Good day gentlemen! My name is Kazi Atiquzzaman, a menswear enthusiasts living is Melbourne, Australia. Even though I work in IT for a living, men’s style has always been a part of me. I admire 1920-1970s sartorial style including vintage and workwear. 

The monk shoes design is inspired from Middle Ages monk-strap sandals with no lacing and instead substituted with one or more buckles and straps. It was first introduced in the 15th century in different parts of Europe and since then this style has evolved to be one of the great classic masterpieces in the genre of shoes. The modern version of Monk Shoes is introduced in today’s world as something you can wear with both formal and informal attire. Most often the monk strap shoe is classified between an oxford and a derby style. 

Today, I will be reviewing a pair of timeless Herring Attlee shoes which are handmade in Northampton, England. Herring Attlee is a stylish double monk-strap shoe which can be considered by many fashion experts to be one of the most versatile and elegant dress shoes that a man can add to his wardrobe. The sophisticated yet restrained design gives these shoes a truly unique look compared to any other dress shoe. As Attlee can be considered slightly more casual than oxford, therefore it can really go well with suit separates or sport jackets.

The Attlee model features a solid black finish with striking silver buckles, and a cap toe that draws viewers into the rest of the shoes. They are made of 100% pure calf leather with Goodyear welted sole and are perfectly designed for everyday life. The dual monk strap is very comfortable and blends seamlessly, providing a classical look that can only be achieved with quality shoemakers like Herring. The tasteful stitching around the buckle further improves the design and create a very aesthetically pleasing piece of footwear that is an absolute joy to wear. The silver buckle is also equally functional and stylish and pulls the shoe together pleasantly. 

I just received these beautiful shoes a couple of days back and thanks to the Herring team for delivering them so quickly. It is currently winter in Melbourne and slowly shops and marketplaces are re-opening after many weeks of COVID-19 restrictions. So, I decided to take my new Attlee for a spin. I always like to incorporate sprezzatura into my style and the Attlee can only complement the overall look I was trying to achieve. 

Herring have a fantastic range of shoe styles to suit all budgets, but if you are searching for double-buckled shoes in particular see this link to view their offerings.

According to GQ magazine: “Espadrilles have been a mainstay in men’s armoury since the King of Aragon kitted out his infantrymen with pairs back in the 13th century.” 

Well, there’s a fact for you!

Eight centuries later and they are still being used by men stepping out for summer rather than battle.

Do not be too quick to dismiss the espadrille. They may have come from humble beginnings as peasant footwear worn in Spain or France, but that does not mean you only have to wear them when you dress down or your unsightly toenails need to stay hidden.

Espadrilles are a compact slip-on shoe with updated versions produced by top designers every S/S season, but essentially they are same shoe.

Espadrilles are smart enough to wear with tailored chino trousers and a shirt. Alternatively, choose a linen suit and T-shirt for an updated Miami Vice style or slim jeans and a white T-shirt. All trousers though need generous turn-ups or should be slightly cropped to reveal a bare ankle.

They are equally versatile to be worn with shorts instead of flip-flops. An article on the DMARGE website suggested espadrilles were the gentleman’s alternative to flip-flops. Worn with a linen shirt, smart T-shirt or cotton sweater, they are uber preppy with the ability to elevate you from beach bum to refined Riviera (French or English depending on your love for our neighbouring Torquay) gent.

On all occasions, I would opt for no socks otherwise you immediately lose your summer vibe and, quite possibly, your dignity! 

We have applied our classic know-how to produce a suede design in biscuit or navy to suit any outfit. Our espadrille has a flexible rubber sole and heel, so they are more hard-wearing and will last you longer than the traditionally made shoes.

Come on…when the sun’s out, pull on your espadrilles to enjoy a footwear style favoured by the great and good of the fashion world. This is no peasant shoe; this is a pleasant shoe. 

If you have landed on this blog, then you may have just Googled this question! One of the answers to the title question is…us!

Sadly though, web queries like this will become more relevant as some high street shops close after being forced to shut their doors for several months during lockdown. This will include independent retailers that have long served their local communities with shoes and boots from a range of manufacturers.

Of course, there will still be the option to go to large chain stores that sell their own brand of shoes, along with clothing, homewares, gifts, etc. However, by being so prolific as one-stop shops for all a family’s needs, an element of craftsmanship will be lost, and these stores very seldom offer a fitting service or even a qualified footwear advisor.

