Thomas Bird Lasts - A Guide To Help Find Your Perfect Fit

Introduction

(This article is based on dialogue that can be found in the YouTube video above.)

Hello it's Taro from Thomas Bird shoes and in this video we're going to be talking about Thomas bird lasts.

A 'last' refers to the three-dimensional shape of the shoe or boot. It determines the aesthetic appearance and also the fit and the fitting properties.

Around 80% of our collection is made on just five different lasts. 

The advantage of establishing which last is right for you means that you can move around within that particular last shape and be confident that the fit is going to be just right.

Thomas Bird Lasts

64 Last

The 64 last is available in three styles: Benson, Ellington and Buckingham.

You can see here that it has a beautiful elongated toe slight chisel on the end.

Is suitable for men with a standard width fit. Given that it is a sleek and elegant shoe we'd only recommend it for men with a standard height of instep.

If you do take a slightly wider foot or you're concerned that these might be a little too snug for you then stick around to towards the end of the video we'll be showing you some wholecuts and derbies which are made on a more generous last. 

07 Last

The 07 last is available in five styles: Brighton, Camden, Harrow, Milan and Soho.

This has in comparison to the 64 last a slightly shorter toe more rounded and is suitable for a standard to slightly generous width fit.

The Chelsea boot, Milan, will fit almost identically to that of a plain toe derby which we have called Brighton.

Camden and Soho differ from Benson and Ellington not only due to the rounded toe and generous width, they also incorporate a hard-wearing Blake-stitched Vibram rubber sole for added grip.

If you are a half size then given that this is slightly generous would recommend you drop down to the nearest whole size and perhaps consider purchasing a pair of Thomas Bird leather insoles.

98 Last

The 98 last is available in five styles: Cambridge, Bourne, Hamilton, Eastwood and Stirling.

It features a classic round toe and can accommodate a slightly higher than standard instep and has plenty of room in the toe box.

The style, Eastwood, is one of our most popular boots. Given that it is of a roomy nature and combined with the twin elastic it means that entry into the boot is very easy and once on the foot it's extremely comfortable. Our Stirling Chelsea boot is identical to the Eastwood, apart from the brogue detailing on the toe.

Again if you're a half size then drop down to your nearest whole size and look to purchase a pair of leather insoles.

Our chukka boot, Hamilton, is not only roomy in width and in the toe box but also being a lace up with facings that can open wide, it can really accommodate a foot with a high instep.

41 Last

The 41 last  is available in one style: Hampton.

This loafer has a pronounced elongated toe with a chisel shape on the front. It is reasonably wide around the joint so it can accommodate a standard to slightly wider than standard width of foot.

We developed this last very carefully so that it has a good heel clip at the back which means that as you step and bend your foot forwards the loafer stays firmly secured to your foot.

The twin elastic gusset here means that it can accommodate a low to standard height of instep.

88 Last

The 88 last is available in three styles: Memphis, Vincent and Manhattan.

We've developed an exquisite last shape that we're very proud of here at Thomas Bird shoes.

You can see this profile runs into a clean rounded point with a beautiful sweeping silhouette.

It features a 40mm heel which means that the pitch of the last has been specially tailored to make it extremely comfortable during wear.

The 88 last is only suitable for men with a standard height of instep and also width. We would certainly not recommend this for men who require a more generous fit. 

Our style 88 last has been developed with good heel clip and also a shaped shaft to allow good entry into the boot. The Manhattan has twin elastic gussets to assist with entry, whereas the Memphis and Vincent have YKK zips.

14 Last

The 14 last 14 last is available in one style: Brooklyn

Brooklyn, our single buckle monk has a shorter but still quite pronounced chisel toe than our Bourne double buckle monk and is also able to accommodate a higher than standard instep. 

The feedback we've received is that this last is fitting generous so we recommend you grade down to the nearest half size if necessary or look again to buy a pair of leather insoles.

This is comparable to the 75 and also the 07 last that we've seen above.

22 Last

The 22 last is available in one style: Henley

It's slightly shorter in length than the Hampton penny loafer made on the 41 last.

It has quite a lot of room in the toe box so it can accommodate a slightly wider than standard foot. Being a unique loafer last shape it has excellent heel clip to ensure that the foot stays snug to the heel at all times.

84 Last

The 64 last is available in one style: Phoenix

If you like the Vincent, Memphis and Manhattan that we featured earlier on the 88 last but you have a slightly wider than standard foot then this is the boot for you.

It's got the same 40 cm heel stack with the shaped shaft but as you can see from this overhead shot that the 84 last has decent amount of depth in the toe box and the toe shape is shorter and a little squarer.

53 Last

The 53 last is available in one style: Mayfair.

This black patent leather wholecut Oxford is a standard width fit, but the feedback we've been receiving is that it's fitting ever slightly on the generous side. So we'd recommend you grade down to the nearest whole size.

You can see from the toe shape that it is a squared off toe, not too long or pointed like the Benson wholecut on the 64 last. Mayfair has a beautiful shape and profile with excellent heel clip at the back.

Conclusion

That rounds up our collection of lasts here at Thomas Bird shoes.

Don't forget to check out product reviews for detailed customer thoughts and personal fitting advice across the Thomas Bird collection.

If you're still unsure about which last is going to look right and feel best for you then please send us a message at help@tblon.com or use the Contact Us form directly from the website.

Remember to like, share and subscribe, and we look forward to seeing you in the next video.

Thank you.