The latest collection from Cheaney will teach you the value of textures

Words: Jonathan Wells

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Cheaney has always been a brand in touch with the tactile, sensory side of shoemaking. Whether it’s the individual processes — including lasting, lock-stitching, clicking and closing — that go into creating its stylish shoes, or the by-eye checks each pair must pass through before being boxed, the Desborough-based brand is as hands-on as any other.

So it’s no surprise that the textures and textiles that Cheaney uses to create its collections are so pleasingly palpable. That may be ‘Kudu’ leather; surprisingly supple, but with a highly-textured, pebbled finish. It may be the shaggy shearling with which the brand lines many of its more wintry boots. Or it could be ‘Chromexcel’ leather, a multi-tanned textile produced to encourage patination. But every material maintains its own distinct, well-heeled character.

And the brand’s latest drop — released to step up your style come summer — showcases this haptic aptitude more effectively than any previous collection. There are suedes, fine fabrics and abrasion-resistant deerskin on show in Cheaney’s SS23 styles. And below, we’ve laced up five ways these extra touches of texture will benefit your feet this year…

Formal footwear isn’t all shiny straps and patent leather. While many dress shoes — whether they be brogues, Oxfords or Derby shoes — follow the same slick footsteps, Cheaney’s latest launches add a little more interest to the strait-laced designs. And they do so using new grains, weaves and finishes.

Among the materials used, the ‘Charles’ (£425) boasts perhaps the softest; employing swathes of bitter chocolate suede from English tannery C. F. Stead to stand these Derby shoes apart. But our favourite is the ‘Tarbert’ Oxford (£395). Not only does it boast broguing to add depth to its design, that vibrant tan leather (from celebrated Scottish tannery, Barrhead Kid) also features the distinctive, delicately-creased patterning of deerskin.

There’s a common misconception that suede is soft. But we’re not talking texture — we’re talking reputation. Thankfully, that’s not true. Because, while the textile may indeed be gentle to the touch, it can be one of the hardiest shoemaking materials of all — when deployed correctly. And Cheaney’s latest collection sees it ably stitched into several new sturdy boots.

There’s the ‘Jackie’ (£395), the classic Cheaney chukka design, now available in an umber suede — but with the same hard-wearing Goodyear-welted studded rubber sole that has already stood the test of time (and countless terrains). Or, for a slightly slicker look, the ‘Godwin’ Chelsea (£675) once again uses C. F. Stead’s bitter chocolate suede for an unctuously soft spin on the rugged-yet-refined ankle boot.

There’s always been something a little too ‘try-hard’ about multi-material shoes. Often deemed too dapper or rakish, most modern men tend to avoid them for fear of being branded a dandy. And yet, fashion moves in cycles — so perhaps it’s finally time for this typically 1920s style to step back into the assorted-fabric fold.

Cheaney are leading the idiosyncratic charge with the ‘Edwin’ (£395), an Oxford brogue that pairs patches of supple deep mocha calf leather with navy twill weave fabric — sourced from Yorkshire’s heritage Moons Mill. The ‘Toby’ loafer (£325) takes the same tack, trimming its blue suede body uppers with a navy leather collar. The result? A pair of pairs, as statement-making as they are sturdily made.

How many pairs of plain black Oxfords do you own? Or brown leather boots? Because there’s more variation out there. And, even if you do have a preferred kind of kicks — loafers, say — Cheaney’s latest collection proves how effectively you can expand and diversify one single style of shoe simply by switching up the textile.

Take the ‘Wandsworth’ loafer (£595) as an example. In elegant calf leather, and featuring a distinctive twisted saddle, this is a smart shoe; available in burnished brown or deep black. But give it a rounder toe, some contrast stitching and cut it from napped suede, and you’ve got a completely different creature (the ‘Hadley‘, £395) — one with a distinctly more casual character. That’s the power of changing up your textiles.

While the fully-suede ‘Charles’ and boldly brogued ‘Tarbert’ above may have doubled-down on using boldly textured textiles, there’s a way to introduce more subtly tactile touches into your shoes. And, to wrap up our praises of Cheaney’s latest collection, we present our favourite shoe of the lot; the discreetly, lightly roughened ‘Kintyre’ Derby (£395).

The design itself is as traditional as any you could ever lace up, with moderately narrow toes and open laces. But that leather — sustainably sourced deerskin hides from Perthshire and the Argyll Peninsula — is a quiet masterstroke of style; a low-key textured flourish that adds lashings of charm to an otherwise purely practical shoe.

It’s an ode to understatement — and proof that, when buying any new shoes this year, your first consideration should be texture.

Want more advice? These 3 simple style moves will adapt your work wardrobe for spring…

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