Shoe Knowledge: The Wholecut
They say you can tell a lot by a man’s shoes (ask a woman in your life, see if she agrees...go ahead, we’ll wait). So what’s your current shoe rotation saying about you? Assuming that you’ve got the basics on lock (captoes for work, loafers for dressy casual, and a good sneaker for the weekends), you’re probably ready that next evolution. Or, maybe you’re after something extra-special for an event, a wedding, hell, maybe YOUR wedding? No matter what it is, a wholecut oxford is the kind of elegant, modern statement that’s really going to take your shoe game to the next level.
W.(holecut) T. F.
Yeah, yeah, we hear you. Let’s back up a second and sort out WTF a wholecut even is and what makes this shoe so special. The first thing to know is that the wholecut oxford is a variation on the tried-and-true oxford shape, so it has the traditional closed lacing set up just like a standard captoe oxford or wingtip oxford. The wholecut goes one better in terms of craftsmanship because the upper (basically the entire leather part above the sole) is made from one single piece of leather that is sewn together with just a single seam at the back, as opposed to the regular multiple-piece construction you’re used to seeing.
As you can probably imagine, this type of shoe construction requires highly skilled pros at the top of their game, but the results are worth it. What you get is an extremely sleek, minimal design that’s going to add that next-level style and formality to whatever you’re wearing it with. The wholecut is the most formal style of oxford so it’s the perfect elegant design to take your suit rotation into new territory. Plus, it’s formality also lends itself well to tuxedo and black tie options, so it’s definitely got versatility going for it as well.
4 Ways To Wear 'Em
As we mentioned, the wholecut’s slick design is best suited (pun intended, sorry, it was too easy) for more formal looks like suiting and black tie, but that doesn’t mean that’s all you can wear them with. They’re an excellent way to add an extra dose of polish and style to blazer looks and business casual. Here are few of our favorite ways to make the most out of them.
Black wholecut, charcoal suit, white shirt, purple patterned tie
Brown wholecut, navy solid or patterned suit, blue shirt, green or red patterned tie
Black wholecut, charcoal or gray dress pants, checked shirt, v-neck or cardigan sweater
- Brown wholecut, dark denim, white oxford, gray patterned blazer, dark knit tie (optional)