Dress boots from Carmina Shoemakers

I acquired this beautiful pair of austerity brogue dress boots from Carmina Shoemaker as part of an Made To Order group.
The boot is made on the sleek Alcudia last; single leather soles; and four pairs of speed hooks.

The boot is quite suitable for interchanging with the usual black Oxfords during the colder months; for office attire and for the formal daywear - stroller and morning suit.

Austerity brogue boots from Carmina Shoemaker

Brown Field Riding Boots

I have always admired the look of the dashing British officers and Gentlemen in Riding boots; from the bloody fields of Flanders to the vast fields of old Blighty.
I have been on the lookout for a pair of tall brown Field boots for years and only recently I found the exact right pair of boots at the lovely little specialist shop for hunting clothes and accessories: the Vintage Tack Room.

Brown Field Riding Boots; Heavy-weight cavalry-twill riding breeches; and a British Warm: dressed for Bike Polo

Chukka boots from Carmina Shoemaker; MTO via Skoaktiebolaget

My new Chukka boots from Carmina Shoemaker are made on the sleek Simpson last in a beautiful burnished museum calf; they are part of a group MTO by Swedish Skoaktiebolaget ordered 3½ months ago. The boots are Goodyear welted and of really good quality.

Carmina is made in the Spanish island Mallorca; and from reputation a great shoemaker. The Albaladejo family has been making shoes for almost 150 years and more companies are currently run by family members; José Albaladejo founded Camina in 1997.
The Simpson last is a slightly narrower last which suits my feet perfectly. The burnishing looks great, and the craftmanship in general is really good. The half rubbersole (called "Tomir") is perfect for the boots; suitable for Autumn/Winther and still fits the sleek design (Dainite soles would have looked too crude).
I ordered my boots with corresponding shoe trees from Skoaktiebolaget; a quite appealing design, made in North Hampton.
Carmina does a lot in group Made To Order and you really have the opportunity to get beautiful designs made. I am looking forward to if they soon will open for individual MTO, too.

The sleek, slightly elongated Simpson last

White Summer Shoes from Doucal´s

For a long time I thought that I had to be searching for vintage shoes from the 1930s to get a proper shoe that would fit into that quintessential British Summer style. But there are virtually no shoes out there in my size and in a condition that makes them wearable.
I have also been making numerous inquiries on the american Summer shoe: the white bucks. But I was not quite contempt with the look of the crude rubber soles.
The regular manufacturers of shoes that I naturally would turn to did not offer the white brogue I was searching for - Cheaney & sons, C&J, G&G, Edward Green; neither of them has this RTW.  

But there it was all of a sudden: a proper British looking shoe with a twist of Italian Summer.
The Doucal's.

The Doucal's White Brogues

The Doucal's is an Italian shoe manufacturer established in 1973 by Mario Giannini. 

Originally named "Duca" - the Italian word for Duke - but after the founder spent several months in the British shoemaking Mecca of Northampton being introduced to the principles of proper British shoe-making, he anglicised the name of his artisanal enterprise to "Doucal's". 

The shoe is a beautifully designed wingtip Derby brogue with a discrete, narrow-lined leather sole; soft (!) white grain upper leathers and highly detailed stiching.

I am highly satisfied with this shoe!

Tilføj billedtekst

The brouging looks grand - I like the bigger holes along the wingtips.

Leather sole attached to the uppers in a manner resembling the Goodyear welting. Partly reinforced by a rubber sole. 

Deauville 1913

I have started inspecting the Summer wardrobe; been dusting of the old linen storage bags and checking the attire for needs of mending or cleaning. 

I am especially looking forward to be wearing my vintage linen plus-fours with over-the-calf cotton socks and my new Doucal's white brogues!

Having a great time inspecting the Summer attire

Natural coloured OTC socks from Drakes of London  

Sky-blue Fil d'Ecosse OTC socks from Mazarin

I have gathered some more inspirational pictures for a Gentlemanly Summer at Pinterest.
Notice the linen plus-fours worn by Scott Fitzgerald :-)

Scott and Zelda Fitzgerald in September 1921

Herring Drake - the 1966 last

I have been looking for a an extra pair of darkish brown Oxford shoes for a while. And wanting to step up in quality I have been watching the beautiful shoes from Gaziano & Girling and Edward Green; the retail prices of some £750-£850 have been holding me back,though.
At the same time I have been admiring the sleek, spade-shaped 1966 last from Herring. The Drake is a result of a corporation between Herring and Alfred Sargent.
A good quality shoe, based on a sleek last and built with a quality English oak bark leather sole (from J.&J.F. Baker in Devonshire)  and the finest French and Italian leathers for the upper. Made on the premises of Alfred Sargent in Northampton.
...and I went for this; I want to explore the out-spoken advantages of the oak bark leather sole

Herring Drake - oxblood Oxford hole-punched captoe

The shoe has a lovely rolled waist - not the fiddle back waists of G&Gs and not the straight waist of Cheaneys; but something in between. 

The hand burnishing is not paid much attention to compared to the higher priced G&Gs, but I do not mind; as long as the basic craftmanship of oak bark leather soles sturdily attached to fine upper leathers; shaped on a last with a high in-step; a tight waist and narrow heels; I am happy. 

The oxblood coloured leathers I will take good care of over the years to come and under my use of Saphir médaille d'or waxes in a mix of Burgundy and dark Havanna-Brown hues the uppers will age beautifully, I am sure.
I am quite happy with the finishing of stichings, the colours and the hidden channeling of the good-year welted soles. All in all the shoes appear to be of a good quality.
And I really like the looks and the embracing feeling of the tight waist.

High in-step; spade-shaped; classic square toe

The 1966 last by Herring

Made in Northampton, England

Rolled waists on the oak bark leather soles

Riding boots; a walk in the woods and meadows

Maybe it is a faux-pas, but I could not resist to acquire a pair of vintage gentleman's hunting riding boots even though I do not hunt or master the art of horse-riding. I simply love the the look of riding breeches and tall boots; I have ever since I was a young boy admiring the cavalery uniforms of Napoleon's and the Duke of Wellington's armies.
I am not into the stylized look of skinny catwalk models from e.g. Ralph Lauren wearing riding boots - it seems like a sheer ostentatious act. But the riding boots used in terrain where one otherwise would have chosen a pair of Wellingtons or for a match of Bike Polo paired with a proper pair of gentleman's breeches I believe it makes reason.

Today the usual party went for a walk in the forest and meadows next to the largest creek in Denmark.The terrain is quite muddy and several paths have been flooded this time of the year. The temperature is warm for a January day - 5-6 degrees Celsius; During midday and early afternoon mainly blue sky with altocumuli.
Considering the grounds and the weather conditions I chose to wear a vintage Scottish Kilt Jacket, a houndstooth check hunting waistcoat, a pair of heavy twill riding breeches and riding boots.

Vintage riding hunting boots from Gentleman Outfitter Hogspear. I love the mahogany leather top of the boots. As I did with my military boots when I was enlisted I make sure that the riding boots are properly greased to ensure that they are waterproof.

Watching my steps in the flooded meadow

Appropriate attire for the surroundings

The old preserved oak woods is during most of the year inhabited by hoofed creatures; cows.

A view over the flooded lowland and the creek

I have always liked the look of riding boots in the hallway

Nailed heels on the boots

The mahogany topped boots matches the hues of the fox

HRH Prince Philip wearing a pair of riding boots playing bike polo 

I have pinned a few photos of Gentleman's riding breeches and boots at Pinterest

Chester Morris by Otto Dyar