As a blogger, I pay attention to aesthetics and innovation; As a shoe store owner, I am concerned about what shoes sell well.
These two aspects of concern, let me deeply understand that the more beautiful and innovative, the harder it is to sell.
I’ve thought about it, and the reason is easy to understand. Some innovations are really eye-catching and even if they are not so eye-catching, the design details that can make knowledgeable people smile are meaningless in the eyes of most consumers. I just want a pair of unpretentious, high-quality and comfortable shoes. Why should I focus on these boring things? If I like design and attention, why don’t I buy luxury (read high fashion) brands?
Therefore, the best seller will always be the black cap toe Oxford with a big round toe and penny loafer, and black is the best.
So sometimes when we pay attention to art, we should pay more attention to the aesthetic experience it brings, rather than the commercialization.
This pair of shoes, once again verified my point of view, that is, the innovation of uppers is endless.
![](https://u1e353.a2cdn1.secureserver.net/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/image-1024x1024.png)
First of all, what kind of shoes are these?
Saddle Oxford, and then use crocodile skin for the saddle part.
Saddle Oxford is already a very rare shoe style. There are so many shoe makers in China that they may have copied all kinds of styles, but this one is still reluctant to touch. Burien from J.FitzPatrick is an option here.
![](https://u1e353.a2cdn1.secureserver.net/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/image-1-1024x1024.png)
However, it seems that there is more than that.
![](https://u1e353.a2cdn1.secureserver.net/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/image-3-1024x1024.png)
Look at fake shoelaces and elastic bands on both sides, in principle, this pair is not saddle Oxford, but saddle Lazyman! It’s the first time I’ve seen such a mix of elements.
I remember seeing an innovation a few years ago, that is, the mix of Monk and Loafer. At that time, there was an Italian brand, Edhen, which was quite exciting, and now it can be seen on Stephen from Carlos Santos.
![](https://u1e353.a2cdn1.secureserver.net/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/image-2-1024x1024.png)
Therefore, these five categories of dress shoes, Oxford, Derby, Loafer, Monk and Boots, provide unlimited ammunition. Let me give you a few examples.
Boot + Monk
The most classic is Tabor from Septieme Largeur, three-button monk boots.
![](https://u1e353.a2cdn1.secureserver.net/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/tobar-marron-marbre-forme-174-1024x689.jpg)
Boot + Derby
It should be emphasized here that, except Balmoral boots, basically all the boots have openings under the shoelaces, but we don’t think these boots are called derbies here. The example I chose is Norman Vilalta Decon.
![](https://u1e353.a2cdn1.secureserver.net/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/image-4-1024x1024.png)
Oxford + Derby
What?! These two can be combined? Are they distinguished with most clear definition?
Look at this pair of J.M.Weston 392.
![](https://u1e353.a2cdn1.secureserver.net/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/image-5.png)
Interesting, right?
So, don’t jump to conclusions about what you can’t mix and match. Maybe one day, I’ll make a pair of Loafer Boots!