GYWomen 2.0.1 - The Women's Guide to GYW
GYWomen 2.0.1 - The handcrafted, rugged, sleek, modern classic, Made in the USA, Horween® guide to women’s stitched footwear
Alt title: Bitches get stitches
Still with 100% more tables
INTRO
This guide essentially answers one relatively simple question: What’s out there for women in the GYW world?
I’m trying to help answer that question by compiling a list of brands that have a women’s line offering GYW, blake, or some form of stitched construction generally of the quality that is discussed in this community.
I’m not offering commentary on the aesthetics or relative quality of any of these options- that’s what your own judgment, research, and the other detailed resources on this sub are for. I’m not claiming these brands make the only “quality” shoes available to women. Most obviously, this list is shoe and boot centric, and somewhat trad/menswear/androgynous leaning. At this time, the list functions best for a woman who is after a boot, oxford, derby, loafer, etc. that is of a higher caliber than is typically found in mainstream women’s fashion.
A related note on some “fashion” omissions: my target for this guide is someone who, if she knows about the following listed brands, associates them with menswear, or may not know about them at all. I don’t consider this a pure starting from zero beginner's guide, but more of a "you probably haven't considered this" guide for people who are already interested in and conscious of mainstream fashion and some higher end brands. For example, YSL (excuse me, Saint Laurent) chelseas/jodhpurs use blake stitching and could be rightfully listed in this guide. But YSL is a big brand with a lot of name recognition and is very “present” in the fashion world (offered at many department stores and boutiques around the world). If you are moderately interested in fashion or shoes, you almost certainly have heard about YSL. Some other examples of this could be MMM or Ann D to varying degrees. For now, the listed brands offer or are known for their shoes almost exclusively, and have a relatively smaller presence, particularly as it pertains to women’s offerings.
With those shortcomings in mind, I hope this will continue to provide a useful resource.
NOTES
- In-store options for women are more limited, often leaving online purchasing as the best option. This presents the further issue of sizing and returns. Those in the UK or Europe in general will find this to be less of a problem.
- Many women’s offerings have a limited variety of lasts versus the comparable men’s range, and thus size and fit diversity may be difficult: a last may not work for your foot, narrow or wide widths are rare, and those with very small or large feet may potentially find length a challenge as well (though that is not exclusive to brands on this list).
- Third-party retailers of women’s styles are less common and consistent, meaning you will often be buying directly from the manufacturer, and catching a promo or sale is rarer, particularly with brands on the higher-end. eBay is home to a few seconds shops and there are deals from private sellers to be had- make sure you’re looking worldwide when you search. As of October 2017 I am now periodically maintaining a list on google docs of some worthwhile eBay finds.
THE LIST
^(For store options, I’ve excluded stores that are in the general country/region the brand is from. So I won’t list every C&J store in Europe, or every R.M. Williams Store in Australasia, or every Red Wing Store in the US.)
