The Shoemakers Journal
Find a Shop near
Columbus
All Articles

Shoe Lasts & Styles: Part 1

A shoe last is the foot-shaped former over which the finished upper of the shoe is shaped during the manufacturing process. The last gives the shoe its distinctive shape and fitting properties.

Loake use many different last shapes and alternative width fittings to cater for the different needs of our customers. Here we take a look at the most popular traditionally shaped lasts used in our ranges.

Capital (F fitting, Medium Width)
One of our most versatile shoe lasts, Capital is used for several of our 1880 styles from formal shoes such as our ‘Aldwych’ toe cap Oxford to boots such as ‘Pimlico’ and ‘Hyde’. It is a medium width last with a slight chisel shape to the toe and runs true to size. Capital has been a popular choice with our customers since its introduction, currently nine styles are made on this last.

024/Colt ( F fitting)
024 is one of two country last shapes Loake use currently. It is used for less formal shoes such as the ‘Chester’ brogue and the ‘Burford’ boot. Like most country style last shapes, 024 is a little roomier by design to allow for thicker socks to be worn. The toe shape is rounded on this last. Colt is a variant of 024, with a taller and bolder toe. This is a cosmetic change only; the fitting properties of the two remain identical.

Pennine (G Fitting, Wide)
Pennine is another Country last shape, but in G width, which is a wide fitting. It is a roomy last, designed to give the wearer extra space within the shoe. If you normally take a medium width in Loake shoes, you may find a half size reduction to be necessary in order to obtain the right fit.

Claridge (F Fitting)
Another versatile last shape, Claridge is used for both classic English styles and more contemporary shoes. Claridge is a medium width last which should run true to size. There is a little extra (cosmetic only) length in the toe of this last, which has a slightly rounded point.

Loafer (F Fitting)
As the name suggests, this last shape is used for slip-on styles only. The last is quite slim and has a little extra length to the toe. The toe shape itself is rounded with a slight point. Fitting of slip-on shoes is always more difficult than lace-ups, as the shoe has to grip the foot and there is no method of adjustment with laces etc. Customers with a wider foot will likely find these too tight and may need a half size larger, although this will not work for everyone.

026 (F and G Fitting)
The 026 last is available in both medium and wide fitting. This last is very much a classic English last shape, with a rounded toe of standard length. Customers who need a little extra width from their shoes should select this last in a G fitting.

1639 (F Fitting)
This last is shorter in the toe than some, but also broader in this area. It gives shoes such as our famous Royal brogue a bolder appearance. This last shape generally runs true to size, but is a little roomier toward the front compared with other F fitting lasts.

97 (E Fitting, Narrow / Medium Width)
This is one of our narrower lasts and is also shorter in comparison with most others we use. Customers with wider feet will not find this last suitable. If you take F fitting Loake shoes normally, you may also find this last a little tight in your usual size. You will note the photograph shows a wooden last; 97 is one of our older last shapes. We still use some wooden lasts, but you will see that our newer last shapes are made using moulded plastic which most last manufacturers adopted some years ago.

Handcrafted Iconic Styles

Our Bestsellers

    • Related Posts

    82 Replies to “Shoe Lasts & Styles: Part 1”

    1. Gina

      What’s up, I desire to subscribe for this webpage to obtain newest
      updates, therefore where can i do it please
      assist.

    2. nerdbot.com

      https://nerdbot.com/2026/02/05/mynodepay-enables-cryptocurrency-holders-to-buy-from-amazon-walmart-and-500-retailers-using-bitcoin-and-150-altcoins/Shop from
      Amazon, eBay, Walmart, and 500+ stores worldwide using Bitcoin, Ethereum, USDT, and 150+
      cryptocurrencies — no bank account or credit card needed.
      Simply paste any product link, pay with your favorite crypto, and get it delivered to your door with full order tracking and buyer protection.
      MyNodePay makes crypto shopping fast, private, and secure with transparent pricing and 24/7 support.

