It’s the roaring twenties. Life is fueled by jazz, gin, and seemingly unlimited potential for prosperity. Domestic appliances such as refrigerators and electric irons begin to be used in households across the US and UK. Previously unknown hours of leisure time are now spent participating in mass culture; flappers raise hemlines to knee-level and youngsters dance the Charleston and the Lindy Hop.
The decade is the best thing since sliced bread, which has literally just been invented. Marking this modern era, men try out new clothing styles and fashion trends. And so, in steps the Shanghai shoe by Church’s.
Originally designed for the Englishman living abroad, the Shanghai was a revolutionary shoe in its time. Men’s shoe design hadn’t changed much from previous decades and formal shoes continued to be the most popular choice. Men typically wore black or brown lace up Derby or Oxford shoes.
In contrast, the Shanghai was designed as a sporty, casual shoe; and was considered the sneaker of its day. One of its most defining characteristics is the original rubber sole. Emblazoned with the “Church Co” logo across the bottom, the Shanghai was created to provide more durability than a shoe with a leather sole, to resist the increased wear and tear the shoe would face.
The Shanghai wasn’t something to be worn to the office, although if dress-down Fridays had been invented I’m sure they would have been the perfect choice. Originally available in black or muted tones of light or dark brown contrasted with white leather, the color of these shoes intentionally played down the elegance of their style.
Designed in 1929, the same year as the Wall Street Crash, the Shanghai shoe eventually fell out of fashion. Eighty years later, in 2009, Church’s made a chance discovery of an original model at their Northampton factory in the UK. It was now time to bring back this classic shoe and re-issue it for today’s modern gentleman. To see this quintessentially English shoe in the flesh, take a walk in the heart of Rome’s shopping district and visit Church’s on Via Condotti.
I spot the Shanghai immediately; taking pride of place in the window display, sitting in amongst other leather goods, and discreetly displaying their quality and luxury. I look down at my own shoes: a decent pair of well-made brogues, but with scuffs and cracks that give away just how many miles they’ve transported me. I feel rather sheepish.
Still, in the 50s Church’s started making women’s shoes, so at least I’m in the right place to find replacements.
Inside, I browse the mahogany-brown shop fittings and discover the variety of choices available of the re-issued Shanghai. These days, the stylish gent can choose from an increased variety of colors and textures. I spot a sludgy blue-grey pair that would go well with today’s modern office wear and also with casual jeans.
Although the two tone color option harks back to the shoe’s roots in the 1920s, I prefer the more understated single color shoe. My favorite choice of Shanghai is the brown vintage suede option. Should leather be your thing, you could choose glacé calf leather, which is baked at a high temperature with a natural wax coating to achieve a high-shine finish. Alternatively, go for nubuck cattle leather, which is sanded and buffed to give a velvet-like surface.
Whichever finish you choose, it takes 500 steps to create a Shanghai shoe and this is evident in the quality of the end product. They are constructed using exactly the same methods as in 1929: the upper part of the shoe is hand cut to shape and the leather wet and dried naturally for 48 hours before assembly. All the leather working, including stitching and decorative hole making, is done by hand and completed by a craftsman of that field.
One difference, however, is that although most Church’s shoes are still produced in their Northampton factory, the Shanghai is actually made in Italy – an aftereffect of the company being bought by Prada in 1999. That said, while Church’s remains a classic British brand, it was able to expand internationally due to the cash injection from the Italian fashion house. The company, which started in 1873, invented half sizes and the revolutionary idea of differing shoes for left and right feet. To this day they continue to use British leather and British designs.
The final touch to their Shanghai shoe is to create a distressed finish. This intentional weathering is done to evoke the vintage spirit of the original. According to Church’s, this shoe is the most representative of their brand: “A combination of tradition and modernity.” So with this shoe you buy more than just some new footwear, you buy 90 years of history.
