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Category Archives: Brogues

Suggs the smart Geezer !

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Suggs the smart Geezer !

I first came across Suggs as a young lad, along with The Specials, Dexys etc. Madness were part of a great smattering of cool bands from that era.

Most of the bands shone very brightly for a year or 2, but Madness have hung around. They are in the UK, part of our culture now, playing both the Olympics ceremonies and Royal celebrations and their tunes light up any day. If you dj and have a room full of all ages, madness will get the 7 year old and the 70 year old moving.

mod-shoes-madness-singlesmod shoes madness young suggs in doc martins

Now not for a minute am i suggesting that Madness or even Suggs are Mods, but there is an obvious line back to SKA. Suggs has often said about his love of SKA in many interviews, but he has also recently mentioned that he had leanings to the MOD thing. In his biography he mentions going to see The Who at the Charlton Football Ground, which i believe did future members of The Chords.

In the book he mentions buying a riding an LI150. Chas smash also had one. He talks about cutting his hair short whilst everyone else was long. To me sounds like a
young Weller !

mod shoes suggs autobiography
Suggs has a biography out, it is a good read and as entertaining as a Madness song.
mod shoes suggs on a vespa scooter
Not the Li150 he had when he was younger.

Anyways back to the story, when i was younger Suggs looked friendly and came over well on the telly. The songs they developed became classics and his dress sense changed but he always looked dapper. Even mid 80s period he dressed like he had thought about it.

So why this blog?
Well many of us Mod types cite people like Marriot, Weller etc, as an influence, Suggs was one of mine.

Looking back now you can see a IVY skin look rather than the OI! look that many skins had. He wears a lot of amercan influenced clothes, which to my young eyes, just looked cool. For every pic of him in his cherry reds, you can also see him in mixture of Tassel Loafers & Brogues.

mod shoes madness-one-step-beyond-stiff-suggs in brogues

On the front cover of One Step Beyond, brown full wing tip brogues. 3 of the rest of the band in Tassel Loafers. I think this is why i wanted a pair of both at 11 years of age. I had to wait at least a year for a pair.

mod shoes suggs in chequered jacketThe suits at the time weren’t classic 3 button affairs, but they looked right, Suggs very often wore a 1 button jacket, which i always thought looked great on him. The Chequered jacket in Embarrassment is just brilliant and no one could pull it off like him.

I must admit his look went very 80s as the decade progressed but i dont remember any long hair or dodgy leather jackets.

The next i heard of him, he was managing Liverpool band The Farm. Pics i saw of this time was very IVY inspired Harringtons and Jeans with turn ups. Once Madness started getting back together properly then smart suits were the order of the day. Notice in the pics Suggs has his trousers or jeans tailored right.

mod shoes madness 01

mod shoes madness two tone brogues and red socks

mod shoes suggs in two tone brogues

He has had a variety of shoes in these recent times, but he seems to favour Loake Brighton Tassel Loafers and Two Tone Brogues. At Glastonbury he wore some very dapper brogues, and that is pure madness ! how did he keep them clean !

Anyways hope you liked this little blog.

The final picture is a great one, look at those colours, god he looks good. Get the biography it is great and if you get chance try and catch his show about his life it is very entertaining.       mod shoes suggs_back_cover

 

Shoes we sell that remind me of Suggs

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DJ Warren Peace – My Sole Collection

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Guest Blog from Dj Warren Peace. Lots to read here from the Marmite of MOD! Over to you fella. 

As anyone who listens to my show knows by now, I am not what you consider the typical mod. I love the 60’s. It was an era where men were Sean Connery and not Harry Styles. A time of phenomenal music, style and social change. Most importantly to me as a mod, it marked the birth of the movement which changed my life. Whilst I ‘tip my hat’ to this of often over-romanticized bygone decade, I’m happy that I live in 2013. To ’60‘s man’ I am George Jetson and like George, I live my life as a true MODERNist. What does that mean? Well, in a nutshell I’m obsessive about style and details and embrace the finest aspects of what ‘now’ has to offer whilst incorporating the best of the past into my daily wardrobe, living space and iPod. In essence, I celebrate the 60’s but I’m aware (and glad) that I don’t live in them. You could never mistake my look as an extra from ‘The Spy Who Shagged Me’ and my ‘mod styling’ is anything but the bog-standard mod 101 look. As I’ve said ad nauseam on the show, mod isn’t a halloween costume. It’s style over fashion and looking exceptional… without exception. Clean lines, form and functionality. End of. When I look at the way a fellow mod or any man dresses for that matter, it’s the opposite of sexual foreplay with a woman, i.e. I don’t start from the top and work down, I start below the ankle…at the shoes, and work up.