    6. tombolbet88 app

      Pretty component to content. I simply stumbled upon your
      blog and in accession capital to claim that I get actually loved
      account your blog posts. Anyway I will be subscribing
      to your augment and even I fulfillment you access persistently fast.

    9. ThomasJaith

      Промокод в беттинговой компании — представляет собой специальное сочетание букв и цифр, которое активировать эксклюзивные привилегии от букмекера: бесплатные ставки, возврат средств или другие бонусы. Промокоды от букмекеров — это специальные бонус-коды, которые активируются при создании аккаунта или в профиле пользователя. Они позволяют получить freebet, стартовый бонус или возврат ставки. Тут представлены действующие предложения в списке http://madguy.ru/images/pgs/1xbet_promokod_pri_registracii_bonus_5.html список обновляется сразу после появления новых акций и промокодов.

    10. Harveyrhife

      Бортовой камень БР 100.30.15 — это распространённый элемент дорожного строительства, который используется для отделения проезжей части от тротуаров, газонов и других зон благоустройства. Он изготавливается из прочного бетона, отличается высокой устойчивостью к нагрузкам и погодным условиям, поэтому широко применяется при обустройстве дорог, парковок и городских территорий. Подскажите как выбрать бортовой камень бр 100.30.15

    11. nodepay

      https://www.mexc.com/news/642490Shop from Amazon, eBay, Walmart, and 500+ stores worldwide
      using Bitcoin, Ethereum, USDT, and 150+ cryptocurrencies — no bank
      account or credit card needed. Simply paste any product link, pay with your favorite crypto,
      and get it delivered to your door with full
      order tracking and buyer protection. MyNodePay makes crypto shopping fast, private, and secure with transparent pricing and
      24/7 support.

    16. MichaelJak

      Всем привет!
      Скоро планируется награждение сотрудников, и я задумался о выборе корпоративного подарка. Хочется, чтобы подарок был не только красивым, но и полезным, оставлял приятное впечатление и подчеркивал заботу компании о сотрудниках. Сейчас вариантов море — от стильных аксессуаров до брендированных сувениров и необычных персонализированных решений.

      Интересно узнать ваше мнение: какой корпоративный подарок вы считаете действительно удачным и запоминающимся для коллег или партнёров? кокорпоративные подарки

    19. MichaelJak

      Всем привет!
      Скоро планируется награждение сотрудников, и я задумался о выборе корпоративного подарка. Хочется, чтобы подарок был не только красивым, но и полезным, оставлял приятное впечатление и подчеркивал заботу компании о сотрудниках. Сейчас вариантов море — от стильных аксессуаров до брендированных сувениров и необычных персонализированных решений.

      Интересно узнать ваше мнение: какой корпоративный подарок вы считаете действительно удачным и запоминающимся для коллег или партнёров? кокорпоративные подарки

    20. 七七文库下载

      I like the helpful information you provide in your articles.
      I’ll bookmark your weblog and check again here regularly.
      I am quite sure I will learn many new stuff right here! Best of luck for the
      next!

    22. gudangbet88

      First off I would like to say great blog!
      I had a quick question which I’d like to ask if you do not mind.
      I was curious to know how you center yourself and clear your mind before writing.
      I have had a difficult time clearing my mind in getting my ideas out there.
      I truly do enjoy writing however it just seems like
      the first 10 to 15 minutes are generally lost just trying to figure out how to begin. Any suggestions or tips?
      Kudos!

    24. 八字测算

      Heya i’m for the first time here. I found this board
      and I find It truly useful & it helped me out a lot.
      I hope to give something back and aid others like you helped me.

    25. 松鼠ai智适应教育

      It is the best time to make some plans for the longer term and it
      is time to be happy. I’ve learn this submit and if I could I want to counsel you few attention-grabbing issues or
      suggestions. Maybe you could write subsequent articles regarding this article.
      I want to read more things about it!

