Today's Shoes

Day

Alden long wing bluchers in a beautiful small-grained British tan calfskin (Alden calls it Alpine brown) with a reverse welt and double leather soles (Barrie last). A Long wing in tan Scotch grain calf is one of the classic American shoes, and yet it just isn't seen anymore. You can easily find the shoe in Color #8 shell cordovan, black or burgundy smooth leather, and even black Scotch grain, but until Tom Park at LeatherSoul Hawaii decided to order a special run of these shoes from Alden, you couldn't find it in tan Scotch grain. It's a great shoe. Despite being the same size and on the same last with the same trim as the Color #8 long wings that I wore yesterday, it seems less massive; but it's still a very substantial shoe. One of the nice things about Scotch grain leather is that the peaks and valleys provide a variegated color, which gives additional visual interest to the shoe.

Evening

Alden cap-toe blucher in medium brown calfskin with double leather soles (model 972, Aberdeen last).

Today's Shoes

Day

Stuart's Choice plain-toe bals with a floating toe medallion, a heart-shaped throat, and a vamp/quarter seam that intersects with the heel counter to echo the shape of the throat. The color name for these was dark khaki, for some reason, even though they really are dark brown. These shoes, like a lot of what Paul Stuart does, are interesting and unique. I have never seen anything quite like them before, and I don't think that I ever will (unless I do something bespoke). The Stuart's Choice shoes are made by Grenson, another Northampton shoe manufacturer that has always played second fiddle to its bigger and better-reputed neighbors. They can, however, make very good shoes, as illustrated by the Stuart's Choice line.

Evening

Alden cap-toe blucher in walnut calf (972, Aberdeen last). Another of my earliest pairs of "good" shoes. These, like the suede wingtips from yesterday, suffer from the heels being a bit too wide. Nevertheless, when I got these out this afternoon for the first time in two years or more, I was surprised by how much wear they have gotten and how nice they still look.