Black Cap Toe Oxfords

[Father Bill]

Good call on the leather because I want to be able to see my face in them once I finish shining them up!

As for the eyelets, must it be four or could it be just an even number? And could you explain that style of lacing or point me to one on the web?

I knew somebody would ask me that! It can be any even number but to me, six eyelet looks excessive in a dress shoe and two eyelet seems a little unusual.

Here's the diagram I drew: The idea is that only the crossing bars are seen thus keeping it very, very neat. In addition, it means that there are less creases created on the surface of the leather. Further, it's a safety item because if your foot were caught, it would be easy to release it with a single knife stroke. That's why the Canadian military uses (or at least used to - I don't know any more) this style. As a bonus, when you're in a hurry and need to touch up the shine, it's really easy to get past the laces.

Hope that helps.

... and a further thought just occurred to me. At 215 lbs, I hate having thin soles. If I step on a stone, I want to crush it, not have it come up through the sole into my foot. For that reason, I'd ask for a thick sole, or even a double one. I have often taken brand new shoes straight to the cobbler and asked him to add a second sole, and then put the heel back on. It's a wonderful feeling once you get used to it and looks rather manly.