    26. 月季批发

      My coder is trying to convince me to move to .net from PHP.
      I have always disliked the idea because of the costs.
      But he’s tryiong none the less. I’ve been using WordPress
      on various websites for about a year and am anxious about
      switching to another platform. I have heard good things about blogengine.net.
      Is there a way I can import all my wordpress posts into it?
      Any help would be really appreciated!

    28. url

      Hi, every time i used to check weblog posts here early in the break of day, because i love to gain knowledge of more
      and more.

    29. Ernestlam

      Всем привет!
      Сейчас занимаюсь обустройством территории вокруг дома и обратил внимание на тротуарный бордюр. Оказывается, он не только красиво отделяет дорожки и газоны, но и помогает поддерживать порядок, защищает клумбы и газоны, а также облегчает уборку территории. Выбор материалов, формы и размеров играет важную роль для долговечности и внешнего вида.

      А у вас есть опыт установки тротуарного бордюра? Какие варианты считаете оптимальными для двора или садовой дорожки? Подскажите как выбрать бордюр тротуарный

    33. Charlesverie

      Darmowy Bonus powitalny Mostbet to idealny wybor na start. Wpisanie QWERTY555 daje darmowy zaklad. Kod promocyjny darmowy zaklad Mostbet dzisiaj pozwala grac bez ryzyka. Bonus powitalny jest atrakcyjny. Platforma jest godna zaufania.

    36. TimothyRaila

      Всем привет!
      Скоро планируется награждение сотрудников, и я задумался о выборе корпоративного подарка. Хочется, чтобы подарок был не только красивым, но и полезным, оставлял приятное впечатление и подчеркивал заботу компании о сотрудниках. Сейчас вариантов море — от стильных аксессуаров до брендированных сувениров и необычных персонализированных решений.

      Интересно узнать ваше мнение: какой корпоративный подарок вы считаете действительно удачным и запоминающимся для коллег или партнёров? корпоративные подарки на новый год

    37. url

      Hi exceptional website! Does running a blog like this require a
      lot of work? I’ve no expertise in coding however I had been hoping to start my
      own blog soon. Anyways, if you have any suggestions or tips for new blog owners please share.
      I understand this is off subject nevertheless I just wanted to ask.
      Cheers!

    38. Unlimited Wp Files

      Thanks for your recommendations on this blog. 1 thing I would like to say is the fact purchasing electronic products items from the Internet is not new. In reality, in the past decade alone, the marketplace for online gadgets has grown drastically. Today, you can get practically virtually any electronic system and product on the Internet, which include cameras and also camcorders to computer pieces and video games consoles.

    39. https://www.bignewsnetwork.com/news/278850391/is-mynodepay-legit-a-technical-deep-dive-into-the-crypto-shopping-platform-2026-review

      https://www.bignewsnetwork.com/news/278850391/is-mynodepay-legit-a-technical-deep-dive-into-the-crypto-shopping-platform-2026-reviewShop from Amazon, eBay, Walmart, and 500+ stores worldwide using
      Bitcoin, Ethereum, USDT, and 150+ cryptocurrencies — no bank account or credit
      card needed. Simply paste any product link, pay with your
      favorite crypto, and get it delivered to your door with full order tracking and
      buyer protection. MyNodePay makes crypto shopping fast, private, and
      secure with transparent pricing and 24/7 support.

    40. 客服热线

      Hi! This is my first comment here so I just wanted to give a
      quick shout out and say I genuinely enjoy reading
      your blog posts. Can you suggest any other blogs/websites/forums that deal with the same subjects?
      Appreciate it!

    43. indnewswire.com

      https://indnewswire.com/mynodepay-emerges-as-bridge-between-crypto-wallets-and-mainstream-retail-in-booming-718-million-market/Shop from
      Amazon, eBay, Walmart, and 500+ stores worldwide using Bitcoin, Ethereum, USDT, and 150+ cryptocurrencies — no bank
      account or credit card needed. Simply paste any product link, pay with
      your favorite crypto, and get it delivered to your door with full
      order tracking and buyer protection. MyNodePay makes crypto
      shopping fast, private, and secure with transparent pricing and
      24/7 support.

