Daily Mail, Thursday, August 1, 2019
by Dylan
Jones
As Philip May steps out in classic loafers, GQ’s editor salutes...
FROM £14.99 TO £425, WHICH IS THE MOST STYLISH?
The
shoes that
can turn any
man into an
A
s I write this, I
am sitting
a t breakfast
looking out
over a motion-
less azure sea in
Mustique. I am wearing
a dressing gown, a pair of
shorts and a pair of
elegantly snug Tod’s
driving shoes.
Blue, since you ask.
I bought them on holiday last
summer in Capri, essentially
because my Birkenstocks had
become too scuffed, and because
I had been asked to go to a smart
dinner that evening.
I also bought them because
they can be worn with almost
anything — you can wear them
with a suit, with casual trousers,
with shorts, and, if you insist,
even when you’re driving. so in
essence they are the perfect
summer shoes. Fit for purpose,
whatever that purpose might be.
I’ve been a fan of driving shoes
for ages, buying most from Prada,
Tod’s, hugo Boss or Dolce &
Gabbana, for about £300.
Iconic Tod Gommino Moccasins,
with their distinctive studded
rubber soles, were invented for
men who wanted extra grip while
driving seriously gorgeous Italian
roadsters. seventy-odd years
later, they’re no longer the
preserve of Ferrari drivers, or
indeed, just men.F
AMOUs women have
been wearing soft loaf-
ers and driving shoes
for decades, and I’ve
never met one who didn’t make it
look effortless, whether Princess
Diana, or hollywood stars Anne
hathaway, Catherine Zeta-Jones
or Jessica Chastain.
Much was made of Philip May
being spotted this week in driving
shoes while on holiday with
Theresa in Lake Garda, adopting
the style of A-listers MichaelDouglas and eddie redmayne,
and indeed ex-prime ministers
David Cameron and Tony Blair.
Does the former PM’s husband
look any good? Well, I always
admire a Brit who tries to look
continental, and who doesn’t
wear socks and sandals on the
beach, but I fear the problem
with Philip’s look is not so much
his shoes — which actually look
rather elegant — it’s everything
else he’s wearing in the picture.
It’s an odd mix of town andcountry, almost as though he
doesn’t know whether he’s going
to the office or the beach.
There is one rule, however, that
thankfully he hasn’t broken with
his driving shoes. No socks.
Never have I worn a pair of them
with socks, because in the Italian
luxury world — where clothes are
almost a religion — that would be
deemed sacrilegious.
And while I admire the likes of
M&s for making those little low-cut socks that you hope no one
can see, trust me, someone
always sees.
The high street has certainly
caught up with the popularity of
driving shoes and nowadays it’s
possible to buy good-quality
versions everywhere from Marks
& spencer to h&M, from U.s.
luxury brand Cole haan to Zara,
costing as little as £27.50.
This should mean there is never
any excuse for the British male tolook like a badly dressed duffer
whenever the sun shines. Thank-
fully few of them do these days.
Years ago the typical British
office worker’s idea of a summer
wardrobe was taking off his shirt
at lunchtime, while he ate his
sandwich in the local park.
Nowadays he can keep up with
our debonair Italian or French
counterparts, as long as he
remembers one thing: if you’re
going to wear driving shoes, you
need to make sure the rest of
your outfit looks as cool as
undoubtedly they do.
l DYLAN JONES is editor-in-
chief of GQ magazine and
author of The Wichita
Lineman: Searching In The
Sun For The World’s Greatest
Unfinished Song, Faber, £10.ITALIAN
STALLION
(just don’t let your hubby
wear them with socks)
Fashion forward: Philip May
this week. Left, Tod’s suede
Gommino shoes, £340Page 49Faux leather, £14.99, mandmdirect.com Pink, £32, office.co.uk Navy, £27.50, clarks.co.uk Print, £395, Gucci at harrods.comPerforated, £110, ugg.com Tan, £45, marksandspencer.com Olive, £30, office.co.uk Woven, £425, bottegaveneta.comfemailMAGAZINE 49