Lewis Leathers Westway Boots

[Rufus]

Today I escaped from my drawing board and went and met up with Derek, the owner of Lewis Leathers down at their new store/office near Paddington in London.

I'd been drawing a Tank Girl Illo and decided to give her my favourite old boots... Lewis Leathers Motorway boots. I checked out LL site and discovered they're now doing a shorted version, more like engineer boots, the Westway Boot.

Talking to Derek, you've really got to admire the time, effort and incredible attention to detail he's put into the relaunched Lewis Leathers. It's all made in the UK, and is really well crafted, and at the store they'll do alterations to fit everyone.

I'd become slightly obsessed with the Westways, and bought a pair, and they are great boots.

I'd highly recommend either a trip to their site, or far more enjoyably, their shop.

http://www.lewisleathers.com or 26 Chilworth Street London W2 6DT, 0207 402 0863

I think my next purchase will be a new Bronx jacket.

Nothing beats the buzz of talking to someone who gets 'it'.. and Derek really has hit the nail on the head.

Please excuse my terrible attempts at photography, their site obviously has great pics.

The zips on the back of the boots are Riri, and unlike the previous 20 years of LL boots, they really deserve to have their LL crest emblazened on them!

and Tankie in her pair!

 

[BellyTank]

Very Nice Boots Indeed!

Do I sniff a hint of Gorillaz in Tank Girl's profile..?


B

 

[Rufus]

Slightly inevitable... Jamie Hewlett designed Tg and Gorillaz!

I worked on the first 4 Gorillaz promos as part of the animation team!

Love my new boots..

The new LL shop is a den of goodies. Well worth a visit, and only a 5 minute walk from Lancaster Gate...

ruf

 

[jamespibworth@n]

Nice boots Rufus.

I may be tempted myself!

Do let us know if you purchase a ‘Bronx’

I am very happy with the lightning I bought from Derek. I was happy to find that being caught in heavy rain on my Triumph I stay dry. The jacket is just starting to wear in and is looking better and better. I know they are not cheap but hey, it is a genuine ‘Lewis’.

James

 

[Rufus]

Cheers James! I'd love to see how your new purchase is breaking in...

I've always regretted selling my old Bronx years ago, so will definitely get one, but just had to buy new computer and software so it'll be on the backburner for a few months at least.

The great thing about the Lewis shop is they'll do personal alterations so you can get a bespoke LL jacket!

Derek was such a great host, and it's fantastic to see such an iconic brand in the hands of someone who cares.

I'm wearing the boots, and they really are comfortable, and sooooo much lighter than my Redwings and Chipewas.

Right... best do some work!!

Rufus

 

[Edward]

Great lookin' boots!

Have Lewis changed hands recently, then? I've had half an eye on them for a long time (a modified, fringed Lewis Corsair being believed to have been the leather jacket sported by Dr Frank'n'Furter in The Rocky Horror Picture Show).... I did notice that the Ace Cafe a while back stopped carrying them and repalced them with a co-branded Ace line from Aero Leathers.... wondered what was going on. The Lewis stuff is undoubtedly beautiful... unlike Belstaff, they appear to have maintained the quality of their product, even if the price is a little rich for me.

 

[Rufus]

Edward!

LL was bought by Derek Harris about 5 years ago, and it was a back to basics approach.

It's a small business, but Derek's put the quality back in the brand, something previous owners had destroyed.

They're not cheap, but they're all made here in the UK, Derek constantly on factory site to quality control.

I believe it is a Lewis Jacket in Rocky Horror.

Aero's former owner snapped up Lewis's 'Highwayman' label name, previous to Derek buying LL (THe old LL owners had let it lapse), which is a shame, as HWM was as symbolic to LL as the Aviakit tag.

It's a shame Ace don't stock Lewis anymore, there was a longstanding relationship with them and the 59 club.

I'd recommend a trip down to the shop Ed, it's great!

Ruf

 

[Speedster]

Those boots are cool Rufus. Thanks for sharing the pics. Better to see them on photos like this instead of on a "catalogue" photo on their web-page.

