Black Magic
An English Shoe Shop on Robertson

A black sign hangs over Robertson Boulevard, an ominous skull-and-crossbones swinging lightly in the breeze.

Its urgent message: “The English are coming.”

In fact, they’re already here. And they brought you some shoes.

Introducing the first West Coast outpost of the refined English shoemaker Barker Black, now open on Robertson Boulevard.

This shop kind of looks like a place you’d pop into for crumpets and a spot of tea, except for the crossbones. Past the manicured shrubbery and paned windows, you’ll find the dress shoes you need to finish off your power suit from the ankles down. Barker Black has been tending to feet since 1880, and they keep pretty busy dangling each pair from the English factory’s ceiling for a month to break them in. So it took them a couple centuries to set up shop in LA. But here they are.

If you’re feeling like a cross between James Bond and Hugh Hefner today, pair your tux with the hand-embroidered velvet slippers. But otherwise you may want to stick to the classics. We think you’ll really like the sleek brown wingtips and black loafers, which display a hand-tacked skull-and-crossbones to add a bit of English badassery to your afternoon board meeting.

Not that an afternoon board meeting isn’t already pretty badass.