UNIQLO Perfect Shape Cargo Pants + Tricker’s Burford in Espresso
My friends behind The Refined Man Shop and I got together for a shoot to show how we’d wear the Tricker’s shoes and boots that were brought in. Here are some photos from that shoot where I am wearing the various pieces with different pairs of trousers. If you are interested in buying any of the shoes featured here please go visit The Refined Man Shop on Facebook or email [email protected].
Last year two of my friends who are also into menswear teamed up to start The Refined Man Shop. Their mission was to bring in the best brands of shoes and boots to the Philippines and make it accessible by selling it at a reasonable price. Their first batch of shoes is by Tricker’s − a well-known English shoemaker based in Northampton, England. They are known for their brogues and boots and that is evident in this batch. All their shoes are Goodyear-welted and uses the finest calfskin leathers. The detailing is classically British and the thick soles are meant for walking a lot whether in the city or the countryside. These shoes will work with any casual outfit whether they be jeans, chinos, or cargo pants. Continue Reading
In terms of footwear I can say I’ve covered the basics. So for my next purchase I decided that I would get a style that looks great in either a suit or jeans and everything in between. The style that I had in mind was one that you don’t see very often: the double monk strap. My decision came down to the Carmina Double Monk Strap in Calf Brown on the Inca last which is carried by The Armoury. Continue Reading
Introduced in 1967 the Tretorn Nylite has been around for decades. It was once worn by the legendary tennis player Bjorn Borg (fact: I used to be a tennis player) and has become a classic that has seen a resurgence in popularity over the last two years thanks to The Nylite Project.
Its Eco OrthoLite insole was the reason I chose these pair of canvas sneakers. This type of insole is so comfortable you can walk in them for hours. It is lined which makes them a pleasure to use sans socks. It works with almost anything but I like to wear them with chinos or shorts and a polo shirt. Best worn on sunny weekends.
There are many shoe manufacturers in Indonesia that do goodyear welted footwear but Sagara Indonesia stood out because of their classic designs and high quality craftsmanship. Back in May I purchased a pair of longwing brogues (LWB) in the form of the Capital I – Sand Pull-Up. The shoes retail for USD 220 excluding shipping. I had to wait two months for them to arrive due to a logistics issue but now they’re here and I’m eager to share it. Continue Reading
Last week Put This On wrote about the seven-shoe wardrobe. It’s a great post that covers the basic shoes every man should have. I haven’t thought much about my shoe wardrobe so I was surprised to see what I built was similar. I’m not going to repeat here what Derek has written so below I have linked to the shoes I have purchased and reviewed. There are two shoes that do not have links as I have not reviewed them but I have provided a photo and linked to other posts instead.
The Black Oxford
Two Less-formal Dress Shoes
Bristol Shoes Leonard (shown above)
Loafers
Brogues
Sneakers
Generic Surplus Plimsolls (seen in my weekend wear posts)
Chukka Boot
I used to own a pair of ECCO chukka boots but the rubber soles cracked so I had to return them. I’m still haven’t found the right one to replace them and I’m still looking.
Every once in a while I come across a local footwear brand that I see is improving in the area of design. While I was checking out some shoes I saw these pair of loafers by Gibi from their Homme line (yes, local brands are now using words like homme) that sets them apart from the rest of their usually undesirable offerings. At PHP 1,999.75 the shoes seemed like a good buy so I got a pair.
Update 2/25/2012: Returned this pair after discovering each one had multiple cracks in its sole after less than six months of use (not worn more than twice a week). I’m never buying another pair of ECCO shoes again.
The rainy season starts as early as June in the Philippines but there is a lack of appropriate wet weather footwear until foreign brands release their F/W collections around September. I no longer want to subject my leather-soled shoes to the rain as this will shorten their lifespan. I set out to look for a pair of chukka boots that would look great in and out of the office, would have no problems dealing with shallow puddles and the occasional downpour. After much searching and thinking I decided to get the Biarritz by ECCO. It retails for PHP 9,850. Continue Reading
I’ve been a fan of Bristol Shoes ever since I bought my first pair. Their leather-soled shoes are sturdy and feature classic styles. I greatly admire that they still continue to produce leather-soled shoes even though the Philippine market prefers molded soles.
I have always wanted to visit a shoe factory and see how shoes are made especially a brand I admire. I contacted the offices of Bristol Shoes asking them to visit this blog and see if they would be interested in being featured here. After a few more phone calls and SMS exchanges I was set to visit their factory in the City of Marikina, the shoe capital of the Philippines.
At the start of this year I made a resolution to stop wearing black trousers to work. I began by having two pairs of trousers made: navy blue and grey. The socks have been taken care of. Now I needed to find the right pair of shoes.
Stylish Italian men have made brown shoes look well with navy trousers. Brown shoes and grey trousers go together as well. I looked around for a nice pair of brown lace-ups that had a leather sole and would not break the bank.
Last year I purchased a pair of black Montgomery by Bristol Shoes. I’ve had them for over six months now and I must say I’m impressed with them. I checked out other models of Bristol Shoes and decided to purchase the Travis – a Norwegian split toe derby. The retail price of this model is PHP 2,880 but I got it at 15% discount which brought down the price to PHP 2,448.
