Well, it's been awhile since I've posted so I thought I'd mark my return by sharing a few thoughts and images of some of the shoes that I snagged at last year's Brooks Brothers Warehouse Sale, which was truly a sale to remember. Sadly, the company decided to discontinue their relationship with both Edward Green and Alden, longtime mainstays in the shoe department at 346 Madison Avenue. The partnership with EG went back (off and on) to the 1980s while I can only imagine how long the company was a supplier of New England's Finest.
If there was a silver lining to this news, it was that Brooks Brothers decided to clear out the remaining stock at, shall we say, competitive prices. As a result, I was able to snag a few models that I've had my eye on for years.
The Monmouth from Edward Green was one model that I had both eyes on. Rosewood Country Calf is one of those exquisite offerings that catches your fancy and then bounces around in your head for years after. It's always struck me as something perfect for fall and a wardrobe full of tweeds, cords and fair isle sweaters, so when I had a chance to snag a pair I jumped all over them.
A quick aside: there's just something about that green Edward Green box, isn't there? No matter how many pairs you're fortunate enough to purchase new and in the box, there's nothing like opening it up and seeing those dust bags and cloth and the little booklet on how to care for your shoes. These shoes actually came with the Edward Green wooden shoe trees, an added bonus (as if one was needed)!
This particular model features a captoe derby look with EG's typical burnishing in the toe box with the singular tight single sole waist blossoming into a double sole on the 888 last. The other tell-tale marks of Northamptonshire craftsmanship are all there. While one can only hope that Brooks Brothers decides to offer these shoes again in the near future, we can at least take some comfort from the fact that these shoes were liberated from the warehouse and can now be enjoyed by likeminded aficionados and enthusiasts.
