Very Classy: Monk Strap
Monk Strap Shoes - One of my favourite shoe style. Besides being chic and stylish, the reason why I love it is because of its versatility.
The first lesson I learned about men’s shoes was the unfortunate fate of square-toed shoes. (It was the day my dark brown square-toed sentenced to an eternity of imprisonment in my rack.)
The second lesson I learned was that there’s actually a big universe inside this subset of menswear world: there are brogues, chelsea boots, oxford, wingtips, espadrilles, loafers, slip-on, boots… and the names keep on going, with each style comes with own history and craft that I have not even known and gone into (even until now.)
What I’m bringing up today is one of names that has become my favourite. It’s Monk Strap. It somehow reminded me of Dalai Lama when I first heard it.
Yes, the monk shoes were originally worn by monks – not Tibetan but European monks in the 15th Century. (More history? Time travel.)
15th Century Monk Shoe
The shoe style has evolved so much over the centuries, and it has become an icon that combines old-school elegance and fashion forward. The variety of monk stap has grown from the original single strap to the modern triple straps, in varies colours from tanned brown to green, and made in leather as well as in suede. If you’ve been following this blog, it’ll looks familiar to you because it frequently appears on the pictures I posted. It’s a favourite among the stylish men.
Besides it’s chic and stylish look, the reason why I love it is because of its versatility – you can wear it with jeans, chinos and even your suits. I think it’s a classic shoe style so it won’t be outdated even when the trend has passed.
I’ve just ordered a pair of dark brown double monk strap from Meermin today, and I can imagine the number of looks I can create with my dark jeans, white pants, colorful socks, gray slacks, beige chinos and etc, and also the number of times I can wear it (#GoodInvestment). I’m a person who loves to add a little dose of formality into my casual wear, and I think Monk Strap will do a very good job in that.
Here’s a gallery of inspiration on more ways to wear monk strap. These guys look amazing in monk straps and they are my inspiration:
Do you love monk straps? And where did you get yours? Do let me know if you have recommendation. I hope you enjoyed the post. 🙂
Image source: Image 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
