Sheffield is still one of the few English cities making shoes, and Goral is one of the families doing it. One workshop, one family, four generations of shoemakers.
The story starts earlier than Sheffield. Franciszek Goral began making and repairing shoes in 1936 on the outskirts of Krakow, Poland. The family kept the workshop going through the war and the decades after it, and the trade passed down the family. Bogdan Goral, the third generation, moved the factory to Sheffield for its manufacturing heritage, and the family later launched its own label. In 2018 HRH The Princess Royal came to officially open the family's current factory.
We are starting with two silhouettes: a low-top leather sneaker and a Chelsea boot. Both are cut from Horween Chromexcel, and both are Blake-stitched, so when the sole wears out it can be replaced instead of the shoe.
The craft
These are Blake-stitched shoes, not Goodyear-welted. Both constructions can be resoled, and they make different shoes.
A Goodyear welt runs a strip of leather around the shoe. The upper is stitched to the welt, and the sole is stitched to the welt. More layers, a sturdier and heavier shoe, a longer break-in.
A Blake stitch runs one row of stitching straight through the upper, the insole and the outsole. Fewer layers, a sleeker profile, a shoe that is flexible from the first day. When the sole wears through, a cobbler with a Blake machine takes the stitching out and puts a new sole on.
Each pair is lined in full-grain calf, 1.2 to 1.4mm. The insole is EVA foam wrapped in leather, with a leather heel counter. The Mellor is built on the G1 last and the Baslow on the G5.
The models
Mellor
A low-top sneaker in Horween Chromexcel, Dark Brown, 2.2mm full-grain. Blake-stitched to a moulded rubber sole, with waxed cotton laces and quiet tongue branding, nothing across the sidewall. It works with jeans on a Saturday or wool trousers on a Tuesday, and the rubber sole handles Edmonton sidewalks in winter better than leather would.
Chromexcel is Horween's pull-up leather, made in Chicago. It has a waxy hand and darkens and burnishes where it creases. Expect it to mark in the first week and then settle into itself.
Shop the Mellor Dark Brown Horween Leather.
Baslow
A Chelsea boot in the same Dark Brown Chromexcel, with honeycomb elastic side panels and a lightweight TPU sole. Blake-stitched, cut on the G5 last, lined in full-grain calf. The silhouette stays clean and doesn't shout, so it works with denim, cords, wool trousers or a suit.
Shop the Baslow Dark Brown Horween Leather.
How they fit
Both run true to size. Order your usual US size.
The Mellor comes in US 8 to 12 in half sizes, in a regular width. The 10 and 11 are also made in an EE width. The Baslow comes in US 8 to 12 in whole sizes only, in a regular width, and there is no wide fitting. If you sit between sizes on the Baslow, size down.
Chromexcel softens over the first week of wear, so a snug fit on day one is the right fit. If you are in Edmonton, come in and get sized in the shop. Online orders can be swapped for another size on unworn pairs.
Care
Chromexcel is already full of oil and wax, so it needs little from you. Brush it with a horsehair brush after wearing. Every month or so, work in a light coat of shoe cream with a soft cloth and buff it off. Use cedar shoe trees between wears.
Winter salt is the thing to watch. Wipe it off the same day with a damp cloth, then let the shoes dry away from heat. A radiator will crack the leather.
Where to find them
Both are in the shop at 8025 102 Street NW in Edmonton, and online at mrderk.com. Come in and try them on, and tell us what you wear in Alden or Loake or whatever else is in your closet, and we will help you translate the size.
FAQ
What is Horween Chromexcel?
A leather made by the Horween Leather Company in Chicago, hot-stuffed with oils and waxes. It is soft in the hand, pulls up lighter where it bends, and gains depth of colour with wear. People ask for it by name because it looks better at year five than at year one.
What is a Blake stitch, and is it as good as a Goodyear welt?
Different, not worse. A Blake stitch is a single seam through the upper, insole and outsole. A Goodyear welt is two seams with a strip of leather between them. Blake is lighter, more flexible and closer to the foot. Goodyear is heavier, stiffer and more water-resistant. Both can be resoled, so the choice is about silhouette and character rather than quality.
Can the shoes be resoled?
Yes. Both models are Blake-stitched, so any cobbler with a Blake machine can replace the sole.
How do I care for Chromexcel over the long term?
Brush after wearing, cream lightly once a month, use cedar trees, and wipe salt off the same day. Don't over-condition it, because too much cream sits on the surface of leather that is already full of oil and wax.