This is chronology is a bit of confusing to me, but apparently at some point in the 1970s, the venerable 112-year-old bespoke shoemaker Poulsen, Skone & Co. was taken over by New & Lingwood. From the late 1970s until his death in 1991, George Cleverley - considered by many to be the greatest master shoemaker of the late 20th century - worked as a design consultant for the company, which at some point decided to revive some of his earlier designs.
The idea was apparently to produce a range of superior shoes under the Poulsen Skone & Co. name. Based on the stamp on the sole, this pair of loafers appears to be an example of the results of that collaboration (there is some fading on the insole stamp, but the inscription reads New & Lingwood incorporating Poulsen Skone & Co.).
This model appears to have been manufactured by Edward Green on their classic loafer last, the 184. That illustrious shoemaker also produced their own model of the classic butterfly loafer with punched apron design, called the Tewkesbury.
Along the way, there have been slight variations - Flusser, for instance, once offered a model that included the punched apron but which also included punching along the edge of the butterfly design as well. I'm never one to complain about to much broguing, but, in this instance, I would have to say that I like the clean look of the butterfly design sans the additional perforations.
In any event, one would be lucky to own this eclectic design from one of the 20th century's great shoemakers.
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