How does Paris compare to Pitti? Pendleton, Frizm...

March 15th 2024

Boots on display at Viberg, at Man/Woman; above, Welcome Edition This past January, after Pitti, I went to see the equivalent shows in Paris for the first time. I’d never been before and was interested to see how it compared to Pitti in terms ...

How does Paris compare to Pitti? Pendleton, Frizm...

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Yeah I've chatted with Aaron a few times. That would be nice....

Bags - Casual clothingMarch 15th 2024

Bespoke loafers with Seiji McCarthy: Commissionin...

December 15th 2023

In Japan earlier this year I started the process of commissioning a pair of bespoke loafers from Seiji McCarthy. Loafers are often tricky to make bespoke, and bespoke as a whole I’ve found a little inconsistent, so why did I take this leap wi...

Bespoke loafers with Seiji McCarthy: Commissionin...

Match in comments:
MTM here means small specified changes to an existing last - not a completely custom last. So a better fit than RTW or MTO (where the last doesn't change) but not the same level as bespoke. It can be easier to control th...

ShoesDecember 15th 2023

Seoul: A menswear shopping guide

December 13th 2023

  Earlier this month I visited Seoul, to see some of the tailors I had been intrigued by but mostly seen from afar, and to visit some of the shops and brands. My impression was of a dynamic city – new development, new retail, every sho...

Seoul: A menswear shopping guide

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Interesting, thanks Teddy...

Bags - Belts and walletsDecember 13th 2023

Roberto Ugolini bespoke boots: Review

November 22nd 2023

I recently had these boots made bespoke by Roberto Ugolini in Florence, and they have turned out very well. I have two reflections about bespoke shoes off the back of them. One is that I am increasingly specific about what I need in terms of fit, an...

Roberto Ugolini bespoke boots: Review

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I can see how that could be confusing Shannon. I meant that the challenge of bespoke isn't whether you know the customer's foot shape or not - that's a fairly minor thing. So scans that show you the foot shape aren't muc...

ShoesNovember 22nd 2023

Wythe, Bally, P Johnson: A/W 2023 highlights 

November 3rd 2023

Some old, some new in this year’s round-up of Autumn/Winter products. These articles are a nice way to mention brands on the edge of our radar (Bally) as well as to discuss new releases from favourites that wouldn’t otherwise get a full ...

Wythe, Bally, P Johnson: A/W 2023 highlights 

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Yes. Trees make less of a difference, but I still would if they were worn regularly. Worth a brush down after wear just like suede as well...

Casual clothing - DenimNovember 3rd 2023

Arthur Sleep, Aimé Leon Dore and Acme/Mori: Three...

October 16th 2023

We probably spend a little too much time talking about how great products are on PS (even though we're more critical than most) and not enough talking about ones that didn't work out. Here's a summary of three I've tried recently, which for various ...

Arthur Sleep, Aimé Leon Dore and Acme/Mori: Three...

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Cotton sweaters are near-on essential in the subtropics, or there's nearly no opportunity to wear knitwear....

Knitwear - ShoesOctober 16th 2023

Questions about unlined loafers – with my B...

August 18th 2023

There have been quite a few queries about unlined shoes, particularly loafers, in recent months. Ones about longevity and fit specifically have come up multiple times. I thought it would be good therefore to do a post summarising answers to them, in...

Questions about unlined loafers – with my B...

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It's nice for a mid-brown. Depends how much you wear that colour. Will also improve a lot with some wear, perhaps a little polish/cream to give it some colour variation...

ShoesAugust 18th 2023

Reader profile: Ian

August 14th 2023

Ian is retired, and got into luxury menswear late in life. But he always had an interest in clothes, from his early days in Ivy clothing to the forties and fifties influences that came with learning jive dancing. It could be easy to see him as bein...

Reader profile: Ian

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Amazing! I bet Ian must have loved that. Thanks for letting me know...

Shirts - ShoesAugust 14th 2023

Sandals: Slides and huaraches, open-toe and closed

August 7th 2023

Espadrilles are my preferred, casual summer shoe. I’ve always liked their clean lines and simplicity, which make them more elegant than pretty much any other option. I also quite like the massage-like feeling of walking on rope. They’re ...

