Today, we look at the Bridlen Founders 25 collection. This is Bridlen’s top tier range of shoes that come in just below $400 retail price. The offering is impressive, to say the least. Let’s take a look at what makes them great!
Bridlen has been making quite a name for itself in the welted shoe industry. They came out of nowhere just a few years ago and are now a top contender in the industry, offering some of the best shoes not only to come out of India, but also in general when it comes to comparing your bang-for-your-buck! Today, we look at the Bridlen Founders 25 line, their latest offering of top-tier quality shoes. Let’s see what makes them great!
Value
The Bridlen Founders 25 line offers calfskin shoes at $380. Yet, the amount of detailing found is comparable to shoes that often retail over $700. A lot of things we do not think about are offered in these shoes. Those details take time to create/produce and add to the bottom line. As we do not really see them, we do not understand that they are there. But these shoes offer you construction and materials found in shoes at least twice their price.
Details
The small things matter in the Bridlen Founders 25 line. And they add up! You get fine sole stitching on the welt. There is immaculate upper stitching on the leather. The heel is pegged like in the olden days, with the nails following the perimeter of the heel block. The waist has a lovely rounded and sunken hump, which for me, is preferable to the sharp ‘fiddleback’ many obsess over. Lastly, you get handstacked heel lifts in the heel block. It is not a ‘block’ premade. It is stacked, piece by piece. These details matter when you think about the price.
Shape
The lasting appears to be better on the Bridlen Founders 25 line. The contour on the sides of the upper is only seen on shoes with very shapely lasts and a lasting job to bring that shape to life. That shape can make a $400 shoe look like a $1000. Many do not think about this, but a good lasting job, in my opinion, is one of the best details in a shoe. And they seem to nail it here!
Fit
Sadly, I cannot comment on fit as these were a sample and not actually made for me. I did not get to try the Chip last, as shown. But considering the shape, as outlined above, I imagine that you get a nice, snug and hugging fit as you often do on ‘handgrade’ level footwear.
Overall
The Bridlen Founders 25 line offers great value and what everyone should look for when seeking out quality welted footwear. Their use of top-tier leathers, combined with thoughtful detailing, creates a good value proposition that makes Bridlen a solid choice for your footwear needs.
Read more about Bridlen here
Access their site: https://bridlen.com/
—Justin FitzPatrick, The Shoe Snob