Crepe Soles – Yay or Nay?

When I first started the JF line, one blog reader used to tell me, ‘Justin when you add a black crepe sole to a pair of dress shoes, I will be the first to buy them and you can name them after me.’ I always thought it would be a cool idea but not really the easiest material to source and on top of that not the easiest to market to more than this customer as crepe is really just not so common and in reality not so dressy at the same time. By nature, it is meant for rough and rugged as was once worn by military officers on their desert boots (aka chukkas). But crepe is cool and hard wearing. It creates a beautiful contrast and looks great with denim. So why don’t we see it more, especially as the world and what people wear seems to be getting more and more casual?

For my JF shoe brand, I introduced two models with crepe this A/W. I really loved the chelsea boot model and have given it quite a bit of use during this season. I feel that it really gives a different appeal to the chelsea than the standard rubber sole (read more about chelseas in yesterdays post). Obviously with the crepe sole, I can’t really dress it up. But that is the appeal for me. It’s the perfect casual boot that goes with everything. And it got a lot of use with that idea in mind. The other boot, looking like a fancy Timberland was more in the direction of appealing to the American market for something casual but in a smarter fashion than your common Timberland boot with a slimmer profile and cleaner lines/stitching.

And what was funny, as I was launching AW with crepe soles, Crockett & Jones had this same idea in mind, but doing so for their SS19 collection and adding it to more than just boot models as I had done. And of course while I have a good relationship with C&J we did not plan this by any means but it was refreshing to know that we were both with the same ideas in mind as two brands of the same industry. Now if only a 3rd brand came on board, say Carmina, we just might start a trend!

What I really liked about their offering was the double monks highlighted. A snuff suede double monk is the perfect model to add a crepe sole to. While a lot of people are wearing double monks with their suits, and too right to do so, I personally like a DB monk as a smart casual shoe. Something I wear with a nice pair of denim jeans and a casual unlined navy hopsack jacket. Adding a crepe sole to that outfit helps to add depth to the look. It adds a detail that, for me, makes it that much more interesting. And of the three, I can imagine this one being the popular seller.

Prior to this, you didn’t see crepe soles so often on smart shoes. It was something that Clarks championed on their classic desert boot. But who knows, maybe it will be the style trend of 2020. Let’s kick back and now see what other brands follow suit.

What shoe model would you like to see a crepe sole on? And crepe sole of what color?

Links to buy the shoes in the post:

https://us.jfitzpatrickfootwear.com/collections/the-overstock-sale

https://www.crockettandjones.com/collections/mens/?collection=summer-line

Happy Shopping!

Justin FitzPatrick