Disclaimer - Romain, the author of this article, is a close friend of ours. He has been a long-time customer of Septième Largeur, with whom he spent 6 months in the Saint-Lazare store, in which he no longer works. He is therefore best placed to carry out this test, place for Romain!
For my part, I also opted for pretty Septième Largeur shoes, custom-patinated in cherry color. They immediately enhance the slightest costume.
Septième Largeur has been cited in some of our articles for a long time. A quality French brand, the house is widely talked about in the small world of luxury shoes.
Present on the high end since 2009 with its tailor-made patina service , Septième Largeur – or 7L for short – could only be the subject of a small report after a few months, or even years of wear, for 4 pairs that my feet are delighted to own.
Marcos Fernandez, a man in shoes
Let's not beat around the bush. Marcos is a shoe size. In 1973, he imported from the United States, Sebago, a brand then unknown in France and one of whose models was all the rage, the famous Penny Loafer, but also the Dockside.
Marcos does not stop there and contributes greatly to the democratization of Goodyear welts while Italian companies offer glued soles at staggering prices.
From this observation, he created Bowen in 1979. An undeniable success. In 1995, he created Emling, which also enjoyed great success before finally creating a brand more anchored in our young collective unconscious, Markowski , which he ended up selling to devote himself to 7L with his nephew, Mathieu Preiss.
They then offered their first models as well as patinas which quickly became successful.
The identity of the Septième Largeur house
The brand's strong point is not being marked by a stylistic bias. The models are timeless classics, so there is no eccentricity except on certain models like the triple loop.
I am personally not won over by this model, but I salute Marcos's creative work and risk-taking.
Clearly one of the most beautiful patinas of Septième Laureur. And much easier to wear than you might think! A navy or even lighter suit goes very well with this type of piece, and calms the outfit.
Much more workwear in spirit, a beautiful selvedge will exchange all honors with this model.
Starting by putting on shoes means going for the classics. Knowing how to wear good shoes means being able to stay there. Because few creative brands offer quality models.
From the one-cut brogue to the commando sole grained leather ankle boot, we will be sure to stick with a style that will suit beginners and experienced alike. No extravagance therefore, for a product which will mainly focus on two aspects: the choice of skins and manufacturing.
Production in Spain with French leathers
It is therefore in Spain, homeland of Marcos, that all the shoes are made. They are mounted on form, therefore guaranteeing a respected pattern for each form. The leather is cut at half size, which also guarantees the aesthetics of the model. If we cut to size, certain ratios are not respected and we could end up with unsightly proportions.
A very beautiful example of the patina that Septième Largeur offers. Such beauty amply justifies a month's delay, it's not Geoffrey who will tell you otherwise!
Septième Width offers three shapes on low shoes. The “199” shape, tapered, in shoe D. It is suitable for thin feet, so it is more suited to Oxfords in terms of style than the “206” shape, in shoe E, much more comfortable (be sure to take half a size below) and which is perfect for derbies, more “sporty” in spirit (don't run with them though...) and with a rounder toe.
If you want a thin model, but a wide fit, the third shape (the “224”) will do the trick; it combines the two strengths, finesse and the E fit for wider feet. The Oxfords in this shape are real little nuggets with very worked lines, thanks to their more developed volumes on the shoe and which will dig into the inside of the foot. Again, if you're looking for finesse, the "199" shape will work best.
All models are made of Goodyear, Septième Largeur also offers Norwegian stitching (with rubber sole) on the winter collections. It happened that Marcos and Mathieu offered a Blake stitch for reasons of style and comfort, because not all customers are willing to endure a few wearings. It is indeed necessary to soften the leather and the sole; which gives me a ready transition to talk to you about the choice of skins.
The choice of skins at Septième Largeur
There are few tanneries in France. This is why the brand has chosen to work with some of the most qualitative ones.
- The Roux tannery and the Puy tannery for box calf, which is one of the best qualities of leather.
- The Puy tannery also supplies 7L with its grained calf.
- The Annonay tannery for Vocalou (which will be used for the brown and plum colors at 7L). It is a softer leather than box calf (which is extremely cardboardy at first wear).
- The Degermann tannery for oily leathers, very robust leathers which are perfect for winter and rain. It takes on a magnificent shiny patina with age and its rustic appearance is perfectly suited to all workwear enthusiasts.
- Finally, the suede calfskin comes to us from the Stead tannery , across the Channel. Septième Largeur does not only offer brown on the permanent models (in the collection, we will find blue, sand and rust).
My review of Septième Width shoes
The models being classics of the genre, you can't go wrong by purchasing a pair of double buckles, an oxford and a suede calf chukka.
It is the same calfskin but simply turned inside out. Nubuck is different from calfskin suede because the skin is not turned inside out, it is simply sanded. Abrasion then removes the grain of the leather and is visually similar to suede calfskin but the feel is very dry, unlike suede calfskin, which is more “greasy”.