    44. 常德市考试院

      I have been exploring for a bit for any high quality articles or blog
      posts in this kind of house . Exploring in Yahoo I at last stumbled upon this site.
      Studying this information So i’m glad to convey that I have
      a very just right uncanny feeling I discovered just what I needed.
      I such a lot for sure will make certain to do not overlook this site and
      give it a glance on a relentless basis.

    45. 玩酷网平台

      I’m really impressed with your writing skills and also with the layout on your blog.

      Is this a paid theme or did you customize it yourself?

      Either way keep up the nice quality writing, it is rare to see a great blog
      like this one these days.

    47. url

      I’ve learn several good stuff here. Definitely value bookmarking for revisiting.
      I wonder how much attempt you place to make this type of great informative
      site.

    48. cryptwerk.com

      https://cryptwerk.com/company/my-node-pay/Shop from Amazon, eBay,
      Walmart, and 500+ stores worldwide using Bitcoin, Ethereum,
      USDT, and 150+ cryptocurrencies — no bank
      account or credit card needed. Simply paste
      any product link, pay with your favorite crypto, and get it delivered to your door with full order tracking and buyer protection. MyNodePay makes crypto shopping fast, private,
      and secure with transparent pricing and 24/7 support.

    53. 资质标准

      Hey! Someone in my Myspace group shared this site with us so I came
      to check it out. I’m definitely loving the information. I’m
      book-marking and will be tweeting this to my followers!
      Exceptional blog and fantastic design.

    54. RobertVer

      Всем привет!
      Скоро планируется награждение сотрудников, и я задумался о выборе корпоративного подарка. Хочется, чтобы подарок был не только красивым, но и полезным, оставлял приятное впечатление и подчеркивал заботу компании о сотрудниках. Сейчас вариантов море — от стильных аксессуаров до брендированных сувениров и необычных персонализированных решений.

      Интересно узнать ваше мнение: какой корпоративный подарок вы считаете действительно удачным и запоминающимся для коллег или партнёров? изготовление корпоративных подарков

    58. 79招生网加盟官网

      I love your blog.. very nice colors & theme.
      Did you make this website yourself or did you hire someone
      to do it for you? Plz reply as I’m looking to design my own blog and would like to find out
      where u got this from. thanks

    59. RobertVer

      Всем привет!
      Скоро планируется награждение сотрудников, и я задумался о выборе корпоративного подарка. Хочется, чтобы подарок был не только красивым, но и полезным, оставлял приятное впечатление и подчеркивал заботу компании о сотрудниках. Сейчас вариантов море — от стильных аксессуаров до брендированных сувениров и необычных персонализированных решений.

      Интересно узнать ваше мнение: какой корпоративный подарок вы считаете действительно удачным и запоминающимся для коллег или партнёров? изготовление корпоративных подарков

    60. url

      Hi, I do think this is an excellent site. I stumbledupon it 😉
      I may return yet again since i have saved as a favorite it.
      Money and freedom is the best way to change, may you be rich and continue to help other people.

    62. Thomas

      I prefer Capital and 026 and own around 15 pairs of shoes and boots based on this lasts. For winter times, wearing thick socks i also own three pairs of 024 based boots.

    63. Loake

      Hi Manuel
      In most cases it is difficult to know without trying on the shoes how each last will affect the sizing, and we would normally recommend having a fitting, but generally, going half a shoe size bigger should compensate for a narrower fitting.

