28/04/2019
Northampton is home to most of what remains of the traditional British shoemaking industry. Evocative names still have their factories here, some in their original buildings, some in modern ones. Some have changed owners, some are still family owned. Some have existed since the 1800s, others a bit newer. What hasn’t changed though are the traditional ways of making quality…
13/09/2016
This summer I happened up on a pair of Grenson “Masterpiece” brogues, well used and going for a song. The leather sole and heel were pretty worn down, but the careful owner had taken wonderful care of the upper, they were polished to a deep, gleaming lustre and looked pretty great. So, given my preference for some proper rubber under…
10/09/2016
The British shoe industry has a long and glorious tradition behind it. Most of the well known names have been producing quality traditional shoes for 150 years or more, and do a splendid job as well. Goodyear welts, intricate brogue patterns, sublime craftsmanship and basically doing things as they have always been done. Hardly surprising really, as human feet are…
22/03/2016
The Vibram Christy soles enjoyed a major resurgence in popularity in recent years, as the casual option for a pair of brogues, or as the hipster de jour sole on a pair of classic Red Wings. Pretty comfortable to stride around on and they look nice and crisp when new. In this piece I’m looking at a pair of Red…
25/09/2014
A while back I wrote a couple of posts about my Church brogues. First about discovering them in a local charity shop and discovering how appropriate they were for me, and then the process of having them resoled to make them more usable to me. Being utterly enchanted with the result of the freshly ruggedized fancy shoes, I was in no doubt…
18/02/2014
Hot on the heels of my spring jackets guide comes this, the unmissable guide to footwear for the spring season. Now, those that have been following me for a while know that I don’t do trainers or running shoes, apart from when I’m working out or running. And when it comes to style trainers really are not in my game.…
03/06/2013
Last week I was at a work conference celebrating 25 years of the company I work for. As per usual, there is the standard “Big Dinner”. While I enjoy good food, these dinners are always totally painful for me. Sitting at the table for hours to work our way through a meagre 3-course dinner, trying to engage the others round…
17/05/2013
This isn’t something I plan to make a regular occurrence of posting, but seeing as it was the Norwegian national day today and an opportunity to dress up a little more than usual, I thought I’d share my “day-off” look with all my fantastic readers. Posed against my garage door, appearing to look unconcerned and relaxed, I’m wearing my SEH…
26/04/2013
Today’s favourite items only came onto my feet a few days ago, yet have already taken a clear position as my most favourite shoes. Ever. They truly are this magnificent. I’ve had an eye for Grenson for a while now, daydreaming about their brogues, and especially the ones with the more modern thick rubber soles. As a slightly more grown-up…
15/04/2013
Brogues are seemingly everywhere these days. While long being the quintessential shoe for the proper tweedy gentleman, available through shoemakers and expensive outfitters, nowadays you’re as likely to find them in the lower end high street shoe shops, vying with trainers and dessert boots for the attention of a man with an aspiring taste on a more limited budget. So…