May 21, 2021 at 06:00AM
As a child I was fascinated by the grown-up glamour of the high heel, and like coffee or spicy food, I always assumed it was just something you learned to love as you got older. But, no matter how hard I tried as a teen and early twenty-something, I could never get on board (aside from the odd concession to a heeled boot). Instead, I have always been inexorably drawn towards flats: The polished appeal of a loafer, the nonchalant, cool-girl stylings of a brogue and even the odd nod to the noughties ballet pump. Within this realm of smart flats, I always considered Church’s to be the creme de la creme.
While I’ve seen plenty of appealing iterations over the years, they’ve never quite surpassed the timeless beauty of a Church’s shoe. I have always felt like menswear can often, by default, feel more premium because it focuses on simple silhouettes and classic fits, and I believe this is what has drawn me back to Church’s time and time again: a sort of unfussy, straight-forward chicness. While the odd deviation comes in the form of the brand’s studded styles, such as the Pembrey loafer, it remains one of my favourite iterations on-site right now. Yes, it has that additional detailing, but it’s not at the cost of versatility.
Author Joy Montgomery | Whowhatwear
Selected by CWC