Left Shoe Company (left) and Jack Erwin Fitting Room: one’s popping up in Midtown. The
other’s got a new showroom in Tribeca. Both will inspire significant envy toward your feet. Let’s break
them down.
Background
Left Shoe Company: Brogues, oxfords, wingtips, monks and so on, all custom handmade in Portugal.
Jack Erwin Fitting Room: Once an online-only operation doing handmade calfskin and suede numbers, also in Portugal. Now: extant in the world with a core of dress shoes and a natty new Chelsea boot.
Fit
LSC: Step onto a platform. A scanner 3D-models your feet and crunches stats about your arches and insoles... then six weeks pass while they create your perfect-fitting shoes with all that sweet pedal data.
JE: Since the Internet can’t fit you (yet), you’ll be fit here. Choose between a slim Italianate profile, a heftier English one or driving mocs. You’ll get them by delivery within a day or two (carrying shoeboxes around: untenable).
Space
LSC: It’s big, and full of shoes, that fitting platform and a $120,000 custom motorcycle (why not?).
JE: On an unassuming, Tribeca-y block, there’s a large, sunny room with every type and color of shoe/boot they’ve got, some stashed in marble credenzas.
We almost feel bad for your current shoes.
Background
Left Shoe Company: Brogues, oxfords, wingtips, monks and so on, all custom handmade in Portugal.
Jack Erwin Fitting Room: Once an online-only operation doing handmade calfskin and suede numbers, also in Portugal. Now: extant in the world with a core of dress shoes and a natty new Chelsea boot.
Fit
LSC: Step onto a platform. A scanner 3D-models your feet and crunches stats about your arches and insoles... then six weeks pass while they create your perfect-fitting shoes with all that sweet pedal data.
JE: Since the Internet can’t fit you (yet), you’ll be fit here. Choose between a slim Italianate profile, a heftier English one or driving mocs. You’ll get them by delivery within a day or two (carrying shoeboxes around: untenable).
Space
LSC: It’s big, and full of shoes, that fitting platform and a $120,000 custom motorcycle (why not?).
JE: On an unassuming, Tribeca-y block, there’s a large, sunny room with every type and color of shoe/boot they’ve got, some stashed in marble credenzas.
We almost feel bad for your current shoes.
Note:
<a href="https://us.leftshoecompany.com" target="_blank">Left Shoe Company</a> pop-up, now open at the Grace
Building, 1114 6th Ave (just north of Bryant Park), <a href="http://ud.cm/Eb0s3" target="_blank">see the
slideshow</a><br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.jackerwin.com" target="_blank">Jack Erwin Fitting Room</a>, opening tomorrow, 10 Hubert
St (at Collister), <a href="http://ud.cm/Eb0Df" target="_blank">see the slideshow</a>