a complete shoe wardrobe

a good, old fashioned #menswear listicle blog. plus: TAKE IT OR LEAVE IT, blazer edition!

June 07, 2021

Welcome to clipboard, a weekly newsletter about hospo, fashion and Tāmaki Makaurau, by Reilly Hodson. If you enjoy the newsletter, share it with your friends, and think about supporting me financially by clicking the button below. This week: the shoes you need to own for every occasion, and the feeling of not being an idiot at the tyre shop.

the 5 pairs of shoes every man should own

When I was becoming an enlightened clothing wearer in my teens, I would frequently google versions of the above title, to try and see what shoes I should be buying. All of the lists I found were, frankly, useless. They tried to convince me I needed a pair of brogues, AND double monk straps, AND derbies, as well as boat shoes, and other stuff 15 year old me was never going to wear.

Well, I’ve now spent about a decade searching for the perfect classic shoe wardrobe, and I like to think I’ve just about nailed it. My basic philosophy on shoes boils down to buying shoes which have been being made and worn for decades, because they’ll age less poorly, and buy shoes that you can wear with (almost) anything. Here are the types of shoe every person should own, in my opinion, though it is not a list of the only shoes every person should own.

dr martens 1461 monos

The perfect shoes, in my opinion. I’ve written enough words about these shoes but suffice to say that they work with everything in your wardrobe, from a suit to Patagonia baggies to a dress to Dickies. They’ll last forever, they have a hint of punk culture because they’re docs without being too grungey. Buy these shoes, people!

weekend sneakers

If you’re like me and wear uncomfortable office-appropriate shoes at least 4 days a week, you need good, comfortable weekend shoes. Think a pair that go with your casual wardrobe and are comfy enough to walk around for a whole day. My current solution is a pair of New Balance dad shoes (I wear 991s), but there are plenty of great options - sneakers are a big industry, I’m told.

loafers

I am a loafer convert. I bought my first ever pair (classic Bass Weejuns) a little hesitantly, worrying that I would stray too far in either direction of grandpa or wealthy person with no taste, both of which are very possible in loafers. Instead, I’ve loved wearing them, and will potentially look to upgrade to a fancier style that fits my wide feet a little better down the line.

white sneakers

The right pair of white sneakers will go with everything in your wardrobe, and keep you comfortable. My go to are Reebok Club Cs, but if your feet fit them, Chuck Taylors may be a more classic move, if you’re willing to deal with dirty canvas shoes.

boots

At some point in their late teens or early twenties, it appears that every upper middle class pākehā man in Auckland gets bestowed upon them a pair of RM Williams boots. I have nothing against RM Williams, but the truth is that most people wear them very badly, with tight chinos or shiny navy suits. Boots, however, and particularly Chelsea boots, are a great part to any wardrobe, riding a spectrum between rugged and considered, and you can take your pick along that spectrum.

A few next steps: Birkenstocks (both sandals and clogs), running shoes (if you’re that way inclined), Clarks Wallabees, desert boots

If you ever want to get in touch with me about anything in this newsletter, you can drop me an email by clicking here or replying to this email. You can also DM me on Instagram.

clips

  • Another week, another banger from Thom Morison. This time, ultra fine merino knit polos. Thom makes clothes of the highest possible quality, right here in New Zealand, so the premium price is worth it every time.

  • Checks Downtown and No Comply linked up for a cool new (NSFW) drink bottle.

  • Electric Chicken on K Road is now Taco Beer, aptly named and looks delicious. I plan to go, so stay tuned for a review.

  • Fabric in Britomart gets lots of cool product in, not all of which gets bought at great quantities, so there are some good finds in their seasonal sale, like these Our Legacy pants or this Margaret Howell shirt.

  • I’ve been home alone this weekend, and I watched Bo Burnham’s new Netflix special, Inside, a great watch, especially if you are very online. Here’s a taste.

  • Dunno who needs to hear this (@ prominent white politician who has never won an electorate and went to my high school), but colonisation was not, on balance, good for Māori, so stop saying it.

  • Good long weekend recommendations from the editors of Ensemble.

  • Weekly call for recommendations, since last week’s worked so well: still looking for the ideal weekend cap that will fit my big head, and also taking suggestions on local-made signet rings that I can give myself for my forthcoming graduation, the more classic the better, with a bonus if I can engrave my initial in it. Also: hairstyles! Office appropriate but cool, can it be done?

  • I’m keeping a close eye on Kind Stranger, a cafe going in what used to be Hero Sandwiches in Eden Terrace.

the feeling of not being upsold at the tyre shop

Every other week, clipboard highlights One Good Thing, something good from the week that was. This week: going to the tyre shop, and only spending money on the things you need.

I know nothing about cars. I almost know less than nothing. Following a brief Top Gear obsession in my childhood, I have reached the conclusion that cars are an almost-necessary evil (if you live in Auckland, anyway), a means to an end.

Morally speaking, I’m pretty happy with that view: cars are expensive and showy in all the wrong ways, they’re bad for the environment, and the “cheaper” ones do almost exactly the same thing as the expensive ones, unless you’re driving on a closed track regularly.

However, this means that when I take my car in for repairs, the mechanic sees me coming, and cranks up the upsell. They tell me my car needs all sorts of complicated repair work, when it really just needs an oil top up. Unfortunately, they’re completely right in their assumption that I won’t know enough to tell them they’re lying.

This week, I managed to go to a tyre shop, buy a set of tyres and new windscreen wipers, and avoid any other upsells. No five-for-the-price-of-three wheel alignments, no more-expensive-than-I-need tyres, nothing. It was a truly wonderful feeling to decide what I needed, and get that.

Oh, and I’m going to sell that car, soon, so I plan to continue not knowing what I’m talking about.

That’s all for clipboard this week, thanks for reading! I hope you have a lovely remainder of your long weekend and an enjoyable short week. If you enjoy the newsletter, share it with your friends or on social media (like Metro, a magazine you may have heard of, did this week), and think about buying a paid subscription to help keep me spending my money on cool stuff to recommend. See you on Sunday, for the anticipated return of Mitchell Tan’s TAKE IT OR LEAVE IT, and other goodness!