Benson
Wholecut Oxford Plum

Plum hand finished patina

These are Italian made plum wholecuts, using full grain calf leather Being a wholecut, each shoe is made from a single piece of high quality calf leather, so there has to be no defects or imperfections. There is just a single joining piece at the back. It’s a very elegant, dressy, formal shoe, ideal for work and special occasions. Plum is a striking and beautiful colour. It adds a splash of colour to neutral outfits and allows for some exciting and individual combinations. The shoes would work well both at the office and special occasions such as weddings.

The shoe has closed lacing that makes it the oxford a formal shoe. There is a re-inforcing stay stitch for strength.

Craftsmanship/attention to detail

Looking inside, we see the Thomas Bird branding, embossed into a piece of calf leather, foam backed for added comfort. The top line is neat, with no raw edges, as we taper or ‘skyve’ the edge, then fold and stitch it. We use a genuine full leather insole. Inside the heel, the reverse counter, we use suede to stop your heel slipping. We use flat, waxed laces with are anti slip to keep your bows tied up.

What you can’t see are the two stiffeners, between the calf upper and lining. There is one in the toe and another at the back around the heel. These are important to keep the shoe looking good as it ages, and we use longer, high quality stiffeners to achieve this.

Stitched leather sole

The sole is stitched onto the leather upper with a traditional Italian method called blake stitching Th is an in-channel, lock stitching technique, so even if one stitch is worn or breaks, the other stitches will be still securely locked in place. And being stitched, the sole can be easily replaced when it eventually wears. We prefer blake stitching to goodyear welting as we think it produces a lighter, more elegant and flexible shoe, with a neater, less visible edge. To prolong the sole's life, we use a middle rubber insert for added wear and better grip.

Stacked leather heel

There is a 25mm genuine leather stacked and pinned heel, held together with 4 brass pins. There is a rubber half piece, again for better wear and grip, that can be easily replaced when worn. There is a ‘gentleman’s corner’, a small bevel on the heel that reduces snagging of the heel on your trousers.

High quality materials, superb craftsmanship, many years experience and attention to detail - our plum wholecut, is a beautifully made high quality shoe, that with care should give you many years of enjoyment.