ReCrafting Bespoke John Lobb Shoes 

Even though those shoes say "John Lobb," they are produced by a different company from the John Lobb RTW shoes. Those are John Lobb "St. James," which produces only bespoke shoes in their workshop on St. James Street in London. They are essentially hand-made shoes made by creating a wooden last from measurements of the customers feet and are welted by hand on the premises. Lobb St. James is still owned and operated by the 5th generation of the Lobb family. The insole features their three (at the time) royal warrants, including one from HM The Queen Mother. Since the Queen Mother died in 2002, and warrants expire two years after the granters death, those shoes were made some time prior to 2004.

Oh that is some bullshit. You're a family owned business that has been operating how long in that community? If anything they should be trying to protect your place as a historical landmark, you are far more important to that community than they are treating you as. I'd bet you even drive a bit of tourism, I know someday I'd like to see the shop in person.

Steve, you MUST get lawyered up. The Equal Protection principle requires government to treat similarly situated folks in an even handed manner. No lawyer here, but it sure seems like you have a case.

When Steve is impressed you know its something damn cool.

If Bedo is impressed, you know it's good shit...

Fabulous job! You made my dad a happy man with your restoration of these shoes! Thank you!

Damn John Lobbs are EXPENSIVE ....finally a shoe worthy of Steve's expertise?

Hello Steve, I'm writing to you from a small town in France, on the border with Geneva, Switzerland. I always enjoy watching your restoration projects. I'm not a shoemaker, but I'm sure you've inspired many young people to take up the trade. We can feel your passion for this work and your desire to ensure that it is always carried out to the highest standards. You are truly an example of what the United States can do best, and I wanted to testify that your all-American talent crosses borders far beyond Virginia every day. So I'd like to tell the authorities in your township to please leave your place in this town exactly as it is, because no one has the right to change the place where an American legend lives!

Cheers Steve! In my opinion, the thread that ends on the bobbin is the bane of all cobblers around the world 😀.

These are my favorite type of Bedo videos. Thanks Steve!

Steve, great job and video. Congratulations! Those shoes were made in 1986! Keep up your terrific restorations.

Greetings Bedo I have been watching your postings right from the very beginning all those years ago, and have never commented on your craftmanship because I think many others have said as much as I could, you are a superb and wonderful human being and the world will be much richer if there were more like yourself, as to this issue with your yard and your local council, by the way I am based in London and I am 81 years old, it looks like you have some A-hole or maybe racist person or persons at your local council or either completely stupid or jealous of yourself, or as we call them here in England a Jobs Worth, they will not see reason to the issue they've put upon you, do not let them walk all over you be strong and Powerful you know you are capable of it but being a gentle person you will have issues with doing that, as you are fully aware at the moment the world is in turmoil, and I'm glad that at my 81 years old I feel I've had the best of it, I'm going into surgery this Thursday to have some correction for some cancer ,I need to keep going, so that I can watch more of your postings which always give me great pleasure and keep the demons From the door For now the most gracious best wishes to you Julian

What a shame that a pair of shoes that would have cost thousands to be made were allowed to get into that condition. I’m assuming your customer wasn’t the original owner. Normally a pair like that would have been sent back to Lobb in London to be refurbished and they would have dug out the original bespoke lasts to do the job. However, it’s good that we got to see you repair them.

Another great job Steve. All the best with your land easement.

Best of luck in your dealings with the city. They should recognize what an asset they have in a world-class craftsman and treat you fairly.

I really hope it all gets sorted, it is added stress you do not need!

Love your work, Steve! Thanks for the update.

Simply awesome artisry you do Steve. Ho Ing the city doesn't twist you a about

I'm always so impressed with what you are able to do to an old pair of beaten up shoes and bring them back to things of beauty.. You are an artist !!

Well that's absolute horse shit, Steve, I hope you win! Love you!

The shoes are gorgeous. What a great job! Sorry for all the aggravation with the city.

beautifyl work on the shoes. the town has to come with a argument, why they wonna take more, compared to the other companies. have a "Dejlig dag"

*SUPER❤*

Fight this planning issue with the proper authority……….talk to someone in charge and fight your corner.! ❤

1000 Kisses from France, total support ;-)

Steve, if it was not perfection it’s close to perfection, beautiful job my friend as always 🌟💯! Hope you will win the fight with the city, good luck 🍀

Hi Steve, Another great video on a very complex restoration of the John Lobb shoes, I hope the customer appreciates all the work you've put in and your skill to produce the results. I do hope that your problems with the Compulsory Purchase (Eminent domain) and your property comes to a good conclusion for you. I'm sure that you have an experienced and skilled attorney in there batting for you.

I even like my grandma 's reaction when I used to remind her to check the bobbin to make sure there was thread in it. Ps you do have the legal right to comment on the final draft of the work that they're going to be doing on your easement Plus you should be compensated for any inconvenience that they're going to cause on the traffic in and out of your parking area. Don't forget to check the bobbin😂

24:55 hammer time !