I love shoes. What mod doesn’t? My SOLE collection has always been much greater than my SOUL collection and I’m proud of that fact. (You can’t wear Gino Parks to a cocktail party now, can you?) I live each day as a mod, not just the weekends, so my shoes get a lot of wear and tear as dressing up is just ‘another day at the office’ in Warren’s world. You will find few if ANY ‘mod labels’ in my wardrobe or shoes many would consider ‘proper mod’, or ‘mod’ at all for that matter. I’m into well-made, timeless classics and I’d rather have one of something great than ten pieces of tat glued or stitched together by a 13 year old in Cambodia. Shoes so well made they will last a lifetime with the right care and repair and eventually, accompany me to the great Soul Night in the Sky (by the way, the John Lobb Ilford 6-eyelet prestige oxfords are the front-runners to accompany me 6ft under at the time of writing this!) With that said, here are a few of my current favorites. Warning: My opinion changes weekly so by the time you read this, I’ll probably deny owning half of them.

Let’s kick it all of with my Bergdorf Goodman Dover loafers with front penny strap.Italian made in a gorgeous bordeaux shade of leather. These almost feel like you aren’t wearing shoes at all and that’s a win for me with high arches. Leather sole (which looks a little like rubber in the picture but is not) and hand-stitched detailing.  For the fashionistas among you, the shoes are resting on my  Luciano Barbera three button sport-coat, also classic Italian. I love LB and although you can’t see it here, the lining matches the shoes, so I often wear these in combination with one another. Pair with a light blue, penny collar french cuff shirt and pocket square and we have lift off.

Bergdorf Goodman Dover loafers

My favorite shoes without a doubt have always been and will always be, wingtip brogues. It’s a classic, time-less and versatile shoe that can be worn casual or dressy and brings a hint of elegance to any outfit instantly.

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I’m not big on vintage shoes. Something to do with my distaste for wearing something that’s been wrapped around another man’s sweaty feet for 30 years, but these were just too exceptional to pass up. Tan brogues donkeys years old but still in amazing shape. I look after them well and they’ve lasted because their original owner clearly did the same.

I like to take chances with outfits and have no hesitation pairing these with navy blue or dark grey pinstripe suits for that additional and unexpected ‘pop’ or more traditionally, with my light grey Price of Wales check double breasted suit.

I believe mod is about individuality. Creating one’s OWN style and standing out from sloppy society and what better a way to do it than in these.  Something about them reminds me of my old science teacher…a hard mean bastard but boy…could he dress!

Next up..the iconic mod Chelsea boot, Italian made by Tods in a dark chocolate suede. I like Tods and I LOVE suede. Too much! A b*** to maintain but so worth it. I have lots of suede shoes but my favorite pair of all are my CB’s!

Todds Chelsea Boots

They look great with almost anything. On a recent trip to Montreal I picked up a pair of unworn light beige sta-prest trousers from the 60’s (warehouse find!) thanks to my host, Parka Avenue mod blogger Patrick Foisy knowing the right people. The cut of the trousers are a little higher to the ankle so perfect for boots like these. Check shirt, sunglasses and suede jacket and I’m ready to scoot! I’m also a mod who unashamedly admits to loving the Beatles, although I’ve never done well with a cuban heel. I’m tall and so adding a few inches makes me feel like Gulliver among the Lilliputians! As you can see, the Tods Chelsea boots heels are much flatter.

Back to the brogues! Meet my American pals…the  John Varvatos Hallowell Wing Tips.

