Imitation Full Brogue by Il Quadrifoglio

For many of you that frequent the internet in pursuit of sartorial excellence, this shoe by Il Quadrifoglio (yet another Japanese shoemaker) will not be new to you, as it has already spread through Tumblr like the so-called break out of Swine Flu a few years back. But I wish to revisit it not only for those of you who have not yet seen it, but more so to pay homage to the closer that created the upper. You see, none of that brogueing/stitching is real. Correction, it is real per se’ but the ‘separate pieces’ in fact are not separate pieces at all, as would be in your typical full brogue shoe. While many of you may appreciate the idea of it and the look that it gives, you must realize just how hard that it actually is to accomplish. It takes great precision in not only your eyes but also in your hands, thus being able to coordinate the two in a very careful fashion. For if one mistake was to occur, it would be very noticeable and thus could ruin the entire upper. And while some may think that it would really be no different than stitching together the full brogue, it is indeed not, as having those separate edges actually makes it easier (visually/mentally) for you to follow the lines where this does not….beautiful indeed in all aspects and just another reason to love Japanese shoemakers!

Well, not sure if I will be getting out too many posts from now until the 28th, as I am currently in a small village in Wales, celebrating my Christmas holiday and while there is not much to do here, computer work is something that I should refrain from (for once!) while being with my family…but I will try to sneak a few more out!

Wishing everyone Happy Holidays!

Sincerely,

Justin, “The Shoe Snob”