The menswear resurgence of the past 10 years has been wonderful for the discerning customer, but tough for mid-market brands. It seems like every week there is a new story about a brand or retailer in trouble, stuck between customers that want fast fashion prices and those that want luxury products. Personally, I love the middle of the market – I find that it’s where the products of highest value often exist, and that’s usually my first priority when deciding where to purchase. A new member to the club of “not expensive, not cheap, but definitely good” is footwear brand Sons of Henrey, founded earlier this year.
Sons of Henrey is the brainchild of Tom Brone, an Antwerp-based shoe afficianado that got his start with Vass in 2011. He worked with the esteemed Hungarian shoemaker to sell their products online, and ended up opening his own e-commerce site. While that was growing, he used his spare time to put together a supply chain for his own product and was able to launch a full line of shoes a few months ago.
With prices that hover in the $300-ish range, Sons of Henrey is right in the middle of a uncommon pricepoint for high-end footwear (and there is a FSTB-specific discount code at the end of the article). There are many options north of $450 and a few great choices closer to $200, but surprisingly little in between. Being able to put more money into the product than a low-budget brand means that Sons of Henrey can invest in better materials and production, and since they only sell online they don’t need the same margin requirements of the more established brands. As someone who generally shops in the middle of the market, it’s always exciting to find another brand that has a similar mentality. Anyway, on to the boots.
As I mentioned last month, I have become a big fan of Chelsea boots and in particular the wholecut design (where there is no side seam below the elastic panel). After chatting with Tom a bit about his new project, he kindly offered to send me a pair of the Sons of Henrey Chelseas to review. The design stays very true to the classic Chelsea style – medium ankle height, pull tab, elastic panels, and a slim sole and shape. My shoes arrived in great shape and included shoe bags, a polishing cloth and a suede brush, which was a very nice touch.
The boots – like all of the shoes in the lineup – are Goodyear welted and constructed in Spain on custom lasts. And while this pair has a half rubber sole with exposed stitching, the leather-soled options feature close-channeled soles as well. Overall, I’d say the shoes in this collection have a somewhat British aesthetic (likely due in part to the help from Springline), which I prefer over more Continental-styled shoes.
These are made from repello suede from CF Stead in the UK, one of the most prominent suede tanneries around. Their repello line is characterized by a short, fine nap. This is different from the shaggier suedes that feel more like velvet, but is still of good quality and easy to maintain. The dark brown color is – at least in my opinion – the ideal color for a boot of this style.
The boot is built on their “contemporary almond last,” one of three lasts that Tom created for the line. The narrow heel, slim waist, and shapely toe give it a rather sleek look. It wouldn’t be a good pairing for a chunky, casual shoe, but for something like a Chelsea boot I think it’s a great fit.
Of the three Sons of Henrey lasts, the contemporary almond is the lowest volume. I took my normal size of 7.5UK (usually an 8.5US) and found them to fit well in length, but a bit crowded in the toes. It’s hard to say for sure having only tried on this pair, but I think an 8UK might fit my foot a bit better. For reference, I wear an 8D on the Alden Barrie, 7.5UK on the Carmina Rain, and a 7.5UK/8.5US in most shoes (occasionally sizing up when needed). I would recommend going true to size, but sizing up if you are at all between sizes. For the best sizing advice, though, contact Tom and he will help you out.
The Chelsea boot is just one of the models that Sons of Henrey has available, with more on the way soon. Their most popular model has been the “George,” a handsome version of the classic split toe derby. There are also several great oxford options, my favorite being the “Cortes” adelaide.
Another fun aspect of Sons of Henrey business model is the ability to put together group made-to-order projects with relative ease – only six people are needed to create a spin on any one of their current styles by picking a different leather, sole, last, and so forth. Turnaround times and prices are reasonable, giving shoe aficionados an opportunity to play designer and get something tailored to their tastes (provided that they can find five more people with a similar interest).
Lastly, I should mention that there is now an active discount code for FSTB readers – the code FROMSQUALORTOBALLER will get you 15% off your purchase. After the VAT deduction, this puts the shoes at around $280-$300 (as of writing), an excellent price for what you’re getting.
There are many places to get good footwear these days, which is a wonderful thing for the picky customer. Every price bracket will have different value propositions, but my favorite continues to be the middle – better than the bottom, cheaper than the top, but with the best aspects of both. Sons of Henrey is a great example of this, and I look forward to seeing their new releases in the coming months.