John Varvatos Hallowell Wing Tips
John Varvatos Hallowell Wing Tips

The picture doesn’t quite do these justice but the color, a deep rich mocha is jaw dropping and an asset almost any outfit I decide to pair these with.

Since I acquired these I have a better appreciation for how large-breasted women must feel because during every conversation, the other person’s eyes invariably gravitate downwards usually followed by light salivating. Poor old Babs Windsor!

Not the finest quality shoe I own but the highly polished leather, tonal stitching and comfort won me over when I found these on sale earlier this year. I just had a Rodger Stirling (Mad Men) 3-piece suit crafted by my tailor in a light vintage grey with slim lapels and a 6 button vest. Add crisp, fitted imperial oxford weave white french cuff shirt with penny collar, vintage gold wrap-around mesh cufflinks, skinny knitted navy polkadot tie and my JV’s. Does the look follow the mod rule book? Not at all… but stand me next to a Tonik Suit Charlie  wearing his ‘off the rack and on the back’ and tell me who’s the Face.

Prada Penny Loafers

The original Mods look was inspired by the ‘movers and groovers’ of the Italian/ continental high fashion scene and the US preppie collegiate look. Fast forward to today and High Italian fashion in 2013 doesn’t get better than Prada in my opinion. Prada was founded in 1913 in Milan by Mario Prada and is currently one of the most influential clothing lines in the fashion industry, with an iconic collection that includes sunglasses, handbags, suits, shirts and some amazing shoes. These penny loafers have the honorable/notorious distinction of being my dance shoes of choice. All leather in a  strange shade of emerald green/ fading to black. Not for everyone but definitely for me. The ethos of the Face was to push the boundaries and believe me when I say, these do just that. A great shoe to wear with both jeans or trousers. The talcum powder  brushes off with ease and they maintain a flawless, unworn look despite untold hours of gettin’ down! Shoes are photographed here with July 1968’s edition of Playboy and my desk mascot, bulldog ‘Jack’ (a gift from ‘M’).

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Why would I wear decent dress shoes when riding my ’68 Vespa 180SS? Answer…I wouldn’t! Enter the Desert Boot… not necessarily the staple of a Mods wardrobe but definitely a ‘MUST HAVE’ for any scooter riding mod.  NEVER, EVER pair Desert Boots with a suit like Jimmy Cooper! You’re a real mod not an actor dressed by a costumer and you can do better…no, HAVE to do better than that!  I have two kinds of DB’s. Classic brown suede (told you) Clarks with rust stitching and laces (there’s that attention to detail I was telling you about). The lighter suede pair are Italian made by Miu Miu, a high fashion brand of clothing and accessories from the Prada fashion house headed by Miuccia Prada (hence the name). Due to the color they take a lot of upkeep but are going on 13 years old now! Both look great with some light cotton fitted beige chinos for the Sunday scooter ride, leather belt and a casual Fred Perry pique cotton top or my preferred cashmere or merino wool knitted polos.

Tom Ford Tassel Loafers

Last but not least, the latest addition to Warren Peace’s Shoeland, a pair of tassel loafers by Tom Ford. While I can’t say that Tom Ford shoes warrant the ridiculous retail sticker cost that comes with them, I can say that for a “designer” he does have some beautiful and well made shoes under his label (i.e. sources the best shoemaker that he could find in Italy to make his shoes). They give you all that you look for in a high end shoes: good leather, beveled waists, clean looking soles, great design and they’re built to last. The color is described as ‘antiqued’. Every single Italian maker was doing it  a while back and it was almost as if you couldn’t find a shoe that did not have a burnish on it, at least here in the States. Nothing wrong with a bit of toe darkening in my book, so bring on the burnish I say!

I fly often and loafers are practical for darting thorough airport security. I also dress to fly, always. The Jet Age is alive and well, at least in my head, and so at any given time on any airport concourse you’ll find me wearing these or something similar sitting amongst the sea of flip flops, crocs, yoga pants and cargo shorts. Definitely a shoe for the power meeting but less formal and stuffy than lace ups. Dress better than your boss is my MO. These will see to that.

