Category: Smart Designer Shoes

Ralph Lauren Shoes

I know that I first found Ralph Lauren shoes around two months ago, but i’m really into their styles and designs at the moment. As their range of shoes moves closer to winter and the poor weather the more great styles appear and winter weather fashion really starts to appear and be browsed, mulled over and bought by the fashionable men of the UK. A couple of months back the sun was still shining, the weather was warm and there was still a safe use for canvas shoes and trainers. With this canvas obssesion still evident the key styles such as the ‘Harold’ and ‘Vaughn’ were bestselling canvas shoes as men around the world snapped these fantastic shoes up. Then came the hurricanes and wet weather came and the boots and leather shoes began to appear. Now with the weather set to be in full flow within the next few weeks retailers are getting their Ralph Lauren boots, wellies and other winter styled fashion shoes ready to be snapped up by the prepared, and the not so prepared impulse shoppers!

The ‘Ackworth’ hiking boot is set to be probably the most sought after style of boots available this season due to their premium leather, large chunky sole unit and embossed Ralph Lauren logo on the ankle. After this the ‘Radbourne’ calf boot and the ‘Landon’ all weather boot that is a range strange mix between a wellington boot foot with a leather ankle panel and a fleece and quilted lining. This may not appeal to everyone, however the fashionable male that needs that little bit more will have his eye caught by these. Caterpillar and Timberland have also produced something similar this season, so there must be something in the design, and as an added bonus, they’re REALLY comfy (speaking from experience!). If you’re looking for some Ralph Lauren shoes this winter, they’ll range from around the £60 for trainers right through to over £200 for the boots but you will be getting some serious quality from one of the most famous designer clothing brands in the world.

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Winter Brogue Collections Available in UK

I’ve been doing some browsing around the online retailers this week, mainly because its a week until payday, but also as I was looking for some great inspiration for some new footwear. This season seems pretty standard, and looking around there really is nothing out of the ordinary available, so its all about how you wear what you already have. A couple of weeks ago we looked at the brogue boot that will be perfect for the winter months and general British wetness and snow, and can be worn for business or smart casual occasions or just as a general fashionable male about town.

I’ve looked at H by Hudson over the course of the past few months, and know all about their brogues, and have also briefly mentioned Grenson and Trickers in posts, however i’ve recently spotted some Ted Baker brogues that look absolutely beautiful. With a variety of brogue boots, rounded toe oxford brogues and pointed toe brogues there is something for everyone among their range in two key colours, black or tan brown. The Oxford brogues look particularly striking as they have an eye catching brown ‘wooden layered’ effect chunky rubber sole with either the tan or black leather upper. I’ve seen the prices vary depending on which style you want, but expect to pay between £100 and £175 for the shoes and boots available in the usual adult male sizes.

With the brogues you can wear them with rolled up jeans or chinos, business suit trousers, or simply like the good old days with a straight leg pair of dark indigo jeans and a shirt or some chunky winter knitwear from a variety of designer mens clothing brands. Sorry to keep banging on about brogues on Designer Shoes and Trainers but I firmly believe that these are THE smart shoe of autumn winter 2011.

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Smart Summer Shoe Crossed With Winter Boot – Brogue Boots!

In terms of smarter shoes the summer was all about the brogue. The brogue can originally be traced back to Scotland and Ireland and were originally used as outdoor shoes or for rambling. Over time the perception of how a brogue should be worn has changed and now it is seen as quite a high end fashionable piece that until recently was seen as a well to do thing to have in business. A brogue has four different ‘toe caps’ or in lehmanns terms the designs towards the end of the toe, these are defined on Wikipedia as:

Brogues are most commonly found in one of four toe cap styles (full or “wingtip” brogues, semi-brogues, quarter brogues and longwing brogues) and four closure styles (oxford, derby, ghillie and monk strap). Most commonly offered as a leather dress shoe, brogues may also come in the form of boots, canvas or leather sneakers or any other shoe type that includes or evokes the multi-piece construction and perforated, serrated edges characteristic of brogues.

So in short any shoe that has a perforated or serrated design on the upper can be classed as some form of brogue. The last couple of summers and seasons have seen the brogue evolve from being worn with trousers and business suits to appearing as a fashion piece with a variety of colours and materials such as suede, leather and canvas being used to create the upper. Matching a pair of blue suede uppers with a rolled up pair of chinos or jeans was seen an increased amount this past season, so now that winter is on its way, with wet weather and snow the fashion has evolved slightly. The brogue boot has made a bit of an appearance alongside the fashion hiking boot for winter 2011 and with top shoe brands H by Hudson, Trickers, Grenson, Ted Baker and Paul Smith to name a few offering a brogue boot for the winter, that is set to be a must have.

