The photograph (at left) depicts the shoe collection of the Baron de Redé (1922-2004), a collection comprising as I understand it mostly Cleverley models. You will note the preponderance of brogues and loafers. My eyes are drawn to the number of black brogues, a particular favourite of mine. As they say: "Black brogues, black heart". The late baron, a prominent banker and aesthete, had exceptionally narrow feet, for which bespoke shoes from Cleverley in London were the most appropriate solution. In return the company named a model of shoe after him: a smart chisel-toed loafer with tied tassels, in versions of black calf and brown suede. A wonderful tribute if ever there was one. When I examine my own shoe collection it's apparent black prevails. For me it's most useful, spending as I do most of my waking hours in dank private banking orifices. What colour dominates your collection?
07 February 2012
Cleverley Collection
The photograph (at left) depicts the shoe collection of the Baron de Redé (1922-2004), a collection comprising as I understand it mostly Cleverley models. You will note the preponderance of brogues and loafers. My eyes are drawn to the number of black brogues, a particular favourite of mine. As they say: "Black brogues, black heart". The late baron, a prominent banker and aesthete, had exceptionally narrow feet, for which bespoke shoes from Cleverley in London were the most appropriate solution. In return the company named a model of shoe after him: a smart chisel-toed loafer with tied tassels, in versions of black calf and brown suede. A wonderful tribute if ever there was one. When I examine my own shoe collection it's apparent black prevails. For me it's most useful, spending as I do most of my waking hours in dank private banking orifices. What colour dominates your collection?
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8 comments:
Wonderful! I have not yet had the opportunity to try Cleverley, but as I also have narrow feet, it would be very interesting.
In the early years of my career I favored brown with all suit colors. It was just non conformist enough. I probably have twenty pairs of punched and unpunched cap toes, brogues, derbys, tassel loafers and Raywoods. Peal & Co., A. Sargent, Trickers. Some suedes. Heavy brogue country shoes. All English made.
Early forties and with building coin I gravitated to black. Around twenty pairs in the same styles as the browns. Peal & Co. Lobb. Trickers.
My oldest pair of shoes still in rotation is a red-ish plain toe blucher from Brooks English circa 1974. Good as new.
Mostly brown and bordeaux.
half black and the other suedes and browns. But am trying to pull the black part up to 70% at least.
I know you dont wanna hear it, but my charles thyrwitt oxfords are still in a utterly fantastic condition after a couple yrs. you made experiences with ct?
They used to have a pair of the Baron's own shoes in the window at Cleverley's which they'd pull out if you mentioned his name. Not just narrow, but tiny—maybe people were smaller then. Most of my shoes are black for dress, suede for daily life not in a suit. While I like Cleverley to look at I can't quite walk as happily as I'd like to in them. I have a Paris maker whose work impresses the English shoemakers hugely. I can walk for miles. I won't reveal the workshop's name, but no one seems to ever mention them. My secret.
Black, as the court rooms and chambers of Common Law Cyprus may take offense in other colors.
But we are lucky here in Nicosia: A very friendly (and old) shoemaker here in Nicosia, still believes that he lives in the 60's. And that reflects on his prices as well.
A jowl-faced, Jewish, homosexual banker (with ugly, over-priced shoes)...
^^ buck-toothed AmJack angry in his Kenneth Cole square shoes
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