Sandals: Slides and huaraches, open-toe and closed

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Personally I think they're a little chunky Amit, I'd aim for something a little more refined if possible...

ShoesAugust 7th 2023

If you only had five (casual) shoes

June 28th 2023

  This is intended to be a partner to the ‘ If you only had five shoes ’ article in our Wardrobe Building guide, which was all smart footwear. Today’s piece is shoes that aren’t smart enough for a traditional office o...

If you only had five (casual) shoes

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Simon, I'm curious on the level of quality of material from different tiers of manufacturers. I have typically read online that Top tier manufacturers like EG, JL have much better calf leather or grain leather than next ...

ShoesJune 28th 2023

Sticking with Yohei: Commissioning black oxfords

June 26th 2023

Readers will be aware that I have become a little sceptical about bespoke shoes in recent years. As I detailed in the article ‘ Are bespoke shoes worth it? ’ my experiences have been a little patchy, and looking back on 13 years of commi...

Sticking with Yohei: Commissioning black oxfords

Match in comments:
I'd go RTW, certainly. But that's partly because I have no fit issues with chukkas so no issue finding good ones RTW. Also, as a more casual boot there aren't any of the advantages of a fine make that can make something ...

ShoesJune 26th 2023

Tokyo: A sartorial shopping guide – 2023 Up...

June 7th 2023

  Tokyo is one of the most varied, creative and stimulating retail experiences in the world. Not only is the city huge, but each area has a distinct feel and atmosphere, reflected in its shopping. There are small, niche brands everywhere, as...

Tokyo: A sartorial shopping guide – 2023 Up...

Match in comments:
Ok, thanks for letting us know Dharm...

Bags - Belts and walletsJune 7th 2023

Parker Boot Company: Roper boots review

June 5th 2023

These are my finished western boots from Parker Boot Company in Houston, Texas. I’ve had them for a while now, but various other things (mostly Japan) have got in the way of coverage. As I wrote in my first article on Zephan Parker - ‘ ...

Parker Boot Company: Roper boots review

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I have been searching for a low heel and round toe boot for so long. I do not like the pointy toe or heel to high as it makes my back hurt. These are beautiful only out of reach for me!...

ShoesJune 5th 2023

The struggles with shoemaking in Japan

May 12th 2023

Five or six years ago, it was easy to find young people that wanted to be shoemakers in Japan. The wave of enthusiasm for both craft and menswear elsewhere in the world had washed up here just as strongly. Today, with Covid having only just effecti...

The struggles with shoemaking in Japan

Match in comments:
Thank you Nezar...

ShoesMay 12th 2023

Vibram resoling: Rescuing my ‘grail’ Nike ACG hik...

April 3rd 2023

By Tony Sylvester. I am sure you too have a full and eclectic ‘Saved Searches’ section on your eBay app. Mine includes everything from rare Barbour jackets to Finnish glassware; old Polo coats to Georgian jewellery. Some are comedic remi...

Vibram resoling: Rescuing my ‘grail’ Nike ACG hik...

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Do you sell Nike hiking boots? To the uk?...

ShoesApril 3rd 2023

RM Williams Craftsman boots: Review

March 24th 2023

Over the past few months I’ve been trying out a pair of RM Williams boots, driven by the fact I know so many people who swear by them, and because it’s nice to celebrate a craft company in a different part of the world such as Australia....

RM Williams Craftsman boots: Review

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It's not why my jeans are folded up, but certainly the length and width will determine it...

ShoesMarch 24th 2023

The Apres Ski boots from Ludwig Reiter: A Review

December 23rd 2022

By Tony Sylvester. I used to travel to Oslo regularly for a decade or so. A beautiful city, but not one abundant with window shopping options for those interested in menswear. One of the exceptions was Cavour; slap bang in the well-heeled part of to...

The Apres Ski boots from Ludwig Reiter: A Review

Match in comments:
Wow! What a photo! Thank you for sharing!...