You can rant anytime you want! Sending much brotherly 💗 and 🙏 your way friend. Oh yeah.... Greetings from Arizona!

Wonderful, Steve

Bro I am with you from California! (DC native)

I pray that the issue they have with your property gets resolved in your favour. Thanks for the amazing videos🙏🏻❤️

Gentlemen, those uppers, THIS is why you need to be using leather conditioner on a regular basis. Especially that Bick4 on the inside of the shoes so those oils and nutrients can seep into the fibers from the inside as well, keeping the leather supple and helping to prevent cracking. This is also why you use the cedar shoe trees, that wood will help to draw moisture out of the leather during the night and the wood evaporates and dries during the day. Plus the shoes do not curl and constrict the fibers during the drying process. I'll bet that shoe will feel so much better to the bottom of the foot without that ridge that was present from the previous resole transition point. That pair of shoes deserve better care than they've received to date. Fine job Steve. Loved that reinforcement thread on that saddle stitch too. Spreading out the PSI of those taught stitches is good craftsmanship.

Finally, I have waited for you to deal with a custom made John Lobb London and see your reaction…Love it. Thank you!! It is a shame what your local authorities try do to your business and let us hope a lawyer step in your way… Tommy

Hey Steve O , you weren't kidding that took a lot of work . But the end result was worth it . 😊

That was lovely how excited you were by those shoes! Labour of love I’ll bet.

Ah ya batal enta .not easy at all to work on John Lobb shoes 👍👍

Great video Steve 👍

You sir are a master with the razor knife! 🙏 As a retired union ironworker I did a great deal post tension (cable jobs) lol. I gashed myself on several occasions stripping the plastic sheathing. Ouch. Lol

You definitely deserve to have the same planters and a sign on the easement IF your neighbors directly adjacent have been given the same option…BUT you MUST get an attorney with eminent domain experience!!!! Yes governments WIN such cases 9/10 times but you CAN STILL negotiate these matters in mediation prior to the eminent domain case being finalized. Hope that helps?!?

Great video! So I do autobody, and after watching you for some time, I wondered if a cobblers hammer would have a place in my toolbox. So I went and got one. I use it constantly even if I don't it kinda comes along for the ride when I need hammers. So thankyou!

I agree it does sound discriminatory to me and I’m extremely disappointed in how local governments cross the line in cases like yours and I wish you the best because to me you define the American dream you really do! I’m a third generation polish American and my grandparents immigrated here to work in the textile mills and create a better life for themselves and their children, what people forget is that America was built by immigrants not billionaires and you are a hard working American who deserves the same privileges as all your neighbors are allowed! Best wishes and I almost forgot to say what a great save on these elegant shoes you did them justice!

Hello Steve, what impresses me most is your appreciation for others who do a good job. And when I see your fingernails covered in glue. You can't see the craftsmanship any better. I can already hear the comments: Hey man, clean them up... Unbelievable

I have two pairs of John Lobbs and use Safir conditioners and polishes religiously. I wear them just a few times a year, so they will last until I die (I'm 66 years old). I hope the next owners will take care of them. Incredible shoes.

The added piece of thread on the inside of the holdfast is exactly how you described it. It´s for reinforcement in the areas with a high stitch density, like the toe area where the holes are close together on the inside, to prevent them from ripping. It´s even possible to use a wire instead of thread. As always - awesome work and a great rebuild.

Wow wow wow

Sorry to hear,

Love the hint of the fiddle waist.

Really nice job on the Lobbs Steve. Emminent Domain usually requires the government agency to be even handed with all of the affected parties. If they have already told you they will not allow use of their easement where they have already done it for other businesses you may very well have an actionable act. I would contact an attorney and pay for a consultation.

Steve good to see you today,very nice shoe restoration. I'm sure it's frustrating they say you can't beat City Hall ! Givem Hell🥰🇺🇲👍

Steve, as always, fabulous job on the bespoke Lobb's. As for the city issue, as others have mentioned, you need a good real estate lawyer to get involved for you. The city cannot just decide to treat your property differently than the adjoining ones. Don't give up!! Peace brother.

Steve you get me so nervous every time you’re working with such sharp knives,great video.

It's crazy the customer is willing to spend that much money to fix them but was not willing to spend time to keep them from cracking

Hey Steve, if they want 1st parking space, tell them you want your sign on the red brick to right of the easement.

Hi Steveo Well that was a new method Puts a new spin on handmade Old style Anyway you did them proud I’m sure the owner will be delighted with his new old shoes back Great job very interesting 👍 As for the bureaucratic 🐂💩 Good luck with that Be different if you repaired the mayors shoes and boots I’ll bet Same old 🍒 over here in 🇬🇧 btw Great video Keep us updated with the city 👍👍

Beautiful work! Good luck with the city. Delay delay delay. Municipal employees turn over like autumn leaves. Eventually you’ll get a sympathetic soul who just wants to clear out his todo list.

