The finest pairs of patent leather shoes for party season
From Crockett & Jones, Cheaney and more, here are five well-heeled reasons you should be taking a shine to high-gloss leather...
Words: Jonathan Wells
Photography: Sam Hofman
The first rule of elegant eveningwear? Never gloss over your shoes. Sure, you might spend hours practising how to knot your bow tie. And of course you’re going to obsess over pocket square placement (who doesn’t?). But your shoes should always come first. For, whether you plump for lace-ups or loafers, shoes form the firm foundation of every dressy get-up, and they should dazzle fellow guests from the bar to the ballroom.
And it doesn’t get more dazzling than patent lather. This most glistening, gleaming textile was popularised just over two centuries ago, when New Jersey businessman Seth Boyden began to commercially manufacture hides coated in a linseed-oil lacquer. Ironically, the inventor never patented his process — but this gave the world’s best shoemakers decades to polish and perfect the high-shine style.
New & Lingwood Black ‘6 Tie’ Patent Leather Dress Shoes
New & Lingwood recently stepped out a pair of dance-ready dress shoes, with leather soles so lightweight that they’ll tap out everything from the quickstep to the foxtrot with reflective, rhythmic ease. Sharp and stylish, they perfectly encapsulate the outfitter’s brand ethos; to put subtle spins on modern menswear — while acknowledging the sartorial traditions of the past.
Russell & Bromley ‘Sinatra’ Patent Lace-Ups
Russell & Bromley’s ‘Sinatra’ shoes are laced up with similar showmanship, named for the Rat Pack’s charismatic ringleader and flaunting channel-stitched soles and luxurious leather linings. With four eyelets, they may not be as firmly fastened as New & Lingwood’s glossy offerings above — but the brand suggest simply pairing these with ‘white tie and cocktails’.
Cheaney ‘Kelly’ Black Patent Leather Oxford Dress Shoes
But the more modern options above follow in the lustrous footsteps of heritage shoemakers; including Cheaney — whose stacked-heel ‘Kelly’ Oxfords are the stars of the brand’s 125th Anniversary Collection. Fully handcrafted in the label’s Northamptonshire factory, they’re built on a last of a classic but exceptionally versatile shape.
Crockett & Jones ‘Kensington’ Loafers
Next up, and from another of Britain’s best heritage shoemakers, is the Crockett & Jones ‘Kensington’. The Northampton-based label lines its Albert Slipped-styled ‘Kensington’ loafers with plush purple calf leather. And, thanks to its lighter weight welt and single, lightweight leather sole, this clean, uncompromising style is the most seamless, laceless way to integrate high-shine leather into your eveningwear looks.
Church’s ‘Whaley’ Patent Leather Oxfords
Even Church’s, another manufacturer founded in Northampton, has a patent style; stripped-back and simple enough to meet even the strictest of dress codes. The ‘Whaley’ design perfectly punctuates a traditional tuxedo, lined as it is with quilted black silk and accented with a sliver of grosgrain at its edges. It’s the epitome of elegance, and shows that high-shine remains the best, most brilliant way to kick off your black tie look.
Want more festive footwear? Russell & Bromley steps it up for the winter season…
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