Brogues..the shoes women love to see men wear

Traditional, some with a modern twist, stylish, smart and timeless, brogue shoesare simply the best bet if your out to impress.  A pair of brogues ooze style and panache, whether they are brown brogues or indeed mens black brogues, both demonstrate an attention to detail that women love.

One of the first things women notice about men, certainly as far as attire is concerned is mens shoes, and if one is sporting a pair of stylish brogue shoes your already ahead of the competition.  There is a well known saying that goes as follows:  you can tell alot about a man by what he wears on his feet ( brogues ), women tend to take note of what men are wearing on their feet ( brogue shoes ) in alot of cases more than the men themselves!

Brogues nowadays come in a range of designs many of which are based loosely on the traditional brogue shoes designs.  The eSHOEMAKER's brogue shoes are traditional but with an edgy, modern twist.  The brogues that demonstrate this in particular is the Mayfair, traditional gimping in two sections with some elegant brogueing.  The Kensington brogue shoes have a turned section with some brogueing. These shoes have been designed by the ex-creative director at Oliver Sweeney and are available as a Goodyear welted shoes construction or with Blake stitching.  All of the brogues are available with a range of custom options including the opportunity to personalise.

For further information on the brogues made by the eSHOEMAKER visitwww.eshoemaker.co.uk 

For Grooms

Have you purchased or hired your suit, chosen your shirt, tie and accessories just the shoes to go.  You may decide to hire which is fine but some do not like to wear dress shoes that have been worn several times previously and therefore choose to buy their own pair of dress shoes instead.

You’ve already made the right decision in choosing your suit prior to your footwear, other things to consider when buying your dress shoes as follows:

1. Ideally if the budget allows, dress shoes should be made of leather, this allows the feet to breathe.

2. The shoes should be very comfortable as you will be wearing them for a long time.  Nearly all leather dress shoes will inevitably be a little uncomfortable on first wearing, therefore it is advisable to wear them for a few days prior to your big day to wear them in.

3. The design of the dress shoes shouldn’t be too intricate with too much going on.  For example a pair of brogue shoes can have too much detailing and can draw one’s eye away from your suit as opposed to what it should be doing which is complementing it.  Some detailing is fine, in fact it is important but do not go over the top.

4. Regarding the detailing - the eSHOEMAKER’s shoes are designed by the ex-creative director from Oliver Sweeney and have been specifically designed as mens wedding shoes.  The Kensington and Mayfair Brogues each have an elegant stitch/embroidered stitch the colour of which can be chosen by the customer - it is worth considering the colour of your tie/pocket hankie etc in order to colour match.

5. If you intend on getting a decent pair of leather dress shoes then this is likely to be relatively costly and therefore it might be worth considering a pair of dress shoes that can be worn again and again after the wedding thereby giving you good value for money.

6. Consider all the custom options for dress shoes on the eSHOEMAKER website www.eshoemaker.co.uk

Custom Made

There is a little part of most people (although some might not admit it) who would love the opportunity to own a pair of stylish handmade shoes for their main dress shoes displaying their initials in an elegant, noticeable yet subtle way.  It feels great for a number of reasons; dress shoes, handmade and custom made shoes can display a certain level of wealth, can impress in certain situations and can increase self confidence due to a feeling of well being.

Brad Pitt proudly wore a pair of monogrammed shoes recently in Tokyo made by the eSHOEMAKER they were not, stylish nevertheless.  The dress shoes offered by the eSHOEMAKER are all designed by the ex-creative director at Oliver Sweeney. 

Custom made shoes have been made especially for the customer, sometimes we like to demonstrate our special purchases and shout out loud - by adding ones initials to the design can achieve this.

For further information on the eSHOEMAKER visit www.eshoemaker.co.uk

Shoe Maintenance

Your dress shoes will require ongoing maintenance and not just the obvious like keeping them clean and polished but also ideally you should try and do the following:

1. Use a shoe horn for your dress shoes - A shoe horn is an implement used for leveraging your foot into the shoe from the back of your foot.  This helps to protect the rear of the shoe.

2. Use a shoe tree for your dress shoes - A shoe tree is an implement that is placed inside the shoes when they are not being worn.  Traditionally made of cedar wood, the shoe tree will not only maintain the original shape of the shoe but it will also absorb any residual moisture from the leather in the shoe.

3. Ensure the dress shoes are stored in a dry cupboard to prevent the leather from getting damp.

4. As mentioned above your dress shoes should be kept clean and well polished to keep the leather nourished and to protect them from the wet.

