The derby shoes
July 2025
The upper and lining are made of full-grain leather, the strongest part of the hide (where the density of collagen fibers is highest); the leather will age well without cracking. Another advantage: since full-grain leather retains the hide’s natural pores, your shoes will be more breathable.
By the way, is leather a bad thing? We tried to answer that big question in this article.
With outstanding traction thanks to Vibram’s famous “Carrarmato” design—inspired by tank tracks—which provides excellent grip on all types of terrain.
Enough room around the toes so they aren't squeezed.
These shoes are manufactured at the Portuguese factory JV Calçado, with whom we have been working since 2025.
Techniques That Ensure Quality
Vibram sole
Vibram soles are among the most renowned in the world, and that's no accident: the company started out by making soles for mountaineering boots and has specialized in durable soles with excellent traction.
Laboratory abrasion test results: a volume loss of 105 mm³, a level that is fairly rare for dress shoes and is more commonly found in safety or hiking shoes.
Vibram sole
Welded assembly
Hidden eyelets
Replacement Shoelaces
Welded assembly
With a generous adhesive width for long-lasting hold. After more than a year of use by various testers, there have been no instances of the product peeling off.
If you prefer sewn construction (which is more expensive), we recommend checking out Max Sauveur or Paraboot.
Vibram sole
Welded assembly
Hidden eyelets
Replacement Shoelaces
Hidden eyelets
To avoid damaging the leather when you tie your shoes.
Vibram sole
Welded assembly
Hidden eyelets
Replacement Shoelaces
Replacement Shoelaces
The derbies come with thin, waxed cotton laces. They look great but may eventually wear out, so we also include a pair of wider, sturdier polyester laces.
Vibram sole
Welded assembly
Hidden eyelets
Replacement Shoelaces
Shoe Polish
7€
For our belts and shoes
All-terrain
Beautiful shoes that are built to last, featuring full-grain leather and an ultra-durable Vibram sole. To give them a modern, casual look, we opted for a generously rounded toe and a thick, lugged sole. These derbies are easy to wear every day.
In detail
Small mousses
Placed in the cushioning zones for greater comfort: above the tongue, at the heel, and under the ball of the foot.
Rear tab
To make it easier to put on the shoe.
Subtle logo
Embossed on the heel of the left shoe.
Origin and Certifications
...manufacture in Portugal instead of France? Of course, manufacturing in Portugal allows us to sell at lower prices. But it’s also easier to produce high-quality shoes there: in the 1980s, when France outsourced its manufacturing, Portugal strengthened its own. That said, other brands besides ours manage to make excellent “made in France” derbies, such as Kleman, Le Formier, and Jacques & Demeter.
How This Product Will Age
How do we know this? We ask our customers for their feedback on the product one year after purchase. And if the product is less than a year old, we provide our predictions based on some unsolicited feedback and our experience with similar products.
Vibram soles are particularly durable, and their lugs are quite deep: they should last you plenty of kilometers.
Full-grain leather is designed to age well: it will develop creases along the bend of the foot and pick up scuffs over time, but without cracking. If conditioned regularly, it, too, can last for years.
Our heel pad (the inner area that comes into contact with the heel) should last longer than average, but if it wears out, it can be replaced by a cobbler.
However, the waxed cotton laces may break over time, which is why we include a second pair made of polyester—they’re extremely durable.
Care Instructions
The key thing to understand is that leather is made up of about 5% fat—this is what gives it its suppleness, durability, and water resistance. If the fat is lost, the leather dries out. Your goal, therefore, is simple: keep the leather moisturized.
So every now and then, give your derbies a quick brush and treat them with a nourishing leather conditioner (be careful—even if it’s tempting, don’t use cosmetic creams like Nivea: these are water-based emulsions that can contain 70 to 80% water, which can eventually strip the leather of its natural oils and cause it to crack. This is the exact opposite of what you want!)
If your derbies get wet, whatever you do, don’t put them near a radiator, a fire, or a stove: this could dry out the leather. That’s right: moisture drives out the natural oils (something you should know if you’ve ever made a salad dressing: watery vinegar doesn’t mix with oil). Let them air dry, then condition the leather.
And use a shoehorn to put them on.
Reviews of this product
The standard practice is to send review request emails a few days after the purchase. We wait a month—the minimum amount of time needed to form an informed opinion.
Customer Review Policy
When do you ask customers for reviews?
We’ll send you a review request one month after we receive your order. We believe this is the minimum amount of time needed to have worn and washed an item several times and to form a truly informed opinion. After that, all your reviews are published within a week, whether they’re positive or negative.
Do you request reviews for 100% of the products ordered by customers?
We used to do that at first, but then we realized we were starting to send way too many emails to certain customers who shop with us regularly. In short, we were spamming them a bit. Plus, it was starting to take the team way too much time to respond to reviews—since we want to reply individually and privately to almost everyone who leaves us a review. Today, we no longer ask for reviews on products that meet the following two criteria: 1/ There are enough reviews posted on the site for potential buyers to form an informed opinion about the product. 2/ We on the Loom team have read enough reviews to understand how to evolve the product into the next generation.
Just a quick thought: What proof is there that we aren't manipulating reviews by giving 5-star ratings to everything?
Honestly: nothing—we’re just giving you our word. Just like with everything else, actually: where we manufacture our products, where our wool comes from, our lab test results, and so on. The only times we might edit what you write is if your message contains spelling mistakes (and even then, quite a few slip past us) or if it’s racist, homophobic, etc. (but that’s never happened so far).
Asking for feedback after just one month isn't enough to know if the clothes are really durable, is it?
You're right—that's why we send you another email asking for a review one year after your purchase—we even ask for a photo to see how your garment has aged. We use the responses to improve our clothing and to provide information on “how this product will age” on our product pages. To avoid unnecessarily bothering our customers, we don’t ask for reviews on 100% of the products ordered: as soon as we have enough data to understand where we can improve, we stop asking for reviews after one year.