The solution to boring black shoes...

[Bic Pentameter]

The general consensus on the Styleforvm seems to be that when it comes to shoes, brown (and all of its glorious shades) is the cat's meow and that "black is black." Some commentators have even expressed the opinion that only one pair of black shoes is enough. On Friday and Saturday, I attended an international conference at which an interesting fellow captured my attention. I noticed him first on Friday afternoon. This gentleman was not dressed well by any StyleForvm standards, but he was trying. He presented himself in a pair of dark colored slacks and a white button down shirt.

However, I was most struck by his footwear. His shoes were black leather laceups. On one foot was a smooth toed blucher. On the other was a cap toed balmoral. Clearly, he was wearing two very different styles of shoe in differently textured leathers, a left shoe from one pair and a right shoe from another. I was pondering the reason for his choice of footwear last night, and considering whether my observation of this specimen was StyleForvm post worthy. Perhaps he had packed only one pair of shoes, but they were mismatched. Being far away from home, he decided to wear the blucher and the balmoral instead of shopping for a new pair. Fair enough. I have gone on a business trip and realized only upon landing that one of the pair of socks I packed was mismatched, or that my belt was brown but the only pair of shoes I packed was black.

Another thought occurred to me. Perhaps this fellow was light years ahead of the StyleForvm orthodoxy and, extending the distain we hold for matching necktie and pocket square to its natural conclusion, had decided to gently bend the rule that shoes should match. He must have decided to to spice up the look of plain boring black shoes by mixing and matching...

I was curious to see what he would wear to Saturday afternoon's final festivities. I was not disappointed. Not 4 short hours ago, I observed this fellow wearing one black cap toed balmoral, and one black Norwegian style lace up...!

I doubt anyone in attendance besides me even noticed his choice in footwear.


Bic

 

[edmorel]

I think you are giving him to much credit, the guy sounds like an idiot. Mismatched shoes are not brilliant, just stupid if done on purpose.

 

[JayJay]

There's no doubt he dresses according to his own rules.

 

[edmorel]

Originally Posted by JayJay

There's no doubt he dresses according to his own rules.

Well, I can wear my underwear on my head and be dressed to my own rules but let's call a spade a spade.

 

[speedster.8]

Originally Posted by edmorel

I think you are giving him to much credit, the guy sounds like an idiot. Mismatched shoes are not brilliant, just stupid if done on purpose.
+1 I did however one winter swap Alpine boots with some team mates. We were 6 that all had different L&R boots. Needless to say we were same size, and had the inner shoes custom made ... But it was a good season, we did good

Just a slight digerssion. I find a tone on the black shoes to be intreguing, so have now asked for a pair to be finished in eggplant (dark)

 

[nmprisons]

between the ages of 7 and 9 i wore nothing but mismatched chuck taylor all-star high tops

 

[JayJay]

Originally Posted by edmorel

Well, I can wear my underwear on my head and be dressed to my own rules but let's call a spade a spade.
Yeah, I agree.

 

[AJL]

Perhaps the fellow is a brilliant eccentric, and as such is unconcerned or perhaps even unaware of the mismatch {Uh, here's one black shoe and um, there's another one-ok, time to go put the finishing touches on that cancer cure...}. Think Albert Einstein & socks.

 

[kngrimm]

Sorry... I've got nothing nice to say. It would be nice to know his reasoning instead of trying to guess...

Maybe there is something... but I'm not going to spend a Sat. thinking it over : )

 

[Jumbie]

Sounds pretty idiotic to me and I'm not nearly as much of a stickler for The Rules as many here are.

 

[erdawe]

I can't only help but think this look would bring me second glances... in an undesirable way.

 

[montecristo#4]

Did you talk to him? He didn't say his name was Eric Glennie by any chance?

 

[Bic Pentameter]

Originally Posted by montecristo#4

Did you talk to him? He didn't say his name was Eric Glennie by any chance?

Ha ha ha....I did not talk to him. I think he may have been a Mainland Chinese bureaucrat. Perhaps he was so pinched for money that that was all he had.

Bic

 

[dopey]

When I used to wear nothing but different styles of Church's shoes all on the same last I did that on more than one occasion. Black captoes and black wingtips on the same last are pretty hard to tell apart when you get dressed in a hurry, and given the same last, you will feel like you are wearing a correctly matched pair. The truth is, no one ever noticed or at least said anything.

 

[sanrensho]

Was he wearing the balmoral on the same foot both times?

I saw someone do the same thing on the train once. He was very well dressed but had a balmoral on one foot and a loafer on the other...the foot with the loafer appeared to be swollen or injured.