For further information on custom made shoes and mens dress shoes visit www.eshoemaker.co.uk

Goodyear Welted or Blake stitched

When buying dress shoes for men it is worth considering the construction.  In the UK there tend to be three main types of mens dress shoes construction; Goodyear welted, Blake stitched and glued sole.

Goodyear welted shoes tend to be favoured by the traditionalists and the British shoe connoisseur for their sturdy construction.  Goodyear welted dress shoes for men have a mid welt with an external stitch allowing the shoes to be easily resoled - named after inventor, Goodyear welted mens dress shoes are known for their strong construction.

Mens dress shoes with Blake stitch construction do not have a midsole and the stitch routes directly from the outsole into the insole - Italian shoes tend to have this type of construction.

A glued sole construction mens dress shoe is one where there is no stitching and instead, the sole is cemented to the upper.  This method of construction isn't normally as longlasting as the two methods mentioned above.

Most mens dress shoes nowadays tend to be Goodyear welted.  Dress shoes for men should be of a sturdy construction.  Mens wedding shoes due to the very nature of the day should be strong and comfortable.

Regardless of the type of construction it is important that the mens dress shoesare well made and ideally handstitched - this is what differentiates decent dress shoes for men and the not so well made.

Attn all Grooms - before you decide...

You’ve purchased or hired your suit, chosen your shirt, tie and accessories just the shoes to go.  You may decide to hire which is fine but some do not like to wear mens dress shoes that have been worn several times previously and therefore choose to buy instead.

You’ve already made the right decision in choosing your suit prior to your footwear, other things to consider when buying your dress shoes as follows:

1. Ideally if the budget allows, mens dress shoes should be made of leather, this allows the feet to breathe.

2. The shoes should be comfortable as you will be wearing them for a long time.  Nearly all leather mens dress shoes will inevitably be a little uncomfortable on first wearing, therefore it is advisable to wear them for a few days prior to your big day to wear them in.

3. The design of the mens dress shoes shouldn’t be too intricate with too much going on.  For example a pair of brogue shoes can have too much detailing and can draw one’s eye away from your suit as opposed to what it should be doing which is complementing it.  Some detailing is fine, in fact it is important but do not go over the top.

4. Regarding the detailing - the eSHOEMAKER’s shoes are designed by the ex-creative director from Oliver Sweeney and have been specifically designed as mens wedding shoes.  The Kensington and Mayfair Brogues each have an elegant stitch/embroidered stitch the colour of which can be chosen by the customer - it is worth considering the colour of your tie/pocket hankie etc in order to colour match.  This is an example of the Mayfair.

5. If you intend on getting a decent pair of leather mens dress shoes then this is likely to be relatively costly and therefore it might be worth considering a pair of shoes that can be worn again and again after the wedding thereby giving you good value for money.

6. Consider all the custom options on the eSHOEMAKER website www.eshoemaker.co.uk

A gift for the groom...

Gifts with some form of a personalised element are increasingly becoming more and more popular as wedding presents for obvious reasons - being able to demonstrate that personal touch just means that much more to the recipient.  So the idea of providing the groom with a pair of custom made, personalised, mens dress shoes seems a logical 'marriage made in heaven.'  

Beautifully packaged with the option to have either the Grooms initials or the Groom and Bride's initial elegantly hand punched onto each toe, these mens dress shoes from the eSHOEMAKER are professionally designed and extremely well made. 

If your not sure of the Groom's preferences then the shoes can be purchased in the form of a gift voucher.

For further information visit www.eshoemaker.co.uk

Maintaining your leather shoes

Your mens dress shoes will require ongoing maintenance and not just the obvious like keeping them clean and polished but also ideally you should try and do the following:

1. Use a shoe horn - A shoe horn is an implement used for leveraging your foot into the shoe from the back of your foot.  This helps to protect the rear of the shoe.

2. Use a shoe tree - A shoe tree is an implement that is placed inside the shoes when they are not being worn.  Traditionally made of cedar wood, the shoe tree will not only maintain the original shape of the shoe but it will also absorb any residual moisture from the leather in the shoe.

3. Ensure the shoes are stored in a dry cupboard to prevent the leather from getting damp.

4. As mentioned above your dress shoes should be kept clean and well polished to keep the leather nourished and to protect them from the wet.

For further information on custom made shoes and mens dress shoes visitwww.eshoemaker.co.uk

Is David Beckham wearing a pair of shoes made by the eSHOEMAKER

Was David Beckham wearing a pair of shoes made by the eSHOEMAKER at Prince William’s wedding, they look very similar to the Crest, a Derby style closure upper oozing style and panache with an elegant, subtle hand punching of the owner’s initials on each toe.