The Richelieu Joffre model
The Joffre model is one of the house's greatest successes. Simple to wear in the three available shapes, it is quite versatile (especially in brown). This is the kind of model that I very often wear with a suit even if I also really like the combination with chinos.
A classic that can be worn very easily, whether very dressy or more simply with semi-slim jeans. Zara jacket, Suitsupply cardigan, De Fursac shirt, Michelson's tie and BonneGueule flannel pants.
The lines are tapered while remaining virile. The guarantors (where you lace up) display a slight triangle, which indicates that the shoe is the correct size.
On the other hand, I make sure that the pants fit well. The shoe is very tapered, if you add pants with a large leg opening, you risk having a “small feet, big legs” effect; which wouldn't really be elegant.
The Rennan model double monk shoe
The leather is vocalou, very pleasant because of its flexibility, it will still require a few ports to relax properly (a good ten) and press on the cork under the insole.
Cork serves on the one hand to cushion the impact of the foot on the ground, but also to guarantee walking comfort. By walking with it, you will literally form the cork on your foot and therefore feel more comfort each time you wear it.
In vocalou still, the proportions of the double loop are in my opinion perfectly well mastered, the tip is round just as it should, but above all, what leather!
Vegetable tanning, irregular marbling, it looks like a shoe worn for years, like a natural patina.
The Rennan model, sprezzatura in the Path. Suitsupply jacket, Paul & Joe shirt, AMI pants.
Wear them unbuckled for even more sprezzatura. Another classic that can be worn with jeans, chinos or of course a suit.
We can see that the work is very clean, the welt is perfectly finished, the seams are straight, regular and doubled at the end. The finishes are simple, refined and elegant. Really, my favorite model on low shoes.
You can clearly see the marbling of the leather. Few creases appear, a sign of good quality. And above all thanks to shoe trees, to buy systematically!
Maintenance of vocalou leather
As luxury calls for luxury, it is advisable to pamper this leather more than usual, as it risks discoloring if it is not waxed regularly.
We will therefore use less cream to avoid discoloring the leather and we will ideally use Saphir Huile de Mink lotion, which is best for caring for these pairs.
Avoid at all costs the superfine cream which is made to recolor leather because it will clog the pores and will be difficult to remove afterwards.
Don’t hesitate to polish your pairs often. It is best to put it on after wearing because the leather is open, the shoe polish will penetrate better into the pores.
Little advice, a maximum power hair dryer helps open the pores. Don't focus on one area for too long, as soon as the leather starts to shine a little, move on to another area. Apply the polish directly by pressing a little.
Obviously, your shoes will already be under shoe trees.
Seventh Width chukkas
To finish this test, I also wanted to present my pair of chukkas, which easily have a good hundred ports. I like to wear them when I don't want to think about what I'm going to put on my back.
You don't do better than a chukka when you don't really know what to wear or are uninspired. It's a very casual model that I like to wear bleached.
I don't have more hair than before but my chukkas make up for it. The raw leather sole adds even more contrast to the outfit and makes it more summery. Levi's chinos and Saint Laurent Paris glasses.
The suede calfskin is extremely comfortable, especially since the shape is basically designed for. The blue is quite light, which makes the pair more or less difficult to wear. I recommend camel, green or once again, a raw one.
Simplicity and comfort are my two criteria for summer shoes. Septième Largeur hits the mark in particular with its chukka models.
Maintaining suede calfskin
In terms of maintenance, everyone has the idea that suede calfskin is difficult to maintain. Good news ! It's wrong ! It only requires a brass brush – the crepe does not remove dust – with which you can rub without applying pressure.
We will then burn off the little “hairs” that stick out and the leather will appear as good as new. If there is a stain, Sommières earth for 24 hours on the stain, or Omnidaim purchased from any (good) shoemaker will do the trick.
If in doubt, Septième Largeur will be able to advise you or better yet, clean them up for you.
Conclusion of the Seventh Width shoe test
Septième Largeur offers an economic model close to that of BonneGueule: qualitative products, well explained, honest, at prices clearly within the low average of the market thanks to direct distribution.
In this price range, namely €245 for the low tops and from €295 for the ankle boots, 7L is clearly unbeatable.
In my opinion, the quality is the same as that offered at Crockett & Jones or Carmina. No marketing, no advertising, no frills around the product, Septième Largeur has the DNA of a trader/artisan that can be found in a product offered at its fair value. Although I have searched for a long time, I have not yet found a better quality/price ratio.
It's a house of enthusiasts, with whom you can talk about shoes for hours (you'll see that Marcos is very talkative on this subject!). Go take a look at the store!
Try it, find the shape that suits you best, get advice from the team. They are very transparent and never offer a product that is not suitable.
If it's too big or too small they will tell you, it's a big plus that I haven't often encountered in other stores.
The future is already paved with success for them and I hope that they will expand very soon. That’s all the bad I wish them!
