Built to Last
George Lyon Shoes was born from a frustration with two glaring problems in the shoe industry. First, shoes don’t last as long as they used to. Most shoes today are mass-produced, rolling off an assembly line with nothing more than glue holding them together. The second problem is finding a matching belt. Sounds simple, right? It definitely hasn't been.
George Lyon Shoes are a throwback to an era when shoes were made to last. Each pair is handcrafted by artisans who have been making shoes for generations. In order to build a more durable, comfortable, and water-resistant shoe, our cobblers use the Goodyear welt method of construction (or the Norwegian welt in the case of the Benjamin Boot). Soles of Goodyear/Norwegian welt construction shoes can be replaced easily, meaning George Lyon Shoes are made to last for generations. If your soles ever need to be replaced, you can contact us, and we can set that up for you.
The second problem in the shoe industry is the seemingly never-ending search for a matching belt. George Lyon Shoes provides a perfectly matching belt with each pair of shoes, on us. The belt is handcrafted in the same factory, using the same leathers and dyes as the shoes. No more wasting your time searching for the right belt.
Who is George Lyon?
George Lyon is a combination of my third-great grandparents’ names: GEORGE Speirs and his wife Janet LYON. The two were Scottish immigrants to America in the 1850’s, where they arrived by boat before pulling a handcart from New York City to the Rocky Mountains to establish a life together. George had a particular interest in quality shoes since he grew up poor and did not own a pair of his own until he was 12.
His brave Scottish spirit, and a quality pair of shoes no doubt, helped him cross an ocean by boat and a continent by foot, to establish a new life in America. We like to think there’s a little of that spirit in each pair of George Lyon Shoes and live by the motto found on the Spiers family crest: ADVANCE.
- Josh Speirs, Founder