That’s your lot for now. So many shoes, so little time! Again, my daily mod style is anything but cookie cutter. For my money the classic look of the English country gentleman, Italian fashionista or American Ivy Leaguer can’t be beaten. Shoes don’t MAKE the man but they can BREAK the outfit. Be an individual and wear what looks good on you, not the other ten charlie’s at soul night down the Hope and Anchor. Challenge the sensibilities. Be the best YOU can be and when in doubt, refer to the fictional mod rule book that some of the more ‘discerning mods’ among us magically own and often reference. Rule #1… style before fashion, always. Rule #2 Look sharp and watch the details and my personal favorite..Rule #3…there are no f%*&g rules!

Peace out!

mod shoes dj warren peaceWarren Peace hosts We are the M♂ds! with Warren Peace radio show Available for download of streaming on iTunes or Podomatic www.wearethemods.podomatic.com also playing on Mod Radio UK- Radio a Go Go (www.ModRadioUK.net)

Whats Better ? Loake Oxblood Royals Brogues or DJ Upsetters

whats-better-loake-royals-or-dj-upsetters

What’s better? Loake Royals or DJ Upsetters

I found myself asking that question 2 years. It wasn’t so much what was better, more why was one so much more money. Could it really be worth twice the price of the other.

On the net the photos were ok, but neither pair of the oxblood brogues had anything more than the technical data, i.e made of leather. There was no background, no reviews and certainly no comparisons. Hence why I started the website, but that’s another story.

What’s better ? Well in the video you can see there are differences, the Loake Royal is a more wide fitting shoe, and certainly the widest shoe we do. The DJ is narrow, and very snug on my wide feet.

The DJ is much almost chisel toed, and certainly has more of a skin, 70’s look about it. The DJ is advertised with yellow laces and again I feel this has a terrace skin feel.

mod-shoes-oxblood-brogues-loake-and-dj

The Loake Oxblood Brogue in comparison is a much more conservative shoe, and I would say better for more occasions. I have mentioned before that it works well with jeans and a suit. I have seen a guy dressed up very smart for Remembrance Day here in the UK with a pair.

The sole on the DJ upsetter was only leather till recently, DJ have now upgraded to Goodyear welted sole and changed the name slightly to the Royale. Both shoes have a very sturdy pair of soles. The Loake are worn by a business colleague and show very little form of wear, despite being worn every day.

The Loake has a slightly better looking leather and I would concede more consistent shoe, meaning the stiching and cut of the shoe is better. BUT is it £75 more better !

Well that’s for you to judge, I personally have a pair of Loakes, but would happily wear the DJ’s.

What I would suggest is how often you going to wear them? What you going to wear them with. What’s your budget. Once you have worked that out then choose a pair.

If you are young or cash is tight, then buy the DJs. They are half the price, which means you could then buy a pair of loafers another day. Meaning you get 2 pairs of decent shoes, for the same price as the Loakes.

On the other hand!

Buy the Loakes once, look after them and you are going to have a really decent pair of shoes for literally years, long after the thrill of a bargain has faded.

I hope that’s helped a bit.
Andy

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Sizing! Just how broad are you!

Sizing! Just how broad are you!

The thoughts behind this blog entry are mainly about how different shoes can come up different sizes.

Modshoes stock a range of shoes by different makers,sometimes within their own ranges the shoe sizes vary as well.

So is an 8, an 8 in all makes?

Well straight away you have to consider the style of the shoe. The cut of the shoe, the design of the shoe, how is it going to stretch, is it laced or slip on? The point being some shoes are designed for a thinner foot.

For examples here are two brogues, one by Loake, the other by Delicious Junction. Both are really good looking shoes. Both stylings are good to my eye, meaning the Loake is slightly rounder, and the DJ a more flattened front. Both come in black or oxblood. Both have leather soles. One is £78 and one is £150.

Now the first thing you may think is well, I can save myself half the price. And that is a fine argument. But, and this a big but, which one is going to fit like I want it to?

Now this is the exact reason, I started the Modshoes website. There is not one website out there that could tell me the difference, and more importantly, whether either of them were any good.

