art 1846 Oxford Black Shiny

Shinny nappa scuffs easily and in black every knock shows up as a pale grey line that wipes off with a dry cloth. It's a closed black, with no brown or blue underneath, and the glossy finish takes it close to patent: it gathers the light on the swell of the toe and drops it into the creases across the instep, where the colour reads denser. After a few weeks those creases fan out over the flex point and the shine drops a notch there. The sole edge, black as well, follows the line of the upper with no change of tone, so the shoe reads as one single piece from the ground up to the last eyelet. The only interruptions are the metal eyelets and the thick lace.

Who is OXFORD 1846 in Black for?
For someone with a dress code to meet who doesn't want to solve it with a flat, forgettable shoe. Under grey pleated trousers or dark jeans it passes as classic; up close, the 3.5 cm toothed block and the round toe say something else. It works with a roll-neck and a long overcoat, and it handles an office day and a ten o'clock dinner just as well. Sizes 36 to 42.

Move Me
A shoe with a block sole usually makes the foot roll over a rigid slab. Here the Softlight sole is grooved across the metatarsal area and gives exactly where the foot bends, so the heel lifts earlier and the stride finishes cleanly. That is the Move Me system. The material weighs little for its bulk, and on a day with a lot of walking that difference adds up.

Materials and construction
What the foot actually touches is a 100% microfibre lining, a smooth surface that doesn't hold moisture and dries quickly overnight. The insole is removable: in midwinter you can swap it for a wool one without the shoe running short of room. The interior is chrome-free tanned, which counts for something when the shoe is on for eight hours straight. The construction is Blake: the sole is stitched directly to the upper and insole, with no side seam, which leaves a slimmer profile and a shoe that bends from day one. Black Shinny nappa upper on a Softlight sole with a 3.5 cm heel.