| Manufacturer | Retailers, Comments |
|---|---|
| Allen Edmonds (US) | While there's no dedicated women's line, AE has a wide size range, especially in terms of smaller sizes and narrower widths (US women’s standard is B vs. men’s D) |
| Andres Sendra (EU) | |
| Andrew McDonald (AUS) | |
| Barker (UK) | Note they only deliver within the UK. Also at Pediwear, Shoehealer, and A. Farley |
| Carmina (EU) | Note they also have an outlet/sale section on their site. Additional stores in Singapore and NYC. More offered in stores versus online, but availability is growing. |
| Caulaincourt (EU) | |
| Cheaney (UK) | Also at Country Attire, Toast |
| Chippewa (US) | Also at gravitypope |
| Church's (UK) | Note they deliver to some European countries only. Also at Net-a-Porter, Yoox, and gravitypope. Additional stores in NYC, Chicago, Singapore, Tokyo, Hong Kong, Beijing, and Shanghai. |
| Cord Shoes (US) | |
| Cortina (EU) | Their ebay outlet |
| Crockett & Jones (UK) | One style (“Barnwell”) carried at British Sporting Arms and an additional NYC store. |
| Danner (US) | As these are really a hiking/purpose-built boot, you can find them pretty easily from “traditional” sources like Amazon, Zappos, and sporting goods stores such as REI. |
| Dayton (CAN) | |
| Dehner (US) | |
| Edward Green (UK) | Leffot has done MTO’s sized for women |
| El Estribo (EU) | |
| Enzo Bonafe (EU) | See the post here by u/thatisgrossman, who worked with Solegarb to do a women’s MTO. |
| Gaziano & Girling (UK) | All women's options are MTO, NYC Showroom location |
| Grenson (UK) | Also at Yoox, Shopbop, 14oz, epitome, Coggles, gravitypope. |
| Guidi (EU) | Best bet is probably email or Farfetch |
| J.M. Weston (EU) | Additional stores in NYC, Hong Kong, Shanghai, Harbin, Tokyo, Osaka, Fukuoka, Nagoya, Dubai, Beirut, and Casablanca (bonus points for diversity). |
| Loake (UK) | Note they only deliver to UK & NI, also at Pediwear, Shoehealer, A. Farley, North Shoes, with seconds on ebay available from the same. |
| Mark McNairy (US) | Nothing as of this writing but in the past there have been multiple women’s styles. Also an ebay outlet, women’s shoes have shown up - for example these for $1.25 that went to u/Nareshiyengar’s sister |
| Markowski (EU) | |
| Meermin (EU) | Additional store in NYC. |
| Moto (JP) | |
| New England Outerwear Company (US) | |
| Pantanetti (EU) | Also at Yoox and Mauro Poluzzi |
| Quoddy (US) | |
| Rancourt (US) | |
| Red Wing (US) | Also at Railcar, gravitypope, American Rag, Animal Traffic, Portland Dry Goods. Additional stores in Berlin, Hamburg, Munich, London, Amsterdam, Tokyo, and Osaka. |
| Rider Boot Co. (US) | Ron offers his own line as well as some Silvano Sassetti. |
| R.M. Williams (AUS) | Common places to order from are Aussie Bush Hats and Boots Online. Additional stores in NYC and London. |
| Saint Crispin's (EU) | Will have to work with a stockist to order. |
| Sanders & Sanders (UK) | They make the shoes for Mark McNairy (listed above). Mill Mercantile carries 2 styles. |
| Scarosso (EU) | |
| Septieme Largeur (EU) | Patina options only |
| Shoepassion (EU) | |
| The Last Conspiracy (EU) | Also at Orimono, Antonioli |
| Tricker's (UK) | Also at yoox, 14oz, Pediwear, Shoehealer, epitome, Coggles, and their Outlet Store |
| Truman Boot Co. (US) | Offers MTO options in B width |
| Unmarked (MX) | |
| Wesco (US) | Women's stock boots are more true work/safety boots, but customization is available to create something more casual. They also have a factory seconds page on their site. |
| White's (US) | Their ebay store. Consult u/cathpah’s ridiculously comprehensive guide - as White’s has a women’s last I am sure it can be modified in a similar manner. |
| Wolverine (US) | Also at Zappos, gravitypope, Guideboat, Downcity Outfitters |
THANKS/DISCLAIMER
Thanks: It’s been two years since I started posting here and one year since the original guide. Thank you to all my homies, a girl could not ask for better internet shoe friends. Credits for suggestions/additions from Version 1: props to u/biomusicology, u/SaloonLeaguer, u/phrates, u/pirieca, u/Vaeltajas, and u/6t5g. Version 2 suggestions/additions: u/wolfnb, u/mobbito, u/DukeVerde
Disclaimer: I am not an expert. I don’t have hands-on experience with all of these brands. And I’m sure this is just a small sample of what is out there. Is this list for everyone? No. But I hope it’s a strong starting point for women who are interested in this aspect of the shoe world. Thanks for reading and happy shopping.
Feel free to offer any suggestions or additions.
Posted Feb 6, 2018, 6:58 PM UTC · edited