So now I have a pair of both and yes they are different , the Loake is designed for a wider foot. My left foot is 8 and my right 8.5. So when I am buying I need to know if the shoe is going to grow to the shape of my feet. The Delicious Junction Upsetter on the other hand (or should i say foot!) had a narrower feel. So much so that I may even consider going up a size to see if it feels right.

So what am I trying to get at? Well here are some simple pointers as I see it;

  1. Make sure you know your proper size. In the UK, Clark’s will measure you, and the cheap outlet Brantano will also.
  2. Do you have a wide foot?
  3. Does the design of the shoe lend itself to stretch if the shoe is a little tight to start off with. More on this in a bit.
  4. If you are a wider kinda guy, are you going to have to give tight Italian winkle pickers a miss!

So how do you accommodate your foot.

A lace up shoe is always going to flex more. Stand to reason doesn’t it. The lace is very forgiving in terms of your front of foot. A Derby lace up is more forgiving than an Oxford. Brogues tend to come in both Derby and Oxford styles, so if you are buying online, you know the Derby is safer.

Next up in my mind is the leather.
Cheap leather is never good. Whether you are buying a lace up or a loafer, you want the foot to be accommodated properly after a few wears. Some quality loafers can take up to a year to wear in, I have heard Sebagos are meant to be like this. But they also last for years!

So time to start naming names!

Delicious Junction Sizing

We sell a lot of Delicious Junction shoes. We sell them because they are a good shoe at a fair price, and aim their styles at MODS. Not all of them but over 50%. The leather is good on the shoes we stock.

Rudeboy
They do vary, the Rudeboy which is very popular, I would say is slightly wider then most loafers. I advise people to come down a size, rather than go up.So if you are an 8.5, go for a 8.
The Upsetter
The Upsetter though, comes up small, I have tried on an 8 and 9, my normal size being a large 8. But I would get the 9’s because the cut is narrow. Same with the Upsetter boots.

Their other shoes also vary a little, but in the main the loafers come up big and the laces smaller. But this is maybe because I have a wide foot.

The Delicious Junction have only taken a few wears to feel right. The leather on all the shoes I own of this brand have taken about 5 hours of wearing to feel comfortable.

In this video I danced for an hour in a brand new pair of Delicious Junction Detroit loafers and they started feeling good after that hour. The Detroits are the one exception to the range of loafers, if you are an 8.5 go up a size, not down.

Loake

Loake though does tend to be more standard in sizing. And as you would expect from a UK maker that’s been around for a while, the range is consistent. But you pay for that, Loakes start at £99.

The leather Loake use though takes a bit more wearing in. Will it last longer! Only time will tell, but I know lots of soulies with Loakes and Bass Weejuns that are years old and still going well.

Ikon

Ikon we also sell, and again are very like the DJ line. Now maybe this is because both are made in Portugal ! And as such have European sizing rather than stricter UK.


I do want to come back to the design, stitching and leather, all of which play a part in how the shoe is going to fit on your foot.

When considering buying a shoe, think about whether the leather will stretch, also the stitching. Has the designer designed this for a narrow or a wide foot?

A loafer has the stitching to stretch, but if the leather strap across the top is made of cheap leather, it won’t stretch well!

Look at the Loakes here for example.
The Brighton has a wider look, the Georgetown a narrow. Both are very good leather and stitching.


I suppose I would like to conclude that you get what you pay for. Are the Loakes worth twice as much? Well I think so, but are you going to wear them every day or for long hours?

Meaning, if like me you go out once a week, and you have a few pairs of shoes, it is unlikely that a pair of shoes are going to wear out fast, so have more pairs of cheaper shoes.

But if you intend to spend many hours dancing at a soul club, with loads of talc on the floor, then go for good quality ones, your feet will say thank you!

So please watch the video and come back with comments, and also your own experiences of sizing.

Comments and also your own experiences of sizing, very welcome below

Oxblood Brown or Black Brogues, what colour?

Oxblood Brown or Black Brogues, what colour?

Brogues come in many colours and many shades, not to mention styles, but I wanted to concentrate on colours.

When buying a shoe you should consider ‘what I am going to wear them with‘, and that will help you to consider the most appropriate colour.

