Edward Green Appreciation: Pictures, Info, and Where to Buy

[Mr_Spud]

Thanks for the correction. English is not my mother tongue, I put effort in writing correctly, but can't avoid any mistakes.

To which the forum replied, “Suiting up is that guy’s natural state of dress either…”. ;-)

 

[nmiller08]

202D doak today

 

[FinerThingsInLife]

Last September I started to get the itch. I was looking at what I wear for work (mainly smart casual, and/or a sport coat, slacks, and depending on the need, an occasional tie), and decided that I needed a new pair of Edward Green's. The dilemma was what to get? I knew I wanted something that would get heavy rotation in my wardrobe, so that meant it had to be able to 'dress-up' and 'dress-down' easily. I also knew that I had the DOAK dimension locked in with my Galways and Cowes. So that left me pondering which color, which material to choose, and whether to go shoe or boot?

Needless to say, the search began to gain inspiration for what I should get. Of course, I scoured my usual haunts... the Edward Green site, Gentleman's footwear, Unipair, Double Monk, Degand, The Hand, Leffot, etc... and while many shoes/boots caught my eye, the exact pair I was seeking eluded me. Through the process, and countless hours scrolling through Instagram, I realized what I liked (and didn't) about my current EG shoes. I love my Galway with DOAK and Mink Suede, but in my next pair, I didn't want Danite soles (they are simply like ice skates whenever it rains). My Galways are on the 82 last, which is lovely on my foot, so I was open to continuing in that vein. My other EG pair is a derby (Cowes), which is a lovely contemporarily brogued shoe on the 888 last. My version is from Degand in Brussels, and after many years of wear, has a well worn double leather sole. I LOVE the double leather sole and how it truly molds to your foot. But I have found it doesn't like the rain that much, as the leather soaks up the water. I also found the 888 last was a wee bit tight around the ball of my foot. Still very wearable, but if I was going to get another shoe/boot, I wanted a bit roomier last. So that led me to conclude that the next last would be a 606 or 202.
Now the next question was the sole. I thought long and hard about going for a double leather or HAF sole, as the HAF is so darn sexy. But I also thought deeply about the climate where I would be wearing the new EG. I work and live in the Toronto area, so with our weather ( read snow, rain) that I felt a rubber sole would be better. I also spend a good amount of my day on my feet, so I began to think that a rubber sole would provide a bit of cushioning. I decided to go with the R2 sole as it has a similar profile as the HAF and looks so darn good (especially now that I've seen it in the flesh...it is a very elegant sole with a nice tapered waist).

Finally, I had to decide on the leather and color. This was the hardest choice of them all. I absolutely love seeing the quality of stitching and the beauty of a leather's natural tones. I'm drawn to the lighter tones such as the Chestnut Antique's and Edwardian Antiques because the leather shows off the stitching so well ... and I think the stitching (and the way it draws your eye) is one of the most underappreciated aspects of a beautiful shoe. But these colors, while beautiful, were variations of my brown palette. So, in terms of maximizing their use, they weren't going to get enough wear to justify the purchase at the expense of another color option. My attention then turned to Burgundy Antique (wow that is sooooo nice), or finding the right Black. I figured either of these options would do well in fall/winter/early spring here in Toronto, and would provide more versatility in my wardrobe than another 'brown' shoe. The color choice was also closely coupled with the boot/shoe style I was picking. I thought about getting a Dover, or perhaps another Galway, but as I thought about it more, I realized that if I was going to go the MTO route, I should really play to EG's strengths, namely, the Norwegian split toe. This then forced me to deeply consider the Dover, the Cranleigh, and the Halifax.

