Essentials: The Chocolate Brown Wingtip

Every man is at some point in his life going to need to make a court appearance. We all speed on occasion, right? Though unfortunate, every man is also going to have to bury somebody someday, be it a grandparent or a coworker or a friend. By the same token, almost every man is going to attend a wedding, be it his own or someone else's. We're all most certainly going to have to interview for a job (or in today's times, two jobs), as well. Because of these four inevitabilities, every man needs a pair of black captoe oxfords. Since these occasions are the only times that somber and decidedly formal black captoes enter the realm of necessity, I don't believe we need to dedicate a feature to this particular species of shoe.
I write today's article because every man also needs to have a pair of nice, rich brown wingtips. Why? Because these shoes are perfect for almost any event not listed above. Office, dinner, days off (paired with jeans), there is not another type of shoe that so easily bridges the gap between casual and formal; there is not another shoe that would be as equally accepted in a boardroom or in a bar room. These are shoes to add to one's wardrobe.
I'll spare the history lesson about the reason wingtips originally came about, but it had to do with the need for a dressy looking shoe that would disperse moisture in the boggy moors of Scotland. The design of the wingtip assisted in doing this, and those who do a little research will understand how. Our reason for the discussion today involves style, so hopefully the brief historical reference will suffice for those who may be interested. My point being; even at the time of its inception, the wingtip was designed to be a shoe that could be worn anywhere.
The shoes pictured are by Ralph Lauren and are made of very high quality leather: because of the amount of wear one can get from the brown wingtip, I would highly recommend investing in a high quality pair of shoes. Often you can expect that these will not be inexpensive, but I have found that J.Crew offers a lovely and very well-made pair of Italian leather wingtips for somewhere between $155 and $168, which is a bargain for a high-quality shoe.
I would consider the chocolate brown wingtip to be another wardrobe staple, and I hope you find a fantastic pair. Soon.
Until next time,
Cheers!
-Paul