's Reverse Kudu suede. I only did this just after Christmas and we have agreed on a 3 week lead time for dispatch (DHL takes another 2-4 days) because of the qty I ordered. The final step will be to have my own lasts made that will remain at the factory and be used for any future orders; ordinarily this would involve a visit to their factory but they exhibit in London in May so I will be visiting them for a proper measure up. I am a bit of a geek when it comes to shoes and whilst I have always bought high quality Goodyear welted the cost to have shoes bespoke made I found hard to justify, until now.
The two brothers are hardworking and happily share their time and advice on WhatsApp. Cant wait for my next order to arrive, I am particularly looking forward to receiving a pair of spiral double buckle monk shoes that are manufactured from a single piece of museum calf with just one continuous seam, a real work of art and only really possible on hand made shoes. I am so glad I came across them just by accident reading an American shoe blog. Oh and the real Horn shoe horn is a really nice touch