Department stores will often stock a range in the same way as a traditional shoe shop used to, but even before lockdown, there were department stores that were heading for administration. Coupled with people adhering to social distancing rules, the temporary, and potentially permanent closure, of shoe shops has seen people go online to find their footwear. This can be bewildering as there are manufacturers and there are retailers…and manufactures that have their own shoe shops!

Herring Shoes is an online retailer that sells shoes and boots from a range of manufacturers. Most of these are UK based. We have always worked closely with largely Northamptonshire-based factories and their craftsmen and this seems even more appropriate as the UK’s shrinking economy tries to wrestle back the 20% it shrank by in April.

All our shoes are ‘decent’. In fact, we are proud of their quality. They do range in price and we often have sales to make them affordable. In addition, our welted shoes can be re-soled time and time again to ensure your investment lasts for many years and will often be less than the amount you would have spent on replacing countless cheaper shoes. Your soles can be replaced multiple times but the leather upper that has moulded to your feet will remain just as comfortable.

We have recently reached our 7,500 Google review milestone to give online shoppers confidence in our ability to meet their needs. We have an average rating of 4.9 out of 5 with more than 93% of customers giving us the highest possible rating.

And while you cannot all come and see us in our store – although we do have one in Kingsbridge – our customer services team is very experienced in the nuances of all the footwear we sell and whether they suit a wide or standard foot, whether to go a size up or down, etc. Give them a call – they are remote but friendly versions of qualified footwear advisers.

Head to our website to browse our stock by manufacturer, by shop type, by size, by colour or by fit. Decent footwear is still being made and sold by Herring.

With the much-anticipated new James Bond film, No Time To Die, about to reach our silver screens, sales of shoes worn by the MI6 agent are likely to soar. James Bond is an interesting character to emulate, as one minute he will be base jumping to catch a villain before heading into the office in a sharp suit and then changing into black tie to schmooze with his latest love interest. This means there are plenty of shoe changes for the wardrobe department to manage. Let’s break it down.

Action scenes:

Daniel Craig’s version of the most famous 00 agent is a fan of the chukka boot. You can spot these in the No Time To Die trailer, as he hits the accelerator to spin his long-suffering Aston Martin to shoot at the pursuers circling him. The wardrobe department opted for a brown moccasin-toe version of the chukka for No Time To Die. You can get a slightly more contemporary look with a square, chiselled toe in our Heath style. For something a little more rough and ready, we can offer you the Canterbury in three colours if brown is not your thing. This style also has a rubber sole. James Bond loves a rubber sole. The man needs the grip!

At HQ and eveningwear:

Bond favours a super-sleek Derby when his feet are more firmly on the ground. Again, he prefers a rubber sole in case he is called into action. A Derby, also known as a Blucher or Gibson, is defined by the way the lacing and eyelets close the shoe. The closing panels are sewn on top of the vamp giving the shoe a more solid appearance and more room for the higher instep than a classic Oxford.

The Derby is often confused with the Oxford, as some versions can look similar atfirst glance. However, where the Oxford is considered formal, the Derby is a more versatile choice of footwear that can be dressed up and down. Perfect for the shaken-not-stirred lifestyle of our action hero.

Herring stocks some truly rugged Derby shoes but we feel James Bond would be happier in our Carroll style – but only when running and jumping is not required as these have leather soles. The Epping has a half-leather half-rubber sole while the Franco is all rubber. Naturally, they all come in black!

For the evening, Barker has polished or high-shine Derbys – see the Newbury and the Rutherford – while Loake offer Neo. In keeping with the essential Britishness of Bond, all three are made in the UK.

While I am excited for the new film, there was some decent footwear in the films and Bonds of yesteryear. The double monk boot, for instance, featured in Skyfall. Pierce Brosnan’s Bond was a fan of the brogue while Roger Moore wore penny loafers in his three 1980s films. Ian Fleming did specify what his leading man wore in his books. In Moonraker, he described Bond’s footwear as “well-polished black moccasin shoes” AKA the loafer. They were a key look for all the early Bonds be they tasselled, horse-bit or Venetian. Timothy Dalton even treated us to slip-on dress shoes in The Living Daylights.

The first Bond, and for many the main man, Sean Connery sported many different styles from espadrilles to a two-tone dress shoe that resembled a bowling shoe in You Only Live Twice. Frankly, he could have worn a feathered mule and pulled it off!

For more recent times though, Daniel Craig’s Bond is all about the chukka boot teamed with chinos and a short-sleeved linen or cotton shirt, and the Derby worn with a well-cut suit. Compare Connery to Craig and the clothes have not changed so much – both Bonds wore their clothes with ease – but the shoes have moved on

We have already waxed lyrical on Peaky Blinder style boots and shoes, but this style is even more gritty. GQ magazine billed heavy-duty black boots as “the biggest news for AW19”. We may be coming to the tail-end of this season, but the warmer months are a little way off yet!

