Just been on holiday and took the DJ afterglows with me to wear in the evenings and see how they faired.
The shoes were really good and didnt get hot like trainers do. Before i have had to loosen or take of my trainers in the evening at dinner. With these it wasn’t the case, which i am really chuffed about.
Also it was nice to wear something that no one else had on.
In terms of the look they have done well, the suede is looking a little raggard but i did wear them on the beach several times. So sand got into them, but tonce dry the sand came out nice. Strangley some of the suede has gone wilder, meaning if you look in the video the main part of the shoe is made up of two parts. One side is as new the other less so.
Would i recommend this shoe for the summer?, yes i would it has been really good and i will be getting another pair for next year
One of the things I have always wanted to do is put as many of the shoes that we sell through their passes. With summer looming and some incredibly warm here in the UK, I decided let’s try out the Afterglows
Based on the Clark’s trekker. The shoe is leather upper, with the stitching going through the middle of the shoe, which extends up the tongue. On this shoe, the sole crepe sole is replaced with a more trainer based rubber sole.
The leather upper is corded and so not plain suede. The cord lines does make the shoe look a little less wide. Some desert boots and shoes like this suffer from being wide at the front and clown looking. I think dj have done a great job of getting the shoe looking slimmer, but retaining the classic look.
On first inspection I like the interplay between the normal leather and suede. The two leather compliment well and the stitching is also compliments well to them.
Wearing wise, I have had them on for five solid days and worn them at the office, on several dog walks, and out at a gig. So each time it has never been less than 7 hours each time.
In terms of wear the shoes have buffed up a little in suede, making it look a little rough in texture, but only a bit. The suede has stretched just like desert boots do. I must say the shoes are extremely comfortable and even in the hot weather we have had in the UK my feet have been noticeably cooler than trainers and desert boots.
These shoes are becoming a fav of mine for day to day already. Looking good with jeans at work, is a requirement for me most days. Smart but casual is most days for me. I am not convinced that they would work with a suit or even trousers, I think they are just to causal. The really look to me as something an indie mod or Stone roses fan is going to love.
Anyways enjoy the videos and the pictures and if you think you want to try something different to a desert boot, then I would seriously ink about giving these a go.
Every day mod shoes! Or what to wear on your feet to work?
Can there be such a thing as everyday MOD shoes? There is an argument that to be truly MOD you have to have a job that allows you to be MOD all the time. So it would follow that you could dress smart constantly rather than just weekends. But in the real world nothing is that easy.
Although subcultures start with only a handful people, even those people come from different backgrounds etc. and for every ‘media person’ there will be a mechanic !
For those working in an office, and unless you have a uniform, then you I suppose you could wear any shoe you liked, but would you want to ? I like dressing up at the weekend, but that doesn’t mean I want to be a scruff during the week.
As the beach boys said, you leave best shoes home till a Saturday night.
So does that mean a life of Desert Boots! Or slightly faded shoes for the week. I go with my mood or whether have an important meeting.
My desert boots, I only like with jeans and I only where jeans during the week, at the office. They may get an airing on a Saturday , whilst doing odd jobs etc.
I have my loake oxblood royals which very occasionally I wear during the week, but in the main I save these for weekends and possibly more importantly dancing in.
So would I wear a pair of Rawlings or my best shoes during the week?
I did last week because I felt like it, but normally weekends only.
Would I wear loafers in the week to work. O yes, why because I always get people saying , their smart or I have not seen them in ages. So tassel loafers for work ? Well do you know what I think the answer could be no. Why? Because I always think of them as slightly flash shoe for parading in or dancing in.
Surely it is a waste wearing them to work, their expensive ? But surely if it makes you feel good then if you can afford to why not. Most of us spend a lot of time at work, and why not feel good.
And this is another big reason, and a very shallow one,
You go into a meeting, you are introduced to someone for the first time. You look at the shoes, are they good or cheap.
What does that say about the person wearing them !
Does it even matter?
Well yes I always look at the feet, very judgmental I know. But you can tell a lot by the choice of shoe. Does it really matter though?
I suppose it shouldn’t but it has always been one of my things. I do care more about the person and their attitude to life, but I can’t help but look at the shoes first !
There is no conclusion really to this article. I am interested in what others do and how they go about their day to day footwear. So over to you.
