Everywhere I seem to have looked this summer I have seen at least one pair of Lyle and Scott canvas plimsoll trainers, or a pair of their deck shoes. The majority have been white, with the golden eagle logo on the tongue, and I have seen them matched with a large variety of outfits but the most common has to be the chinos or shorts on a warm day. These canvas plimsolls were a master stroke by the brand that now offers mid tops, desert boots and deck shoes not to mention the array of colours including white, black, grey, navy, brown and other seasonal eye catching colours. A master stroke they may be in the way that the golden eagle is seen on yet another piece of clothing in the UK but the question I had, that I wish i’d had the time to ask the lads i saw wearing the shoes was this – Are you wearing those shoes because a) They’re Lyle and Scott b) They’re on trend or c) because they’re comfortable and a great fit? I can’t say from personal experience much about answer C, but my guess is that they fit as well as any pair of canvas trainers, the one difference with these is the embroidered golden eagle on the tongue. So the question begs, is it because they L&S or because its the trend? Surely if its the trend they’d be looking at a proper pair such as a pair of Superga or another brand as to not max out the Lyle and Scott branding, however more than a couple of these lads were maxed out in the Scottish knitwear brands clothing so my guess is that they would answer A and the rest would swing somewhere between A & B.

There isn’t a problem with this at all, Lyle and Scott is a quality brand, that has done really well in the past few years to get to the top of the tree and stay there, avoiding the rocks thrown by their rivals from lower branches, and the footwear collection is just one of a few reasons that they have managed to sustain their position. This included with the ever growing range, Heritage collection, golf sponsorship and their moving into accessories. This means that more and people in the UK and Europe can access Lyle and Scott products without it just being a classic polo shirt or v neck knitted jumper. Lyle and Scott footwear will be around as long as the brand is performing well, however if the core of the brand begins to slip a branch or two then the footwear will also be the first to go. So when buying yourself a new pair of plimsolls shop around. If you want to wear Lyle and Scott to show your love for the brand then grab a polo shirt and divide your outfit between a range of brands, don’t look like Larry Lyle and Scott!