Today's Favorites - Sebago's The Patriot

After having some pretty cold weather these last few weeks in London, the sun (and warmth) finally came out today, which almost gave the feeling of a Spring arrival. Now, I must say that I have a real love/hate relationship with our world's seasons. I love the heat and hate the cold, but hate the clothing for the Spring/Summer and love the clothing for Autumn/Winter. Sounds weird doesn't it? But about one of the only things that I really really like for the Spring/Summer 2012 season is the return of the boat shoe. I always look forward to seeing what the boat shoe companies are going to come up with every year in hopes to find something that I really like. This year's upcoming big one is called The Patriot by Sebago, of which any proud British gentleman (and possibly lady) will be able to adorn his country's flag on the sole of his shoe. I can't say that I am particularly a big fan of wearing flags on my clothes, but nevertheless, I quite enjoy the rest of this shoe, from the clear sole to the bold lining colors, and just the colors in general. It's quite amazing to see how much of an impact Sebago has been making these last couple of years, first in the States, and now here in England. I can only be excited about their future collaborations and concoctions! For those that share my passion for a nice boat shoe and fancy this one, it will be available from mid-May, and will be exclusive at John Lewis.

My Shoes #21 - Sperry #1

 

On that note of American's favorite summer shoe and Sperry's, I just recently got back one of my favorite shoes of all time. For me, the navy blue and white classic Sperry boat shoe is universal! I can wear them with anything except a suit and the outfit will coordinate. And to prove just that, I decided to dress them up a little bit for this party that I want to and create an outfit that was one part English Dandy and one part classic American boy. That being, I had my Sperry's and some jeans but then paired that with my button-up, waistcoat and bow tie. And the look seemed to hit the target because many people were diggin' the outfit. So that just goes to show that if you are a proud owner of a pair of Sperry's there are far more outfits that you could create rather than simply wearing them only with your shorts or chinos. Now, I just can't wait to get back all of my other 7 Sperry's that I have waiting for me in the States. But they are going to arrive just in time for summer so be on the look out!

Driving Loafers - Europe's Summer Shoe

Depending on where you live in this world, there is always a shoe that acts as one's 'go-to' model once the hot days of spring and summer start to show their face. In tropical places you have the flip-flop, in the States you have the boat shoe, and in Europe you have espadrilles and even better yet, the driving loafer. But the greatest thing about driving loafers, is that if you have the right model and you wear it properly, it can go a long way in the wardrobe and be worn with more outfits (from casual to dress) than any other summer shoe out there. The question is: why is it so popular in Europe, particularly Italy and France, yet so uncommon in the rest of the world?

The evolution of the driving loafer is quite interesting, depending on how you look at it. I may be wrong here, so feel free to let me know, but common sense would say that the driving loafer was originally created so that rich people could have a nice shoe that they could use while driving their car in order to prevent two things: dirtying the floor (from dirt, mud, wetness etc.) and wearing out the back's of their shoes. With that in mind, it would have appeared to be a luxury that only few could afford, because how many people could actually justify owning a pair of leather shoes, just to use while driving? Not me (unless it's a pair of cheap slippers). But then someone intelligent (perhaps Diego Della Valle, owner of Tod's) saw a niche in the market -- the idea of a soft, flexible and comfortable casual shoe -- with these 'driving loafers' and introduced them into the public where they have been a huge success ever since!

So you might be wondering by now, 'what frickin' brand is it that makes these loafers?' Well, let me tell you. You see, the beauty of writing a blog is that you have small, up-and-coming brands that write to you that want to get their name out, and it's great because many of them actually make a cool product that deserves to be shown to the world, and the problem with other fashion publications these days is that if you don't pay them, you are not getting any space on the pages. But as a humble blogger who loves shoes and spreading the knowledge of them, I get to enjoy being introduced to brands, like Bobbies (who makes these loafers), and then being able to share them all with you! And to give you a little bit of background info, Bobbies is a Parisian company (France) who -- as you can see -- makes unique and colorful loafers. So when they sent me their website to check out and I saw those bow-tie loafers, I immediately fell in love with them, because I just thought that it was the most clever and unique idea, and it looks cool too! So if you are dying for a pair, then look no further, because here you have a brand that makes every single color that you can think of and pretty much sells them all for under 100 Euros!! Happy shopping!

 

Picture Above Courtesy Of: The Sartorialist 

Today's Favorites - Braided Shoes By Sutor Mantellassi

When it comes to braided shoes, I have always been really hit or miss with them, which is how I perceive most people to also be. It seems that I either really like them or really hate them. So, as you can imagine, these one's here by Sutor Mantellassi are one of the few that I actually appreciate. The fact that the braid is relatively small and that they are a plain toe allows me to appreciate the actual braid without being distracted by anything else. I am not sure if that made sense, but I feel like most shoes with braided upper's are so distracting but this one seems to be more discreet, in a way. Since, I have been in England, however, I have yet to see one gentleman wearing a braided shoe. Maybe they are not so liked here, as they are in the States? You would think that they would be though as there are rules to what a English gentleman should and should not wear. And being that I can't imagine the flip-flop being a big hit with the old conservatives, I would think that a nice casual dress shoe such as this would be the perfect answer to summer wear. Maybe I am wrong?

On another note, I have collected the rest of my shoes that were left behind in Italy (mostly trainers) and am going to be getting the rest of my shoes that were left behind in the States (mostly dress shoes and Sperry's) so in one month's time, I will have ALL of my shoes in one place!! This will allow me to get back onto to taking more pictures of my stuff for all of you to see and judge me on!! And one of those shoes, just so happens to be a nice pair of Allen Edmonds, which are braided. Enjoy the rest of your Sunday!!

My Shoes #20 - To Boot New York

During my time at Nordstrom, I acquired a lot of To Boot New York shoes and this was one of the first models that I got, and definitely my favorite. It is just such a great summer shoe and it looks good with jeans but can also be dressed up in a casual sort of way. The toe, while it was already darkened from the get-go, was probably the first burnish that I ever actually did and it took me awhile to actually do it, as I had no idea what I was doing but was just so eager to give the shoe some contrast. Thankfully it actually turned up nicely and they have been going strong for quite some time, even with that razor thin sole. Like I said in an earlier post, I have been obsessed with loafers lately and it has definitely been expressed in my outfits as I have set my oxfords aside. While it is such a boring option, I have been longing for a simple black, elegant loafer but have yet to find the right one. Anyway, sorry that it has been awhile since my last personal shoe post, but it is not always easy finding someone to flash pics of me, at least not flattering ones that don't involve the background of my flat!

Today's Favorites - Del Toro Slippers

As the sun comes out, so do all of the interesting shoes that involve going sock-less, and one of those happens to be the Prince Albert slipper. While you tend to find that most traditional/historical British shoes companies will offer their own take on the Prince Albert slipper, which will run you a pretty penny right out of your pocket, least expected is the maker of these models, Del Toro.

For those that did not read my post about these way back when, Del Toro is a relatively young company who is set to make it big. Started by a couple of university students a few years back, who loved the idea of the Prince Albert slipper but hated the idea of spending $600-$800 for a pair, they decided to do something about it and came out with their own affordable version. And as you can see above, they have taken the PA slipper to a whole new level offering them in customizable colors/fabrics/materials/logos etc., all at a relatively affordable cost ($210-$345). This is what I love about them: they give you options! Because, who really just wants the same one that everyone else has in black velvet? Not me! I want all of the color options in the linen models and thanks to Del Toro, I can now get them!