Leffot: New York’s Best Shoe Store
Leffot Owner Steven Taffel
Leffot is a shoe lover’s paradise. It houses some of the most sought after brands in the world in its unassuming Christopher St. shop. It carries Edward Green, Aubercy, and Church’s. It is the exclusive spot to snag a pair by Pierre Corthay or Gaziano & Girling in the States. And there is simply no better Made-to-Order footwear program. We spoke with owner Steven Taffel about what could very well be the best shoe store in America.
Prepidemic Magazine: What’s so great about shoes?
Steven Taffel: I’ve always been into shoes, since I was a kid. When I was in high school I had a part time job working a shoe store. It wasn’t an upscale shoe store. That’s when I first started working with shoes. But I always felt that it was the shoes that made the outfit. That a great outfit was made even greater when you had a really great pair of shoes with it. So I’ve always been a shoe fan.
Prepidemic Magazine: How’d you decide to open the store?
Steven Taffel: So in 2007, I had the idea of opening a shoe store in the city. This concept would be a multibrand store. It would have some of the better brands. It wouldn’t be in Midtown—I wanted it to be downtown. And I didn’t want it to be a traditional shoe store with shelves on the walls and brass and leather. We wanted guys to have the feeling of being in an atmosphere that was relaxing, attractive, and hopefully where their wives and girlfriends would feel comfortable.
So we contacted different manufacturers in the UK, France, and Italy and told them about the concept. They liked the concept and we went with it. My wife designed the store and the space. The theme of the store is a dining room. So the shoes are on a dining room table, there’s a chandelier, and so the focus is primarily on the shoes. So this is our feast of shoes.
Pierre Corthay, Sold Exclusively at Leffot
Prepidemic Magazine: How do you choose what brands to carry?
Steven Taffel: We try to keep our selection of styles limited. Because one of the things I have always felt, is when you go into big stores, I think men get overwhelmed. When you have so many choices it gets difficult.
We really try to work with companies that are just shoe companies, or their main focus is shoes. So all these shoemakers here make these own shoes. We don’t have anything against big fashion companies who have a shoe line, but I feel confident that when I sell these shoes I am selling a quality product because I know that this manufacturer controls every aspect of the shoe production.
And then what we try to do is offer a variety of styles. The French shoes are different from the English shoes. The American shoes are different again. Then we try to have different pricing levels. More entry level, higher end shoes. Church’s, Gaziano and Girling – which was a pretty new company at the time and we’re the exclusive seller of their shoes here; Pierre Corthay – which is a beautiful French shoemaker which we sell exclusively as well; Aubercy from Paris; Edward Green; Alden; Rider Boot Company is from Virginia and we started with them last fall. We just pick up lines as we feel there’s a need for it – the Quoddy’s we added last fall.
Prepidemic Magazine: Who is the Leffot Customer?
Steven Taffel: It’s a broad spectrum: younger guys starting a career, a lot of professionals from all around the country, customers reading my blog – they come when they’re in New York. The other day a family from Belgium came in and the man bought a pair of Alden’s because he had been reading my blog.
It’s really diverse. I find that all kinds of men really love shoes. It’s really funny because a lot of these guys when they come in – some of them will even blush and say “I really like shoes” and they start getting flushed.
Gaziano & Girling, Sold Exclusively at Leffot
Prepidemic Magazine: What’s on the docket for Leffot?
Steven Taffel: We’re launching a Venetian Loafer with Ron Rider of Rider Boot Company. He is starting a program of handsewn shoes that are going to be made in Maine. We’re going to launch this new shoe next month. It’s going to be a Venetian Loafer handsewin in Cordovan in three colors. Navy blue, natural, and a color they call Color 6 which is not quite as red as Color 8.
We’re really excited to launch these because it will be our first private label shoe for Leffot. And I want to do something classic. I always liked the simplicity of the Venetian Loafer.
Prepidemic Magazine: What’s been your role in making this shoe?
Steven Taffel: I talked with Ron Rider and I said what I wanted – a real classic Venetian loafer. He had it made, we made some edits.
Prepidemic Magazine: Any more plans to add more shoes to the Leffot brand?
