Monk Strap Shoes Guide - How To Wear & Buy Single & Double Monks

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• published: 29 Aug 2016
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https://gentl.mn/monk-strap-shoes Supposedly, in the 15th century, a monk in the alps modified a pair of sandals which is why the monk got its name. Unfortunately, it's hard to find records from the time and the kind of earliest evidence we have as a brand came in 1901. Traditionally, the monk strap shoe had a single buckle and that's what the shoe looked like for years. Over time, men wanted to create a different style so they added a second buckle. Construction: You have an upper vamp as well as a buckle strap and then the heel. In this case, the shoe has some broguing, wingtip but that's entirely optional. The same is true for the double monk shoe, the only difference can be that the buckles in the straps can be in different positions, either here or there, the spacing between the buckles can be different and the angles and the style can be different. Most monk strap shoes have a little part of an elastic, right behind here because it's a very inflexible shoe and you still have to get in and out of it. Naturally, not all feet are alike and therefore you can find certain holes in the strap to adjust it to your foot. In terms of buckle designs, you find all kinds of shapes. Thicker square ones, rectangular, round, half round, octagonal, hexagonal, you name it and it will probably exist. Off the rack, these buckles are usually made of brass and then either plated with chrome or palladium or with a natural patina which is actually quite attractive. If you go bespoke, sometimes they'll also use sterling silver or even solid gold. In terms of material, of course, classic, plain calf leather is the number one choice. It's easy to take care of, even get a nice patina and it's quite robust. In terms of colors, I would suggest you start with something with a dark brown range or maybe something reddish like burgundy because it's versatile and you can wear it with so many outfits. Once you've mastered dark brown and reddish brown, you can think about other colors such as tan. On top of that, a dark brown suede monk strap can be very good for a casual and business casual wardrobe. A black monk strap shoe is only recommended if you wear grays and charcoals, otherwise, I really suggest you stick with brown or burgundy. Of course, once you've got these colors covered, you can play a little more and get a spectator monk strap either with linen or with leather, you can even use tweed, basically, the possibilities are endless. Another somewhat popular monk strap shoes is exotic leather such as alligator and lizard. If you go that route, ake sure you get a matte alligator leather or lizard because it looks much more sophisticated and the shiny finish looks rather cheap and it's definitely something you want to avoid. Cutaway Monk Strap: It's an entirely different look once you wear it and I think it works better with slightly shorter pants so you end up seeing the buckle and it's basically a matter of personal choice. Of course in the shoe world, you always want to be classic yet different and so someone had the idea to do a double cutaway monk strap and it can look quite elegant although it's a shoe that you can buy once you have all the basics covered. Apart from shoes, you can also invest in monk strap boots which can actually look quite elegant especially with one buckle. Because it's a boot, the strap is slightly higher but you can also add a second or sometimes a third strap and unlike with the shoes, it looks quite good. So how do you wear a monk strap shoe? Basically, it's a slightly less formal shoe than an oxford or a derby, that makes it very versatile in today's day and age. It pairs well with casual outfits, business casual outfits, blazers, sport coats, especially combinations. I also like to wear it with tweed and apart from that, it always gives you a unique look because there are way more oxfords and lace-up shoes out there than there are monk straps. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Most Popular videos: How to accept a compliment - https://youtu.be/_EKXNmM1PUo 101 things that change when you dress up - https://youtu.be/JyGDd_iYaCI How to tie a Bow Tie - https://youtu.be/2I3cfa0BOOc _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Want to stay updated? Sign up here for free: https://gentl.mn/2bEKis3 Want to see more videos? Subscribe to our channel! https://www.youtube.com/user/thegentlemansgazette _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Gentleman's Gazette https://gentl.mn/2blqKGT https://www.gentlemansgazette.com/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/gentlemansgazette Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gentlemansgazette FREE EBOOK: https://gentl.mn/2bEKis3