Cheaney, as many readers will know, are one of my favourite brands of classic English shoes.   There is a difference about their design, a fluidity and boldness, that marks them out from other classic shoe brands.  Originally formed in 1886 , Cheaney have recently been re-vitalised under the joint directorship of the Church Brothers, Jonathan and William.  This has led them to open a number of new stores in London

I like Cheaney for their fabulous Lindley monkstraps, of which I own a pair, which we wrote about here.   Alas, Cheaney do not make the Lindleys anymore.  However, according to the very knowledgeable manager of their shop in Bow Lane in London, Cheaney can make Lindleys to personal order.  It was the Lindleys, with their adventurous styling, that re-kindled my interest in Cheaney shoes.   That said Cheaney continue to impress, their new collections are upscale, stylish and quite luxurious.

Cheaney also ranked very highly in our article on English country brogues here, with their robust Avon, which radiates old-school classic style.  Here is a picture:

Cheaney shops in London

And it is the shops that we are writing about today.  Cheaney have been expanding their range of shops in London and now have three.  Long-time readers will remember that Cheaney used to have a shop in London’s Bond Street.  That shop actually belonged to Church shoes and Cheaney relinquished that store when they ended their partnership with Church.  They now have shops in prime shopping districts in London.

Here they are:

Lime Street

Below is the Lime Street store in London’s Square Mile, near the Lloyds building, in London’s financial district.  At the moment this is my favourite Cheaney store.  It is the biggest of their new stores and great for browsing the collections.  It also sells the full range of Cheaney accessories.  I have bought from this shop and the staff are very helpful and rightly proud of their shoes.  This is the kind of men’s shop that gives you a real sense of quality and good taste.
The design is good too, classic but warm and welcoming.

Cheaney, Lime Street

9a Lime Street,
London,

EC3M 7AH

+44 (0)20 7283 7485

Bow Lane

This is the Bow Lane store, also in the City, but at its western limit, near St Pauls.  Bow Lane is an 18^th Century brick-laid lane, which backs onto the grand and historic Bow Church, full of atmosphere and stylish little shops. The Cheaney shop is about mid-way along the lane, on the west side.

Cheaney, Bow Lane

8 Bow Lane,
London,

EC4M 9EB

+44 (0) 20 7236 4899

This shop is notable for having a very classy display of all the styles in Cheaney’s Imperial range.   These are classic English shoes, Derby Brogues and Oxfords, made in the finest calf leather.  They also have hand-painted fiddlestick waists, which help support the arch of the foot, and hand-finished Oak-bark dyed soles (for extra durability). hey have a slim, elegant look, and the brogues are patterned with a great deal of finesse.  Good shoes, of the quality of Crockett and Jones Hand-crafted range.  Here is a picture of one style.

Sandringham Oxford Wingtip Brogues

If you are in the area, you might want to stop in at Graham Browne tailoring.  They are halfway down Bow Lane, tucked into a tiny alley.  These English-cut classic bespoke tailors do some beautiful work and have many awards to prove it.
You can find them at:

Graham Browne,

12 Well Court,
Off Bow Lane, London,

EC4 9DW

+44 (0) 20 7248 7730

Piccadilly Arcade

This is the newest Cheaney store, in Piccadilly Arcade.  As regular readers know, the Jermyn Street Arcades are very stylish, especially Piccadilly Arcade, with its late Victorian architecture (we wrote about Piccadilly Arcade here).  So it is a master-stroke for Cheaney to open a store here, it fits right in with their brand identity.  This is Cheaney’s newest store and has only been open two weeks.  When I visited, they were still putting the final touches on the store.  This is a small gem of a store, and stocks the finest of Cheaney’s shoes.  Once again, the Imperial range were in stock but they also had truly elegant designs from the new collection. I liked an Italianate tan Gibson, made of a single piece of tan leather, with some discreet broguing on the toe.  If you are visiting London, this is the prefect shop to stop off and buy a pair of Cheaneys  .

The newest Cheaney store, in Piccadilly Arcade

4 Piccadilly Arcade, London,

SW1Y 6NH

+44 (0) 20 7495 6413

So that’s our brief tour of Cheaney shops.  I urge you to visit Cheaney, there is an indefinable something about their shoes, mostly in the design, but also in their overall look, that marks them out as special.  I suspect that if you find the right pair of Cheaneys, they will take up a permanent place in your style armoury.

For our article on classic English shoemakers, including Cheaney, go here.