In the market for ultra-premium, top-quality dress shoes, there are a few names that come to mind when you’re mulling over the image of style. Several of them you no doubt held in high regard as much for the quality of their components and of their manufacture as for their original or time tested designs that pair nicely with a well-assembled wardrobe. Of course, there are certainly other factors that come into consideration like public regard for a brand, the history of the company and the versatility of the styles and designs they offer. One of these premium names that comes to mind when going over options for high-end footwear is Loake shoes. There are many reasons why consumers have been turning to Loake for their footwear for well over a hundred years - here are five of the best.

1. Loake Offers So Many Different Designs and Styles
All you need to do is take even a quick look at our page for Loake shoes here at Sherman Brothers to see what we mean. It’s almost self-explanatory, but it bears noting that among fine handmade shoes in the premium range of footwear, there’s a remarkable amount of diversity in the styles that you can find in Loake family shoes.

It’s easy to find a pair of wingtips or cap toes, and Loake is no exception. Options like their Loake Buckingham in black or brown calfskin is a classic look that you can pair with so many different styles of dress to great effect. Soft and supple calfskin cushions and conforms to the wearer and attractive broguing on the upper make these shoes a classic look for basically any style. Pair them with a full suit or just with a button-down and slacks and they will serve your image faithfully. Another classic design is their Loake Aldwych Black Calfskin which is a traditional cap toe design without the embellishments and flourishes of broguing that the former entry shows off. It’s almost more adaptable in its simplicity, but either of these options is just the tip of the iceberg of the number of styles that Loake can offer the discerning dresser. You can also find loafers and monk strap models from Loake, but even so, that is only the beginning of the diversity in style they can offer.

Take a look at more exquisite offerings like the Loake Chester Tan Calfskin, which is a gorgeous country brogue that throws the beauty of burnished tan calfskin into sharp relief against the complexity of its broguing. Though the style of the shoe is very classic, its the sharply detailed design of the shoe that makes it a real looker, and styles like this abound among the selections in Loake.

You can even find a variety of dress boots at Loake. In addition to their more traditional offerings, Loake offers models like the Blenheim, Kampton and Bedale which are certain to turn heads for their originality and matchless design. Sometimes all a getup needs to really stand out is the accentuation of some novel or unconventional footwear, and where even a flashy pair of brogues or wingtips would be muted, a pair of dress boots can really shine.

An option like their Bedale is a prime example of this. Designed around a full last, these shoes are intended to fit a wide range of shapes, and with their full leather lining and durable Goodyear welted rubber ‘victory’ soles are designed to last for years. Broguing that is similar in style to Loake’s Chester Tan Calfskin is presented in the format of a dress boot. Attractive, stylish and designed for comfort, support and longevity, styles like these define Loake shoes and only endear its image all the more in the minds of savvy dressers.

2. Loake Uses Quality Materials In All Of Their Designs
It’s not just all about style at Loake. Sure, you will be able to easily find the colors, styles and patterns that you can use to fill out your wardrobe and create options for many different settings and occasions. However, Loakes are made from top quality materials that are intended to last a lifetime with the right care, though they do offer restoration services (but that’s a topic we’ll hit in a few moments).

Let’s take a look at one of the defining features of Loake, which is that they produce Goodyear welted footwear. A Goodyear welt is just about as good as it gets when it comes to attaching the upper to the sole, no matter what kind of shoes you’re looking at buying. A Goodyear welt basically creates a pair of shoes that can last forever, and when things do start to break down, they can be fairly easily repaired. The Goodyear welt is a welt (basically a piece of leather) that is attached to both the upper and the sole and holds them together. This protects not only the sole but also the upper. In essence, the welt will wear instead of the upper, which means that when the soles wear down, the welt can easily be replaced and the shoe put back together again.

Many of their soles are made from studded Dainite, which is a remarkably resilient material that affords great traction under many conditions. It’s also surprisingly flexible, which allows it to move with your foot and wear gracefully.

This, however, is only one element of Loake shoes that constitutes their holistic quality. Another facet of their quality construction is the high-quality suedes and leathers they use for their uppers. Loake makes a habit of using the highest quality suede and calfskin in their uppers, featuring full leather linings that will mold to the wearer’s foot over time for a fit that comfort that just can’t be matched.

