breaking the mould...... Clae Shoes

Clae's collection of original silhouettes breathes new life into traditional footwear. An ease of design lies at the heart of the brand, fusing the comfort of athletic footwear with the aesthetic of traditional dress-inspired styling. By redefining the boundaries of casual footwear, Clae fills the void between sneakers and shoes. Clae captures the lifestyle and momentum of the modern consumer, appealing to men of any generation.

from the deserts to the streets...... Clarks Originals

For the coming summer months, Clarks have re-issued their Desert Khan II shoe, of course with its inspiration coming from the legendary Clarks Desert Boot.

Initially released only a few years ago, the Desert Khan is based on the classic Desert Boot design of the 50`s, featuring premium suede uppers and signature crepe sole. The low profile design gives a fresh take on a true iconic classic.

the desert khan is limited stock to clarks originals account holders, and we are one of them so you better get a pair before they run out!!

Diamonds from the Rushden range.............

Grenson Shoes was started by just one man, William Green. He was born in 1835 but his father unfortunately passed away in 1839 when William was only 4 years old. He moved away from his place of birth with his mother soon after and they ended up in Rushden, in Northamptonshire (a county at the heart of the UK shoe manufacturing industry).

In fact it was William’s mother who taught him his trade as he helped her to produce mens boots at home. It was only a cottage-based business but at that time, most shoemaking was still a cottage industry. He continued to help his mother until 1860 when he moved out of home and continued this in his own home until 1866.

The "Archie" brogue is a shop favourite with Steve at the minute, it has been constructed with a triple goodyear welted sole and has slightly larger brogue detailing than that of the "Stanley" brogue.

The philosophy of "Quality First and Customer First" has been at the very heart of Grenson since the shoemakers was founded in 1886 by William Green. Over 120 years later, Grenson still produce some of the finest mens shoes and boots available anywhere in the world and remain relentlessly dedicated to their founding philosophy.

The "William" unlined brogue has been a new edition for our summer range giving you a different option from the smelly old vans everyone wears every summer.

The collection we have in store features formal styles on modern lasts using traditional but updated styling details. Also a contemporary rugged workwear range of `Rushden Welts ` featuring chunky double leather soles and distressed leathers, creating a younger and more casual look.

For the lovers of a classic black shoe, you're on to a winner here, moving away slightly from the pointed "winklepicker" type shoe that was popular last year, men are looking much towards the style of "Don Draper" from mad men....

For the modern day country gent we have the "Sharp" brogue boot, which has a much more defined style than the big old army boots that people seem to like wearing and weighing themselves down into the ground. These boots are genious as they can work both smart and casual.

The last shoe im going to post up for now is the "Taylor brogue" which is favoured by the dandy boys out there offering them something with a bit more length to it, and still has a nice bit of brogue detailing to it. i think you will agree that the grenson family are still ticking all the right boxes...

New YMC In Store Now...........

Formed in 1995. YMC have continued to design clothing and accessories to a high standard, and taking inspirations from days gone by. At the moment they have taken inspirations from the 1940s and 1950s with its latest collection of footwear, producing some great saddle shoes and lace to toe boots for both men and women.

here is a sample of the range we have in store....

the saddle shoes are probably going to be preffered when we eventually get a summer! made from suede and leather, they come in pretty nice colourways and the red sole just brings the shoe out even more. these are definetely a store favourite with myself and martha, they used to be worn by college boys in the late 50s..

The lace to toe boots.........

Taking inspiration from the hiking boots of the early 19th century, the lace to toe boots were very popular with the early hikers, and YMC have put there oen twist on it and made it much more into a fashion boot as they have made it narrower and out of very soft suede. A boot which most guys are likely to wear with a loose jean for that workwear feel...

Plaited shoes.........

a great addition to the present collection, a classic summer shoe that can also be a smart shoe for the evenings.

the Desert Buckle boot..............

Taking inspiration from the classic desert boot, YMC have put amother spin on it and added a buckle, which is commonly seen on the monk shoe. giving the boot a much cleaner line without the laces.