Today's Shoes

Day

Grenson Masterpieces three-eyelet austerity brogue blucher ankle boots in antiqued British tan calfskin with single leather soles.

Evening

Gravati three-eyelet plain-toe bluchers in navy blue waterproof suede with microcellular rubber soles (15445, 433 last).

Today's Shoes

Day

Grenson Masterpieces three-eyelet blucher ankle austerity brogue boots in antiqued chestnut calfskin with single leather soles.

Evening

Santoni three-eyelet plain-toe blucher ankle boots in dark brown suede reverse welted with a thick rubber lug sole. These shoes were originally purchased to be Manhattan walking shoes. I've bought a lot of these. Walking in Manhattan can be brutal, both because there's so much of it and because the concrete sidewalks provide no cushioning at all. Shoes that don't fit well will cause blisters; and even if they do fit well, they can leave your feet feeling like they've been pounded with hammers. These ankle boots have a thick, cushy, latex rubber sole, and I thought that they would do well in Manhattan. They did okay, I suppose, but the fit in the heel wasn't as good as it needed to be to avoid discomfort after a long day of walking.

Today's Shoes

Day

Paul Stuart plain-toe four-eyelet bals with a floating medallion in dark brown calf, made by Grenson. At one time, Paul Stuart had some of its private label shoes made by Edward Green. Fed up with inconsistent and untimely deliveries, they dumped Green in the mid to late '90s and replaced them with Grenson. Grenson's actual corporate name is (or was, at that time) William Green & Son, so PS included that name on their label. They pulled it after getting complaints that it was a deceptive attempt to persuade casual consumers that the shoes were still made by EG. These aren't as well-made as EG shoes, but they are impressive -- the designs that PS commissions from Grenson are consistently unique and excellent.

Evening

Crockett & Jones Handgrade split-toe bluchers with a hand-sewn apron and toe seam (Cornhill model, 330 last). These shoes are actually private-label Tom James shoes (I believe that IAG, the parent company of Tom James has an equity interest in C&J, although C&J makes lots of private-label shoes for lots of companies), but it was easy enough to tell that they were C&J-made. The interior markings and the faux counter both give it away instantly.

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.

Today's Shoes

Day

Grenson three-eyelet utility brogue ankle boots in British tan. As I have written, I have a thing for utility brogues, and I have a total of four pairs of them. These are the most unusual, both because they are bluchers and because they are boots. I would like the idea of these better than the practice for two reasons: first, they are a bit too big, and my heel slips; second, they aren't cut high enough, which causes them to dig into my ankle bones. Consequently, they are one of my pairs of rain shoes; and it was very rainy today.

Evening

Santoni rubber-soled chukka boot in mid-brown calf. Another pair of rain shoes. Like I wrote, it was very rainy today.