Today's Shoes

Day

Gravati punch-cap bal high-lace boots in dark brown calfskin with single leather soles (10278, 683 last). I was in Harold's in the Heights on Saturday, discussing shoes with Johnny Mykof and Jim Pierce. One of the things that came up was the problem with cap-toes. A lot of men look at them and try them on, Johnny said, but they can frequently be a difficult sell. That's because the toe cap can bind the top of the foot when the foot is flexed, making them less comfortable than plain-toes or wingtips. American shoemakers tend to solve this problem by making toe caps shallow so that they don't come far enough up the vamp of the shoe to come into play when the foot flexes. The problem with this solution is aesthetics: they look stubby and ugly. The Italians elongate the toe cap to make it aesthetically pleasing, but they can have comfort problems. You pay your money and you take your chances. As for me, the elongated Italian-style toe cap doesn't particularly bother me, but I would never put one on a pair of shoes that I intended to do a lot of walking in.

Evening

Alden long wings in dark tan pebble-grain leather with reverse welting and a double leather sole (Barrie last). Man, I love these shoes. Tom (Park of LeatherSoul in Hawaii), please use more of this leather in your make-ups.