Seen on the catwalks for Brioni, Emporio Armani, Versace, Tiger of Sweden, Dior, Dunhill, Paul Smith and Hermès, the general theme was black and chunky. That does not mean you need a hefty outfit to complement them. In fact, the chunkier you go on your feet, the slimmer the rest of your apparel should be.

If you are a dedicated follower of fashion, then don your bovver boots with a slim black suit, an over-sized trench coat and a Harry Potter-esque scarf. For those of you who like to take a pinch of high fashion and blend it with your usual wardrobe, the thick black boot can easily nestle in there.

Aside from being fashionable, heavy-duty boots are fit for purpose. They are ready and rugged enough for anything.

The most rugged of them all is our Herring Churchstow. These are just like the tall boots that stomped down the catwalks. It has a lightweight commando pattern sole and contrast Norwegian stitching into the upper, along with a Goodyear stitch into the sole. This double stitching is rare in modern factories and is a testament to the handcraft used at the Carlos Santos factory where these are made exclusively for us.

For a chunky Chelsea with attitude, try the Sywell. Footwear from our collaboration with the Solovair company, this has an edgy pointed toe and a chunky sole. You can find our more on our Solovair range in our recent blog here. Meanwhile, the Tregony offers a lace-up option – again with a rugged rubber sole.

Lastly, we’re keen on the Stockholm. This boot has a bike-cum-builder vibe. It looks tough on the outside but hides a natural warm lining that will serve you well during the final winter months. Let your jeans or combats scrunch up on top of these (rather than over). These boots are too good to hide.

Other brands also have a chucky boot or two. See Barker’s Sully, Loake’s laced rubber-soled brogue boots and Tricker’s Henry rubber-soled brogue boots. If you want to get into a bit of bovver in 2020, Herring can help – just with the boots though!

With the clocks going back in the UK, the darker nights are with us, the temperature has dropped, the wind has picked up and the rain is falling. In short, winter has arrived in the northern hemisphere.

But it’s not all doom and gloom! While winter signals the end of wearing shorts, sockless espadrilles or deck shoes, and polo shirts, the advent of the colder months give you an excuse to roll out the accessories.

Let’s start at the top. Can I suggest a cap as your headwear seasonal starter? At Herring, we can offer you a couple of tweed numbers: the Brooklyn baseball cap (in green and blue) and the Herring Dale flat cap (in green and charcoal). The cap is adjustable to fit all head sizes while our flat cap, hand made for us by the traditional craftsmen at Olney headwear in Luton, comes in a range of sizes to accommodate a small, medium, large or extra-large head.

To the neck now. Scarves not only add colour (if you choose) to any outfit but are pretty decent at keeping their wearer a little warmer. Whether you are walking, watching a rugby game, getting to and from work, a scarf can be equally smart and casual. 

Our solid scarf does what it says on the tin: a lambswool scarf in a range of solid colours from the classic grey, black and rainforest to the more daring scarlet and cyan.

For a more 1960s or wild-on-the-moor or cold-night-in-the-desert look, we have our wool Ombre Glen Check Scarf. I like this. This scarf is slightly more edgy yet retaining a gentlemanly status. 

But we still have tweed for those who need it! In fact, our Herring Rupert is double-sided so you can worship the tweed on one side or go for the solid colour on the other. Choices, choices!

We cannot wax lyrical about scarves though without dipping into the cashmere. We stock them in red, dark camel and scarlet to suit your taste.

For a toasty body, we have been selling our Botticelli Jacket as a pre-winter smart-casual warmer. Created by Filippo Matera in his workshop, this jacket draws inspiration from the industrial past of Northern Italy. All the materials are sourced and processed locally enabling them to have a touch of softness that you cannot get from mass produced clothing. This jacket has 10% off now too, so you could get yourself a deal. 

Lastly, the feet. No, not shoes. We are talking socks. After months of bare feet in slip-on shoes, it’s time to give you feet a treat with either our thick cotton Cuthbert Sock or the Donegal Wool Sock. The latter is made for walking by a third-generation Irish family firm. Available in a range of colours (and in women’s sizes too), they have a wonderful warmth and softness of wool with a bit of polymer to help it grip your foot. They are chunky and comforting on your feet and are even endorsed by Everest mountaineer Mark Quinn, so they should be more than adequate for a winter walk to the pub!

