August Style: Essential Shoe Accessories
A quality shoe is only as good as its upkeep. These indispensable shoe accessories will help you put the right foot forward.
According to common wisdom (and countless exhortations in the pages of men’s magazines), the first thing a woman notices about a man is his shoes. While we may disagree with that assessment – if only to validate countless hours spent at the gym – we can’t minimize the importance of clean and polished footwear at the office. Scuffed-up shoes denote a laissez-faire attitude that tends to be at odds with the corporate go-getter ideal. Daily maintenance with cedar shoe trees (which absorb excess moisture in the leather from perspiration), a weekly polishing, and the occasional going over by a qualified cobbler can raise the profile of less expensive footwear or keep a serious shoe investment in top shape.
(Left to right):
Brooks Brothers cedar shoe trees, $33.
Vintage shoe lasts, private collection of third-generation cobbler Ronald Nijdam.
Four Seasons shine brushes, $6.95 each from Quick Cobbler.
Cedar shoe shine box, $69.95 from Quick Cobbler.
Leather shoe horn, $55 from Brooks Brothers.
Cordovan tassel loafer, $685 from Brooks Brothers.
Kelly’s shoe polish, $7.95 each from Quick Cobbler.
Four Seasons polish brushes, $6.95 each from Quick Cobbler.
White metal 1940s Williams Brothers New York vintage shoe tree (private collection).
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