Customer's Shoes - And My Shine

Working my concession at Gieves & Hawkes for the last 2 months now, has brought me a few shoes to shine. Unfortunately, most of them are boring black shoes, the typical London businessman type. Not that I am complaining, because some shoes are better than no shoes but it's always nice to get something different. So when I finally did have a customer that gave me something a little out of the ordinary (and right up my alley), I was eager to see what I could do for them. The first pair that you see above and directly below were actually a pair of my co-workers shoes: a green, braided tassel loafer. My friend being kind of a dandy, wanted me to add a little bit of color to them. So I thought that I would add some blue to really bring out a nice patina. Unfortunately I completely forgot to take a 'before' picture, but as you can imagine, they had lost of lot of their life and looked pretty dull, before I laid my hands on them.

 

The two directly above are shoes that a wonderfully dressed gentleman from Greece, who happened to be passing through London and managed to stumble upon my service, dropped off for me, to give them my 'artisan mirror shine.' When I received these, I was quite eager to see the end results. It truly makes a huge difference in how a shoe turns out by the quality of the leather and considering that the shoes on the left were a lovely pair of chukka boots by Edward Green and the one's on the right were a pair of bespoke shoes from makers (whom I do not know of?? -- Correction: look at the first comment for info) in Rome, I was in for a treat! 

 

Thankfully they turned out quite well, as you can see, and the customer was so pleased that he also left me to do his Edward Green "Shannon" boots, that were just to die for!! It was so nice to see what a polish can do for a color that is not black. It can truly transform the shoe! While none of the shoes that I shined looked bad when I got them, they sure looked amazing when I was done with them (not to toot my own horn) and that was thanks to the lovely wax polish that I use and the wonderfully great leather that I was working with. The only downfall to giving shines to beautiful shoes, is the amount of jealousy I feel afterward, knowing that I do not get to keep the shoes! I await the day I am brought a pair of Corthay shoes.....

Before:

After:

P.S. The smudge-looking thing on the picture above, near the stitching, was not actually there, it must be some effect of the lighting couple with the flash from my camera.

My Shoes #16 - Momentum

For a while now, I have been eye-balling this style of shoe/boot but was having a hard time finding one that I really liked. That, in part, is because I am picky and secondly because a lot of the boots that come with this style of lacing, usually are accompanied by a super thick and rugged sole that I just don't like. So when I found these, and the cheap price that went with them I had to get them! And what was even a plus is how unusually comfortable they are, for being just some kick-around cheap shoe.

What made them a great buy though, in the end, was the fact that they killed a couple birds with one stone. I was looking for something that I could commute to London in, that was comfortable but did not look terribly bulky (like sneakers) as well as something for this awful, rainy weather that we have been having lately. While they are not waterproof by any means (and probably not even real leather for that matter), they do have one of those tongues that are attached to the rest of the upper, not allowing any rain to get into the inside. Therefore, being comfortable, relatively rain-proof and let's not forget, damn stylish, the second I saw them, I knew that I had something that I could enjoy and at the same time use to commute in. Efficient spending 101, all for just 66 GBP (~$100)

Shoes by Momentum

Shoes Of The Week

Shoes don't get much more interesting than this. And who do we have to thank for that? The Japanese and a bespoke shoe firm called Sinner (while I found what I thought to be their website, it did not work?) As I have stated in the past, the French are the masters of color and the Japanese are the masters of being bold and I love them for that. Those red suede, cap-toe, side lace brogues are simply amazing to say the least, let alone extremely unique and creative. Even with all of the crazy ideas I have floating around in my head, those may have never come to mind, but seeing them opens up a whole new path of ideas for me. I am particularly partial to all of these shoes due to my love of the combination between black and red (hence my saddle shoes, which are my favorite) as well as the fact that they are all incredibly beautiful. I think that if I went to Japan and visited all of the bespoke shoe shops, I just might never want to leave. But it gives me great pleasure to always see the creations that they have produced, knowing that when I do start my line and make the crazy designs that I have in my head, I know that at least the people of Japan will appreciate my shoes!!