ShoesDecember 23rd 2022

Moulded Shoe, New York: Home of the modified last

December 5th 2022

Moulded Shoe in New York is a charming shop. A family-run business now in its third generation, It’s narrow and tall, with shoe boxes stacked way up to a double-height ceiling. There are newspaper cuttings, customer photos and a Japanese cart...

Moulded Shoe, New York: Home of the modified last

Match in comments:
The Modified Last is part of Alden’s orthopedic Footbalance Line. These were never meant to go into wide production and continue to exist as a niche offering. The last is popular in Japan but retail pricing there is qu...

ShoesDecember 5th 2022

Doek tennis shoes: How great things age

October 19th 2022

I have had these Doek canvas trainers - what could usefully be called tennis shoes - for five years. They have been worn once or twice a week, every week, during that period. So hundreds of times. With bare feet in the summer, they've occasionally ...

Doek tennis shoes: How great things age

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Yes I think they would be, and certainly wearable in the summer. They won't always be the best through the winter, but great most of the year...

ShoesOctober 19th 2022

Wear loafers with jeans

October 10th 2022

In the hyper-casual world we’re living in, any opportunity to add a little smartness to everyday clothing should be grabbed with both hands. One of the most effective ways to do this, I’m finding, is wearing loafers with jeans. Jeans ar...

Wear loafers with jeans

Match in comments:
Thanks Simon, yes totally fair enough. Just thought I’d check with your expert eye first!...

Denim - ShoesOctober 10th 2022

Seiji McCarthy bespoke shoes: East Meets East

September 23rd 2022

Seiji McCarthy is someone I've wanted to cover on PS ever since we hung out in Tokyo some six years ago. But with no prospect of travelling to Japan soon, I turned to local writer and friend Christopher Berry to visit Seiji and report - on Seiji's A...

Seiji McCarthy bespoke shoes: East Meets East

Match in comments:
You realise this wasn't written by me (Simon), right Kinte?...

ShoesSeptember 23rd 2022

Bocache & Salvucci, Rome: Bespoke shoes and ...

August 19th 2022

Bocache & Salvucci was a bit of a surprise when I visited last month. I’d come across the shoemaker at Jean-Manuel Moreau, in Paris, and had assumed that in Rome I would find a small (because relatively unknown) bespoke craftsman. Wh...

Bocache & Salvucci, Rome: Bespoke shoes and ...

Match in comments:
Excellent, many thanks Peter. Wellies starting the week after that late summer I guess :)...

Knitwear - ShoesAugust 19th 2022

How Florence changed with the pandemic: Abbarchi,...

August 8th 2022

“It was really eerie, Simon, with all the tourists gone." “I know that was the same everywhere," says Simone Abbarchi (above), "but seeing the Piazza della Signoria empty made it feel like we’d gone back in time. Like the Medici co...

How Florence changed with the pandemic: Abbarchi,...

Match in comments:
Not yet, sorry Tim, but I will try and take one for the site some time...

Shirts - ShoesAugust 8th 2022

La Manual Alpargatera: How espadrilles are handmade

July 8th 2022

By Manish Puri I’m sitting at a round wooden table in the back office of La Manual Alpargatera. The owner, Joan Carles Tasies, is holding a chilled bottle of ratafia in his thick right hand and pours a measure into a glass in front of me. &ldq...

La Manual Alpargatera: How espadrilles are handmade

Match in comments:
Hello Eric. I just bought my first pair of Black Espardenya in size EU 43 / US 9 / CM 26,7 https://diegos.com/collections/men/products/black-espardenya-for-men. My feet size is 27 CM and I had heel slippage out of the bo...

ShoesJuly 8th 2022

Summer Top 10: Polos, more polos, and espadrilles

July 6th 2022

I wasn’t going to do a ‘high summer’ version of our seasonal Top 10. After all, the spring edition back in April included such things as panama hats and boat shoes. But everyone’s stock has been arriving so late that the int...

Summer Top 10: Polos, more polos, and espadrilles

Match in comments:
That could be nice, yes...

Casual clothing - ShoesJuly 6th 2022