T&F Slacks

T&F Slacks (Special Order)

In a bid to revive English classics, while keeping shoemaking skills in London alive, Tim and Fiona launched T&F Slack Shoemakers London In March 2009. They opened a shop at 32B St Lawrence Terrace, off Golborne Road and a small shoe factory nearby. The 500 sq. ft Notting Hill factory makes about 150 pairs per month. With T & F Slack Shoemakers the pair wanted to harness what little was left of London shoemaking. Their goal was to help pass on important skills to the next generation. So far, they’ve managed to track down craftspeople in the East End of London who now mentor the young men and women who work for them, mostly graduates of Cordwainers College.

The collection centres on offering a semi-bespoke service of men and women’s crafted English styles, in particular its signature 5-eyelet Derby reviving one of Walker’s most successful styles from the 1970s. The Derby is available with modern, colourful micro soles that give the shoe its lightweight quality and retails from £185.

The made-to-order service uses a simple selection process that takes approximately four weeks.  Customers try on full and half-size samples to establish the right fit. Next, they’re shown books of the 40 most popular upper and welt combinations. Finally, they can overlay one of the 10 coloured strips of micro sole material to see which combination they prefer. T&F Slack Shoemakers sells in Liberty and Selfridges in the UK and has stockists in Canada, Japan, Taiwan, Holland and Australia and Nigeria through i-gasp.