With a choice of lining colours, heel heights etc these mens dress shoes are available through the eSHOEMAKER website and partner retailers.  All of themens dress shoes are designed by the ex-creative director at Oliver Sweeneywith the emphasis on creating a modern twist on traditional timeless classics.  In particular the designer brogue shoes comprising the ibrogue range have been designed with maximum attention to detail.

For further information visit www.eshoemaker.co.uk

Can't beat a pair of brogues...

Brogue shoes never really became unfashionable, its a shoe style that will always stand the test of time.  During the course of the last 12 months or so we’ve seen an increase in the different types of brogueing seen on the shoes - designers putting a modern twist on a traditional classic!

Traditional brogue shoes tend to be a little too intricate and detailed in their design to make the ideal mens dress shoes - the designers at the eSHOEMAKER have toned down the typical brogueing on their dress shoes to produce a more subtle look.

Brad Pitt who as far as the press and media have reported loves his shoes and an example of this can be seen in the photo below where he is wearing what looks to be a great pair of brogue shoes.

 To wear a stylish pair of designer brogues that can be customised and personalised visit www.eshoemaker.co.uk 

Personalised shoes

There is a little part of most people (although some might not admit it) who would love the opportunity to own a pair of stylish handmade shoes displaying their initials in an elegant, noticeable yet subtle way.  It feels great for a number of reasons; mens dress shoes, handmade and custom made shoes can display a certain level of wealth, can impress in certain situations and can increase self confidence due to a feeling of well being.

Brad Pitt proudly wore a pair of monogrammed shoes recently in Tokyo made by the eSHOEMAKER they were not, stylish nevertheless.  The mens dress shoes offered by the eSHOEMAKER are all designed by the ex-creative director at Oliver Sweeney. 

Custom made shoes have been made especially for the customer, sometimes we like to demonstrate our special purchases and shout out loud - by adding ones initials to the design can achieve this.

For further information on the eSHOEMAKER visit www.eshoemaker.co.uk

Are they really handmade...

So many companies these days shout from the rooftops that their products are handmade, the question is, are they really and to what extent?

In reality very few shoe companies currently selling in the UK, truly produce handmade shoes, the phrase ‘handmade’ tends to be used somewhat loosely.  The majority of shoe companies/manufacturers take advantage of factory equipment/machinery that can save time and money and therefore reduce the selling price of their shoes in order to successfully compete.  Surely if a company is advertising the fact that their shoes are handmade then they should be handmade.  In reality it may well be some minor leather finishing on the shoe that has been done by hand and very little else. The shoemakers at the eSHOEMAKER make all the shoes by hand including hand punching, cutting and stitching - even the lasting of the shoes is done by hand compared with the more conventional lasting machines used by most mens dress shoescompanies.

A shoe that is completely handmade should be more superior in quality than a machine made equivalent and most importantly in the case of the eSHOEMAKER it has been made especially for the customer.

Mens dress shoes are advertised as handmade shoes on a regular basis despite the fact that there has been far more machine input than hand - the best way of identifying handmade shoes is firstly to look at the price; a handmade shoe imported into the UK from anywhere in the world realistically cannot be sold commercially for at least £100++.  It takes at least a day/2 days to make a pair of shoes, at least 6 days to last the shoes.  A pair of handmademens dress shoes made in the UK would cost at least £250++.

For further information visit www.eshoemaker.co.uk 

Three new styles launched by the eSHOEMAKER

Three brand new styles of mens dress shoes have just been launched by the eSHOEMAKER all of which can be customised and personalised.  The company’s designer Roland Haynes, the ex-creative director at Oliver Sweeney has produced three elegant shoe styles; the Crest, and the Kensington and Mayfair both from the ibrogue range (brogue shoes).

The Crest has a Derby style lace closure and the upper has a modern sleek look to the design.  The shoe although originally designed with a Blake stitching construction, is available with a Goodyear welted sole.  Other custom options include a choice of lining colours and heel heights.  An elegant personalisation in the form of the customer’s initials can be hand punched onto the toe.

The ibrogue Kensington has an Oxford style lace closure and is a modern take on a popular classic with one line of designer brogueing with a turned finish.  The Goodyear welted construction can be replaced with a Blake stitched construction.  Again, the customer’s initials can be elegantly hand punched onto the toe.

The ibrogue Mayfair also has an Oxford style lace closure but has a more traditional look in the form of two lines of gimping (with a natural edge) with some designer brogueing.  Again, available in both the Goodyear or Blake construction and with the same custom and personalised options as the Kensington.

Look out for three new designs currently being finalised.

For further information visit www.eshoemaker.co.uk