The Dover is a natural pick, as it truly is THE iconic derby. But I already had a serviceable black derby shoe (albeit non-EG!), and while there is an incredible Dover in Nightshade at Gentlemen's Footwear (Yes Steve, I have been eyeing that one up!), I was feeling that I needed something a little different, maybe a boot that can dress up and down.
When considering the Cranleigh and the Halifax, the thing that became clear (and I hadn't fully appreciated this until I got this far down the rabbit hole .... thanks for bearing with me!) is the dramatic effect the number of eyelets has on the formality of the boot. I realized that one of the reasons the Cranleigh feels so much more rugged and casual is the number of eyelets and the lacing on the foot. Unfortunatley, I didn't want a rugged casual boot, so the Cranleigh was out. That left me with the Halifax, but even the Halifax experiences the same eyelet formality challenge. The three eyelet version is much more 'smart' than the four eyelet version. So with that recognition, I decided to go with the three eyelet Halifax. And to have it sit comfortably in the 'dress-up and dress-down' category, I chose Black Utah as the leather of choice. It simply would go with everything, and the texture of the Utah absolutely creates a look that works amazingly well with dark denim and a sport coat, as well as pairing with dress pants, shirt, tie and jacket. It ended up being the perfect choice, and while I love, love, love, the burgundy/nightshade antique, it will have to wait until a future purchase. Such first world problems.....



Thanks for reading, and I hope this deep dive into my logic helps you when your next splurge happens. 😎 Here's a couple pics of my new makeup.

 

[gzheydey]

Last September I started to get the itch.

Last September I started to get rich.

If that's the start, I'll be ready ^_^

 

[FinerThingsInLife]

Last September I started to get rich.

If that's the start, I'll be ready ^_^

EGs do cost more, but they don't require one to be rich. If someone is patient and committed to a simple savings strategy (like $100/month), it is possible to accumulate the savings necessary to buy your dream shoe in less than two years. That is essentially what I did, and I can tell you that you will love that shoe more than you can imagine...and have a great story to tell when it arrives.

 

[Denar78]

EGs do cost more, but they don't require one to be rich. If someone is patient and committed to a simple savings strategy (like $100/month), it is possible to accumulate the savings necessary to buy your dream shoe in less than two years. That is essentially what I did, and I can tell you that you will love that shoe more than you can imagine...and have a great story to tell when it arrives.l

The problem is when you want more than one pair

 

[flylikeneagle]

Burgundy delapre and clove suede

 

[Humpty_Dumpty_Rises]

The problem is when you want more than one pair

 

[Humpty_Dumpty_Rises]

The problem is when you want more than one pair

 

[Humpty_Dumpty_Rises]

EGs do cost more, but they don't require one to be rich. If someone is patient and committed to a simple savings strategy (like $100/month), it is possible to accumulate the savings necessary to buy your dream shoe in less than two years. That is essentially what I did, and I can tell you that you will love that shoe more than you can imagine...and have a great story to tell when it arrives.

Me telling my story to my 12 year old:

Father: "Son, you see this fantastic pair of boots. Your dad saved a £100 a month for 2 years and bought these with his hard earned money. And one day you can inherit them and enjoy wearing them"

Response

Son: "Whatever dad. I dont really like them. And honestly, why did you waste your money and time. You could've just bought a pair of Nike Air's for £80 quid. They are way more comfortable, use recycled waste material, and they go with everything"

 

[shoefan57]

Me telling my story to my 12 year old:

Father: "Son, you see this fantastic pair of boots. Your dad saved a £100 a month for 2 years and bought these with his hard earned money. And one day you can inherit them and enjoy wearing them"

Response

Son: "Whatever dad. I dont really like them. And honestly, why did you waste your money and time. You could've just bought a pair of Nike Air's for £80 quid. They are way more comfortable, use recycled waste material, and they go with everything

He’ll grow up one day 🤣

 

[DorianGreen]

Burgundy delapre and clove suede

View attachment 2124811

Great, low contrast leather combination.

 

[Pushedboar]

Still look lovely a year on!

 

[Satmoche]

Dear E.G. lovers,
I am a loyal Crockett & Jones loyal customer but with their recent price increase, I am consequently reconsidering my pledge to the brand and I am now eyeing Edward Green.
I have a large enough collection of shoes but I am 'missing' a black loafer. I really like their Piccadilly, especially when considering that the grain should provide more suppleness.
I have a few questions:
- for those who own both C&J bench grade and hand grade, did you notice a notable difference in comfort and quality of leather?
- for the owners of the shoe I covet, is the vamp low?

 

[Dalaruan]

low vamp, tight toe box
you need to find a place where you can try them on. EG loafers are extremely tight for me in the toe box, sizing up solves the toe box issue but heel slip became very severe, so i gave up eg loafers entirely