Me meantime, will be wondering what to wear tomorrow ?
Well i look at alot of shoes, some we hope to sell on the site and some because i just like the craftsmanship that’s gone into them. Peterborough where i live is not far away from Northampton and alot of the Old School shoe makers are from that area. Many have gone because of recession or not moved with the time etc. But some are still around and Crockett & Jones make some lovely shoes.
Now i dont want some big debate whether they are MOD are not. Certainly there are many in their range which are not, but there are some little jems in there to. Below i have gathered just a few examples i like.
The following is borrowed from their site but i think it sums up a traditional English company.
“Although the production process has evolved since the early days of shoe-making, with the introduction of better machinery and ‘health & safety’, much of the factory looks as it did when it was first built. The manufacture of high quality shoes remains very labour-intensive, requiring a highly skilled workforce to carry out more than 200 separate operations during an 8 week period. Goodyear-Welted construction gives the shoes an exceptional degree of strength, durability and comfort in wear. This method originated by hand-makers centuries ago.
As a 5th generation family managed business, Crockett & Jones is committed to maintaining the highest standards of traditional craftsmanship, quality and service which have been appreciated by their customers for more than 130 years.”
“The Crockett & Jones Men’s range consists of 3 handmade collections; the Hand Grade Collection (our finest calf shoes), the Main Collection (a selection of styles in a variety of different materials and sole types) and the Shell Cordovan Collection (a range of styles made from Genuine Shell Cordovan leather). “
Now in English that means they don’t come cheap, what that means is you are going to get some very well made shoes which look really good and going to last a long time if looked after well.
Enjoy the pictures.
Woven Chukka Boot
Cranford 3 Charcoal Suede & Wine Elastic
Cranford, a chelsea boot with plain front made from the finest calf leather or suede and lightweight rubber soles with contrasting coloured ‘V’ shaped elastics. From the Men’s Main Collection.
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Granada Tan Golf Grain
Granada, a stylish unlined loafer with a hand pulled-up apron. Made from a comfortable, fine grain leather with single leather soles for the Main Collection.
Poole Dark Brown Calf Suede
Poole, a round toe penny loafer with raised apron front. Made from soft suede and single rubber soles for the Men’s Main Collection.
Back With Mods went very well. The event was very well organised with plenty to do over the weekend. Santa Pod has been holding events to my knowledge since the 1970’s, certainly my step dad went up in his allegro years ago.
Anyways we decided to do a stall there and take the shoes to the people as they say. We met lots of people with loads of questions. It was good to meet people that had been on the website and get feedback “face to face”. We had nice comments like “nice to see all the shoes in the flesh” and “how much are the loake royals?”
I will mention one thing, some people have said about the name of the event and whether it was Mod or just a cash in? Me i thought it was very well organised and there was plenty to do. For people with Kids it allowed them to have a weekend away without babysitters etc. They put on several top names and had many tents with different types of music. They obviously put in a lot of work to make it a good event. For a weekend pass of £35 you would have to be very mean spirited to think other wise.
Anyways cheerful stuff
We ran a giveaway over the weekend. The winner “Steve” from tamworth got a text from me today, within the space of a minute he was on the phone with his address and was a very happy Bunny. His Ikon Desert Boots will be with him tomorrow.
The event itself had lots of bands, The Selecter, Neville Staples and one of my favs The Chords UK. One thing i liked is they gave the main stage to little know young bands during the day.
The Ham Yardies tent was popular over the weekend and i liked the fact they stuck to the Real Mod 60’s sounds. Showing that people actually like a variety of sounds to choose from.
Here a few of pictures from the event.Â
One of our happy customers in her new Tassel Loafers
This guy ( i think gary or chris ! ) came to the stall and said, “i need some better shoes for dancing in.”
i asked “you in the Ham Yardies tent last night then?”
He replied “yep and tonight i need some better shoes to dance in”.
Video Review of the The Universal Brown Suede Chelsea Boot from Delicious Junction
The Chelsea boot, is an absolute classic, every shoe maker has one in their range. There are even specialist companies like David Preston , which specialize Chelsea Boots. The one above has the classic look and MOD attention to detail.
