A Function-first Footwear Philosophy, Refined
Meeting #24: Developments in shoe buying
Hello and thank you for attending this meeting of The Prep Club, last week’s Club Chair Bulletin is available here, or you can pick up a copy on the way out. This week we’re looking back at an article from a while back, and approaching it with a more developed perspective.
I am generally against content which details some sort of “essential wardrobe”, they are generally unhelpful and perpetuate the idea that one needs to completely overhaul their wardrobe before they begin to engage with fashion. When I first published my 3+2 shoe wardrobe I made this distinction, and I’m doing the same now. The point of this guide is not to list the shoes one should own, but rather to outline a series of categories into which footwear might fit, in relation particularly to collegiate and heritage fashion. By doing this, the goal is to introduce a consideration of function and how it can dictate form. It would not be unreasonable to suggest that one might own more than one example of any given category in this guide, in fact it’s perhaps advisable. Whilst I’m usually an advocate for slimming down one’s wardrobe, shoe rotation is incredibly important to prolong your kicks.
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Where this developed guide deviates from my original article, is in it’s greater generality, thus it’s more wider application. There are certainly parallels, and it will be delivered in much the same fashion, but the changes made are the result of a further six months of research and engagement with the aforementioned styles. There are also now six categories, instead of five.
Final caveat, this list has been developed in consideration of parts of the world which generally experience four seasons, and a variety of climates as a result.
Shoe #1: The All-Weather Leather
The key focus of this wardrobe is suitability for a wide variety of environments. As such, here’s arguably the most versatile piece on the list. We’re talking some sort of welted, rubber-soled, leather number, probably in black and/or dark brown. For me, what makes most sense here is a welted derby of some kind, something which toes (pun intended) the line between dressy and rugged. Something that can take you very comfortably through any amount of rain, across a dirt shortcut or two, whilst still going with a pair of shorts, a complete year round number.
First stop would be a Workwear/Postman Derby, something like the Solovair Gibson. Sort of the platonic ideal of a leather shoe, simple, smooth, round but with a good welt and heavy sole (go for the grain version over the high shine and polish them). There are probably some alternatives out there, but to find something that offers better quality and value than a Solovair, my gut says you're gonna struggle. For something just a touch slimmer, and possibly more office approved, you could hit the Calf 4 eye instead.
We could also go for a Moc Toe Derby, most obviously the Paraboot Michael, never mind its recent spike in popularity (if you’ve read last week’s bulletin you might be aware that we’re possibly seeing a decline now), the Michael is still an excellent shoe. It dials up the rugged a lot more, as such it makes quite a nice wingman to the Solovairs above. There are loads of great articles for Michael alts, with a bit of googling you can find a version to fit your budget, or grab a pair second hand for about half of retail.
I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention the Golf/Apron Derby, Paraboot Chambord, JM Weston Golf, among others. Sitting pretty squarely between the two previous suggestions on the dressy-rugged scale and with the welcome addition of some sporty flavour. I have a far more comprehensive breakdown of these which you can see here, including a decently wide selection of recommendations.
If we’re talking about something you can pair with shorts, should you want to, boots get a little tricky. You can absolutely do boots with shorts, some folks won’t vibe with it, but it’s absolutely available to you. Something easy like an Eight-eye Derby, or a punkier Monkey Boot. I’ll stick off the recommendations here, boots aren't much my forte and I’d probably just end up telling you to get Solovairs again.
Do you see what we’re getting at now? That’s a very wide selection of footwear, but they're all really going to fulfil a similar role. It’s role that’s the core focus.
Shoe #2: The Warmer Weather Welt
So with the year-round space covered, we continue now to something just a little less versatile. We’re looking at a shoe that is chunky enough to stand up to a little rain, an April shower or mid-summer downpour (might I remind you I live in England), whilst being slim enough to wear all through summer. These might start looking a little out of place when we get into the dead of winter, that’s where #1 and #5 come in, but they should be pretty good to go from early spring to first frost. We’re probably looking at a rubber sole again, though it might not be quite so chunky, and almost certainly a welt for water resistance.
My personal choice here is the lug-sole boat shoe. I maintain that they aren’t nearly as zeitgeisty as the magazines would have you believe. They’re a great pic for a shoe that’s pretty comfortable for some light trail walks, beaches, or in the city. Another one with a full article dedicated to them, for recs, look here.
Second pick would be a rugged loafer of some kind. Immediately we’re back to Solovair for an easy choice, there’s also the Sanders x Burrows and Hare Aldwych, Horatio Adventurer Dartmouth, Cheaney Howard, Paraboot Reims. Expect a more comprehensive list from the club at some point soon. The idea here is the same, something that’ll take you a little further than a leather sole, an adventure loafer. This is possibly an opportunity to go for a waxy finish too.
Shoe #3: The Summer Shoe
Realistically, for 90% of people this is a loafer, and I don’t really think you need more than one from this category, rotate with #2 and #4 and you’re pretty golden, we’ll look at a few options though. This is something breezy and light for the hottest days, the breathability of a leather sole, possibly even some ventilation. It might still be welted, but there's space here to go for Blake stitched too, if you don’t mind the difficulty in having them resoled.
First choice? Now would we really be a collegiate publication if I said anything other than a beef-roll penny loafer? It’s synonymous with the style, and looks damned good in just about any context. Opening up to Blake stitched widens the pool a little bit too, full list of recommendations is available here.
There’s also scope to go for a slim penny for a slightly slicker, Euro flavour. Definitely a more modern vibe too. The JM Weston 180 would be the iconic pick, but there are options in the Solovair NPS Essential Penny, Paraboot Adonis, ALD Queens Crest, Horatio Dartmouth, Church’s Milford.