Steven Taffel: It would be nice to eventually add some other shoes, but we’re not in a big rush.
Prepidemic Magazine: Tell us about the Made to Order program.
Steven Taffel: What we try to do is have shoes in stock because not everybody wants to just order a shoe that they’ve never tried before. So we stock shoes. But we do a lot of Made to Order (MTO). Some people think it’s bespoke shoemaking, but it’s not. You have a shoe made from a pre-existing shoe last. So you choose the shoe you like, you have it made on the last you like, you choose the leather, the color, perhaps a combination, the sole. IT’s sort of like Build a Bear. You choose the components. We do it a lot with Edward Green, Church’s, Rider Boot, even Alden.
It makes sense to do shoes MTO because the upcharge is usually only $100-150.
Leffot's Spring Shoe Collection
Prepidemic Magazine: So do you ever end up making a Made to Order shoe a staple of the Leffot store?
Steven Taffel: Well, we’ve got pioneers and we’ve got settlers. The pioneers are the guys that push the envelope. Especially when they order MTOs. They come up with unique combinations that I get excited about. And then after guys see a picture of it on the blog, they like it and come in and order it.
For example, there’s an Edward Green cap toe spectator. It’s not normally made as a spectator. It’s just a cap toe. In 2008, a young man walked in and asked, “Do you have any spectators?” I said, “We have a Church’s wingtip.” He said, “No it’s something in particular I saw.” So he sent me a picture from an Alfred Hitchock movie and said he thought they were Edward Greens, so I sent the picture to Edward Green and they said it was theirs. So we had them made, I put a picture on the blog, and since then we’ve had I don’t know how many orders.
Prepidemic Magazine: What’s been real popular this season?
Steven Taffel: Suede chukka boots have been big this season. Particularly the Alden unlined suede chukkas. They’re light, it’s a good look, and I think you’ll see a lot of them around. We just got a white suede pair in. And we’re just getting in some chalkbags – bags of fresh chalk powder that you tap on the suede to keep the shoes white.
Prepidemic Magazine: Do you have any philosophy on what is absolutely necessary in a quality shoe? Any feelings on the Blake/Goodyear divide?
Steven Taffel: Yea, there is a Blake/Goodyear divide. It’s like how do you like your steak cooked? Everyone likes something different. Blake construction is typically a lighter, softer construction. Goodyear is more in English shoes. In terms of durability, over the long run an English or American welted shoe can be resoled. So the construction is important.
The other important factor is the fit: you need to be comfortable in your shoes.
Leffot will offer this pair of Alfred Sargent shoes in this purple suede
Check out Leffot on the web here. And check Steven’s blog here.
6 Responses “Leffot: New York’s Best Shoe Store ”
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Wonderful post and pics!
I’ve bought a few pairs of shoes from Leffot and will buy a few more. Excellent store. Steven is the best
good share, great article, very usefull for us…thanks!
Dear Mr. Taffel: Great shoes, though unfortunately I would have to state that you mentioned the theme of the store were dining tables and you had shoes on the dining table as part of the feast I believe. In my opinion, the purpose of a dining table is the feast of food that is essential for humane life and a necessity that is a blessing for all human-kind which is placed on dining tables at home. Therefore, to have the theme of your store as a feast of shoes on a dining table, I would believe is suggesting disgrace to the blessings provided for human life to exist and need to function (which is food). I also believe that the place for shoes is not on dining tables for that matter but rather on appropriate shoe racks, etc or taking into consideration some other alternatives. If shoes start getting placed on dining tables (as your store is setting an example of ) then that would be a disgrace to the blessings of food to mankind. I guess I could be looking forward to a store opening in the New York area with books on the floor rather than on shelves and who knows if a sacred or per se ‘important’ book gets stepped on with shoes which would be then again be a disgrace as books are supposedly to be on shelves and not on the floor. I am hoping I can get this valid opinion/concern across from an unbiased point of view. However, sincerely no pun intended but the hope here is that you will give it some thoughtful and mindful consideration about the theme for the store you have adopted. Thanks Mr. Taffel. Great Shoes Once Again.
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