The monk shoe’s simplicity of a strap and buckle instead of laces is something the would’ve appealed to Ian Fleming’s James Bond. In The World is Not Enough, Bond wears the Church’s Presley model black monk shoe. It’s a minimal shoe with a plain toe and narrow strap and buckle.
Later in the movie Bond wears a light brown monk shoe with a larger strap and buckle. I don’t know if the Church’s Westbury was made in 1999, but that would appear to be the most similar shoe in Church’s current catalogue.
Very informative keep it up!
This is great. Thanks.
hmm, didn't monk shoes exist while Fleming was alive? If so, if they did appeal to him wouldn't he have put Bond in them? If he had reasons to make Bond dislike Windsor knots, maybe his Bond would have disliked monk shoes.
Monk shoes have been around for a very long time, and maybe Fleming did like them. Fleming wrote very little about Bond's clothing, though monk shoes definitely fit the character since they don't have laces. Fleming wrote that bond wore well-polished black moccasins, which are traditionally too casual for a suit.
The Presley Monk Strap shoes can still be custom ordered from the Church’s store in New York.
They are on the 73 last and are super elegant looking.
Am wearing 2 and 3 eyelet Derbies and also mocassins amd some med high ankle boots with my suits, I noticed Oxfords are the least he wears, never in the novels and perhaps rarely in the movies?
Brosnan and Craig have worn many oxfords, but Connery wore them rarely and the other three Bonds may never have.