Historic British footwear brand John Lobb Bootmaker has stepped into the Philippines with a store beside Hermes at Greenbelt 3 in Makati City, Manila.

Founded in Basingstoke in 1849 and opening a store on London’s Regent Street in 1866, the brand is known for its bespoke services and patronage from the aristocracy as well as the social, political and business elite.

John Lobb branched out being solely bespoke to enter the ready-to-wear world in the 1980s.

“Going into retail was a natural progression for the brand,” says regional director Nicholas Holt. “The stores have grown organically; we have 24 all over the world, targeting key cities such as Manila.

“We open stores only in strategic locations – it is not all a matter of how many doors we can open.”

While it makes shoes and boots mainly for men, John Lobb also caters for women. The store also sells leather goods such as wallets and belts.

John Lobb, now owned by Hermes, has stores in China, Japan, South Korea and Taiwan.