Here are a pair of Cheaneys that I bought a couple of days ago.  The Cheaney sale is on and I had gone there to look at their shoes.  I am, as regular readers know, a fan of Cheaney.  However, the shoes I wanted were not in the sale.  Sometimes it just happens that way….

Cheaney Monkstrap - side elevation

I had been looking at these monkstraps for some time.  They are a rather daring departure for Cheaney and stand apart from their more classic ranges.  They are less rounded, with a longer vamp/toe shape than other, more traditional Cheaney shoes.  They have a strong Italian influence and are a bit of hybrid and in my opinion a very successful one. 

 What do I like about these shoes?  Firstly I like the shape of the Quarter (that is the piece of leather that rises up either side of the shoe to form the bridge for the buckle).  The Quarter rises sharply and then sweeps back to form the collar of the shoe.  It is flamboyant but perfectly proportioned so the overall design looks stylish, rather than loud.  The buckle follows that logic, it is smaller than the buckles on most monkstraps, and the straight rectangular design (most monkstrap buckles are rounded) echoes the clean linear line of the shoe.  It is also quite subtle, which matches my personal style.  I like to think I have a classy, understated and cultured style.

Cheaney Monkstrap - profile

I like the long narrow vamp (front piece) and square toe, which gives the shoe a racy, modern feel, whilst the Cheaney craftsmanship lends it a classical feel.  I like the single line stitching detail around the vamp of the shoe; it makes it more interesting without being over-complicated.  The slope of the vamp from the buckle to the toe is sleek and long., once again giving a contemporary feel to the shoes.  The low heel block adds to the sleek look of the shoe. 

Wearing these shoes

Until I had bought these shoes and worn them I was unsure about wearing them for work.  As regular readers know, I work in banking in the City Of London, the financial district.  Now, no-one in the city has a problem with monkstraps, they are one of the more stylish aspects of English menswear.  In fact, one of the few English menswear products that Italian and French bankers like to buy is a pair of bench made monkstraps.  Americans do not seem to care for them, though I would be interested to hear from any American readers who have a different view.  

Cheaney Monkstrap - top view

No, the problem is with narrow, long-vamp shoes.  A lot of younger guys in the City wear them and wear them badly.  This is not to pick on young City guys, a lot of older City guys wear those appalling synthetic leather Oxfords with black crepe soles and what looks like an inflated welt around the collar of the shoe.  Not a good look.  The problems come with cheap long-vamp shoes which are generally not Goodyear welted.  This means that the uppers tend to “rise” if they are not looked after carefully, the shoe curls up and takes on the appearance of a harem slipper.  Added to this, it is easy to scuff the toe of a long-vamp shoe.  Once again, if they are not taken care of, they look tired and ugly very quickly.  All I can say is there are a lot of shoes like this and they do their wearers no credit. 

But the Cheaneys are beautifully made; Goodyear welted, and will hold their shape, so I am in no danger of inadvertently wearing harem slippers.  Also, their sheer class is obvious; no one is going to mistake them for cheap shoes.  I am looking forward to wearing them, they are very stylish shoes.

Buying information

 I bought the Cheaney monkstraps from their store in New Bond Street, London.  They currently cost £215.00.  They are part of a new range (which I recommend) and seem not to be listed on the Cheaney website.  If I hear differently from Cheaney I will update this article.

 If you are new to Cheaney and want to know a little about them, I wrote about them before here

 If you want to know about caring for English benchmade leather shoes, our article on the subject is here 

Store details

Cheaney New Bond Street store

Cheaney

163 New Bond Street,

London W1S 2UQ

Tel: +44 (0) 20 7499 9449

www.cheaney.co.uk