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Reason #3 for the popularity of Church’s Grafton: “Silhouette that does not look like a country shoe with the last 173
The Grafton uses a round toe last 173. This is the main last used in Church’s current dress shoes, including masterpieces such as the “Consul,” “Diplomat,” and “Chetwynd. Church’s was known as a rare shoemaker that continued to produce the same wooden lasts until 1999, when it was acquired by the Prada Group. Church’s had continued to use the same wooden pattern and produced a wide variety of models with different designs, but when Prada acquired the company, the lasts were completely redesigned. The last was updated to fit the modern trends. Church fans distinguish the models using the old lasts from before the acquisition by calling them “Old Church” or “Old Church.
Last 173 is a wood pattern that was introduced in 2005. In the past, the last 73 wood pattern used to represent the brand in Old Church, but after the acquisition of Prada, the brand shifted to the newly developed last 100. However, there were many Old Church fans who wanted to see the return of the last 73, and so the last 173 was born, combining the classic and slightly voluminous form of the 73 with the last 100 fitting as its base. As a result, the last 173 won the hearts of both old and new Church fans, and became the most popular wood pattern among the current lasts.
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The last 173 is characterized by a well-balanced toe that is neither too angular nor too round. The discarded dimension is set longer, while the foot and heel area are set compactly to improve the fitting. The toe is slightly bulging when viewed from the side, a traditional English shoe silhouette known as an egg toe. The charm of the last 173 is that it has an elegant image with a dressy feel, while also following classic elements. For those who feel that classic country shoes such as Trickers are too stiff, Church’s Grafton can be worn with a good sense of balance. Also, since the shoes are made with an outside shuttlecock, they feel more relaxed than the Consul or Chetwynd, which also use the same last 173.
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