Shoes Of The Day

Men's Shoes

2010 has been the year of great collections, companies I normally don't like actually putting out good product and also the year of more color. And that's great!! One of those brands that I never really liked was J.Shoes. Yet, their new fall/winter season consists of a range of wingtip boots (pictured above and below), style called 'Andrew,' that I am particularly fond of. Hailing from Britain, J.Shoes used to be a brand know for their comfort slip-on, called 'Tumble,' that looked much like some sort of Native American moccasin which had a very unique hand stitch around one side of the shoe and ended on the opposite side of the toe box, but was just plain ugly. But now that the world of style is changing and you can no longer just be a brand known for one thing, companies like J Shoes need to get inventive to stay fresh. And this they did!! This new boot is very cool and unique and I imagine will be a huge success for the company.

Women's Shoes

I swear, this season has marked the popularity of "the lace boot" for both men and women. This pair, owned by my friend and fellow blogger, LadyPeach, is the epitome of this season's 'new look.' They appear strikingly similar to the famed pair, by Chloe', that Garance Dore' - the wife/partner/girlfriend or whatever of Scott Schuman from The Sartorialist - has made popular in her picture (shown below) from The Sartorialist's blog. I quite enjoy this new trend of boot. Not only do they (lace boots) look good on a man and fit the general style of jean-wearing individuals but they also look darn sexy on a woman. For example, Ms. or Mrs. Dore' below has taken something that I tend to hate (leather or leather-looking pants) and paired them so well with these boots - that have almost identical colored leather on the toe - and a great jacket thus creating a very chic look! I have to say, without those boots, this outfit would have been hard to make look great.

My Shoes # 4 - Church's

Considering that I just did a post about blue suede shoes and I have been yearning to get these back (from being stored in Italy), I figured that I would show you all, my pair of blue suede's by Church's. I absolutely love these shoes!! Despite having a white sole, they are great all year round and compliment a lot of the clothing that I tend to wear. And like I said in the post below, it is very common to find blue suede shoes made in the plain-toe derby style, hence my pair here. Now I just need to get a pair of blue suede brogued wingtips and make a set of blue suede apron-toe's with a crepe sole and my collection will be complete!! As you can see from the pictures below, they are very easy to wear casually, great for day-to-day activities (such as walking around Rome) and are easy to transition from casual to semi-dress attire. A must-have for all shoe enthusiasts!!

Blue Suede Shoes

Shoes: Salvatore Ferragamo "Fausto"

There is something about a blue suede shoe that just speaks to me. Maybe it's because my favorite color is blue, maybe it's because they are rarely found or maybe it's because in suede, blue looks better on a shoe? While I am not sure why I am so gravitated towards them, I do know that there is nothing quite like them. It would seem that I am obviously not the only person that has had such an infatuation with them considering that this style of shoe not only influenced the title and lyrics of a song, but one in fact that is still known around the world today and is in the Rock 'N' Roll Hall of Fame. And yet while the idea of a blue suede shoe is so famously known they are still so hard to come by, the good one's at least. Considering that dark blue is not a loud nor gaudy color, I would think that such a shoe would be in the seasonal collections of shoe companies, year after year. But of course, that would be asking too much!!

Top Row (L to R): Alden (Picture Courtesy of Leather Soul), Oliver Sweeney
Bottom Row (Both): Opening Ceremony

The best thing about blue suede shoes is that they look absolutely amazing when worn casually, even if it is a suit, I would more wear it with either a nice slim-fit pair of dark denim jeans or a casual, non-creased khaki-colored pair of pants. Because of this, you are more likely to see shoe companies making blue suede shoes in either a 'buck' style or a laced boot (like a chukka or something similar the the Alden above), styles that you tend to wear more casually. While these options are nice, I much prefer to see a blue suede shoe in a dress form like that Ferragamo or the Corthay below. The aesthetic pleasure of pairing a blue suede (that is usually seen as casual) and a elegant dress model of shoe, creates a liking that for me is indescribable. The same shoe by Corthay, if made in calfskin, would still be extremely beautiful yet would not capture in the same way that it's suede counterpart seems to.

Top Row (L to R): Pierre Corthay (Picture Courtesy of Leffot), Stefano Bemer
Bottom Row (Both): Paul Smith

As I just noticed myself from writing this post, there seems to be a common trend in the styles of shoe that a company will make blue suede shoes: 1. Plain-toe derby buck's or chukka's 2. Wingtip oxfords (closed lacing) and 3. Penny loafers. Obviously you have your risk takers, like Ferragamo, who will make it in another completely different style but yet you see that they still used the wingtip influence. Come to think of it, I am not sure if I have every seen a blue suede apron or cap toe. Have you?? If so, send me a picture!! Either way, this now gives me incentive to create one and make a pair for myself and possibly even add a crepe sole to see how that looks. But anyway, if you are an avid lover of shoes and find yourself without a pair of blue suede shoes, then you know what I am going to say next: GO BUY A PAIR! 

