In Conversation: Mr. Justin Fitzpatrick 'The Shoe Snob'

The overriding impression when meeting Justin Fitzpatrick, arch-shoemaker, retailer and authority on all things in the world of footwear, is that of a man very much in control of his destiny. Tucked away down an almost suspiciously quiet street of elegant regency townhouses, overshadowed by Bishopsgate's soaring towers in the East End, Justin's showroom (shared with Timothy Everest's bespoke house and workrooms), is a quirky but classically discreet space. After a long-anticipated perusal of Justin's collection, J. Fitzpatrick Footwear, we sat down to chat, and within five minutes of Justin recounting his story to me, the sense of his ambition to realise his dream of owning a shoe brand was palpable. 'I just thought "there's nothing out there wowing me" [Justin was still studying at university at this point] so I decided that I wanted to bring better shoes to America. I just thought "I'm going to start a shoeline"' and he did. To reach this point, Justin has worked tirelessly for seven years, following a plan that would teach him the skills needed to be a success. 'I knew that I needed to learn and become a credible designer. I wanted to immerse myself, to understand every facet and every detail - both of designing and retailing. I wanted to be able to say "I understand shoes"'.

 Justin set to work on realising this dream straight from university (and even during university when he started learning about footwear retail through working part-time for Nordstrom). He sunk his life savings into travelling to Italy to study bespoke shoemaking for a year under the late, great Stefano Bemer and moved to the UK afterwards to be closer to the epicentre of the luxury shoemaking industry. He started The Shoe Snob Blog - explaining that 'no one was representing the shoe industry; people had questions and no one was answering them' - and took a job shoe-shining in Gieves & Hawkes on Savile Row to build up his client base and reputation. Simultaneously, he spent his working week commuting from Brighton and also travelled up to Northampton on those weekends when he could to learn more about the art of pattern and last making with Gaziano & Girling. That took five years. Then onwards to the lengthy process of designing, sourcing, testing and finally launching his own long-anticipated luxury shoe brand.

 Justin's ambition and pursuit of excellence can be sensed in the collection itself. Benchgrade shoes are offered in fine materials at a distinctly competitive price, but Justin has gone one step further in that his shoes also incorporate a number of features primarily associated with handgrade footwear. J. Fitzpatrick Footwear shoes are soled with closed channels for a clean finish (whereby a thin leather over-sole covers the stitching on the sole itself), and feature bevelled waists which slim the instep of the shoes down considerably for a long, attractive line through the length of the foot. Equally, his shoes are characterised by a close ankle and fluted shape through the arch. These rakish lines have been achieved primarily because Justin's shoes are all made on exclusive bespoke lasts which he crafted especially for his collection in close conjunction with Tony Gaziano. The result is a superior shoe with a wealth of bespoke touches and an overwhelmingly sleek silhouette. No other shoes on the market today can offer quite the same aesthetic at this price point.

 At present, J. Fitzpatick Footwear doesn't offer shoes on either narrow or wide lasts, but a made-to-order service which will offer different width-fittings is in the works currently. Justin decided early on that for his first collection, it was important to retain a focus on producing the most elegant shoes he could, hence why he chose initially to work only with E-fittings. 'I wanted to fit as many people as possible, but not at the expense of the shape of the shoe'. It seems that it is not only Justin's philosophy of pursuing excellence in his work that informs the sleek lines and attention detail imbued in these shoes, but also his own personal philosophy on what makes for a great gentleman's shoe.

 'There's no denying a thing of aesthetic beauty; people want this in their shoes but don't necessarily understand what it is they're attracted to. I didn't understand until I learned to make shoes'. What is this holy grail of shoemaking? 'Understanding the lines of the last, and how to position the lines of the shoe's pattern on that last. Balancing those two perfectly is what makes a shoe beautiful - Tony Gaziano taught me that'; quite some philosophy. The other thing that defines Justin's approach to shoes is his obsession to mix influences, and deliver a collection which exhibits the best of pan-European shoemaking traditions. 'I always wanted to create something which mixed an English welted look with Italian comfort and French flair. No one had taken the three countries and mixed their signatures'. Considering the soft leathers, sleek shapes and substantial construction of Justin's shoes - many believe that he is the first designer to have done just that.

 Reading Justin's collection having learned his personal philosophy was extremely enlightening, and also invigorating because its a truly special thing in the world of menswear when one man's vision is allowed to shine beautifully though an entire collection. Having met and spoken with Justin, it strikes me that creating shoes with a perfectly balanced simplicity of lines and sweeping curves throughout their three dimensional form is perhaps the thing which best encapsulates his art as a designer and shoemaker. The collection is almost impossibly elegant and innovative, borne of several years of ambitious toil, attentive study of the shoemakers art and self-belief. What's next for J. Fitzpatrick Footwear? Excitingly, as well as the made-to-order service, the brand will soon be releasing some eight new models, some of which are new re-coloured existing pieces, and others will be brand new, and a new chunky yet tailored hiking-boot was mentioned amongst other creations. Justin, ever-driven to deliver a better shoe, has also just returned from a trip to Italy, sourcing new leathers to improve the finish of some of his dyed pieces and grain leathers. It seems that things are going from strength to strength and I for one cannot wait to see the new expanded collection, nor try the made-to-order service, in the months to come.

J. Fitzpatrick Footwear shoes start from £300.00.

www.jfitzpatrickfootwear.com