DJ do 2 variations of the Chelsea Boot, one in Black Leather and this one in Brown Suede. Like a lot of the DJ range these are going out boots. The are look great with a suit, and have that air of dandiness about them. I know people wear them with jeans, this look can work, they are 100’s if not 1000’s of pictures of 60’s groups in them. I recall the animals looking good in some.
My thoughts are if you wear chelsea boots now, you are making a definite statement hence why so many bands wear them. Neol Fielding and bands like Kasbian seem to live the boots.
Now these boots come with the great sole that DJ use, meaning they are a cut above the normal high street sole. The suede is very nice to touch and the stitching is a purple colour and goes well with the brown. In the video we mention the cusset being a slightly different colour i.e a light purple. We like this as it stops it being just another pair of boots.
In terms of the fit, they hug well and would suit a slimmer foot. But being suede they are going to stretch after a few hours and align themselves nicely with your foot shape. The Heel is not cuban, so doesnt make you look loads taller.
Anyways i welcome any thoughts and reviews on the boots.
I found myself asking that question 2 years. It wasn’t so much what was better, more why was one so much more money. Could it really be worth twice the price of the other.
On the net the photos were ok, but neither pair of the oxblood brogues had anything more than the technical data, i.e made of leather. There was no background, no reviews and certainly no comparisons. Hence why I started the website, but that’s another story.
What’s better ? Well in the video you can see there are differences, the Loake Royal is a more wide fitting shoe, and certainly the widest shoe we do. The DJ is narrow, and very snug on my wide feet.
The DJ is much almost chisel toed, and certainly has more of a skin, 70’s look about it. The DJ is advertised with yellow laces and again I feel this has a terrace skin feel.
The Loake Oxblood Brogue in comparison is a much more conservative shoe, and I would say better for more occasions. I have mentioned before that it works well with jeans and a suit. I have seen a guy dressed up very smart for Remembrance Day here in the UK with a pair.
The sole on the DJ upsetter was only leather till recently, DJ have now upgraded to Goodyear welted sole and changed the name slightly to the Royale. Both shoes have a very sturdy pair of soles. The Loake are worn by a business colleague and show very little form of wear, despite being worn every day.
The Loake has a slightly better looking leather and I would concede more consistent shoe, meaning the stiching and cut of the shoe is better. BUT is it £75 more better !
Well that’s for you to judge, I personally have a pair of Loakes, but would happily wear the DJ’s.
What I would suggest is how often you going to wear them? What you going to wear them with. What’s your budget. Once you have worked that out then choose a pair.
If you are young or cash is tight, then buy the DJs. They are half the price, which means you could then buy a pair of loafers another day. Meaning you get 2 pairs of decent shoes, for the same price as the Loakes.
On the other hand!
Buy the Loakes once, look after them and you are going to have a really decent pair of shoes for literally years, long after the thrill of a bargain has faded.
A short review of these very stylish Orange, Yes ORANGE cord shoes.
The shoes are part of the DJ range of shoes, This one is the Rawlings. The shoes comes in 3 colours Green, Purple and the one in review here Orange.
I have worn some green ones 4 -5 times now to various events. The shoe has been very comfortable. The style hugs the foot and is not for a very wide foot. What i was surprised about was the sole, it felt hard to touch and thought it may not prove good to wear. I was wrong on this, the hard sole made it slip very nicely around Mod Club The Alley Club dance floor recently.
The suede upper has nice cord effect and if i am honest i thought would be more expensive shoe. Certainly i think it would sit well with some more high level shoe makers. But this is where i think DJ have done us good again, good looking shoe at a great value.
One thing that has been debated is what colours will go with the Orange. We think this
Dark Blue suit
Black Suit with another spot of orange somewhere
White jeans and very light green or orange short.
Yes dark blue demin
and possibly a dark brown suit
I welcome peoples thoughts on this. Below are some pictures of Mr Darrin Clarke wearing his recently. I think Darrin got it right, the suit looks nice with the shoes and notice the hanky in the pocket of the jacket. Also notice his very lovely wife with orange on as well.
Recently there have been some discussions going on, over whether or not tassel loafers are  MOD!
Now this got me thinking, and it can be argued that some Tassel Loafers are perhaps more Smart Skin or even Suedehead, but I recall seeing plenty of people that call themselves MODS wearing them as well. I would also argue some smart skins I know, are more fussy about their clothes than some Council Estate Mods I also know .
