The London Lounge

I have at the moment 3 pairs of Cordovans, all in Burgundy: one full brogue (I assume this means the seams between the heel counter, quarters, vamp and toebox are all punched) wingtip Adelaide Oxford; one captoe Oxford, and one Monk. By Oxford, I mean a shoe with close-in throat.

I find them so satisfying, so much so that I am considering whether to buy to wear in town as executive shoes another 2 pairs of Cordovans, both in black: one full brogue wingtip Adelaide Oxford, and one captoe Oxford.

After re-reading our great eTutee's article on shoes, in which Cordovans are considered rather sporty, and therefore countryside-related, should I use black calf full brogue wingtip Adelaide Oxfords, and captoe Oxfords instead?

Sorry, I forgot I am also considering acquiring a pair of black Cordovan Monkstraps; the Burgundy would be used for daytime leisure wear and general travelling, while the black would be used for weekend evening wear. But is black suitable for non-town use, which I take it to mean for non-business purposes, in the case of a black Monkstrap?

Cordovan is fine. You mightn't wish to wear it formally, but it's fine for business or most other "in-town" or country occasions. I suspect that the former skittishness regarding cordovan arises from its thick, strong nature: a more delicate leather, such as calfskin, would be more susceptible of finer (thus, more refined) work and application.

Sooo . . . yes, I think you could wear black cordovan monkstraps in the countryside (the old prohibition was against "brown in town"; not much of anything has been barred from the countryside -- depending, of course, upon the suitability of garment and occasion!). I might personally prefer calfskin captoes to cordovan, but you needn't.

I have at the moment 3 pairs of Cordovans, all in Burgundy: one full brogue (I assume this means the seams between the heel counter, quarters, vamp and toebox are all punched) wingtip Adelaide Oxford; one captoe Oxford, and one Monk. By Oxford, I mean a shoe with close-in throat.

I find them so satisfying, so much so that I am considering whether to buy to wear in town as executive shoes another 2 pairs of Cordovans, both in black: one full brogue wingtip Adelaide Oxford, and one captoe Oxford.

After re-reading our great eTutee's article on shoes, in which Cordovans are considered rather sporty, and therefore countryside-related, should I use black calf full brogue wingtip Adelaide Oxfords, and captoe Oxfords instead?

For your formal shoes I would absolutely go with a calf, slim sole shoe.
And follow the KISS motto (Keep It Simple "stupid". no pun intended).
For formal evening wear "Less is more".
I would consider uncapped simple, if well maintained.
If not, the cap always keeps the creasing to a minimum.
But in my book a definite must is a slim profile sole, it is the most elegant.

My most elegant formal shoe is a Prada, uncapped simple black calf, with a slim sole.
(Non bespoke ...)

As for the other both are viable, why not a wingtip monk...


My 2 cents worth

Thank you, Sir, for your opinion. I was just wondering whether black Cordovan could be a perfect substitute for black calf, as I find Cordovan seems to require less maintenance. The only thing stopping me would be if it is possible for someone to recognize a black shoe was Cordovan and who might consider that kind of leather to be too horsey for city use. That's why I asked.

RWS wrote:Cordovan is fine. You mightn't wish to wear it formally, but it's fine for business or most other "in-town" or country occasions. I suspect that the former skittishness regarding cordovan arises from its thick, strong nature: a more delicate leather, such as calfskin, would be more susceptible of finer (thus, more refined) work and application.

Sooo . . . yes, I think you could wear black cordovan monkstraps in the countryside (the old prohibition was against "brown in town"; not much of anything has been barred from the countryside -- depending, of course, upon the suitability of garment and occasion!). I might personally prefer calfskin captoes to cordovan, but you needn't.

Thank you, Sir, for your advice; however, my question involved the use of shoes for executive dress use and in the case of the Monkstrap for weekend casual use in town.

Yes, I know the kind of shoe you like. Used to have a pair or two Bally Pedro. It was my favourite model.

I'm not considering a wingtip monk because I only want to have a complete set of what are considered shoes for a basic wardrobe, which in my case would comprise of the following:-

Formal/Semi-formal shoes:-

1 pair of black patent leather pumps with silk ribbon laces for White Tie
1 pair of black patent leather plain Oxfords with silk laces for Black Tie
1 pair of black button Balmoral Oxfords with grey top for Morning Dress with grey vest
1 pair of black button Balmoral Oxfords with buff top for Morning Dress with buff vest
1 pair of black button Balmoral Oxfords with black top for Morning Dress with black vest

Executive wear:-
1 pair of black captoes
1 pair of black wingtips
1 pair of burgundy Cordovan captoes
1 pair of burgundy Cordovan wingtips

Week-end/Leisure shoes:-

1 pair of black Monkstraps
1 pair of burgundy Monkstraps
1 pair of brown suede penny loafers
1 pair of brown calf penny loafers
1 pair of tan calf penny loafers
1 pair of tan calf tassel loafers
1 pair of tan calf kiltie tassel loafers
1 pair of tan nubuck boat shoes
2 pairs of white bucks with red soles (Bluchers OK)
1 pair of black/white Adelaide Oxford correspondents (a.k.a., spectators)
1 pair of brown/white Adelaide Oxford correspondents
2 pairs of white sneakers with colored soles
1 pair of hiking boots
1 pair of black cowboy boots
1 pair of brown cowboy boots
2 pairs of driving shoes

speedster wrote: ...<snipped>...
For your formal shoes I would absolutely go with a calf, slim sole shoe.
And follow the KISS motto (Keep It Simple "stupid". no pun intended).
For formal evening wear "Less is more".
I would consider uncapped simple, if well maintained.
If not, the cap always keeps the creasing to a minimum.
But in my book a definite must is a slim profile sole, it is the most elegant.

My most elegant formal shoe is a Prada, uncapped simple black calf, with a slim sole.
(Non bespoke ...)

As for the other both are viable, why not a wingtip monk...


My 2 cents worth

I don't like black full brogue shoes in black, I think that kind of shoe is inherently sporty and not right in black. The cap toes would be lovely but you might want to think about a derby in black instead of a cap toe.

I have a black cap toe oxford in shell cordovan and I consider it to be fine for any purpose to which a similarly styled calfskin shoe would be put. I do not agree that there is any inherent "sportiness" in shell as compared to calf, etutee's postings notwithstanding.

When it comes to black shoes, I think I prefer cordovan in some instances. THey shine up more easily and hold that shine better which I think is especially important for black shoes.

When it comes to black shoes, I think I prefer cordovan in some instances. They shine up more easily and hold that shine better which I think is especially important for black shoes

Funny you should say so. Last week I found a pair of black shoes made of Horween cordovan leather that had been lost in the bowels of a relative's damp subterranean cellar for over six years. It had acquired very nice coat of white mold.

This weekend the shoe had a nice warm bath and wash with dish cleaner. Once the shoe had dried, I set about polishing with a brush until a lustrous shine appeared. The shoe looked like new. I don't know how many leathers could do the same. Its a very useful shoe to own, especially with a double sole for winter.

anyone know a brand that makes good cordovan shoes that is available in Britain?

Crockett and Jones have a few models, and can be persuaded to do more at extortionate special order prices.