3. Loake Shoes Are Designed For Long Lasting Comfort
This has been touched upon in the previous sections, but there’s no way around it here - Loake’s are built not just for quality, but for comfort that can actually improve with time. From the bottom of the sole through the lining and into the upper, Loakes are built to support and cradle the wearer and weather very nicely.

The Dainite soles are not only tough and durable as mentioned, offering a superior level of traction even under wet conditions, but they’re flexible as well. There are so many dress shoes out there with stiff leather soles that just aren’t comfortable until they’ve been extensively broken in. It’s not that there’s anything wrong with breaking in a pair of shoes or boots - it’s often necessary. Dainite isn’t the most flexible material, but it does offer a decent balance between traction and flexibility. However, many Loakes are comfortable right out of the gate.

That being the case, the leather linings and uppers will grow into the shape of the wearer’s foot over time for cushioning and support that just can’t be matched by lower grades of leather or synthetics. As you wear your Loakes, you’ll find that they don’t just age handsomely, but they actually grow with you to fit and support you better. Leather just wears better than synthetics, pretty much without exception, and the higher the grade of leather, the better it will accommodate you and the better it will wear over time.

4. Loake Offers Restoration Services
Speaking of wearing over time, Loake offers restoration services to your shoes to keep them holding up over the long term, for many, many years. No matter how well-constructed shoes are out of the gate (and it does matter!) with hard use and adverse conditions, any shoes will start to break down over time. Either your soles will wear down flat or your uppers will start to crack and fade. The stitching in the shoe might just hit a wall and start to fray, which is another common problem faced by shoes, but one way or another, shoes will need service even when well cared for.

Most of the time, you’re at the end of the road when your shoes need service of any sort. If your uppers are synthetic, repairs generally can’t be made, and if the soles haven’t been welted properly, there can be no help on that front either. Loakes are made with quality construction that doesn’t just set them up to last for years. It makes it easier and more practical for them to receive service and restoration when the time comes for that.

This is one of the main things that really makes it worth your while to invest in a high-quality pair of shoes in the first place. While you might be able to save a few coins on the initial purchase, cheap shoes have basically no other destination than then trash when they start to fall apart. Generally, they can’t be serviced or repaired.

Loake shoes, however, are built with the quality components and construction that enables them to receive restoration services for long term viability. When you send your Loakes back for service, their staff will inspect the shoes, place them on the original lasts and refinish the uppers as finely as possible. They also offer sole and heel repairs to the same factory original specifications. They’ll even send you a new pair of laces with your shoes when they send them back. When you get your Loakes back, your shoes will be nearly as good as new. It’s that kind of commitment to quality and customer service that helps to set Loake apart from the competition and is one more thing to love about Loake.

5. Loake Stands On 140 Years Of Experience
To you, this might be a matter of style and the mystique that goes along with it. There’s just something that can be said for participation in a brand with a rich, storied and successful history. That being the case, a company doesn’t become successful overnight, and it sure doesn’t remain successful through the ups and downs of economics without doing something right. To last for well over 100 years, a company has to be innovative, flexible and adaptable, without losing sight of the core competencies that made them successful in the first place.

In this case, Loake has used its experience progressively to create better and better pairs of shoes and boots for its customers while striving to maintain the highest possible degree of quality and customer service in the industry for fine handmade footwear. When you invest in a pair of Loakes, you can be confident that it’s a pair of shoes that you’ll be able to keep for life and that will develop a history of their own.

Whether you’re drawn to the fact that 140 years of shoemaking experience is just what it takes to build a durable and lost lasting pair of shoes, or you simply enjoy the mystique of tradition, Loake Shoes have a style for you, which brings us to the next point - where you can find them.

Right here at Sherman Brothers, of course. Take a look through our selection of Loakes in the page listed above to find the pair, or pairs, that are right for you. You might find that you’re drawn to more than one of their styles, and there’s nothing wrong with that since an investment in Loakes is an investment for life.

Our selection of Loakes isn’t the only reason to shop with us. We know our shoes, their construction and how to pair them up better than anyone else, and our customer service is second to none. If you have questions about styles, brands, makes or models or you just want to get our take on a pair of shoes, give us a call at 1-877-338-4637 and we’d be glad to help you out, though you can also reach us at customerservice@shermanbrothers.com.

Speaking of stellar customer service, don’t forget that shopping through us here at Sherman Brothers is always tax free and we offer free shipping as well, so there’s just one more reason to find your next pair of Loake shoes here today.