Why it belongs in ORBIS
Bespoke shoemaker trading from the Royal Arcade off Old Bond Street, Mayfair, since 1958; hand-carved wooden lasts and the Churchill-associated 'Churchill II' oxford, with its elasticated side gusset, remain signatures alongside a ready-to-wear line.
G.J. Cleverley has operated from 13 The Royal Arcade, 28 Old Bond Street in Mayfair since 1958. Its best-known historical client is Winston Churchill, for whom the house developed a shoe with an elasticated side gusset and imitation laces - a design still sold today as the 'Churchill II.' Every bespoke commission starts with a personal fitting and a wooden last carved specifically for the customer's foot, kept on file for future orders; the firm's ready-to-wear collection is drawn from the same bespoke lasts and made using comparable leathers and hand-finishing techniques. Construction methods are described by the firm as largely unchanged for over sixty years.