Shoes Make The Man

By Matthew Longcore

“Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus.”

It’s November now and Santa, that jolly old elf in a red suit, will soon be coming to town.

Santa is a perfect study in sartorial rules. His outfit is classic, timeless.

Here are the details:

Red Coat or Jacket: A crimson or deep burgundy coat lined with satin. It features thick white fur along the cuffs, collar, and front hem, closing via a hidden front zipper or brass buttons.

Matching Red Trousers: Loose-fitting red pants designed with an elastic or drawstring waist to comfortably fit over belly padding.

Red Stocking Cap: A classic red peaked hat trimmed with a white fur band and finished with a fluffy white pom-pom at the tip.

Black Leather Belt: A prominent wide belt cinched around the waist, complete with a large brass buckle.

Black Leather Boots: High black leather boots trimmed with white fur along the top cuff.

Okay, now try to imagine Santa in wing tips or patent leather opera pumps – or worse, sandals, flip flops, or any form of sneakers. The image of Santa in any of these is absurd.

Santa is only Santa in black leather boots. Period. End of discussion. Any other footwear, and he loses all credibility.

Santa’s clothing exemplifies two important principles in menswear: Clothes Make The Man. And upon further inspection, Shoes Make The Man.

This self-evident truth is confirmed in The Official Preppy Handbook (1980):

“When they’re checking to see if you’re Prep, the first thing they look at is your shoes. From there they go on to the rest of your wardrobe. The Right Shoes give you a fighting chance. The wrong shoes will break you instantly. These are the Right Shoes.”

This is absolutely true. Footwear is the quickest and most reliable way to evaluate someone’s clothing. Our footwear choices make subtle, but important, statements about our sense of style.

Footwear is tricky because it can be easily overlooked by the wearer. Unless you have a full-length mirror, chances are that you evaluate your own appearance by what you see in the mirror from the waist up. I have been known to be guilty of this. The last time my wife I and I got dressed up to go out, she looked at my pants and said “Really? Seriously?”

She was referring to how a pair of baggy ill-fitting pants compromised what was an otherwise terrific outfit. Needless to say, I changed my pants promptly.

I hardly ever make the same mistake with shoes. Thankfully, my wife usually reminds me to make good choices in that department.

There are several items listed on the men’s footwear page in the Preppy Handbook which absolutely belong in the Ivy Style canon: Sperry Top-Siders, L.L. Bean moccasins, white suede bucks. All great choices for the right season and setting.

The most prep of all prep footwear is also featured on this page: the loafer. In 1980, the recommended loafers were Bass Weejuns, Brooks Brothers loafers, and Gucci loafers. Again, all great choices.

Today we can find loafers in this same prep tradition at Jay Butler. A few years back, Ivy Style ran an article with a photo of a pair of well-worn Jay Butler horse bit loafers. Here is the description:

“These shoes live forever because of the quality of both the leather and the craftsmanship. And they are insanely comfortable because they are designed like moccasins. They are on sale even when they aren’t on sale, but now they are on sale and on sale.”

Exactly right. These well-made shoes and exceptionally comfortable and surprisingly affordable. So the annual Black Friday / Cyber Monday Sale from Jay Butler is really putting these shoes on a double discount compared to most fancy shoe companies.

The sale will be for 20% off site-wide and will run for two full weeks, from the beginning of day Wednesday, November 18 until the end of day Wednesday, December 2. The discount code will be JBBF26.

The holiday season is coming. Isn’t it time to refresh your wardrobe with a new pair of loafers?