Interestingly the guy that does the deliveries for Modshoes was a Mod in the sixties and had a pair of Loake Brightons. But that was then and not now.
So if Tassel Loafers are not MOD, like some people on the net would have you think, surely it would follow that if you went to a mod club, you wouldn’t see any, would you?
So, armed with my camera, I went to the Jelly Roll Club in Peterborough, where I live. Jelly Roll’s music policy is very firmly RnB, Soul, and 60s Ska. I would say the clientele there are a cross section of people, about 65% mod, some scooterist types, and the rest are people into the music, but not the fashion as such.
There are a number that constantly make the effort to look smart, and yes there are defo some strutting in their peacock suits. And why not? It is the weekend, no work tomorrow and it is the chance to hang out with your mates and listen to some cool music, and if you fancy, a boogie.
Now being the owner of a Shoe website I am constantly checking out the shoes.
First picture is Mick, who has not loafers, but some Oliver Stone Brogues. Massive British beat fan and a great collection of Yardbirds records.
Next up is my mate Terry Grant. Yep loafers, no tassels, but I know Terry has several pairs at home. Terry is a mod legend, has impeccable taste and can wear any colour better than most I know. Yes his shirt is cerise pink, and yes it has pink cuff links! When not dazzling people with his dancing, he has been known to DJ and sings in garage band, Substation 66 and the Sonic Buzz.
On being asked are Tassel Loafers mod? Terry spoke for an hour before saying YES!!
Next up are the youngest people to be featured, and MODS new breed, Aaron and Warren. Two lads discovering the wonderful world of mod. Warren has smart Oxford style shoes, but young Aaron on the left has Tassel Loafers!
Next up are Darrin Clark and the club’s main guy, Mister Julian Roberts. Darrin is wearing Dune Weavers and Julian, well I forgot to ask, sorry. Both guys are top lads and always very smart.
Another pair of Tassel loafers, and these belong to Paul Bromley. I like the oxblood, red sock and sand colour. Paul and his lovely wife Suzie have been into Soul Music forever. They both travel over the UK to various events. Anyways on his feet, Loake Brighton Tassel Loafers in Oxblood.
Next up is London Steve, and guess what he doesn’t even live in London , he lives in Kent. On his feet, Delicious Junction rudeboy loafers in oxblood. Steve is a cool guy and loves a boogie to Northern Soul and 60’s Ska. The lady with him, is my wife, Nicky.
The next collection of guys is Gary, Martin and Paul. Gary is the fella on the left, he did tell me the make of the shoes, but I had one too many whiskies by then. Gary always looks great and has been into the mod thing forever. Martin and Paul I believe are both wearing Bass Weejuns, they will correct me no doubt when they read this. I know Martin and Paul have Tassel Loafers, Paul’s being Bass Weejuns.
So, you may be thinking, what’s your point Andy? Well to me MOD doesn’t, as such, have a rule book. Meaning there are certain styles which are classic MOD, and some that just look MOD when they are all put together as an outfit. All the people above enjoy being part of a scene and looking their best.
Some MODS favour the dandy look, some the suit, some a quality button down etc, or knit wear etc. Meaning that their look looks good and right to them. So if that means the Rudeboy Loafers is what they want, then happy daze.
So still you are asking Andy, what you trying to get at? Well we had someone on Facebook saying that some of the shoes we sell aren’t MOD! And implying that we should not even call ourselves modshoes at all!
Now I am made of tougher stuff than to let one person annoy me. But what aggrieved me was, imagine you are a young lad getting into the scene and you have some smart arse saying , thats not mod! And you have just saved up for it, or you actually think it looks smart, because it is, why should some bully who thinks they are right be allowed to belittle you?
Facebook is a great thing because it allows people who are into similar things to hang out and be friends , when in real life you stand little or no chance of ever meeting. But it also allows narrow minded idiots a place to preach. My advice is to follow the great man.
We call this website MODshoes , because that’s what most of our audience align themselves with, and our tag line is “Smart Shoes for Smart People”.
So did this article prove for once and for all that Tassel loafers of various styles are MOD? Yes I think it did!