You see winter isn’t so bad after all. In fact, I quite like the colder months for the scarves alone! If you see anything you like or need advice at all, please do not hesitate to contact our customer services team. 

This blog has been written by one of our longest standing customers, Jerry Tharapos. His insight is invaluable.

So, what is your favourite quote or anecdote about style?

Recently I came across a quote from the legendary and dapper, handsome Hollywood leading man Clark Gable, who said “a well tailored suit is to a woman what lingerie is to a man”. There is no doubt that he was correct, as he was never at a loose end when it came to having a beautiful woman by his side.

Is it really that simple? At a time when fast fashion and the sloppy hoody or sweat pant seems to be de rigueur, what drives us to counter the norm and wear a tailored suit, tie, hat or handmade shoes? We are all individuals and I am sure we all have many and different reasons. As for me, the French poet and playwright, Jean Cocteau said it best, “Style is a simple way of saying complicated things.”

A man’s style says a lot about him. Colour, layers and texture speaks to depth and complexity. A bespoke commission suggests the desire to differentiate yourself from the norm and to make a statement about your individuality. There is definitely an eccentricity associated with cultivating and evolving a style that defines who you are.

But what about your workplace? how do you dress when you are in your 9 to 5 persona? Do your work colleagues view your style or eccentricity with contempt or do they enjoy it. My experience is both, but typically I have found that most welcome the eccentricity. Especially if you are good at what you do and get the results. Nonetheless, you will get the few (and some may even be your boss) that view you as self indulgent and in some cases ridiculous. My counter argument and defence, in these cases, is to be bold and back myself and say, “you like the results that I bring and change that I make but, it is those that are different that make the difference.”

Clearly it is easier to be yourself when you are in a familiar environment or workplace. But, how should you dress for a job interview? Recently, I have had to think about this. A few years ago, this was never an issue for consideration in a professional environment. In order to make a good impression, a suit and tie and beautifully kept shoes was the norm for an interview. This in not the case today. Few to no-one wears a tie any more and suits are also somewhat a thing of the past. In fact, even going to an interview unshaven appears to be the norm these days. 

To my horror, I have found myself having to go from wearing a 3 piece tailored suit to chinos and an open necked shirt. Only then did I get some traction with interviews. But, I did make sure I wore a waistcoat, braces and my favourite tan Herring country brogues. I got the job.

There is a lot written about what to wear at an interview. Simple tips are, be cognizant of the culture of the organisation and don’t be too dramatic with what you wear. Comply somewhat but be true to who you are. Think about how to differentiate yourself along the lines of your cultivated style. For me, that was, the waistcoat and Herring brogues.

I start my new job in a few days and I need to start thinking about my wardrobe for day one.

If you are unfamiliar with the Solovair brand, you may be for forgiven for thinking their boots are another famous type of lace-up boot. You would be completely forgiven because Solovair’s manufacturer, NPS Shoes, used to make Dr. Martens boots.

Dr. Martens’ patent owner R. Griggs Group Ltd and NPS both had factories in the hub of shoemaking, Northamptonshire. They collaborated on the Dr. Martens boots until the mid-1990s when Solovair started up as a brand of its own.

Made using traditional Goodyear welt technology (find out more in What is a welt?), these were and still are hardwearing boots with a rebellious edge and beloved by students across the world. 

They use the same lasts, leather cutters and machines used to make the original Docs and have a full set of eyelets, thick suspension soles and grey stitching around the top of the sole. They come in a variety of colours, styles and number of eyelets.

Established in 1881, NPS has plenty of pedigree and we only deal with quality shoemakers.

We are now collaborating with the Solovair factory to make us shoes and boots complete with their legendary air cushioned sole to create our new urban-themed range of smart footwear.

Introducing the Wollaston (named after the location of NPS Shoes), this is an Oxford cap shoe on the light and flexible Solovair air-cushioned sole making these incredibly comfortable for all-day wear.

We can also offer a rugged brogue too in the Wellingborough (another nearby Northamptonshire town) and the super-smart Chelsea boot in the Sywell. 

Lastly, if your office is not quite ready for the Solovair eight eyelet boot, then we have a stylish solution. The Sharnbrook has six eyelets and is more suitable for the worker who likes rock climbing at the weekend rather than full-time punk rocker (well, you can do what you want at the weekend to be honest!)

Herring Shoes has a long history of working with the Northamptonshire shoe and boot making set. We are delighted to add the NPS traditional skills and the Solovair style to our portfolio. 

What are you waiting for? Regress into your student days and quietly rebel!