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Suede Shoes

I’m a huge fan of suede shoes and wear them more or less year-round. The word “suede” comes from the French word “Suède,” which simply means Sweden. At one point, Swedish suede gloves were the most common form of luxury, and the French word for Sweden ended up being used for the leather itself.

Suede can be made from almost any leather. You often find it made from lambskin, goatskin, and calfskin. In Germany they make it from stag and in Louisiana, there’s a producer that makes alligator suede. To get the texture, the animal’s skin is buffed with an abrasive. This can be done to the grain side of the leather, which will give you a finer, more velvety texture, or on the flesh side, which will give you a slightly coarser feel. Each animal will produce a slightly different feel to the suede, however, so the variation isn’t just through top vs. flesh side usage.

I personally prefer finer, velvety suede. To examine the quality, I examine to see if the fibers of the nap are uniform in length and packed tightly together. If the nap is firm, dense, and compact, the suede will be a bit more resilient. I eschew suedes with longer naps, as I find that they get a bit ragged and develop bald spots over time. I also avoid any suede that feels a bit greasy.

Since it’s fall, I suggest that you try suede shoes with wool flannel, corduroy, and moleskin trousers. Those tend to have “softer” looking textures, and I think they look quite well next to suede. The above are just some of the options - oxfords, Norwegian split toe bluchers, chukka boots, field boots, double monks, and tassel loafers. I myself just ordered a pair of Crockett & Jones Belgraves in Polo suede from Pediwear and plan to wear it often on weekends. In being an oxford, this shoe is a bit dressy; in being made from suede, however, it’s also a bit casual. They’re the perfect way to look sharp in a non-business, casual setting, I think.

(Pictures above by MostExerent, Ethan Desu, Leffot, and Run of the Mill)

Q and Answer: What’s the Difference Between Chukka Boots and Desert Boots?

Derek writes to ask: What’s the difference between Chukkas and Desert Boots?  They seem to be all the rage right now.

This is a sort of square/rectangle situation. All desert boots are chukkas, not all chukkas are desert boots.

Chukka boots get their name from polo - a chukka is a period in that sport. They’re a two- or three-eyehole ankle-high boot like the dark brown ones pictured above. They can be made in anything from canvas to shell cordovan, it’s their form that makes them chukkas.

Desert boots are a specific subset of chukka boots. Like chinos, their popularity stems from WWII soldiers (and surplus-sellers) bringing them home from the war, and the emergence of casual style in the 1950s. They’re based on the boots worn in desert campaigns by British soldiers. They always have crepe rubber soles. The classic style is the light suede seen above, though crepe-soled chukkas come in all kinds of leathers.

Saint Crispin’s Day

Tomorrow, October 25th, is Saint Crispin’s Day. Many people are familiar with the day from Shakespeare’s play, Henry V, where the King Henry V delivers a stirring speech before the Battle of Agincourt (“We few, we happy few, we band of brothers; For he today that sheds his blood with me; Shall be my brother; be he ne’er so vile”). 

Few people, however, know that Saint Crispin and Crispinian, the two saints for which this day honors, are the patron saints of cobblers, cordwainers, tanners, and leather workers. The two were twin brothers, and born to a noble Roman family in the 3rd century. They fled persecution for their faith and ended up in Soissons, where they preached the gospel to the Gauls, made shoes by night, and helped the poor along the way. Unfortunately, their success angered the governor of Belgic Gaul, who had them tortured and thrown into the river with millstones round their necks. They miraculously survived, but were then ordered to be beheaded by the emperor on October 25th, 286. Saint Crispin’s Day thus honors their martyrdom. 

According to ed et al, shoemakers around the world close up their workshops for this holiday, in honor of their patron saints. 

ethandesu:

Ghillie and Flannel

This photo is a perfect illustration of the power of flannel trousers.

See how pleasing the contrast between the soft finish of the flannel and the hard finish of the shoe is?

I have to admit that I’m also drawn to the audacity of the ghillies. Ghillies are a traditional Scottish shoe - the distinguishing feature is the unusual lacing system. True traditional ghillies, which are worn for Scottish dancing, don’t have tongues. This shoes off the hose, but like brogueing, its roots are practical - the lack of tongue left an easy egress for bogwater. They’re also tied around the shin, so the knot doesn’t get muddy.

The tongue-less style are really only practical to wear with other elements of traditional Scottish dress, but this toned-down version looks beautiful, doesn’t it?

Here’s a tip: Try doing your shoe shopping after 3pm. Feet swell after a bit of walking, so by trying on shoes in the late afternoon, you’ll ensure that you’ll get the most comfortable fit.

This is of course only true if you wake up in the morning and have done a bit of walking. If you don’t wake up until the afternoon, then you should just finish grad school.

For those of you in the UK, Edward Green is holding a Factory Sale on Saturday.

Please be advised that Edward Green is having a Factory Sale on 15th October 2011 from 9.00am to 16.00pm (Personal Shoppers Only)

Cliftonville Road, Northampton NN1 5BU

If you’re looking to buy suits or shoes on eBay, here’s a great tool. This Fits created custom eBay searches for high-quality brands, which he pulled from our site and StyleForum.

Just click through these links, adjust the search parameters for your size, and you’ll get an edited collection of quality suits and shoes. You’ll still have to do some sifting, of course, but the heavy lifting is done for you.

What a great tool!

Super-Mega Excellent Suits

Extremely Excellent Suits

Quality Shoes

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.

Folks are always asking me about more affordable boot options for the cool-weather months. It makes sense - most of the good stuff starts in the $300-400 range and goes up from there. That’s a serious dent in anyone’s pocketbook. It’s tough to find something that’s both cheap and recommendable.

These look like they might be an exception: the Lands’ End Fulton. A Chelsea boot can be very versatile - it can be casual enough for jeans, and can even be pulled off with a suit in some circumstances. It also moves easily from day to night. They’re a classic utility player. These ones look like a bargain, too.

It can be tough to find shoes (to say nothing of boots) made of actual full-grain leather for less than $300, and these guys retail for $158. Add one of those 25 or 30% off coupons that Lands’ End is always passing around, and you’re barely over a hundey.

These aren’t RM Williams or Crockett & Jones. They’re “imported” (presumably made in China), they advertise a “full leather welt,” but don’t say whether the welt is functional or decorative, and I’m sure that full-grain leather falls short of ultra-premium. Still, this looks like a workhorse boot for an excellent price. The best part is that they’re Lands’ End, so if they don’t work out for any reason at all, you can return them, no questions asked.