By Tony Sylvester.
Last week, I pulled out a few books from my shelf and delved into the history of canvas sneakers and their place in our summer wardrobe. This was a continuation of a broader look at Riviera style that Simon and I covered a few summers ago.
This time I thought I would take a look at some of the products on the market and some of my favorites from my shoe closet.
Japan has a tradition of kurume-based canvas and vulcanized rubber shoe manufacturing, dating back to the Taisho period (1912-26), when rapid industrialization necessitated stronger shoes and mechanization to meet them.
The MoonStar Company began making jikatabi, split-toe cotton workbooks with rubber soles, during this period and still produces the Moonstar, Shoes Like Pottery, and Doek brands.
The Moonstar Gym Classic features a silhouette similar to the all-white tennis shoes seen in Laurence Fellows illustrations from the ’30s. The design is sleek, simple and understated. It’s a solid, money-making model, but in my opinion, it’s rather stuck in an ‘old-fashioned’ look.
Perhaps a more versatile and timeless answer is Doek Oxford. As the name suggests, it is a clear descendant of the CVO, with a more rounded last and exterior, giving it a wider appeal.
I’ve always admired the way the Beige Havilleur chaps mix it with the tailoring of Justo Gimeno and the Ring Jacket.
Speaking of CVO, Sperry has been producing this model since its introduction in the mid-30s. The modern iteration is a completely decent and reasonably priced version they call the ‘CVO reissue’, which they claim is based on the 1970s version. The overall quality and appearance matches the £65 price tag. I have tried them and must confess that I found them very little comfortable.
Even more attractive is the Sperry x Beams Plus ‘Mil-Spec’ CVO, reminiscent of the US Navy connection mentioned at the end.
In keeping with the current Moonstar offering, the price is a bit higher, the cotton upper is heavier, the insole is more cushioned and the foxing is a bit thicker. The colors reflect the military’s lineage.
For my money, Anatomica’s Wakouwas offers the best modern interpretation of the Sperry Top Sider CVO, based on Alden’s infamous ‘Modified’ Last. Much has been written about the latter, and it makes sense to use it here as it was developed for the US Navy suits in the 1940s and reflects the military heritage of the CVO.
My favorite is the hideous International Klein Blue upper with a black sole. These tires are manufactured by the Japanese company Asahi, another Kurume-based manufacturer with a long tradition. Although production has moved to other parts of Asia, Bridgestone Tires is the same parent company as Bridgestone Tires.
Some wearers have noted that quality deteriorates after movement, but I haven’t noticed this. Asahi itself offers a Made-in Japan alternative under its own banner at a slightly more reasonable price, but I haven’t tried it yet.
Also in my collection is Fennica’s ‘Duke’ plimsoll, designed by Terry Ellis in the 2010s in a nod to Edward Windsor’s shoe rack.
Created by Moonstar, it takes the basic form of the Vans Authentic deck shoe. Although itself another CVO descendant, it mimics colorways from Windsor’s extensive collection described in the last article. That means a rich mustard tan with an orange-red sole.
Foxing double wraps around the outsole and proud silver eyelets pay homage. Instead of the traditional ‘sipe’ sole, they use a waffle sole developed by the Van Doran company in 1966. This is another innovation finding traction. This time it was adopted by skaters rather than yachtsmen.
Here are some Keds braces that Mark McNairy reissued in 2012. We named it ‘Boosters’ after Yeoman’s 50’s, which we discussed at length last time.
This is a very accurate recreation of the era, based on photos and illustrations I’ve seen. Woven navy and tan hessian canvas on a red crepe sole with silver eyelets.
It originally came with white flat straps, but I replaced them with round straps in a tone that better matches the original. Despite their unwavering accuracy, I prefer Fennica’s interpretation. I think there’s something more creative about them.
And last but not least, the coolest thing is the JM Weston 38 Tennis reissue. This photo is taken directly from a 1938 French menswear magazine, Adam, and was first posted on Instagram by the always informative Kerloazdiary.
Weston appeared to have created the new pair directly from a photo, sewing a leather-lined canvas upper and a rubber sole with a distinctive straight vamp seam on the side of the upper. These youngsters are certainly expensive, but they also have the added bonus of being factory resaleable.
I wore the all-black upper on a black sole as a sort of summer formal stand-in. It really makes a huge difference to the others in my rotation.
For styling tips, I’ve never strayed from David Niven imagery, or indeed quotes from Geoffrey Wolff’s 1990 novel, which we first opened with. Linen and flannel over canvas and rubber create a timeless appeal.
Just ask Ralph Lauren, whose lookbook shot by Bruce Weber in the ’80s and ’90s is filled with great references to seersucker, madras, flannel and linen. An honest masterclass.
*Simon’s note: I’ve experienced two recent releases to add to Tony’s excellent summary. The Loro Piana has a very well made and comfortable CVO, but the higher wrap on the foxing seems to spoil the look somewhat. I also tried the Anglo-Italian model, which has leather lining and stitching more similar to the Western, and the rest of the sole is different. The silhouette is great, but I personally like the lightness of other canvas shoes and the natural look without lining. My favorite canvas shoe overall is the Superga 1925 reissue (currently only available on the Italian website).
