I've only worn Black Corfam Oxfords with my Dress Blues. I agree with you, I've known quite a few gentlemen to wear Steel Toed ass-kickers before. Who comes up with these ideas? GQ?
Not suggesting tin-foil hattery here, but I've heard, given the rate at which he goes through them, that President Obama is consuming the entire supply.
1. Black Bates "combat boots" that I wear to work.
2. Brown Keen hightop hiking boots for...well....hiking and any other non-work-related walking (especially if shorts are worn)
3. New Balance or Asics sneakers for the treadmill (need to get a new pair...cheap NewBalance are....cheap.)
4. My old workout shoes, usually threadbare and falling apart, used for working in the yard. This pair gets tossed when I buy a new pair of workout shoes, and my previous pair of workout shoes goes out to the garage to take their place. Its a vicious cycle.
Currently, none of the above are steel-toed, because when I bought the Bates, they did not have the steel-toed in stock in my size. And my wife was unhappy with the price as it was, even though her shoes cost twice as much and we can always afford those. :sigh:
Gentleman? Seriously? Maybe, but only in America (NYC, Washington or the like anyway) and any 'gentleman' ever seen (or rumoured to have been) wearing 'loafers' is guarandamnteed to be a pretentious wannabe, an oik, probably (definitely) of the effeminate persuasion, and will be blackballed from any gentleman’s establishment immediately on sight. (Hey, you colonials still think wearing white knee-length socks with dress shoes is 'fashionable' like you did in the eighties too?).
A gentleman’s footwear consists of:
Oxfords - (Loake, Church or Sandler if you, like me, are of the military persuasion in which case you'll have some George boots too, no patent leather as one gets ones batman to bull them, so no problem there).
Brogues – (ditto, extra points if they're of real Scots or Irish manufacture – with the inexplicably long laces with tassels on the end – something to do with tying them to your sporran or stashing your sgean dhu apparently).
Desert boots? Only if you are a fashionista, a hippy or a bearded maths teacher who alternates with sandals-with-socks in better weather (also identifiable by the lime green or peuce cardigan and battered tweed jacket with leather elbow patches).
And what the hell 'is' a wing-tip?
Chelsea boots only only if you are a young (skinny, girly) fashionista – real men have graduated to RM Williams instead (they match the Drizabone dont'cha know and are really good for when mucking out ones stables or kicking a tenant out of his hovel/in the goolies – whichever takes ones fancy at the time).
Wellies – Hunter or Aigle of course (green 'is' acceptable in polite society but only if worn with a battered Barbour waxed jacket [preferably a Northumbrian with a couple of grouse or rabbits in one pocket and the others with sundry twelve gauge shells, snares, etc. - oh and a pint 'hip flask' for medicinal purposes when the weather 'turns' inclement – it rains here at least six times 'every' day conveniently] a tweed flat-cap and covered with muck and unmentionables).
Trainers are acceptable 'only' if actively exercising (and must be chosen to coordinate with ones regimental tie – what? You don't dress for the gym either? Barbarians!) but exercise is 'not' a gym based procedure, perspiring should generally either involve Rugger (bruises, broken bones and a handshake afterwards over twelve pints of bitter) or chasing some upstart servant/poacher/policeman/politician off ones estate with a horse-whip.
Me? I have most (not Chelsea boots of course) of the above plus Ammo boots and a nice pair of bespoke First War repro officers boots (both with metal segs as one does so enjoy watching the youffs flinch when one stamps by, of course it may be my face that makes them do that though). Well, that and a collection of 'more specialised' footwear , climbing, hiking, hunting and such (no, that doesn't mean black stilettos – I only wore them once … for a bet, and never again … the basque however was surprisingly … supportive).
You colonials just don't 'get' the whole gentleman thing do you really? No dressing for dinner, no tiffin, reticence, etiquette, style … and don't get me onto the apparent impossibility of using both a knife 'and' a fork at the same time …
I've only worn Black Corfam Oxfords with my Dress Blues. I agree with you, I've known quite a few gentlemen to wear Steel Toed ass-kickers before. Who comes up with these ideas? GQ?
