Chukka Boot

The chukka boot, like the desert boot, is versatile. It's a boot, which gives it a bit more of a casual look, but it's also a plain toe shoe. Having versatile footwear, and clothes for that matter, can make a relatively small and inexpensinsive wardrobe go a long way. I own a pair of black chukkas from Johnston & Murphy that I've had for about 5 years now, but I would go for either black or burgundy as shown below.

All pictures from Leather Soul

Desert Boots

It's week two of "The Month of Shoes" and I'll continue with the more essential shoes of a man's wardrobe this week.

The desert boot is a great option for a suede shoe. It's a plain toe shoe but it's so much more; It's a chukka boot, it's suede, it has a comfortable crepe sole. The only down side to the desert boot is that it's not good in cold weather. My feet get frozen in these things, but then maybe that's just me. You should go for brown, dark or light, but enough to avoid monochroming with your chinos.

This is from the Clark's website, the original makers of the desert boot:

"It's 60 years since Nathan Clark sparked a revolution. Not with a bang but with a shoe. Or a boot to be precise. Modeled on a style made in the bazaars of Cairo and favored by off-duty British army officers, the Desert Boot instantly stood out from the crowd and set a trend for casual footwear that lives on to this day. Often imitated but never matched, the versatility of the Desert Boot has seen it through six decades of ever-changing fashion."

Shell Cordovan

Let's learn about cordovan.

Horween Genuine Shell Cordovan from Horween Leather on Vimeo.

Boat Shoes

The boat shoe is one of my favorite shoes. They slip on easily like a loafer but you can tighten 'em up for optimal comfort. That's kind of stating the obvious to me but a lot of guys don't realize this. Boats look good with casual pants like chinos, Reds, and jeans and they always look good with shorts. They're a great summer shoe. Sometimes I wear them with socks in the Spring and Autumn, and I know purists won't like that but I don't give a shit. I know that rules so I can't break 'em. I especially boats look good with ragg wool socks.

I would only buy Sperry Top-Siders if I were you. They have the original non-slip sole. The color choice is up to you. Sperry makes chukka boat shoes and a winter boat shoes. I do wish I had some money to burn on those. Did I mention that like boat shoes?

Wingtips

Wingtips are a must own shoe in a man's classic wardrobe. Burgundy wingtips are the color you want. They are infinitly more versitile than brown or black. A common misconception is to call them cordovan. Cordovan is a type of leather and not a color (as you will learn soon enough, grasshopper).

Personally, I own a pair of Bostonian Maldens. I bought them for less than $100 and I feel that they are a great low end wingtip. From there you can go right up the scale; Florsheim, Allen Edmonds, Alden.

[picture of Alden longwings color #8 from Leffot]

Black Captoe Balmoral

The black captoe balmoral is a terrific dress shoe. Along with fancy slippers or opera pumps, it is a perfect shoe for formal wear. I would consider it to be the preferred shoe for a tuxedo, but it all depends on the occasion. Opera pumps can only be worn with a tux and fancy slippers may be hard to pull off for most people, so the black captoe balmoral is the obvious choice because it can be worn with a suit or trousers and a jacket (and by jacket I mean blazer or sportcoat).

The word balmoral or oxford refers the the type of lacing. From wiki: Balmoral or Oxford "is a style of laced shoe characterized by shoelace eyelet tabs that are stitched underneath the vamp, a construction method that is also sometimes referred to as "closed lacing". Oxfords first appeared in Scotland and Ireland, where they are occasionally called Balmorals after the Queen's castle in Scotland, Balmoral. 

[photos from BB]

The Brown Shoe

I feel like a good brown shoe should be a staple in a man's wardrobe. There are plenty of options for a brown shoe. You could go with a plain toe blucher, but plain toe is a bit boring and if you end up owning a pair of chukka boots then the chukka can serve as a plain toe. The saddle shoe is also another plain toe option. There is also the double monk strap shoe which is favored by a lot of people. If the double monk intriges you then I suggest that you read an increadiby in depth post by Die, Workwear on double monks.

I, for one, really like the norwegian split toe. It has more character than the plain toe and saddle shoes but is not as technical as the double monk strap.

[First two pics from Leather Soul]

Plain toe blucher

Norwegian split toe

Double monk strap

Saddle

Loafers

A man should certainly own at least one pair of loafers. All four shown here are Bass Weejuns. I'm not so sure a kiltie tassel loafer is good for a young man but a basic flat strap loafer is a good starter loafer. Loafers go with many types of pants (and shorts, too) and can be worn with or without socks. You could wear a pair of loafers with a suit or with a pair of jeans. That makes the loafer a very versatile shoe and essential to man's wardrobe.

Personally, I have a pair of tan loafers from Bass (which I happen to wearing today). However, I must admit that they were a an impulse buy at a Bass outlet store in Tilton, NH. I know companies make specific item for their outlet stores and I'm afraid that that's what I have. I'm looking forward to getting myself a pair of Weejuns or something similar in the near future, most likely a beefroll.

One other thing; a year or so ago, GQ endorsed the Bass Dover model. It was supposed to be sleeker and shinier and modern. I took the bait and bought a pair and things didn't end well. The fit was terrible, especially in the toe. Long story short, I just threw them in the trash and took the hit. It's tough when something that you have your mind set on doesn't quite fit right.


Flat Strap



Beef Roll



Tassel



Kiltie Tassel

All photos from the Bass website

The Brannock Device

The Brannock Device is the standard foot measuring tool for the world's footwear industry. However, few people are able to call the device by name.

Consider yourself schooled.

A Month of Shoes

I always try to "dress for the occasion" and different occasions need different shoes.

This month, I will attempt to do a post-a-day on the types of shoes a man should have in his wardrobe. I may take a break on the weekends, but rest assured, you can expect a post everyday during the week. I'll start with the more essential shoes that should be in a man's wardrobe during the first week, then on to secondary shoes, and then wrapping things up by highlighting "special" shoes. This may have been done before in the menswear blogosphere, but I haven't seen it, so it's original to me.

Enjoy.