Left: John Lobb
Right: Alberto Fasciani

Post Your Own Shoes

To all my readers:

Knowing my style by now, feel free to go to my Facebook page (click on widget on right side of page) and post pics of shoes either that you find on the web or of your own collection and if I like them I will show them on my blog either on a full post or a shoe of the day post!! I am a lover of all types of shoes and want to see what kind of unique shoes people who enjoy my blog are wearing. Please don't be shy, POST SOME PICS!!!!

Sincerely,

The Shoe Snob

Shoe Of The Day - Dedicated To Benjy

Sorry for the elapsed time without writing, but I have been in Italy and it's not always easy to work when one is trying to enjoy the finer things in life. But here I am, back, and dedicating this post to one of my most proactive readers, Benjy. Always curious about the existence of a nice dress oxford made with a crepe sole, I finally found one, worthy of displaying, made by Gaziano & Girling. This pair, called Rothschild, makes for a great Autumn shoe. It's brown suede upper compliments the heavy wools and fabrics that one tends to wear when the cold weather creeps about and it's crepe sole makes it very useful for all terrains, ranging from wet city streets to countryside grass/dirt paths. The fact that it is also a brogue adds to it's versatility allowing you to not only wear it with your heavier gray wool suits, but also your jeans. When you really think about it, there is not much that you cannot pair these shoes with, making them a fine candidate for a staple shoe that belongs in one's rotation. For Benjy - I am sure that it could even be made with the classic yellowish colored crepe sole. Enjoy!!

From Ashy To Classy - Florsheim + Duckie Brown = Succes

While I might hurt some feelings here, I have to say that Florsheim (before it started collaborating) made the 1st, ugliest-shoe-ever, which was called "Reva" and is pictured directly below in black and burgundy. This is the shoe that everyone's great grandfather owned and LOVED!!! Then they discontinued it, which was probably the second smartest thing they have ever done. The act, though, that surpasses it for brightest idea is their recent collaboration with the fashion label, Duckie Brown. And what better way to save a company, that's older than the dust on you grandfather's bookshelf, then by hiring young fresh designers to update the looks and presentation of your fading product?? (Remember the Sebago post?) I applaud their decision though. Duckie Brown has not only brought them back from the dead but has completely revamped their whole 'look,' allowing Florsheim to now be considered chic and the type of product carried at designer fashion stores such as Barneys New York!

What I love about these collaborations is the fact that they usually bring something new and exciting to the shoe industry. Because a lot of these companies that are taking this step were previously so out of touch with what was going on and what customers 'today' wanted that it became time for them to either 'do' or 'die.' But the 'doing' usually involves a huge transition in the way that the product is now going to be perceived and who it is going to be purchased by. This, in turn, amounts to a great deal of risk for the company. Not only does it change their customer base, it could completely destroy their already fading image if not done properly.

I guarantee you that the same crowd that bought Florsheim and Sebago before are no longer the same crowd that purchases them now. I can tell you this because I would have never dreamed of buying either one but yet I acquired a pair of the Sebago's and hope to get a couple more and the same for Florsheim + Duckie Brown. And I can really bet that the people who used to wear Florsheim products, like the Reva, look at these new Duckie Brown styles and think that the world has gone mad. But the reality of it, is that the world has gone back to sane, creating things that are unique and stylish allowing for a large step in the direction of better fashion!

So if the company manages to create a successful collaboration, much like Florsheim and Sebago, they then have the ability to come back stronger than ever!!!

My Shoes Part 3 - Paul Smith

There is nothing like a great, green pair of shoes!! I have two pairs and I love both of them. They are just so versatile. This pair by, Paul Smith, is my suede option. While this really can be worn all year long, I especially love wearing them in the Autumn. I just feel like the dark green color paired with the suede texture really corresponds to the feel of the fall and the types of shades of clothes that you tend to wear when it starts getting cold. They look especially good with a nice pair of dark denim and even look great with some casual khaki's, like shown here. The contrast stitch on them adds a little bit of flair, allowing them to not be so monotone. While the dark green is a nice alternative to the normal shoe colors, a darker shade of any color, without any additive to it (like the contrast stitch) can make it just as plain as any old black or brown shoe. Like always, I love to see shoes in colors that differ from the norm and my Paul Smith's give me a great alternative to the dark brown's and black that I tend to wear once that rain and snow start coming!!

Shoe Of The Day

I finally found a company that did exactly what I think every company should do: make a great model and offer it in 6 different colors, because really, who just wants black or brown? Thank you Oliver Sweeney!! This model called, "Orate," is a great example of a classic style touched by a modern twist. A beautiful whole-cut, decorated with perforations and a good amount of burnishing. Simple yet sweet! Why don't more companies think like this?? In reality, I know why!! They don't want to take the risk of not selling the other colors. How lame.....get some better salesman!! That's one thing I love about British companies, they have the balls to produce some crazy, bold and unique stuff. And if only the money tree in my backyard had not had all of it's bills blown off by these strong Brighton winds, I would buy all six of these color options!! Guess, I will just have to save up. On another note, for those curious, I heard that these were available at select Saks Fifth Ave around the States but if not you can find them online or all around England, for whenever you get a chance to pop over!