ReplyDeleteNot suggesting tin-foil hattery here, but I've heard, given the rate at which he goes through them, that President Obama is consuming the entire supply.
ReplyDeleteMine are on my feet, where they usually are....
ReplyDeleteI only own 3 pairs of shoes. All steel-toed ass kickers. Hunting, work and not work
ReplyDeleteHeh. I've got four pairs of shoes.
ReplyDelete1. Black Bates "combat boots" that I wear to work.
2. Brown Keen hightop hiking boots for...well....hiking and any other non-work-related walking (especially if shorts are worn)
3. New Balance or Asics sneakers for the treadmill (need to get a new pair...cheap NewBalance are....cheap.)
4. My old workout shoes, usually threadbare and falling apart, used for working in the yard. This pair gets tossed when I buy a new pair of workout shoes, and my previous pair of workout shoes goes out to the garage to take their place. Its a vicious cycle.
Currently, none of the above are steel-toed, because when I bought the Bates, they did not have the steel-toed in stock in my size. And my wife was unhappy with the price as it was, even though her shoes cost twice as much and we can always afford those. :sigh:
Gentleman? Seriously? Maybe, but only in America (NYC, Washington or the like anyway) and any 'gentleman' ever seen (or rumoured to have been) wearing 'loafers' is guarandamnteed to be a pretentious wannabe, an oik, probably (definitely) of the effeminate persuasion, and will be blackballed from any gentleman’s establishment immediately on sight. (Hey, you colonials still think wearing white knee-length socks with dress shoes is 'fashionable' like you did in the eighties too?).
ReplyDeleteA gentleman’s footwear consists of:
Oxfords - (Loake, Church or Sandler if you, like me, are of the military persuasion in which case you'll have some George boots too, no patent leather as one gets ones batman to bull them, so no problem there).
Brogues – (ditto, extra points if they're of real Scots or Irish manufacture – with the inexplicably long laces with tassels on the end – something to do with tying them to your sporran or stashing your sgean dhu apparently).
Desert boots? Only if you are a fashionista, a hippy or a bearded maths teacher who alternates with sandals-with-socks in better weather (also identifiable by the lime green or peuce cardigan and battered tweed jacket with leather elbow patches).
And what the hell 'is' a wing-tip?
Chelsea boots only only if you are a young (skinny, girly) fashionista – real men have graduated to RM Williams instead (they match the Drizabone dont'cha know and are really good for when mucking out ones stables or kicking a tenant out of his hovel/in the goolies – whichever takes ones fancy at the time).
Wellies – Hunter or Aigle of course (green 'is' acceptable in polite society but only if worn with a battered Barbour waxed jacket [preferably a Northumbrian with a couple of grouse or rabbits in one pocket and the others with sundry twelve gauge shells, snares, etc. - oh and a pint 'hip flask' for medicinal purposes when the weather 'turns' inclement – it rains here at least six times 'every' day conveniently] a tweed flat-cap and covered with muck and unmentionables).
Trainers are acceptable 'only' if actively exercising (and must be chosen to coordinate with ones regimental tie – what? You don't dress for the gym either? Barbarians!) but exercise is 'not' a gym based procedure, perspiring should generally either involve Rugger (bruises, broken bones and a handshake afterwards over twelve pints of bitter) or chasing some upstart servant/poacher/policeman/politician off ones estate with a horse-whip.
Me? I have most (not Chelsea boots of course) of the above plus Ammo boots and a nice pair of bespoke First War repro officers boots (both with metal segs as one does so enjoy watching the youffs flinch when one stamps by, of course it may be my face that makes them do that though). Well, that and a collection of 'more specialised' footwear , climbing, hiking, hunting and such (no, that doesn't mean black stilettos – I only wore them once … for a bet, and never again … the basque however was surprisingly … supportive).
You colonials just don't 'get' the whole gentleman thing do you really? No dressing for dinner, no tiffin, reticence, etiquette, style … and don't get me onto the apparent impossibility of using both a knife 'and' a fork at the same time …