I hope to get back into motorcycling and have been looking at the LL web-page very often where my favourites are the Westway boots and the Racing boots.

I will definately pay the shop a visit next time i get to London.

 

[Edward]

Rufus.... I guess UK manufacture os probably wht's keeping the price that high..... GBP600 seems a lot, but yeah, it sure isn't cheap to produce things over here. Nice to know, though, that at least Lewis is in the hands of an enthusiast....

Most of their stuff is well beyond my budget, but I'll tell ya what.... I really fancy those sneakers..... the look like Daddy was a Westway and Mum was a Chuck Taylor....

 

[Rufus]

Speedster...

The Westways are great as they're not as tall as the motorway boots, so easier to wear with jeans.
If you've got a bike suit Motorways are great! They also do limited edition stuff with various fashion houses (Comme des garcons etc), and while I was there so Brown Westways and some modified Race boots with extra straps.

Edward, they are pricey, but I like stuff that'll last years, and these babies'll definitely be around a long time! The sneakers are pretty cool, I saw some at the shop. I like the back strap!

R

 

[Edward]

Edward, they are pricey, but I like stuff that'll last years, and these babies'll definitely be around a long time! The sneakers are pretty cool, I saw some at the shop. I like the back strap!

R

Aye, well... you can't argue with the quality. I'd be tempted by the sneakers eventually.... if they would last as well as the boots, they're not badly priced at all.

 

[Mark P]

What are the soles of the excellent Westway boots made of?

I'm glad to hear LL is back - I had a jacket from them 30 years ago, probably when their quality was beginning to fall away. I see it is now back in production, which gives me quite a nostalgic feeling. I do like their distinctive British rocker look.

 

[Nighthawk]

The Westways are great as they're not as tall as the motorway boots, so easier to wear with jeans.

Nice boots, Rufus. Do you wear your jeans tucked in or out?

I like the styling, but I prefer a steel toe and maybe a steel or kevlar shank in my boots.

NH

 

[rgraham]

You've got to tuck in the pants and fold your seaman's socks over the tops with those boots.

 

[Graemsay]

Nice boots Rufus! And are they a pair of Sharpeye jeans?

I think that I'm going to have to take a look at the Lewis Leathers shop next time I'm in London.

I'm not sure if I'd want to wear Lewis Leathers, or Aero, as protective gear for biking. I'd be inclined to go along to someone like Crowtree who make some of the toughest suits available that meet the CE rating for protective gear. (Very little motorcycle clothing does, surprisingly.)

What I would like to see is Lewis producing rider gear that meets modern safety standards, but retains the vintage look. No one actually does this at the moment, unfortunately.

PS I love the artwork on the new Tank Girl strip is good. So you've got no excuses for not reading it.

PPS Yes, flattery will get you everywhere.

 

[scotrace]

I keep coming back to this thread to have another look - magnificent boots.

 

[celtic]

:eusa_clap

i absolutely LOVE those boots!

perhaps when I have a bit more expendable income i'll give them a go.

for now i'm 'stuck' with cheaper boots available here in the states.

 

[Rufus]

They are very confortable boots...I'm so pleased with them.

I've got many old engineer boots, but those feel like ill fitting wellington boots in comparison, and are heavy.

The westways are very light, and I like that the toe shape is so sleek, no safety toe... but I don't really want a steel cap cutting my toes off anyway! LOL...

I'll post more pics when they're more worn in.

I'd certainly recommend the new Lewis leather gear, pricey, but it's a small business run with love, and worthy of our support... and great looking gear at that!

ruf

 

[Mr_Misanthropy]

Great boots, Rufus. I don't know how I missed this before. A lot of modern motorcycle boots have big clunky buckles that ruin the lines of the boot. These are very subtle, stylish, and they just seem to belong on the boot.

And Tank Girl is looking awesome as always, of course.

 

[Rufus]

Cheers sir..

Both Tankie, and I, are happy with our boots! lol