Pictures Courtesy Of: Souliers

Today's Favorites - Random Ostentatious Shoes

Shoes Above: George's

Shoes Above: Bottega Veneta

Shoes Above: Billionaire Couture

Shoes Above: Casely Hayford

Shoes Above: George's

Shoes Above: Maison Martin Margiela

Shoes Above: Martinisi

I had all of these shoes just sitting in my 'randoms' picture folder and knew that if I did not show them soon, they might get lost in there forever. While I would not wear all of these, I do find all of them quite interesting, to say the least. Let's rephrase that, I would not buy all of them but I would probably wear all of them with the exception of the pink suede, even that is just a little bit too bold for me! But the pink suede's are interesting to see and to wonder if there is actually someone out there who would wear them proudly. I actually quite like the Casely Hayford loafers. I think that they are a nice modern twist to a classic style. While doing this post, I just realized that they are carried at the Dover Street Market, which I also just learned is only a few blocks away from where I work. I think that I might just inquire to see if they carry them and how much they cost. Due to my new obsession with solid, bright colored socks, I am liking more the idea of shoes with a low cut vamp to show off the socks, so if these are within my ballpark spending limits, I just might be tempted.....

Today's Favorites - Markowski

Can I just say: DAMN!!! I love these shoes by Markowski, all of them! But I especially love the top pair and I will have to have it! I know, I know, I have been bombarding you with French shoemakers for quite awhile now but I just can't get enough of them. I mean, when it comes to color, they are not afraid to use it and that speaks to my heart! Especially when it is my favorite color: blue. So when I saw these, I just had to show them, immediately! Can you blame me?? I know that all of you are not fans of crazy colored shoes but bare with me a little, I can't help myself. I will put up some brown shoes soon, I promise. But anyway, in case anyone was wondering, these shoes sum me up to a "T" and I am happy to see that someone is out there making exactly what I would want to see on the shelves of shoe stores. It's just too bad that it is hard to find these outside of France. But with as cool as they are, I feel that soon they will grow and will have more stockists around the world, cross your fingers!

Snob Socks - Mes Chaussettes Rouges

One thing that truly separates the sartorially savvy from the sartorially dumb is the right pair of socks. Sure, you could go on the rest of your life matching your socks to your pants and no one would think twice, but how fun is that? Socks are the one thing that you can truly be bold on and still be subtle. For instance, here in England (specifically London) many men dress absolutely conservative (e.g. navy suit, black shoes) but will wear a bright red or bright purple pair of socks. And while I find their outfit absolutely boring, I respect that little bit of flair from their socks, which also gives them a one-up from your average boring conservative. But it is not easy being clever with your socks. If you try too hard, it will be obvious and look quite bad. The key is to be subtle about it, yet bold at the same time. I, personally, like to match my socks to my tie, so when I wear my red socks, I usually have a red tie or a tie with some red in it. This is not something that everyone should or will do, some just wear the bold socks and nothing more or others might match the pocket square. There is no right or wrong to it, it's just about doing it in a way that makes it seem that you did not try too hard.

As you might have already seen in other notable blogs, such as Permanent Style or A Suitable Wardrobe, there is a new sock distributor in town, Mes Chaussettes Rouges (which means, 'my red socks').  If you do read these other blogs you might be thinking, "man I am tired of seeing this post done so many ways by all of these bloggers!" But just remember that if you were introducing a new product or service, then you too would want outlets, such as ours, to spread the love and knowledge. So when Jacques and Vincent contacted me, giving me an introduction to the socks that they are now supplying, I only felt honored to be one of the bloggers that they felt could give them proper coverage. I also think that it also just goes to show that if all three of us are doing a post, being the serious and respectable bloggers that we are, then the product must be good and worthy of wearing.










