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Milifeandstyle@theotherpress.ca

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Oxfords, not brogues

» What every guy should know about his shoes

Ed Appleby
itustrator
Millustrator
@theotherpress.ca

 

n Kingsmen, which you should

watch if you haven't, Colin
Firth’s character Galahad tells
his young protégé “Oxfords, not
brogues,” when describing what
shoes he should wear. The thing
is, he later says the brogues he
was indicating are technically
also oxfords (it’s just a matter of
decorative stitching). Shoes are
confusing.

You get a lot of terminology
thrown around when you look at
men’s fashion in general. Strange
European words that make you
sound like some stuffed shirt-
tailor from London. That’s why

many men dress like colour-blind :
: and unique a design, they can :
: still be worn for formal occasions, :
: but not black tie. :

couch potatoes, and have one pair
of worn-out sneakers that they
wear for everything. Today, I’m
going to give you a little clarity
when it comes to those hunks of
leather and rubber that you wear
on your feet to prevent you from
falling down when you step on a
bottle cap.

The oxford, or balmoral, is
a leather dress shoe with lacing
built into the shoe itself. It is
the base from which every other

: shoe will be compared, and it

: can be worn even in the highest

: dress occasions. Everyone should
: have one nice plain black pair of

: oxfords, if only for weddings and
: funerals.

The derby and blucher are

: the casual compatriots to the :
: oxford. You can identify the derby :
by the fact that the laces are not!
: built into the shoe itself but are

: stitched on, giving the top a little
: bit of a flap. Originally a shoe for
: hunting, it was designed to let :
: water seep out if the wearer's feet :
: got wet. These were originally

: more appropriate for more semi-
: formal occasions, but have since
: been deemed acceptable at any

: time, from casual to black tie.

The monk strap does away

: with laces in favour of a buckled
: patch that goes over the top of

the shoe. Having a more daring

Finally, the loafer just says,

: “Screw it,” to the concept of laces
: entirely. The penny loafer is the

: most popular form, and is so

: called because you can tuck a

: penny into the strap over the top
: of the shoe. There are also the

: more casual driving moccasins,

: which are so comfortable they

: can even be worn without socks.

The brogue can be used to

: describe any shoe with a pattern
: of little holes and designs in the

: leather. This adds weight to the

: shoe and, like the derby, was

: originally used to aerate the foot.
: Any brogue shoe is considered

: more casual than its plainer

This issue:

(Y Surviving the trek back into school hours

(¥ The ECO-nomist and buying organic

(¥ The big apple

And more!

oe

: cousin. One very elaborate type

: of brogue is the wing tip, which

: has a design with a pointed

: pattern on the toe that tapers

: back towards the heel; this design
: is always on a derby and can be

: two toned if you play golf or

 

Image via Kingsman: The Secret Service

: swing dance.

Finally, keep an eye on the

: quality of your shoe. The easiest
: way is to look at the sole. High

: quality shoes have leather, not

: rubber, soles—and are stitched
: rather than glued.

 

Surviving the trek back into school hours

» Getting back to a routine

| Cazzy Lewchuk
Staff Writer

 

A the leaves begin to change
colour and the sun sets
earlier than ever, it’s clear that
summer is ending as September
reigns upon us. For many
students, this means a change in
our daily and weekly routines—
no more using the sunrise as an
indicator of when you should
think about going to bed. The
dawn of a new semester means
our behavior may require some
adjusting in order to hopefully
survive and possibly even thrive
ina new schedule. But that can
be tricky, so here are a few tips
I've learned.

The first and best way to
adjust to a new schedule is to

: learn it well. Figure out exactly

: when and where your classes

: are, but, more importantly,

: determine what your schedule

: means for your day. What time

: do you have to leave to arrive on

: time? Will you always be coming
: to school from home, or will you
: be departing from work or some

: other activity sometimes? Do

: you have time to eat, drink, or

: otherwise refresh yourself during
: the commute? Determining and
: allocating yourself blocks of time
: allows for better planning and

: less stress.

Food and other nourishment

: is something often neglected by

: students, particularly when on-

: the-go. Planning and following

: a proper meal schedule leads to

: less irritability, more energy, and
: often money savings on a regular
basis. Even if you have to wake up
: before the sun has risen to be at

: school or work on time, having

: some sort of breakfast helps

: your body and mind face the day.
: Bananas, yogurt, and muffins are :
: all quick and convenient morning :
: refreshments.

Caffeinated beverages—

: coffee, tea, colas, energy drinks— :
: area necessity for almost every

: student. While there’s absolutely
: nothing wrong with these

: substances providing a source

: of energy, consider cutting back

: in consumption or choosing as

: healthy an option as possible.

: Bringing your own pre-brewed

: or instant coffee or tea can bea

: great way to save money and is

: often healthier (reduced sugar,

: cream, caffeine, hidden calories,

: etc.) Determining exactly how

: much caffeine your body needs

: and when it needs it is the safest

: option, just be sure to avoid it too :
: close to bed time.

While circumstances are

: often the true determiner of

 
 

: how much sleep one gets, you
: ultimately have some control

: of your sleep schedule. Try to

: sleep as often and regularly as

: possible. If you can, go to bed

: at the same time each night,

: or wake up the same time each

: morning. Get some extra hours
: on less busy days, but don’t

: overdo it—sleeping too long

: can confuse your body and have

 

 

  
 
  

~

: the same effects as not getting
; enough. Remember that sleep is
: what your body really needs, and

‘aie Oe, oe a *

mage via thinkstock

that a structured and proper sleep
schedule is one of the best energy
sources.

Getting into a routine,
keeping proper nutrition, and

_ taking care of your body can

: help counter the changes in

: schedule and energy that come

: with September. The first couple
: weeks are the hardest; if you get
: into the habit quickly, the rest of
: the school year’s challenges and
: triumphs will be countered and
earned easily.