So, are the shoes mainly to go with jeans for a casual look, or suited and booted? I think about where I am going to be wearing the shoes. So for instance, I go to at least one Northern Soul do a month, where I may be wearing jeans or trousers. I am not likely to have a suit on at this kind of event. During the day though, I am more formal at work, and I tend to stick with classic business Black and Greys, and on occasion a dark blue pin stripe suit.

A ladies very slight brogue. http://www.modcloth.com/shop/shoes-flats/brown-sugar-brogues

A brown brogue is a very versatile colour, and possibly goes with any other colour of trouser including blue jeans. The one time i would say it doesn’t work is with black trousers or a black suit.

‘Black and brown makes a frown’

Aside from black, brown will go with every colour under the sun. From navy to grey and green to burgundy, the deeper, richer, tones of brown and tan shoes will much better compliment a wider variety of colours than black shoes – making them much more versatile.

Not just a Skinhead look, this brogue colour with jeans is very popular in the UK at the moment.

A light brown (Tan) brogue is very popular with the Smart Skin. Oxford Paul ,who lives around here, has several pairs which he combines with light faded jeans and a classic ‘Twisted Ben Sherman’. Worn with confidence it is a good striking look.

One style that DNA Groove do, is the brown suede brogues. I love some of DNA’s designs, think they are really good, especially the basket weavers. All DNA Grooves design are very MOD. The dark browns ones I like the most, the brogue fits well with the colour and styling.

Again shading plays a part, because the darker the shoe, the easier it sits with other trouser colour.

So if you are thinking of buying a brogue, perhaps brown is the best option?

Like these Black Brogues from Churches, £390 !

Black brogues are still a worthy contender though. Black goes with everything, but in my opinion can sometimes look a little stark. Meaning black is more for formal occasions. I wear black loafers with dark blue jeans, but have never liked the faded jeans with black shoe look, too 80’s for me!

For work, I have a pair of Half Brogue Loakes in black. The lacing style is an Oxford, which give the shoe a more formal office look. I wouldn’t wear these with jeans, they just dont sit right. The front is more pointed. I wear this make of brogue because I want something tough which will last.

I have seen the Oxford style black shoes at a Northern Soul do only this weekend, but whilst great for dancing and functional, I dont think it is a great looker!

Which brings me on neatly to Oxblood Brogues. This is my fav colour of Brogue. I don’t think all styles of Brogues suit Oxblood and I don’t think it is for every occasion. What i do like though, is that it stands out enough to say ‘This is a going out shoe’.

Oxblood isn’t everyone’s first choice of colour by any stretch of the imagination, but they are in fact one of the more versatile colours that you can wear. Oxbloods are compatible with all shades of grey, most navy hues and are perhaps a little bit more suitable when worn with black. Not dissimilar to brown brogues, they work with pretty much every colour you could think of.

When we were in Brighton recently, it was Remembrance Sunday, a guy walked past in Black Crombie, Dark Grey Trousers and Oxblood Loake Royal Loafers. The look was very smart and worked well. The same shoe could then be worn with jeans.

One style of oxblood brogue I have seen that looks very good, is combined with a Tassel Loafer. Not two styles you would immediately put together. The shoe is not a heavy shoe, but has a light sole. Terry my friend who owns them wears them with 16inch bottom blue trousers. The loafer part stops to show just the right amount of sock. The shoe is not an obvious choice and not one you see lots, but worn in the right way, which terry does, is very MOD.

The make of these is Mario Bruni. Very nice but not for the faint hearted.

I would go so far to say that should you wish to make an easy, simple statement, Oxblood is the way to go. Oxblood can be utilised in a near identical fashion as brown but the colour is bolder, more interesting and definitely more individual.

I have seen the style work well with a suit and also with jeans at Northern Soul do’s.

My favourite Oxblood Brogues, The Loake Royal. This is one mother of a shoe. Great with a suit, great with jeans at a soul do! They last ages, and why we sell them.

The oxblood colour lends itself well to being that little bit smarter than the Light Brown Brogue.