While I could tell you that the Pope as well as the French Prime Minister wear Gammarelli socks and that might mean nothing to you as it means nothing to me, what I will instead say is that when I wore them, I was thoroughly impressed, and that's hard to do when it comes to socks. Not only did it feel like nothing was there, they felt like they were made just for me but even more importantly never slid down my leg, which is something that I absolutely hate when socks do. I have this love/hate relationship when it comes to socks, mainly because I would rather be buying shoes when I am purchasing them and the fact that they always slide down my leg. So to finally find something that actually stays up and does not make me think about them for one second of the day, made me extremely happy. Now I sincerely want to get a pair in every color! And if you are a sock lover but also hate socks that slide down, then look no further, Gammerelli  and Mazarin are your brands and Mes Chaussettes Rouges are your outlet.

(For more factual knowledge about the company or the socks, please read the other two posts about them, they are much more informative in those regards)

Shoes Of The Week - World Premiere

 

Brought to you first by The Shoe Snob are these incredible new bespoke offerings in a collaboration between Carreducker and Gieves & Hawkes. As part of the Carreducker's move into the G&H shop on Savile Row, was a five shoe collaboration agreement between the two companies as a way to offer something that fit the feel of G&H but gave the bespoke uniqueness and creativity that the Carreducker duo display so often in the styles that they create. This is one of those 5 and so far, my favorite!

What I love about these boots (obviously besides the color) is the fact that such a simple idea, the middle seam, created something refreshingly different. Even though I love a nice, plain chelsea boot, they are hard to make different from each other. That being, a simple middle seam separates these boots from many of the others that you will find elsewhere. What else is great is the color swatch that they have available for their clients to choose from. Not only do they have a suede swatch with about 20 different colors but there is also a nubuck swatch, as well, that has another 20 different shades. So the options are endless....

P.S. While the boots look purple in some pictures, they are definitely not. They are some shade of blue that is quite unique but has purple tones to it. The second to last picture, below, gives the best example of the true color.

New Blogroll Addition - The Longwing

Dear Readers,

You may think that I am crazy for telling you this, but there is a new shoe blog in town and it is called:

 The Longwing

Written by my friend Christian, The Longwing is a very informative and detailed blog about the high-end shoe industry and all of the beautiful things that are born into that industry. Being very different from my blog, I hope that this new addition, coupled with mine, can give you everything that you want and need to know about shoes. Give it a look and I promise that you will like it.

All the best,

Justin, "The Shoe Snob"

Guest Post From Style Sage

So this week my friend Christian and I decided to do some blog post swapping to give each other's readers some different content. Our theme of choice was of course shoes and we wanted to share what our essentials were, our go-to shoes. Being that I am American and Christian is British, it is interesting to see the differences in our tastes and essential shoes styles, yet also intriguing to see how two similar people can have different necessities based on culture and upbringing. So here, you will see Christians choices and to view mine you will have to go to Christian's STYLE SAGE blog 

Christian's Words:

As a fellow shoe obsessive, Justin and I seem to have a lot in common, spending lunches talking about different styles, colored soles and various factories. Shoes are important; I don't need to tell you if you are reading this site. Our discussion led to what shoes I feel I could not live without, a pair that every man needs. Perhaps a desert island disc for shoes. So in no particular order, here is what one should start with.

A Pair of Boots


Living in London I often find the need for boots, as the possibility of instant rain is always upon us. What you might realise is this pair are suede, so not ideal for harsh conditions. My other boots are in a bit of terrible state following the winter snow and have been up in the “polish me” section of my wardrobe. I therefore decided to let this Johphur pair represent the boots. Perfect to be worn with a jean or chino, or even a tailored trouser, I would advise grey flannel.


The Tassel Loafer

The Tassel loafer is the perfect shoe to translate from casual to business wear. I’ve spent a long time looking for the ideal tassel loafer. People look at your shoes every time they meet you, don't let anyone tell you loafers are for loafing, you can wear them with a suit, specific rules are meant to be broken. A shoe for a warmer climate.



