Buckingham
Derby Blucher Black

Hand finished black patina

These are Italian crafted, black, bluchers, made using full grain, premium calf leather.

The blucher is similar in some ways to a derby but a little more dressy. They have the open lacing of a derby, however the facings are stitched directly onto the vamp, not onto the quarter.

This gives Buckingham an elegant dressy look, similar in shape and appearance to our Benson wholecut. This may appeal to people that want a slightly less formal look than a wholecut. It also may fit better on men with a slightly higher instep, as the lacings open up more and allow more flexibility than the closed lacing of an oxford.

Black is very versatile colour. It goes well with a neutral suit and pairs very well with blue and navy. The shoes would work well both at the office and special occasions such as weddings.

Craftsmanship/attention to detail

Looking inside, we see the Thomas Bird branding, embossed into a piece of calf leather, foam backed for added comfort. There is also a full calf leather lining. 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 neatly 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 shoe's 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.

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