There will be two ways to wear the brogue boot to keep in with the winter trend, either with the rolled up jeans or chinos, ensuring that they don’t get wet in puddles or the snow. The other option is to go really outdoor and wear your boots with thick wool socks and tuck your jeans and chinos into these. This will not only keep your feet warm and dry, but will look really on trend. I’ve picked out a couple of great examples below for your winter fashion, and if they don’t quite appeal to you the boots can be worn with the trusty straight leg jeans, trousers or suit, the difference being that you’re wearing a boot opposed to a shoe!

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Shoes and Trainers by Ralph Lauren

I’m starting to see a lot of Ralph Lauren footwear about on my various travels and trips. Businessmen are adopting the ‘Ralph Lauren’ range, while the older gents are picking up the slightly more casual ‘Polo Ralph Lauren’ collection and enjoying the loafers, deck shoes and smart canvas shoes or plimsolls that come with the signature Ralph Lauren polo player on horse logo. Ralph footwear wasn’t really something that I had seen in any great numbers, with the occasional American or brand loving guy sporting the shoes, but in recent times there has definitely been an uplift in the amount of men around the UK wearing the brand usually well known for its cotton mesh polo shirts. If you’re looking to get into the footwear for the brand then I would wholeheartedly recommend starting with the Polo range, as the standard Ralph starts at £265 and ranges up to a whopping £620 for brogues and loafers. The price bracket may be high, but the quality of the leather, craftmanship and the global appeal of the brand really covers this.

The Polo Ralph Lauren shoes range has some beautiful shoes and colours with leather loafers, deck shoes, military style boots, high tops and a variety of styles of canvas sneakers have really caught the imagination of the public in the UK, and when priced between £55 and £165 you can see why. You compare these to other gents brand such as Paul Smith or Ted Baker and you can see that the price is much more competitive for a superb pair of shoes from a top designer name. There is plenty of styles available to see out the rest of the summer, but equally the Ralph Lauren boots are a must have for the winter rain and snow. Perfect for poor weather conditions these boots can be matched with multiple outfits, but the best fit are dark jeans or chinos rolled up and tucked into thick knitted socks with the tan leather boots. The rest of the range is pretty self explanatory and perfect for a blustery autumn, so if you’re looking for a new fashion footwear brand to follow then Ralph Lauren should be your choice this year.

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New Shoes For The Office? H by Hudson for Me!

I don’t know about anyone else but my smart designer shoes for the office have taken a hammering this summer, and I think its about time that I got myself some new ones for the autumn. I’ve always been a great believer that women look at a mans shoes first so have always made sure that my work shoes look as good as they can and over the years i’ve sported a wide range of shoe brands including Clarks, Grenson, Paulo Vandini, Frank Wright and even a really expensive pair of Trickers however I was recently pointed in the direction of H by Hudson and found that their comfort and price were perfect for a pair of shoes for the office. Easy to match with a suit for the meetings and jeans for the casual days my shoes for the first half of the year have done me proud, so for the second half of the year, other than pulling out my Red Wing and Timberland for the snow, i’ve got my eye on a pair of brogues for the office and maybe a pair of chukka boots for out and about and the casual days at work. Call me a bit crazy, as there is nothing really wrong with my shoes now, but I love getting new shoes and enjoy pulling out my old Grensons and Trickers for an airing now and again.

H by Hudson is a London based designer shoe brand that has a couple of collections for men. You want to be in the H by Hudson for an everyday pair of shoes and if you want something a little different or special then its got to be the Hudson purified, especially the exclusive shoes on their own site with the vibram sole unit – very winter 2011. I can’t speak highly enough of the brogues that come in all shades of brown, black and grey and are available in a variety of styles including boots, pointed toe and rounded toe ensuring that unlike some brands people with wide feet (like myself) can be much more comfortable in a pair of their shoes. So now, for the time being I am a H by Hudson convert unless I come into money and can have a wardrobe full of Trickers and Grenson brogues!

Prices vary between £75 and £150 for the H by Hudson and between £120 and £175 for the purified range so they’re not bargain bin, but at the same time won’t break the bank. If you’re looking to try a pair why not visit ASOS (0nline), Office, Schuh and Kurt Geiger (all online and high street) and pick yourself out your new pair of smart shoes to have and to hold, until you get bored! As always, let me know if you have any good or bad experiences with the shoes, and if Hudson wish to send me a pair i’m a size 10! info@designershoesandtrainers.co.uk

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