The century old shoemaker is launching their first in-house made Ready-to-Wear line and we're excited to launch them in the U.S. and Hong Kong.
In 1840, Foster & Son opened as a small bespoke workshop near London’s Royal St. James’s Palace, and they continue to trade there to this day. In 2018 they opened the first new Northampton shoe factory in decades. The result has been amazing, and we think this new factory is producing some of the very finest Ready-to-Wear footwear in the World.
The idea for the new line was to look back on 180 years of bespoke shoe patterns, including vintage bespoke shoe samples, and re-create them in the new factory as Ready-to-Wear. This meant taking designs that had previously been reserved for bespoke customers and making them available as Ready-to-Wear for the very first time.
The Keble Norwegian Derby sits on the elegant and comfortable No. 5 Last, the classic “smart round” Foster last. The split-toe features a "pie-crust" apron that is hand-sewn using a boar's bristle needle, one of shoe-making's most intricate crafts. This model is made up in supple antique oak calf leather, complete with double oak bark tanned soles that taper towards the waist of the shoe.
The Arlington Tassel Loafer is a model developed exclusively for The Armoury. Featuring a hand-sewn apron and clean heal counter, this splendid shoe is made to the highest standards and should become a wardrobe favorite very quickly. Our own Jim Parker likes wearing these shoes with suits, the color is perfect for grey and even navy. This model is made up in supple black calf leather on the No. 18 last, exclusively for The Armoury.
