Men's Second Style

I became aware of how important shoes are to a man during the Clinton impeachment.

Before, I had assumed that shod equaled good, and so long as my wheels matched my belt (or nearly so, poverty’s limitations being what they were), I was golden. But it was David Boies who taught me wisdom. Boies was Clinton’s primary attorney during the impeachment hearings. Now, this is a man who ranks amongst the top 10, perhaps top five, attorneys in the world. The man lives in an 8,000 square foot Georgian-style pile of bricks in Westchester County. He’s got two wine cellars–one for bottles, and one for cases. And, beyond all human reason, the man wears Land’s End suits with black running shoes. All the time. In court. In the SUPREME Court.

It was in response to this affront that I formed the inflexible opinions on what constitutes proper footwear for men that I hold to this day. I have tennis shoes and I wear them–just not with my suits. I’ve seen men on the train wearing their workout shoes to the office, like the temp assistants. It ought to be, in a just world, a caning offense. Ryan was kind enough to extend me the opportunity to review the remaining three pairs of Eponymous Trenchmouth’s superior collection at Jeepers Creepers (Tean (240, 87, 24) and I have to admit: each pair is, to put it bluntly, extraordinary.

Jeepers’ Spartacus is a beautifully done squared-toe monkstrap that radiates savoir faire. The stitching is rough and has a bit of Old West ambience, but the delightful mottling suggests that Trenchmouth knows the old trick of polishing your brown dress shoes first with brown polish and then a second time with black, to lend the leather an antiqued elegance. The strap is fastened with a gold button on either side, engraved with a flower, and overall the shoe works for both high end suits (I especially like what it does for my Luna) and jeans and sweater. The Spartacus is a utility shoe for men of taste.

The Carl Perkins is not as utilitarian, although I hoped it might be. As Flusser is purported to have said, a blue suit ought to be accompanied by blue shoes, and that’s exactly what I attempted. The Perkins, however, is a decidedly informal shoe, albeit a very well-crafted one. While sophisticated, the light navy suede, the rounded toe and the thick sole all add a casual air that rebuffs a suit.

Jeans then! With which the Perkins truly shines. The Perkins uppers, like those of the Spartacus, are detailed to perfection: fine stitching at the cap, brass grommets, laces draped over the leather, even realistic wear creasing. The shadowing is perfectly integrated and gives the impression of both substance and depth. The Perkins is a classically styled casual shoe that transforms your everyday denim into a something more elegant.

Finally, the Roman Polanski. Like their namesake, these shoes have a European sensibility, an understated but subtly challenging sense of drama, and a bit of cheek. The Polanski is a hybrid shoe–the brogueing along the vamp suggests a more formal shoe, while the wide strap loafers the package up a bit. This is a summertime shoe, suitable for linen and sunlight. And like all the new Trenchmouth designs, it is deftly mottled, naturalistic, and detailed.

So, maybe you’re one of the best attorneys in Second Life–do you really want to earn a caning by sporting tennis shoes with your suits? Of course not. The Rebel Collection at Jeepers Creepers (Tean 240, 87, 24). $L400 per pair.