A Pair of lace-ups

My third choice would be a decent pair of lace-ups. Be it a cap toe, whole cut, oxford, every gentleman needs a beautifully crafted variation of this in his wardrobe. Ideally it should versatile enough to wear with tailoring and on the other hand with jeans on those casual weekend pursuits.

Style Sage

My words:

There you go! While my shoes are indeed a little different, they are quite similar as well. I can say that I give my absolute thumbs-up to all of Christians shoes and am even quite jealous about those boots!

Today's Favorites - ts(s)

Coming into Spring, it's great how you see the more colorful stuff come out as well as the wearing of different leathers like nubuck and suede. And while every company is going to have their own version of a white nubuck (or suede) brogue, I am quite fond of the model displayed here by ts(s). Knowing that I absolutely love colored soles (when done properly), what you may not know about me is that I also love a bold stitch like the one around the welt. Most stitching is sadly irrelevant and masked over by color dye, but when they leave it nude or give it a contrast color, I find it to be quite a nice additive to the image of the shoe.

While I really like the idea of the white pair, I think if given a choice between the two I would have to go for the brown. My problem is that I hate dirty shoes and being so, it would seriously limit my using the shoes for constant fear of dirtying them. Ans once you dirty a white nubuck (or suede), it is damn hard trying to clean them!

Pictures Courtesy Of: Hypebeast

Cheap Shoes - Don't Kid Yourself

One of the truest statements I ever heard before was from one of my high school friends who is currently a bed salesmen and tells his customers this: "There are two things that you should never go cheap on. One is your shoes and the other is your bed because if you are not using one you are using the other!" When I actually thought about it, he was dead on and I had never realized that. And now I cannot wait for the day that I can buy a memory foam mattress to have heavenly sleep on. The problem is that most other men don't think like this, but they should. 

(For statements made down below I have added pics of nice shoes vs. cheap shoes just to show how easy it is to tell the difference. That same difference is just as noticeable when they are on your feet!)

Top Of Page Picture Courtesy Of: Leffot

Above Top Row: Left - Cheap Shoe; Right - Gaziano & Girling

Above Bottom Row: Left - Cheap Shoe; Right - Barker Black

I never understood why most men are willing to drop thousands of dollars (or pounds or euros) on a suit but right after go to a shoe department and not want to spend more than 200 dollars. They then look like an oaf because the intelligent eye can see the contrast between a Zegna suit and a China-made Hugo Boss or some Kurt Geiger shoe. Yet, it is always like this and I cannot comprehend why? I want to understand the point in history where it came to be that most men decided that shoes were the part of the wardrobe to go cheap on. You don't know how many times I have heard men say, "I would never spend 400 dollars on a pair of shoes," scoffing as they say it. What's funny is that most of those men were rich and could easily crap 400 dollars. And when I heard this I thought three things: 1. This guy is a cheap bastard, 2. He is a complete idiot and 3. He is sadly naive. 

Above Top Row: Left - Cheap Shoe; Right - J.M. Weston

Above Bottom Row: Left - Cheap Shoe; Right - Lodger

As I have said before there is a health issue at hand when it comes to cheap shoes. Not being properly supported can affect your posture, your spinal alignment and can create feet problems like bone spurs. The only difference between wearing cheap vs. expensive clothes is how you will look. Chances are that if you are one of my regular readers, you don't fall under this category but if you just happen to be visiting for the first time, ask yourself if this sounds like something that you would do. And if so, stop being cheap! People can see and smell it a mile away and it's not attractive to anyone. If you have the money, invest it properly. And believe me when I tell you that a good pair of shoes will be one of the best investments that you will ever make. It may not do so in a monetary gain, but it certainly will in health, looks, and perception of yourself from others as well as from yourself.

You are only kidding yourself when you try to justify that shoes should not be something you spend wisely on.