Generally, the only one's who win are the attorneys. I suggest getting what monies you can, put up a bit of a realistic fight and then let it go. Be happy it is not your home/property. I have been through the system, including six years of litigation and a quarter of a million dollars. While the rulings generally favored us, it cost us more in health and negative feelings. We ended selling the property and ten years later it is still hard to not dwell from time to time. Do what you can do and still be able sleep at night. Life is short. BTW, your work on the shoes was too nice to not replace a portion of the top with new. But, who knows how much sentimentality is in the cracked uppers that might have been planted up many a bureaucrat's a-holes. Love your work and channel.

Здравствуйте! Вы очень хороший мастер! Восхищаюсь Вами!!❤И Вашей работой❤😊👍

NICE!!

Damn Superman strikes again. Another great video, thank you for sharing!

Hey Steve, I was showing my wife your video and she mentioned that you should contact Albert Mokhiber (Lebanese-American). He's a lawyer that specializes in immigration law, but a very well known and respected lawyer in McLean, VA. His daughter is a friend of my wife. If he can't help you specifically, he may be able to get you the help you need.

Truly Masterful!👍 please continue 🇨🇦

That's right! HAMMER time!

Wtf puts a sign!! Steve heated, you VA ppl support this man..he is an exemplary individual who deserves better than how he’s bein treated

What a shoe. I've done a few John Lobbs at my shop but never one with the heel stitching. Beautiful work as always.

Like always: awesome content, thank you! I agree with what’s been said already: If talking doesn’t help to settle the situation, it calls for a lawyer. Good luck!

Bedo's Leatherworks should be a UNESCO World Heritage site

At 28:40… you were playing “bobbin thread chicken”… and you lost!… that reminds me I need to check my bobbin thread before I get back to my sewing project. 🤔

It would be nice it you would include how long it takes to complete the job…just a suggestion 😊

Yerr a wizard Steve, what you did to those John Lobbs is nothing short of amazing. City politics is a drag and whenever local government claims Eminent Domain, you just know those knuckleheads in city hall don't have a justifiable legal case.

Beautiful craftsmanship. Beautiful restoration. 👍

Do you ever tell a client that you are not going to do what they want you to do because the end product will look like hell? Soles look great, but the recrafted uppers look sort of ok right now, but the first time the customer puts them on and bends the vamp, they will truly look like hell.

Fantastic!

nice.

Hi, Steve, I am pretty sure that the manufacturer is very proud of your work with your respect to their manufacturing details to resurrect those pair of shoes which were subjected to the previous botched repair. And the absent “Hey, man…” goes to the city council. “Hey, man, what the hell are you trying to do?” Well done.

Shame such cool hand made shoes ended up in such rough shape, but they look great now. Hope you get your issues with the town worked out to your satisfaction. Thanks for another great video.

thanks for the video good to see you again good luck with the city

Beautiful restoration Steve, stand your ground with the city !

The dude love his hammer time that's for sure hahaha

Waoo what a beautiful difference. ❤❤

Gorgeous work as always and, as always, saying gorgeous work is a vast understatement. I hope that this crazy situation regarding your property resolves in your favor and in a way that is fair in appearance and practice.

Good to see this vid Steve, i saw the results on you FB page... but it only tells bits of the story compared to the action. As good as machine made goodyear shoes are... when you see the handmade version.... wow! That's serious work. cheers M

Beat of luck with the city issues. The shoes turned out beautifully!❤️

Maybe take your wizard wand that transforms busted worn down shoes into works of wonder down to city hall and beat some sense into the planning manager with it. 😂

Sorry you're dealing with that petty nonsense regarding your landmark historical shop!!! They should be preserving your place not giving you grief!!! They always have thigns so backwards!! That shoe was magnificent!! Should we come to your area in VA.....our son lives close, about an hour or so in Winchester, we'd love to stop by 👋🏼

Bravisimo

honestly $600 is a bargain, for the amount of work. John Lobb's are pricey to begin with. nicely done.

❤❤❤

Let's continue 🙌

It's hammer time! 😅🙌

Very nice steve

Fantastic work and fabulous results, Steve. It must feel somewhat personal for the city to want more of your property and not even tell you why. I know nothing about property law so I have no advice other than I think you should stand your ground and maybe seek representation. Good luck!

👍👍👍

Good job and good luck with municipality.

HEY STEVE! HAMMER 🔨 TIME. Good work! Can you please do a shop tour video sometime?

greetings from Poland...

Great work. Cities/towns never cope with an older property like yours this differs from their current requirements. The build is set back behind the open parking, so I bet everything else has parking in back. They crave uniformity instead of embracing how their town was developed over the it's own history.

❤❤❤😊

You know it's a genuine Bedo Recraft when there's half green thread in the sole. In 20 years, another cobbler will dismantle this shoe and show the green threads proving this.