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Q and Answer: Ten In-Between Shoes

Matt asks: I need a new pair of shoes!  What I have right now is either too casual (a sneaker) or too formal (a fancy dress shoe), but I’m trying to figure out something in between. Any suggestions?

This is a question we get a lot. For men who want to wear something a little more put-together than their beat-up Nikes, but aren’t yet ready for a full-on sportcoat-trousers-dress-shoes ensemble, is there anything in between?

The simple answer is: yes. Here are ten choices for casual footwear that will keep you a head above the dirty sneaker crowd. (It’s a little tougher in the summer, so I’ll start there - the pictures run left to right and top to bottom.)

1. Refined sneakers. When choosing sneakers, look for simplicity. White’s a great color for spring and summer, black and brown will do you well in the cooler months. You want as few details as possible here, and if you’re going to try and dress them up, they should be clean and sharp. I’ve got some Common Projects, the gold standard for this kind of thing, pictured above, but if you can find similarly simple leather sneakers from a brand that doesn’t cost a bajillion dollars, go for it.
2. Boat shoes. While their ubiquity the past few years or their inherent preppiness might be a turn-off, boat shoes remain the default casual summer shoe (non-sneaker category). Wear them without socks in pretty much any casual situation during the hot-weather months. Then put them away.
3. Espadrilles. These are the classic European vacation shoe - what Cary Grant might wear to the French Riviera. They’re cheap, comfortable and refined. Just don’t try to wear them outside of summer vacation, and for goodness’ sake don’t wear those awful Toms.
4. Crepe-soled Chukkas. Desert boots are a comfortable, good-looking mostly-casual shoe for nine months of the year. Like boat shoes, they’re starting to overwhelm with their ubiquity, but if you try an alternative style like the calf version above, you can get a little more refinement and a little less “been there, done that.” (I can’t believe I just typed “been there, done that.”)
5. Leather-soled Chukkas. Chukkas with leather or dainite soles like the brown suede pair above are one of the most versatile shoes you can own. They’re great with jeans, and in a pinch they could even be worn with a suit (though maybe not in suede). 
6. Camp Mocs. Camp mocs are the cool-weather equivalent of the boat shoe. Inexpensive, casual, preppy and a little more refined than sneakers. The LL Bean Blucher Moc is the standard here, though the quality isn’t as high on them as it once was. Works great with jeans or chinos, but not so much with a more formal look.
7. Plain-Toe Bluchers. This is the classic casual shoe. My own pair is an old double-soled pair of Florsheims in shell cordovan. I wear them with everything short of a suit. Black looks like security guard shoes, so avoid it. Brown is a touch more casual than burgundy, and crepe soles a touch more casual than leather.
8. Country Brogues. Grenson is the classic maker of real country brogues, so that’s what you see above. The leather in shoes was originally perforated by folks who lived in marshy, wet conditions and wanted shoes that shed water. It’s purely decorative now, but still casual relative to other oxfords. If you want to wear brogues casually, look for prominent broguing, a stout shape and heavy soles. These are too casual for most suits (save country suits like corduroy or tweed), but if they’re clunky enough, they can stand up to blue jeans well. The boot equivalent of these shoes is even more casual. Note, also, that crepe soles or (especially) suede can turn down the formality of most dress shoes.
9. Work and Outdoor Boots. There are a broad range of work-style boots. I’ve pictured something in the middle, the Red Wing Gentleman Traveler. On the casual end are hunting and hiking boots (like Danners) and real work boots (like traditional Red Wings, with lug soles and moc toes). I love my Alden Indy Boots, which are moc-toed, but otherwise quite refined - I wear them with chinos or jeans and a casual blazer all the time. Also in this category are military-inspired boots, like Polo Rangers.
10. The Chelsea Boot. I’ve pictured a pair by the Australian maker R.M. Williams. A hefty, chunky Chelsea like these is more casual. A more refined model can even be worn with a suit. In fact, the Chelsea is probably the shoe that most comfortably goes from casual to formal.

Remember: city is more formal than country. Leather soles more formal than rubber (and lug soles the least formal of all). Smooth leather is more formal than textured, which is more formal than suede, which in turn is more formal than unpolished. Shoes are more formal than boots. Shapely is more formal than clunky.

And always, always stay away from hybrids. Nothing good can come of two shoes mating.

Finding a level of formality that’s between slovenliness and traditional business dress is vital for anyone who isn’t a slob or a traditional businessman. Hopefully this will set you on your way.

thisfits:

The laces on one of my DBs snapped last week, so I rode down to the shoe shop yesterday to buy new ones. Just for kicks, I opted for brown laces.

