In today’s model highlight feature, we are looking at the Bridlen Melbourne Adelaide Oxford. One of Bridlen’s latest Founders 25 models, the Melbourne is a uniquely striking oxford in Burgundy Museum Calf that is sure to become one of their most sought-after models. I have always said, in a sea of Black and Brown shoes, the Burgundy beauty will stand out and keep you stylish and unique! Let’s take a look at what makes this special.
The Model: Adelaide Oxford
The oxfords youngest sibling, the Adelaide, has become increasingly popular in recent years. From the classic St. James by Gaziano & Girling to the more uniquely cut models by many of the French Shoe Houses, the adelaide has caught on as today’s go-to oxford for those wanting to be unique. The Bridlen Melbourne adelaide oxford emobodies that idea to a T, with the aggressive cut adelaide lines, to a vibrant museum calf burgundy coupled with a soft and subtle toe cap, on their soft-chisel Deus last.
I have always loved an adelaide for the simple fact that you can make the facing piece a separate material and/or color, allowing a classic-looking oxford a bit of wiggle-room for play 😉
The Founders 25 Detailing
The Bridlen Melbourne adelaide oxford belongs to the Founders 25 Collection. This unique collection is Bridlen’s top-tier footwear, coming with all of the bells and whistles one would expect from handgrade footwear:
- Beveled Waist
- Soft Rounded Fiddle-Like Sole Waist
- Stacked Heels
- Fudging on the welt
- Fine sole stitch density
- Nail detailing on toe/heel of the sole
- Highly contoured shape on the last
- Oak Bark soles from Baker’s (England)
The Founders 25 represents one of the best deals on this level of quality footwear one can find in the industry, starting at just $434 for fully hand-grade style footwear. Hard to beat that!
Fit, Feel, and Last Shape
The Deus last is one of Bridlen’s chiseled lasts. A soft chisel, as I like to call them, the Deus fits as your common chisel last does: generously. In order to maintain balance when elongating the shape of a toe, it is standard to add a bit to the volume to not have an overly pointed last shape. That means the chisel last is often generous in the forefoot due to the excess volume. The Deus is not an exception, yet the key to good shoemaking is having that space without looking wide.
The Bridlen Melbourne Adelaide oxford achieves just that: an elongated last, a touch more room for your toes, but still sleek and elegant. I stuck with my standard size, and it fits great. The lining is super soft and luxurious, which is always a nice bonus!
Overall: The Bridlen Melbourne Experience
This is one of my favorite shoes by Bridlen. It is elegant, unique, and well-priced. Bridlen has come a long way since their starting days and continues to impress as they strive to excel in their craft. I am a sucker for burgundy shoes, and it is nice to see this lovely shade of museum calf. It goes down a treat!
For those who do not know, I have started stocking Bridlen on my new E-comm store, www.theshoesnob.com where you can find them here: https://www.theshoesnob.com/collections/bridlen-founders-25
Otherwise, check them out at Bridlen’s site: www.bridlen.com
—Justin FitzPatrick, The Shoe Snob
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***Bridlen is a supporter of The Shoe Snob blog and you can consider this a sponsored post***
I agree with you saying that Bridlen has come a long way since their beginning. I appreciate how they have tightened the heel so that it is not bulging out the back of the shoe.
oh yes, the ol’bulging heel, that is a terrible feature of 360 welting
I’ve seen Bridlen at the NY Trunk Show for two years straight and while their patterns were gorgeous, I never thought to try them on. Do their shoes tend to run large/small?
Also,Justin will you be cross-posting your interview with Kirby Allison to your blog?
-Kinte
They run pretty true to size for the lasts that are not EEE based. And I had not thought about my interview with Kirby and reposting it, but I think that I should 😉 appreciate you bumping that up!