Today's Shoes

Edward Green chasses with pie-crust-style handsewn apron and ghosted handsewn toe seam in navy blue antique calf with double leather soles (Dover model, 606 last). Supposedly, 606 last derives from 202 last and has the same fit characteristics. I have not found that to be the case. These shoes have always been a bit large, particularly in the heel, while my 202 last shoes in the same size are not. If I had it to do over again, I would probably have these shoes made up on 808 last, which fits better, particularly over the instep and in the heel. I just may do that: you can never have too many Dovers, and you can never have too many blue shoes. Olive antique would be nice, too, don't you think?

Today's Shoes

Day

Edward Green chasse bluchers with pie-crust-style handsewing on the apron and a ghosted toe seam in antiqued tan calf (EG calls it Edwardian Antique) with a double leather sole (Dover model, 808 last). The shoes to the left are Dovers on the 808 last, but they're in a leather that EG calls Brandy Willow, not Edwardian Antique. The pictures that I could find online of shoes in Edwardian were significantly lighter in color than mine, which points out an important fact about Edward Green: there is a tremendous of variation in their different colors (except for black) because most of that color is hand-applied during the finishing stage. My Edwardian Dovers are about the same color as my Chestnut Antique shoes, but that's not typical. 808 last was Edward Green's first attempt to update the classic 88 last, and I believe that it started being made in the late '90s. It apparently did not fit most feet very well because they quickly replaced it with the Tony Gaziano-designed 888 last. I like it, though. It fits me well, and it offers a more shapely square toe than the 606 without being as severe as the 888.

Evening

John Lobb Paris split-toe penny loafer in dark brown pebble-grain calf with a single leather sole (Campus model, 3198 last).

Today's Shoes

Day

Edward Green split-toe chasse shoes with a hand-stitched apron and toe seam in light British tan calf (EG calls it Edwardian Antique -- Dover model, 808 last). The shoes pictured to the left are Dovers in Edwardian Antique, only on the round-toe 202 last instead of the square-toe 808. I bought my pair through George Bass, a retailer in New Orleans. They took over ten months to arrive. I'm not sure if that's because of problems with George Bass or problems with Edward Green. That's a long time to wait for a pair of shoes, but the Dover is the second most sublime shoe design in existence.

Evening

Gravati cap-toe bals with reversed seams and a leather-stitched faux-brogueing on the toe cap and throat in tobacco suede (16492, 655 last).

Today's Shoes

Edward Green split-toe bluchers with handsewn apron and toe seams in midnight antique calf (Dover model, 606 last). The Edward Green Dover is one of the most sublime shoes in existence, and it's especially striking in dark blue. I covet them in olive antique, too. There's absolutely nothing wrong with blue shoes.

These were a special order from Tom Park at LeatherSoul in Hawaii. And yes, that's a picture of my actual shoes.

Today's Shoes

Edward Green split-toe double monkstraps in burnt pine antique (Fulham model, 82 last). This is a take-off of Edward Green's classic Dover blucher, which features the same pie crust-style apron handsewing and the same ghosted blind toe seam. Edward Green does this type of work better than anybody else in the world, and this is a wonderful shoe. I saw a picture of it in a Last, a Japanese magazine dedicated to shoes, and I decided that I had to have a pair. Tom Park, from LeatherSoul in Hawaii, liked it so well that he tacked on an order for himself. A friend who also has a thing for shoes decided that he couldn't bear to be left out, and he ordered a pair, too. Witness the power of Japanese shoe magazines! I have since seen the same model (also on 82 last but in cognac antique) at Venanzi in New York. I don't know if Gene Venanzi will end up making a go of that store, but he has great taste in shoes. ;->