Since 1996, storied British shoemaker John Lobb has paid an annual ode to Saint Crépin – the patron saint of cobblers – with a limited-edition style which shows off the very heights of its artisanal workshops in Northampton, where each shoe is created using an intricate, time-honed 190-step manufacturing process.

The 2024 edition, the Henry, is celebratory in every sense: built, as is tradition for the Saint Crépin edition from the slender 7000 last – created in collaboration with the seasoned makers of John Lobb’s bespoke atelier in Paris – it is a sophisticated riff on the traditional Oxford brogue, here elevated in glazed high-shine leather with unique leather-lace wingtip detailing designed to evoke hand-stitched embroidery. 

Available in an edition of just 500 individually numbered pieces, the Henry – only available in John Lobb stores – is completed with the house’s ‘Prestige’ sole, treated with an elegant black stain. A leather lining is carefully matched to the shoe’s upper. 

Though primed for occasions, the Henry arrives at a wider shift in men’s footwear, where the once-ubiquitous sneaker is being eschewed for more classic styles – among them penny loafers, derbys, monk straps and brogues, designs that have been at the heart of John Lobb since its advent in 1849. 

John Lobb’s Henry brogues are available in a limited-edition run of 500, £1,800, from the brand’s stores and online.

A version of this story appeared in the December 2023 Entertaining Issue of Wallpaper*, available in print from 9 November, on the Wallpaper* app on Apple iOS, and to subscribers of Apple News +. Subscribe to Wallpaper* today!