One issue you might have is that they are an unquestionable step in a new direction for most of the population, so you will have to wear them with a great deal of confidence to pull them off convincingly. But in the main you are buying these shoes to go out in, so why not stand out and wear them with pride!

Here are few examples of Brogue Shoes we like.

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Brogues we sell:

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What MOD Shoe are you ?

What MOD shoe are you?

Had the above picture done because I wanted to talk about the strains within the MOD spectrum.

So to my way of thinking it is split up like this;

Suited and booted MOD, Dandy MOD, Indie MOD, Scooter MOD & Hard MOD.

Each of the styles has a different shoe style as well.

The Suited and Booted mod to me, is the classic look. 3 button suit, ticket pocket, nice fabric, tie with tie pin and on the feet smart looking leather shoes. The shoe will have a thin sole and be a two, three at most, laced affair. Sometimes a slip on, and sometimes a different shade. So not always black.

The Dandy Mod, will have exaggerated Chelsea boot look, possibly in white, or maybe a two colour brogue. The look is very regency, and Brian Jones of the Stones pulled it off to a T.

The next one along is the Britpop MOD, taking their cue slightly from 80’s casual, amalgamated with Damien from Blur. This look was everywhere in the 90’s and to a certain extent hasn’t faded. Rare Adidas and Fred Perry. Personally I think it is a “trendy dad” look now. Saying that I love getting new trainers!

The Scooter Mod, is more a throw back to the MOD Revival and defo born agains. This look combines lots of shoe types and mingles in with the scooterist. So sometimes even DM’s are seen. But again classics are worn here, desert boots etc. But also the look has the Jam Shoe and Bowling Shoes. At the bigger scooter rallies you always someone kicking around in Jam Shoes.

And lastly the Hard MOD look. To me this borders Skinhead and Suedehead. Certainly around Peterborough at the moment this look is popular. As you would expect Tassel Loafers and Brogues. And very popular ‘red socks’.

Now I wanted to draw attention to the styles because we call ourselves MOD Shoes. And I think that all the above styles fit in with the very “broad church” that we call MOD. We sell loads of loafers, which started making me think, in terms of numbers of people, are there more MODS of one type than another?

We ran a picture on Facebook recently to gauge reaction, and it was interesting that some thought the shoes were great and awesome, where as others didn’t, one saying they were ‘vile’ and only fit for pimps!  Personally I though they looked great for a dandy MOD look. But the Dandy look is not especially widespread, whereas the Hard MOD look seems more popular, or has a broader reach.

These shoes caused a bit of a reaction on Facebook. Some loved them, some thought they was Vile ! What do you think?
Image from http://www.facebook.com/KittysVintageKitsch

What am I trying to get at here? My main aim is really just trying to think what should we be trying to find for our customers. It is ok for me to think they are smart and never sell a pair, whereas others sell loads!

Personally at the mo, MODSHOES are trying to find a decent weaver shoe and some cord boots, like desert boots. If you have any suggestions please get in contact. 

Agree or disagree? What do you like, and why?

Loake Shoes – Classic English Leather Shoes


Loake are one of the oldest shoe makers here in the UK. The family Loake has been making shoes since 1880. The companies commitment is to forefathers and the tradition they established all those years ago.

For this reason the premium grade Goodyear welted shoes continue to be made in Kettering, England, in the same factory that the three brothers built in 1894.

The Goodyear welted construction for which Loake is renowned is an intricate process with origins going back over 300 years. Only the very highest quality materials are used. Each pair takes eight weeks to make and they still believe there is no finer way to make a gentleman’s shoe.

They estimate Loake has made over 50 million pairs of Goodyear welted shoes since it began.

So what has this to do with MOD Shoes?
Well the company make very good shoes, and they produce a very ‘English’ style range of shoes. The range cover many shoes that don’t fit with MODS, such as the classic Oxford shoe. But and this is but, they do one of the best Tassel Loafers and Wingback Brogues currently on the market.

The Loake Brighton loafer is a classic tassel loafer. It comes in two colours, Black and the Classic Oxblood. The shoe is not the most expensive, but I would argue thats it is good as gets without going to bespoke.

Certainly designers like Gucci and Ralph Lauren make more expensive, but you are paying for the name! And they don’t look that much better.

