The long history of classic dress shoes has resulted in classic/core styles from many of the longer surviving brands, and anyone with some knowledge and love of dress shoes can rattle off many, many style names.
However, I think there is only one brand that has done the best job of emphasising its brand identity on upper design, and I would give it an analogy with the familial front (design) of the automotive industry.
That is Edward Green.
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Speaking of the Belgian brand Sons of Henrey, everyone knows that it is the tightest entry-level brand following (copying) Edward Green.
Comparing to John Lobb Paris, Edward Green actually has longer history on manufacturing Ready To Wear shoes, however their models are significantly less than John Lobb Paris.
I comprehend this fact as Edward Green is more discreet on model creation and release.
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Edward Green is the last destination for many dress shoe lovers, mainly because of two points, one, the conservative last and “boring” upper pattern, and second, the high-quality leather.
Based on this feature, Edward Green’s Cap Toe Oxford, Chelsea has always topped the list. As for Dover, Galway and the like are just new celebrities.
When it comes to Loafer, Edward Green is actually not shy at all. Penny Loafer Piccadilly and Duke, and tassel loafer Belgravia are all familiar models. It’s just that many people have a concept that the more formal the shoes, the more worth spending a lot of money, the more casual the style, you can wear cheaper ones, so that Edward Green’s loafer is not very popular.
Unlined is a very popular Loafer element in recent years, and not only on Loafers, Galway’s ankles are unlined.
Let’s take a look at what special details are in this pair of shoes.
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I don’t know who coined the title, English Big Three, to include the top three most expensive brands making goodyear shoes, Edward Green, John Lobb, Gaziano & Girling. Someone once complained that this name is to boast Gaziano & Girling, as the other two are heritage brands, and Gaziano & Girling was only founded in 2006, how can it go hand in hand? But this statement is now almost universally recognized, and when it comes to market momentum, Gaziano & Girling is in the limelight and leading the way.
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The reason that I had interested in Sons of Henrey then is just as that everyone would be interested in it today, it mimics Edward Green. The brand can never officially admit this, but any shoe aficionado can tell so by only looking at a few pairs. Combined with what he did, developing lasts in Springline, sourcing same type of leathers, this selling point is confirmed.
This black cap toe oxford Harvey with rubber sole hit target the fastest in two rounds of GMTO (Group Made To Order). My first batch of Harvey uses Dark Oak Nevada leather which is almost exclusively used by Edward Green (and maybe Church’s), but sales are disappointing. No matter how people despise black cap toe oxford as boring and old man, its charm is unparalleled.
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Among Edward Green’s most iconic styles, there is no place for Monk shoes. But Fulham has many fans. Monk should be the last category that people would like to own, but once you enter the door, you will immediately fall in love. Because its convenience and formal/informal degree, then it is also fashionable which is not so universal in classic dress shoe field. Let us have a look at this pair.
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Edward Green’s most well-known and sought-after models are Galway, Dover and Chelsea, which are boots, Derby and Oxford respectively. What about loafer? There are three candidates, Piccadilly, Belgravia and Duke. where Duke is relatively rare or buried in the dust of history and only recently resurrected. So, the winner will have to come from Piccadilly and Belgravia. Piccadilly should sell more because it is the more common and accepted penny loafer while Belgravia as tassel loafer only appreciated by seasoned customers.
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What is the most boring dress shoe in the world? Black Cap Toe Oxford. I cannot find any existing brand today who does not offer black cap toe Oxford, even Alden which is famous for its casualty has cap toe Oxford no matter it is made of calf or shell cordovan. French brands are known for its daring patina, however, Berluti and Corthay both have the most understated black cap toe Oxford. Speaking about last, sharp or round or square can host this model, however, only the roundest of the roundest is the king. I have been falling in love of this super round black cap toe Oxford for years, and I have owned many pairs, however, there is one model is my ultimate choice and eternal love, Chelsea from Edward Green.
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Edward Green may arguably the most sought-after brand in the world, and the reason is interestingly its high price. If Edward Green is not so expensive, I highly doubt its popularity. In this sharp and aggressive aesthetics era, the stupid round Edward Green can survive just because of its limited availability. The secondary reason is its limited models. If you had glanced numerous models of many brands, you will know Edward Green is very conservative on developing new models. The result is most models are the classic ones and loved by years. When people talk about lasts of Edward Green, four are most recognized, 202, 82, 606 and 184. However Edward Green has a series of X0X lasts which is not so well known by many, here I summarize them.
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