Edward Green Pimlico
This is a village isle.
Britain is a patchwork of defined city neighbourhoods and country communities.
City villages where things feel quick and ever changing but in reality evolve gradually.
Countryside communes of honey stone houses and cricket pitch’d greens, where nothing changes, until everything does in the blink of an eye.
From streets to squares, roads to lanes our villages, these collected communities exist both physically and emotionally, to many becoming a source of pride and almost a member of the family.
Edward Green is that most British of bootmakers, ‘The’ bootmaker? I think so. Apart from when the heat really hits and I’m featuring in a couple of pairs of Anatomica’s Wakouwa sneaker – made in Japan please – or that pair of the underrated and I think pretty good Double RL Mayports I picked up in early spring - and even then it’s Galway’s on 64 last to walk dogs across parched fields – I am a 365 Edward Green boy.
This morning I’ve been running around, which for most days of the past year has meant a pair of their ‘British’ Cowboy boots, the Newmarket on the new 303 last in suede – a story for another day – but today instead, something else, also new but a little different.
Let’s quickly concentrate on a particular and exciting three letter word; ‘new’. Not the shock of the gaudy, nor over marketed, flashing lights of the unnecessary, but subtle evolution, refinement of what is already great to create something new which is not just of note, but which feels as if it has always been here and always will be.
Because after the 303 comes another new last, the 125. Both utterly elegant and sophisticated and like all the best design, practical and simple, with each providing an elegant solution to changing modern lifestyles.
Mine is a jeans and fatigues life with my toes occasionally dipped into tailoring. So that’s Newmarket and 64 last country calf Galway most days, sometimes a Dover or suede Cardiff and in that ever so blue moon, when I’m dressed up and really feeling it the single monk Mercer on the 82 last in black calf which was first pair I bought.
What about loafers? Come on, it’s the shoe which has captured menswear attention these past few years, so where are they?
Well, a slight confession, I too have had my attention captured and have a couple of pairs; Belgravia and Picadilly, and about a decade ago living a slightly more urban and perhaps urbane life, I used to wear my Belgravia’s a lot, but now, it’s more of a sneak out of their box, give a quick brush down, stare at adoringly, but rarely wear (sorry).
Why?
Life changes, and whilst I still wear a lot of the same clothing I wore a decade ago, my day to day is more likely to see me driving an old Land Rover than popping in an London Taxi and the juxtaposition of battered denim, paint flecked cargos and the utterly beautiful almond toed 184 last which I admire so much on others is perhaps a little bit too much for a quiet Tuesday in the country.
But I still want that loafer fix, close my eyes, listen to the breeze rustle the trees and I’m in the Hamptons, not rural South West England, open my eyes and realise it’s like the Hamptons here, we have the restaurants, pubs, art galleries, exotic hotel escapes and the big city an hour and a bit drive away.
A summer and early autumn of Kendall Jenner Hamptons downtime vibe, but make it British, so from the village of St James’ to my village in the sticks comes the shoe named after another of my favourite city villages, The Pimlico.
Pimlico, has a village green, sat near to the village shop, but it’s less leather on willow and pick up todays paper from Alison, instead Daylesford a haven of organic produce including the best jam.
If I have the time, and I’ll often make it, with the excuse of needing to buy jam, I like to loaf about the area.
Walk up Lower Sloane Street, cross over next to The Sloane Club, up past Bentleys and turn left down Pimlico Road. Gaze into Rose Uniacke, pick up a quick jar before more gazing at Plain English, Pinch, Nina Cambell, Fermoie et al.
Little leg stretching detour down Bourne Street, look inside Christopher Howe’s original store, now more for fabric at 36 Bourne Street, you’ll have been in the main showroom at number 93 Pimlico Road, then take a right at Chester Road, heading on down until you hit Elizabeth Street to sniff some stuff at Les Senteurs before heading back down Ebury Street toward Robert Kime.
This is prime Daniel going for a walk, proper day dream and hard thinking territory. Because if honest I would like to live in houses designed by many of the above and buy things to fill them from the others. I find it calming, reassuring, elegant, an area of proportions, craftsmanship, the finest materials and just enough lived in charm to comfort. It’s all rather British and worldly, which is how I think we are as a nation when at our best.
On my feet, those new unlined Pimlico’s not just sharing a name with the area but imbued with all I love about it as a neighbourhood, made from black Delapré leather, a supple, fatty, thick and plump calf, slightly matte, from Alsace, a treat for all the senses, it smells, feels and looks like you imagine leather ought to but had never encountered before.
The make is extraordinary; had a friend stay recently, someone in the industry, at the real top of their game who couldn’t get over how well they were made, how fine the detailing.
This is one of the many things which sets Edward Green apart, that attention to detail, the utter lack of anything superfluous, just a commitment to elegance and fit, because nothing fits nor feels like Edward Green does, straight out of the box.
Nor does anything look like Edward Green does, if like me you have spent your life/career obsessing about the little things, what makes ‘that’ thing right, but this similar thing wrong, you’ll be able to spot a pair of EG’s a mile off, from the perfect city shoes, perfect country ones too. They are a symphony of actual taste; timeless and elegant, with that cultured and worldly edge, frankly the very best of this island.
But what makes these different from the previous? Erm, the almond toed 184 is an Jaguar E-Type last, an icon of beautiful British design, with it’s slightly elongated aerodynamic nose, whereas the rounded toe 125 on leather sole I see as more Porsche 912, with rubber sole perhaps a bit more 964. Slightly shorter but generous nose, low profile, rolling curves and sculpted waist, structured where needed across toe and heel, soft elsewhere, lightweight but feeling reassuringly robust. Those slight alterations to proportions make all the difference with regards wearability but these are still a pair of Edward Green shoes.
Perfect with well loved and worn jeans and trousers, for padding round London streets, in the garden during this driest of summers, walk round village or even to pop into field to look at something.
Like all great things I can see it beyond the here and now, still long into the future, giving years of consistent service across New England Autumns, Italian Springs, as the leather softens, takes on the charm of wear and as it moulds to you, your foot and your life.
Couple of quick points/thoughts, I know people like to hear what things have been worn with.
So, the Pimlico is featured in photos alongside Double RL Straight Fit Jeans, Double RL repaired field trouser, Double RL seeded white field trouser, Double RL Twill Officers Shirt Double RL Denim Western and Visvim Social Sculpture 01 Raw Jean. The white socks, hated by some, loved by me and perfect for that Hamptons vibe are Drakes made by Corgi.
Edition #0 of Purposeful Activity included an in-depth tour of the Edward Green factory, following a pair of my Galway boots as they were resoled.
As Edition #0 is long sold out, if anyone is interested in us publishing the words and images from that on the website, please let me know, @danieljamesjenkins is my Instagram handle.