    64. Manuel Godinho de Matos

      Hello,
      I have rather flat feet and find that Peninne 7,5 fit me perfectly.
      I’m now tempted by a model which uses the Claridge last and was wondering whether I should opt for a size 8 instead, on account of the narrower shape.
      Would you be able to provide me any advice on that (I’d have to get them shipped over, and would rather avoid a return…)
      Thanks a lot,
      Manuel

    65. Loake

      Hi Jim
      Jockey last is used for our Chatsworth boot only at present. It is a wider G fitting last, with a slightly squared off toe shape of standard length. The toe itself is quite generous, and being G fitting the boot is a wide fit.
      If you do not have a wide foot it may be necessary to go a half size smaller to compensate.
      Hope this helps.

    66. Jim Xu

      Very happy to see the exlaination of Loake’s Lasts. It is very helpful for me when I choose Loake shoes. I just have one question, I found the last of the Loake Chatsworth is Jocky but I can not find any description about it. Could you please say somenthing about it? Thank you.

    68. Martin

      I would love to buy a pair of Loakes but since I’m located in the US (Central New Jersey) there is little chance for me to try them on. Is there any chance Loake might participate in an online fitting guide such as Shoefitr? Or do you have any advice on the fitting process for folks on this side of the Atlantic?

    70. Pingback: High quality shoes - with an added bonus! - Page 2

    71. Joe

      Hi – I’ve acquired some older Loake shoes – 745T – that state last 87-5. However there’s no fitting specified – is this a standard or wide fit?

      Thanks

    72. Pingback: Herring Classics – A Shoe Review | Suitably Inclined

    73. Nick

      Great to see this kind of information being put out there for people to better understand the technology of shoes and lasts, and the terminology used to describe fitting.

      However, it would be really useful to be able to view not only the top-down view, but also the side-on view from both the inner and outer sides. Plus, it would be good if the descriptions could include information about the bias of each last for the types of feet they are a good match for.

      For example, I noticed that an obvious difference is apparent when comparing, from the top-down, the heel openings of the shoe exhibit of the 024/Colt last:
      http://blog.loake.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/024-Colt.jpg
      and the shoe exhibit of the Capital last:
      http://blog.loake.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/Capital.jpg.

      It is clear that the bias of the foot in the 024/Colt is leaning inwards, noticeably more than the central or more balanced bias of the Capital. The meat of the inner and upper instep is clearly seen to be pushing towards the other foot in the 024/Colt last shoe exhibit.

      It would be great to see this pointed out and a discussion of the bias (and other key attributes) of each last and the resulting shoe, and the types of foot they fit.

      Cheers,
      Nick

    75. Loake

      That could be a whole other blog post in itself! We’re glad you like this one – Part 2 will go live later this week so keep an eye out for some more last and style examples.

    76. Loake

      Thanks Lorentz! Part 2 of the article will be going up this week with another selection of our lasts. We’d love to hear your thoughts on that one too.

    77. Alan Murray

      Nice to see this important topic dealt with so well (more examples would be good, tho’). It helps us all to understand why size isn’t everything (!). I’ve found Loake’s lasts to be very forgiving – I have shoes made with several and they’re all comfortable in the same size, but feel slightly different – at least when I first put them on. It would be interesting to know what makes a designer decide to design a new last for a new shoe. That clearly represents an investment in new lasts and places to store them, so I’m guessing there would have to be a good reason.

    78. Lorentz

      Very nice article! I have only worn the Capital, but will probably buy one of the country styled lasts for my next shoes this fall. Good to know a little more about the shapes. Will there be another article with the remaining last shapes that you offer?

    80. Loake

      Thank you Andrew, it’s great to get some feedback. Trial and error is often the way people find their favourites, but we hope this guide can give users an insight into the effect last shape has on each style so they can find their favourite style straight away! Keep an eye out this week for part 2…

    82. Andrew Whittaker

      very useful indeed.. I have deduced 024 is my preference, through trial and error really over the years.. Good job…

    Leave a Reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *



    © 2025 Loake Shoemakers. All rights reserved
    enquiries@loake.co.uk
    +44 (0) 1536 415 411

    Our Customer Services department is open Monday to Friday from 8.45am to 5pm. We are closed at weekends.
    I speak
    and my currency is

    What are you looking for?

    Back to Top