Wearing example.
This time, I’ve paired Barros with chinos and slim-fit cotton trousers. As beige-toned trousers complement them better, I haven’t paired them with denim.
Its understated design makes it an excellent match for chinos.
When viewed on their own, the slightly rounded form of the shoes looks well-balanced when worn with trousers.
Pairing them with trousers that are slimmer than chinos creates a well-balanced and elegant combination.
Barros
- Last 2998
- Colour: Tobacco
- Leather: Carf
- Sole: Double sole
- Size: 7 1/2 E width
Combination
- Five-Pocket Trousers: Visvim
- Shoes: John Lobb Barros
- Chino Trousers: Boncoura
- Knitwear: Boncoura
In conclusion
This winter, I began wearing my John Lobb Barros shoes again after a long interval and decided to write about them. Purchased back in 2000, these shoes are a quarter-century old. Yet, their condition remains impeccable, and their design shows no sign of datedness even now.
This enduring quality is precisely what one expects from John Lobb – a brand with a long history, stubbornly committed to crafting truly exceptional products.
Having stopped wearing suits regularly, my John Lobb shoes had been stored away in the wardrobe. Yet, when I took them out of their box after so long, they showed absolutely no signs of deterioration.
While I’ve never disliked caring for leather goods and had applied John Lobb’s genuine moisturising cream thoroughly before storing them, I believe the fundamental reason for their lack of deterioration even after prolonged disuse is the sheer quality of the leather and the superb craftsmanship.
This year, I gifted Berluti shoes to a junior colleague and a friend for their celebrations. I myself was considering purchasing leather shoes again after a long interval and had shortlisted John Lobb boots, a style I hadn’t previously owned.
Given my current style, soft suede boots suit me better than formal full-grain leather ones. I purchased the classic John Lobb Lawry boots in dark brown suede.
The service at the Marunouchi store where I bought the Lawry was superb; they even had a detailed record of the three pairs of derbies I purchased a quarter-century ago. Following that, I requested maintenance and had rubber soles fitted, considering modern practicality.
During my conversation with the Marunouchi staff, we also got quite animated discussing the former manager of the Aoyama flagship store.
As mentioned in the article, while John Lobb carries an image befitting a luxury brand, its dedication to the actual shoes and its customer service stance remain quintessentially traditional shoemaker. Naturally, they maintain a system for servicing purchased shoes to ensure they can be cherished for a lifetime.
Furthermore, considering the price of the shoes, the very reasonable cost of their maintenance services can also be seen as embodying John Lobb’s fundamental ethos.
In the past, I only wore my John Lobb shoes with slightly more formal styles like suits or blazers. However, my approach to fashion has shifted somewhat, and I now find myself wearing them more often with slightly more casual styles.
Having worn these shoes for many years, they fit my feet perfectly and are supremely comfortable. With their timeless, ageless design, they truly are the finest shoes one can wear for a lifetime. I look forward to enjoying them for many years to come.
Shop
The John Lobb shop that handled this matter is the Marunouchi branch.
The Barros purchase featured in this article was made at the Minato Mirai branch, which we previously operated but which has since closed.
I shall cover this in a separate article, but I purchased the Rawry Chelsea boots at the Marunouchi branch and requested maintenance for previously purchased shoes at that time.
The Barros shoes were returned to me quite promptly after maintenance, hence this article. I should add that the maintenance cost was also very reasonable.
As mentioned in the Berluti article, Berluti meticulously maintains records of purchases made 20 years ago. Similarly, John Lobb, despite handling purchases made 25 years ago, naturally keeps thorough records and manages customer information diligently.
Both Berluti and John Lobb are long-established houses dealing in footwear, an item used over an extremely long cycle. Naturally, they manage customer relationships over these extended periods with great care.
It sounds simple when put into words, but how many current luxury brands actually manage customer relationships to this standard? One might think it’s quite few.
While I’ve written about Berluti’s superb customer service, John Lobb’s customer care is equally outstanding. However, a key difference is that Berluti, having also entered the apparel market, possesses a more pronounced sense of true luxury.
Their staff embody a heightened awareness of providing first-class service, consistently delivering an authentic, high-end experience.
John Lobb, too, is regarded as producing the world’s finest luxury footwear, often dubbed the “King of Shoes”. While its image might seem closer to Berluti’s, actually entering the shop, viewing the shoes, and trying them on reveals that interactions with staff feel less like luxury service and more like engaging with skilled shoemakers.
There is an absolute confidence and trust in their own products. Beyond that, they spare no effort in enhancing customer satisfaction by meticulously tailoring the experience to each customer’s preferences, ensuring the perfect fit for their feet, and addressing what is necessary for long-term enjoyment.
This feels like the most important aspect – a sincerity towards the customer – embodying that old-school shoemaker’s philosophy. Perhaps the reason John Lobb is so highly regarded is best understood as prioritising service tailored to customers who genuinely love and cherish their shoes.
I hadn’t worn John Lobb shoes for a while, but the three pairs I previously owned have all been maintained, with rubber soles fitted to the leather soles. I intend to wear them properly from now on, caring for them as I cherish them.
Regarding the shop, I plan to summarise my experience in an article about the Lawry I purchased.