Depending on how breezy you need your summer shoes, there’s also the fisherman sandal. Trendy at the moment for certain, but for good reason, an attractive take on the sandal, that doesn’t look out of place at the end of a more formal pair of trousers. It shouldn’t take too much effort to find a good list of recommendations for these.
Shoe #4: The Timeless Trainer
Sitting alongside #1 in pretty much year round rotation. We’re looking for a sneaker that’s as versatile as possible, and that transcends general overarching trends. So the move is probably to go for something logo-free, simple, and probably in white. Something that’ll be ok for a quick pickup game or a long day of walking, but perhaps not an actual sporting shoe.
Immediately the German Army Trainer is pretty hard to beat here. Just the sort-of platonic ideal of an athletic shoe and about as close to timeless as you can get in a sector which has long standing history of being trend driven. Whether you go for the genuine article, Reproduction of Found, Novesta, or another reproduction, it’s a pretty easy choice.
Alternatively, it’s also pretty hard to go wrong with a Converse Chuck Taylor. Chucks somehow manage to transcend just about every trend and subculture in the West that one could reasonably think of. Their ubiquity and iconic nature make them a really nice pick here, and they’ll be pretty decent for lifting in a pinch. The Chuck 70 is probably the best option.
If chucks aren’t the vibe, moving to a Jack Purcell is a nice alternative. Perhaps more in the “Preppy” space and with a lot of “retro menswear” appeal, think of photos of Steve McQueen in them. They very much fit into looks from times gone by that were just everyday clothes, but these days seem infinitely classy. In this area one might also consider the Doek Court Shoe as a more premium alternative for not much more.
Shoe #5: The Heavy-duty Hiker
So having covered something vaguely sporting-coded, the next off-shoot of collegiate fashion to consider is the rugged edge. Something that can come into its own if the weather gets really bad in the city, or can take you off into the trails, and otherwise is still fun to style through the colder months. In the same vein as the trainer, if you’re in the business of serious trekking, a more focussed shoe is probably needed.
This is probably the least practical option first, but my heart says to pick up a Bean Boot. Truly iconic , and I can can say from experience it’s damned good fun to walk straight up a stream with absolutely no chance of wet feet. As the inspiration behind ALD’s Papia Boot, they’re also a cool item to style in fashion forward looks, you can get at a sort of retro-gorpcore look which is fun to play around with. Plus, they put you in a decent place if-and-when it snows.
If the Beans are a bit too wild for you to wear in the city, or too sweaty, then the next pick would be a retro hiking boot of some kind. Fracap are perhaps the go-tos here, or the Paraboot Avoriaz, Danner Mountain Pass. The Solovair Urban Hikers are a cool look, and affordable, but aren’t necessarily as functional as the others mentioned.
If you’re willing to play around with more modern looks too, I think you can make something like a Salomon work, outside of the full-gorp context. Compared to the other options it’ll be a bit trickier to make work with a heritage wardrobe, but it can absolutely be done.
Shoe #6: The Esteemed-Company Wildcard
The category which has been added to, rather than adapted from, my original article. There is always the question of a dress shoe. Black tie and the like is forever tricky to navigate, since you wear it rather infrequently, yet ought really to look your very best when you do. Thus, there becomes a difficult question of how much to spend. To remedy this, I think, so long as one isn't too beholden to tradition when it comes to evening attire, one can take this as an opportunity to go all out and get something fun. We’re moving into the space of high fashion here, or affordable alternatives for the same outlandish designs. Finding something that can do weddings etc., but also just a special occasion night out, is a nice move Perhaps even on the odd time where you really just go for it, they can make their way into the daytime rotation too.
For maximum versatility, I’d go for a classic side-zip boot. Elegant, simple, hard to beat. Very few folks will bat an eyelid seeing them with a dinner jacket, but you can wear them to the bar for a mate’s birthday with some nice jeans too. Obviously the Our Legacy Camion boot, or the 3Sixteen Square Toe, Jacques Soloviere Mark. Any of these are effortlessly chic, and nice for a touch of modernity in an otherwise retro-forward wardrobe.
For more elegance, and traditional appeal, a designer (or designer inspired) loafer is a nice place to look. With a bit of luck you can grab Gucci Horsebits second hand for pretty decent deals, they may need some TLC. Same with Louboutins, but the grail pick personally would be a Margiela Tabi loafer. Any of these could reasonably fit into a daytime fit too, so long as you’re committed to wearing them properly.
If we’re still too far away from trad for your personal taste, the classic option would be a velvet slipper/ Belgian Loafer. If you do go this way, I think you should have some fun with it, something like the Ralph Lauren Yankees slippers, some sort of embroidery or point of intrigue. By having them be a little less than serious, I think once again you can bring them into daytime or night-out territory, so long as you are very very confident about the weather.
Conclusions
The purpose of this guide is to provide the framework for the construction of a shoe wardrobe that properly equips the owner to handle pretty much any situation that one can reasonably expect to be in. Of course it isn’t comprehensive.
The general idea though is that, as one acquires footwear, they consider both its aesthetic and practical functions in relation to the shoes that they already own. Written in that manner it seems bleeding obvious, the idea of this guide is to make it a conscious effort.
Build a shoe wardrobe that looks great because it properly equips you to live your life, and therefore build a shoe wardrobe that looks great in any situation. Perhaps its excessive to aestheticise every part of one’s life, but then when has prepdom ever been about restraint, it’s all a bit of fun.
Thank you kindly for your attendance this week, grab a copy of the bulletin on your way out, and we hope to see you again next time.
Prep club adjourned.
Have to make a plug for Rancourt loafers and mocs. Best shoes I have ever worn; they just look right.