Picture doesn’t do them justice. I should have done this as soon as I got them. They look fantastic.

Sand-colored desert boots, fall-ified.

(Source: thisfits)

thisfits:

Just got a sales alert that Clarks Desert Boots are $66.50 on endless.com. That’s 30% off, folks, plus free shipping and returns. Get ‘em while you can.

Clarks Originals Men’s Desert Boot: Endless.com

Free shipping and returns on Endless, too.

Q and Answer: Suede and Water

Avi writes:  I recently picked up a pair of Clarks Dessert Boots, of the Oakwood Suede variety. Continuing your recent shoe care theme, how do I go about keeping suede shoes clean and unmarked? Can I waterproof shoes of this type? I’ve noticed a few minor watermarks already—am I stuck with these discolorations?

Suede is extremely difficult to keep clean and unmarked, particularly if it’s a lighter color.  Even water can leave a spot and ruin the nap of the leather. 

There are a couple of paths you can follow.

When your shoes are new, you can spray them with a silicone-based water sealant.  These are available in the shoe section of your local drugstore, or from your shoe repair shop.  A few coats (let them dry thoroughly in between) won’t turn them into galoshes, but it will help if you get caught out there. 

You can also buy a suede kit.  Most are two tools and a stain remover.  The tools are essentially a gum eraser, for rubbing the soil off, and a brush, for bringing up the nap.  If you get a spot, this can really help.

The third course of action is probably the best, though.  Just accept that they’ll get dinged up.  It’s pretty much the nature of the beast.

Q and Answer: Dr. Martens

J.C. askes: I love my Doc Martens (classic black 8 holes)—they’re solid shoes, have lived through several moves, jobs, era’s of my life, and numerous repairs. I have been told, however, that they are not exactly a fashionable boot. Is this true? I’ve always assumed that they were at least not embarrassing shoes/boots, but I’m worried that such may not be the case.  If they are an embarrassment, do you have suggestions for something as durable and comfortable that is also a bit more fashionable?

Dr. Martens are indeed a classic.  We learned from Quadrophenia that they’re the only thing that the Mods and the Rockers have in common… they’ve always been a symbol of youthful rebellion.

But let’s get semiotic for a moment.  Like many sub-culturally specific clothes, they’ve developed very specific associations.  Their roots are in mods, punks and skins, but for most people, they recall something else entirely: grunge.  They are, essentially, the uniform of the man who has a crush on Janeane Garofalo.  Also, Janeane Garofalo.

If you’re old enough to have worn Docs in the early 90s, and you’re not a mod, a punk or a skin - that’s how you’ll be received.  As a guy who’s watched “Slacker” too many times.  Or, worse, like a guy who’s watched “Reality Bites” too many times.  Or even, possibly, like someone who’s watched “Empire Records” too many times.  And that’s not really going to fly in 2010.

That said, there has recently been a bit of a revival in skinhead and mod fashion.  In the last five years or so, brands like Fred Perry and Ben Sherman have gone from British niche products to worldwide, mass-market fashion.  And Dr. Martens have, to some extent, ridden that wave.  They even did a collaborative collection with Raf Simons, which yielded some crazy stuff, but also some really nice stuff.  So if you are a mod or a skin or a punk rocker - or even if you’re just cool or young enough not to send the message that you’re stuck in 1992 - then Docs can be a great way to go.  Just don’t ever, ever, ever wear those God-awful sandals.

One further word of warning.  When Docs last had a great revival, they were being made in England.  In the early aughts, all production of Dr. Martens shoes and boots was moved overseas to China.  If you’re the kind of guy who cares about that kind of thing, they brought back some UK production in 2007, with a line called “vintage.”

As for alternatives, if you’re looking for a Dr. Marten-style boot, Solovair or Gripfast are solid options.  Still made in England, and preferred by many of those in the know for that reason.

If you’re willing to consider other styles of boots, we’ve recommended the Red Wing Gentleman Traveler before, and will gladly do so again.  A much heavier boot, but it will take anything you can throw at it.  Other classic choices include the Alden “Indy” boot, which even looks good with a tweedy sportcoat, or a moc-toe work boot, like the Red Wing 875.  You might also consider these, from LL Bean.  In a completely different vein, I believe I’ve mentioned how ape-shit I am for my Arrow Moccasin Lace Boots, which can be ordered with a double leather or crepe soul.  And don’t forget Clark’s desert boots.