I have spoken to people that have had bespoke shoes made, and they were pleased with the results, but also said, not pleased enough to have another pair done, but would rather have 2 or 3 pairs of Loakes instead.

So back to the Brightons. The shoe it self has classic trade marks, the beef roll on the front. This is really well stitched and the roll is flattened and so less prone to getting caught and snagged. The Oxblood colour is a real deep colour and the consistency of the leathers means you don’t get a patch work of colours.

Another friend of mine still has a pair she had in the 80’s. The shoes polished up well when she recently pulled them out of the loft. A local cobbler was able to tidy up the stitching for her. She was very happy when she wore them again to a recent soul do.

The point being that looked after well the shoe is going to last ages.

I have a pair of the Loake Royal Brogues, and think they are really great. They look so smart and shine up well every time. The shoe feels so sturdy that sometimes I think it should be a lot heavier. Certainly all Loake shoes I have seen feel solid.

Cheaper brogues or loafers suffer from inferior leather and start to look dowdy very quickly. The Loake Shoes don’t suffer from this and hence why we are happy to stock them.

Loake Shoes are also very proud of their repair service. In this throw away culture we live in now, it feels good to me that they care enough to want something to last.

And this brings us to the MOD connection.

Kevin Spacey (Lots of films including one of my favs, The Negotiator) & Martin Freeman (The Office, The Hobbit)

Owning a pair of Loake Shoes means you are also in good company Worn by everyone from Bill Nighy and Martin Freeman to Kevin Spacey CBE and Madness.

In the 60’s the MOD culture was very transient and the looks were in and out very quickly, but today we have settled on certain styles to have in the wardrobe as a staple requirement. Personally I am happy to spend on a quality shoe I am going to keep for a while and this is another reason why we stock this classic shoe make.

We hope you agree.
Andy | Modshoes.co.uk

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Brogues

There are many different types of Brogues. The pair above perhaps are the classic look. The above pair are called ‘Wingtails’ in America.

The Brogue has a long history before getting to MOD. Many companies in the UK still produce handmade Brogues: Loake, Earl Barton, Chencery to name a few.  Loake make an old style look called the Chester. At the time of writing these have become fashionable with boy bands like JLS.

In terms of 60’s MODS I saw this on the Modgeneration website.

Adrian Stern

In the 60’s I bought mine from Saxones and complemented them with fringed things that covered the laces. Back in those days good shoes lasted for anything up to 20 years if you looked after them and especially put them in trees to dry after use. The leather used for the uppers was dyed of course but only waxed and one never used polish on them, only wax. The wax hasn’t been made for I don’t know how long and the company went out of business as all shoe leather now has a plastic coating instead of wax which means they will crack well before 15 years have gone – I think after 8 or so.
Churches dropped their beautiful round last for much more pointy ones around 68 or 70 I think and the other British companies followed suit so real round toes probably don’t exist today.
I now have arthritis in a big toe and can’t wear good leather shoes anymore – except for my loafers – made by Barkers and they really are the originals and the best – if you examine the way the top is attached all the other brands join them edge to edge but Barkers are folded over – which means hand-stitched!

 

The later two tone style that Marriot wears on the ‘Colour Me Pop’ show are more late 60’s, and have an air of Dandiness about them. I like the look on Marriott.

I think Weller had some in The Style Council, and Madness have been known to wear them.

 

The Skins and Suedeheads adopted the Brogue for themsleves and today the shoe is still seen widely on the Northern Soul Scene.

I like them a lot, always have, they are a really good hard wearing shoe that, if you look after, last ages. I’m not sure if this happened all over the UK or was regional, but at our school we would add Blakeys which would cause the shoe to make a clicking noise as you walked around. This was done mainly to wind up the teachers.

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PICTURES:

 

Not just a Skinhead look, this brogue colour with jeans is very popular in the UK at the moment.
Not just a Skinhead look, this brogue colour with jeans is very popular in the UK at the moment.
The make of these is Mario Bruni. Very nice but not for the faint hearted.
The make of these is Mario Bruni. Very nice but not for the faint hearted.

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