W.S. Foster & Son is in San Francisco this week, holding a trunk show at The Wingtip, which is a move from their regular location at The Fairmont Hotel. I was able to make it out yesterday to meet Andrew Murphy and Jon Spencer, who serve as the company’s retail manager and lastmaker respectively. With them were some samples from their ready-to-wear and bespoke range, as well as some vintage shoes that have been sitting in their archive for God knows how long.
Everything looked lovely, but there were a couple of models in particular that caught my eye. One was a uniquely designed wingtip, with a swooping line from the shoe’s eyelets to the quarters, and then a winged cap toe to balance everything out. Apparently, it was modeled after an old design by Alan McAfee, who was a bespoke shoemaker on London’s Dover Street before going out of business sometime in the 1980s. And, among the ready-to-wear range, there was a side zip boot, which was modeled after something Foster & Son once made for a Sultan. His had a bright gold zipper and a taller heel, which accommodated some silver spurs. This RTW model is a bit more discreet, with a black tonal zipper, a regular heel, and no spurs. It’s perhaps better suited to someone who’s … um … not a Sultan.
In handling some of the vintage shoes, I noticed that the leather felt a little different. It was glossier and smoother, with a grain that was nearly invisible. I asked if this was because of the age of the shoe, or if there was something about the quality of calf leather fifty or sixty years ago. Both Jon and Andrew agreed that it’s the latter. It’s apparently harder to source good materials these days. Cows are made to grow faster and larger through modern industrial husbandry techniques – and since all leather is a by-product of the meat industry, that means most skins are too stretched out and thin to use for high-quality shoes. Foster & Son works to get the best materials, but the supplies aren’t what they used to be.
If you’re interested in seeing Foster & Son, they’re at The Wingtip in San Francisco until tomorrow evening. After that, they’ll be in Chicago, Washington DC, Boston, and then New York. You can find all the details of their schedule in the news section of their website.
